Can you really burn more calories just by eating??

Today I want to discuss something called the thermic effect of food.  If you have been to one of my nutrition seminars then you know that I teach my clients to eat meals containing a lean protein, a starchy/complex carbohydrate (i.e. brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal), and a fibrous carbohydrate (i.e. vegetables) every 3 hours.  While this is not always possible, the goal is to do the best you can.

There are many reasons why eating this way is vital to burning body fat and one of those reasons is the thermic effect food.  Any time muscles contract or a bodily process takes place, calories are burned.  The same holds true for the digestion of food.  When you eat the right foods you burn a good amount of calories in the digestion process.   The burning of calories through digestion is called the thermic effect of food.

For example, when you consume fats, it is very easy for the body to break down the fat for digestion.  All the body has to do is break the small fat molecules into smaller fat molecules and then into smaller fat molecules and eventually into fatty acid chains that can then be stored or burned.  This is a simple process for the body.

For every 100 calories of fat consumed; only 5 calories are burned during digestion.  That is a 5% metabolic boost.

Complex or starchy carbohydrates on the other hand are large chains of glucose (sugar) molecules that the body now has to break apart.  First, the mouth uses saliva to start breaking down these glucose chains.  Second, the glucose chains move from the mouth to the stomach where the chains are further broken down until they reach the intestines where they absorb into the bloodstream.  Third, the pancreas has to produce insulin which takes the glucose and stores it either in the liver or muscles.  There are many more steps to breaking down complex carbs as compared to fats.

For every 100 calories of complex carbs that are ingested, 10 calories are burned in digestion. That is a 10% metabolic boost.  That’s twice the boost you get from fats.

One gram of fat contains 9 calories while one gram of complex carbs contains 4 calories.  When you cut the fats out of the diet you get less then half of the calories yet double the calories burned in digestion.  That is why it’s possible to eat MORE food and still burn body fat if you cut down the fat intake.

It’s even better news when it comes to proteins.  It takes a lot of work for the body to break down proteins.  Proteins are complex chains of 22 amino acids.  The body has to break down these chains into smaller amino acid chains called dipeptides and tripeptides because that is how the body absorbs protein.  Then, during protein synthesis, those chains are rebuilt into cells.  That’s a lot of effort.  It’s like boot camp for the body : )

For every 100 calories of proteins ingested, up to 25 calories are burned during digestion.  That’s a 25% metabolic boost.

Like carbs, proteins have 4 calories per gram.  When you cut fat out of your diet and replace it with lean protein and complex carbohydrates, you can eat twice the amount of food and still consume fewer calories.  You also get 7 times the metabolic boost.  Wow!  That’s why it is possible to eat more food and burn more fat.  Seems counterintuitive but it works!

Whenever possible, make it your goal to eat meals consisting of a significant lean protein serving, a complex carb, and a vegetable/fiber source to help move the food through the body.  You should eat these meals every 2 ½ to 3 hours.  Do this as much as possible and turn your body into a food, fat, and calorie burning machine!

For more information on exercise and nutrition contact Jason at 404.452.5208 or visit the website at www.BodyBackBootCamps.com