Maybe We’re Not What We Eat? — Dave’s Diary

We are heading to the Olympia area this weekend.  My wife Sara, the new fitness fanatic, is going to participate in a Run for your Life-Zombie Race  on Saturday.Sara is working out hard, watching what she eats and is looking and feeling great.  But she still has her frustrations as do just about everybody who tries to shed a pound or two. Now, scientists are saying  you shouldn't solely rely on counting calories if you want to lose weight. In fact, new research finds the way food is cooked, and an individual's metabolism can both make a dramatic difference in how many calories are absorbed by the body.

Researchers also say obese people may have an over-abundance of certain types of digestive bacteria that make them absorb calories more efficiently. Health and nutrition researchers advise that if you're trying to lose weight it's best to eat raw or whole foods which are harder to digest, and therefore likely to burn more calories.

Additionally, researchers say that calorie labels ignore the energy content of fiber, and therefore if you eat a bowl of bran cereal it may contain 20 more calories than the label claims. (Daily Mail)