卡路里

我們常聽到看到人家講一碗飯或一片土司（或一顆金莎巧克力）的熱量是多少卡路里，但你可曾想過食物的卡路里(calories)是怎麼算出來的?

我們所知道的食物卡路里是經由將食物放在箱型熱量計裡燃燒而得的，實際作法大致是這樣…

量測食物熱量的熱量計包含兩個箱子(chamber)，一個包住另一個（一個在裡一個在外），把經過秤重的食物樣本放在碟子裡，再把碟子放到裡面的那個箱子並燃燒它。外面的箱子內注入水，當裡面那個箱子內的食物燃燒時，外面這個箱子內的水溫度會升高，研究人員就是靠量測這個水溫升高度數來定義這食物含有多少熱量，也就是卡路里。（溫度升高一度就是一卡路里）

我們來看看“Kick your fat in the nuts”的作者對這個是怎麼說的，

Tell me this, where in the human body is there a high temperature oven? Or even a flame if we’re comparing to those calorimeters that burn food using a flame. … This method is so far from human physiology, it’s a joke.

簡單講，人體內並沒有燃燒爐，也沒有所謂的火(flame)在我們體內燃燒食物，所以用這種燃燒食物計算熱量的方法只是個笑話。

作者說重點不在你消耗多少熱量，而在你把這些熱量轉換能身體需要的能量／能源(fuel)的效率如何（也就是你的消化代謝能力）。光是計算卡路里只會讓想要減重卻一直失敗的人感到困感挫折，因為每個人的代謝能力不同啊~~

部分原文如下--

Calorie experts tell us that a calorie is a calorie. They tell us that the unit of energy measured by a calorie in broccoli is the same as a calorie found in banana cream pie. Yes, that is true when looking at a petri dish found in a lab. The problem is, human are not a petri dish and we all process those calories differently. Therefore, it’s not about the calories that you consume. It’s about your body’s ability to turn those calories into fuel. If your body has a problem processing carbohydrates, or fats, or properly digesting protein, those foods are not converted to energy according to the number of calories they contain. If we all processed foods the same way, this calories in calories out formula would be a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, we all process food differently and this calorie counting method is just one more idea that confuses and frustrates those who can’t lose weight.

或許你會說明明就有人靠著計算吃進去食物的熱量而成功減重。那是因為計算熱量會讓你對吃進去的食物更小心。

你一定聽過很多人講，減肥就是要做到消耗的比吃進去的（熱量）多，其實更重要的是你吃了什麼。兩千卡的雞肉、蛋、蔬果與兩千卡的垃圾食物吃下肚所產生的結果可是截然不同，前者能被身體消化分解並產生身體所需能量，而後者則是會幫你囤積更多脂肪喔！