Things are Not Always as They Seem
Hi Guys. Just a brief follow up to yesterday’s post. Here’s a comment sent in by Beach Bear:
“It’s not always just about the calories though it’s also having a good look at the QUALITY of the calories and the nutrient content.”
And another one from Sandy Fishwick:
“Scary, I found it fascinating the difference between a dried apricot (55minute walk) and a fresh apricot (10minutes). Craig why is there such a difference?”
Beach Bear makes a very valid point and Sandy asks a relevant question, so let’s explore those a little.
Calorie Quality
Beach Bear is right when she (he?) stresses that the quality of the calories (and not just the number) is crucial to our overall health strategy. In other words, not all calories are equal (in terms of potential health benefits and nutritional value). Clearly, a hundred calories of highly-processed white bread will not provide the same kind of nutrition (micro and macronutrients) as say, a hundred grams of organic broccoli. Good point Beach Bear.
However…
Having said that, total calorie intake is still important irrespective of the quality of the calories. Some people erroneously assume that, if their diet contains no ‘bad’ foods, then they can eat as much as they like. Wrong. Even healthy foods will make us fat if we eat enough of them. If your body only requires 1,700 calories per day (for example) and you’re regularly throwing down 2,500 calories of ‘healthy’ foods, the consequence will still be weight gain. And, if you do it for long enough, obesity.
An obese body, even one that became obese via an excess of healthy foods, is still a body with an increased health risk. Many healthy foods (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, dried fruit, juices) are calorie dense which means they should be consumed in moderation. Eating calories that we don’t need (even high-quality calories), is simply another way of stressing our body unnecessarily.
With that in mind, our best nutritional strategy is to consume the right type and the right number of calories.
Thanks for your input Beach Bear.
Fresh Apricots Vs. Dried Apricots
Sandy, the answer to your question is simple; the dried apricots have had (virtually) all of the water removed from their original ‘fresh’ state (that water being a large percentage of their natural weight). So, in dried form, what you’re left with is the sugar and the calories. FYI, it takes just over half a kilo (about a pound) of fresh apricots to produce 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dried apricots.
Thanks Sandy.
Enjoy your weekend Folks and as always, love to hear your thoughts, ideas and feedback. 
Love this article? Sign up for my FREE Email Newsletter today to receive more articles like this, and my FREE Ebook!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
What I have found interesting for me is that it is not necessarily even the “right’ amount/type of calories consumed but the timing of eating them can play a big role in weight loss or gain. Eat like horse before 2pm and next morning I have lost weight but if I eat dinner after 6pm – bingo 2kgs! I used to think that was just retained fluid until I realised it quickly transformed into a much thicker substance -fat!
Eating too few calories can also slow weight loss as my body recognises this as famine and tries to store rather than use energy consumed- again fat. Unfortunately I am very energy efficient like a bear preparing to hibernate – for a nuclear winter.
It is very much a trial and error process to find the balance that works best. Outsmarting a body whose prime objective seems to be create massive stores fat can be a challenge. I taught it well over many years after all.
Knowing the number and type of calories required each day is a start but I need to factor in the amount of exercise, at what intensity and the time of day that my body is going to maximally use the fuel to get it right.
I found that as I lose weight my body needs less calories to maintain that weight. If I eat more I have to ramp up the exercise.
A calorie is just a unit of energy – if my body needs it now it will be utilised but if it is not needed in the immediate future to maintain the body it will be stored. There is no discrimination between good or bad calories in my cellulite.
I’m coming to the realisation that my body needs very few calories – much less than what I’m giving it. At the moment I’m trying to get my head round Weight Watchers propoints, which I find very complicated because they take into account saturated fat and fibre and God knows what else.
So true! I grow my own strictly organic veg and fruits in a garden fertilized only with my chooks poo and buy organic meat, ham, salami etc. BUT, I’ve had to learn that thick, homemade organic flour pizza crust with piles of salami, organic cheese and garden veg on top will make me fat if I treat it like health food.
Hi Craig,
I am probably just a bit dense but I’m still a little confused about your response to Sandy’s question…
If a dried apricot contains the left over sugar and calories after water is removed, then wouldn’t the fresh apricot have the same amount of sugar and calories as its dried form, only with the addition of water?
Yeah, just give me an upper cut if I’m going doo-lally!
Sal
You’re right Sal but the difference being that you might (easily) eat ten dried apricots at once but you’re never gonna eat ten fresh apricots in a row.
Hello Craig,
Thank you very much for your feedback on my comments (by the way i am female
). Yes absolutely it doesnt matter if you load up on healthy food as it is the total amount of excess calories that get stored as fat when your body doesnt need what you are eating that the problem begins and the fat starts piling on. It is definitely a very complex thing the human body and unfortuneatly a lot of people are trying to do the right thing and get so confused by all the information (and mis-information) out there that they give up.
I have been through many trials and errors over the years fiddling with macro/micro nutrient content, meal timings, training in the morning vs in the evening, on full and empty stomach, and so it goes on. If i could share the one very important thing that i have learnt as a result of all these years of trying to find the right balance…..every single one of us will be different in the way our metabolism works, how quickly we do or dont store fat, how quickly or slowly we respond to exercise and how much we do or dont need to eat in order to maintain a healthy weight. There is just no single formula that works on every single body without some tweaking and finding exactly how YOUR body works and responds to various stimuli.
There are so many variables in this scenario HOWEVER…..the one thing which i think we all need prior to starting off on this journey is something we can share in common……our COMMITMENT LEVEL. That is…..just how MUCH do we really want to change and really and truly want to make the effort required and keep up the journey towards a healthier future? Are we REALLY prepared to do whats required? if we dont get this right then theres no point even trying to work out eating/exercise and the rest of the equation.
Thanks again Craig this is a really interesting topic and something i am very passionate about
Thanks for responding to my question regarding fresh apricots verses dried apricots. I didn’t realize how many fresh apricots it took to make dried apricots, and dried apricots are mostly sugar. I will have to change my morning tea because I have a small bowl of dried fruit and nuts, any suggestions for a better alternative.
Try a boiled egg with some cucumber sticks and cherry tomates or 100g cottage cheese on two rice cakes. I eat nuts for a’tea as I find I need something more substantial at m’tea.
I also like having small handful of nuts with a tub of yoghurt (200gm)…..i find that very satisfying as it has the healthy fats and the protein to keep you full for longer
There shouldn’t be any difference between one dried apricot and one fresh apricot. If I buy a fresh apricot and it has say 20 calories, I dry it in my oven and eat it afterwards it is still 20 calories. It is just smaller and lighter.
So I don’t understand where this information is coming from. If you have to walk 10 minutes for 1 fresh apricot, then you will have to walk 10 minutes for the same 1 apricot but in dried form. No?
In the original article Craig was comparing 100g of each, not 1 dried vs 1 fresh apricot.
Indeed, but Sandy Fishwick asked about one fresh apricot versus a dried apricot
Love reading the comments on this this subject. It seems that I can even walk past a carrot or a cake and would put on weight.
I’m in hospital after having a 12/7 nerve jump and can’t eat solids or I choke (half side of tongue and neck is numb) so forget the diets,the apricots and stomach stapling – get your throat slit open instead and you’re guaranteed weight loss! LMBO
Weight loss doesn’t have to be serious all the time does it?
Eat well and prosper. Craig seems to have it down pat