Those are the two things we need: food and nutrients. The body doesn’t know where those calories are coming from. It just cares that it gets them. Why do I mention this? Because there are those who believe that a “Well-balanced diet with foods representing all the food groups is necessary for a healthy, complete diet.” They couldn’t be more wrong.

What is important is that we give our bodies food that contain calories to fuel us and nutrients that aid in the maintenance of metabolism. That’s why it’s so important to eat quality food that is nutrient-rich. Calorie dense foods tend to be poorer quality foods overall and even contain anti-nutrients (grains).

When we eat good, clean food, our bodies extract the nutrients through a complex process that takes energy. That energy comes from the very food it’s digesting (or from the food you ate prior to this meal). The more complex that food is for the body to break down, the fewer net calories you will get, which means you will not store as much. Some food storage is necessary for the periods between meals, but when we eat calorie dense foods and foods that are very easy for the body to digest, more of it gets stored as the body can’t use the energy fast enough. This leads to weight gain. In my case, I ate so much carb-heavy food that I got a condition called Fatty Liver Disease. My body was literally having to turn the sugar into fat so fast that the fat gummed up my liver. Fortunately, this has been reversed, and I now have a healthy liver.

FOOD:  Any nutritious substance that is consumed in order to maintain and sustain life and growth and to repair and furnish energy.

NUTRIENT: A substance that provides nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of metabolism and life.

The food groups? Marketing made up back in the 70’s to get people to eat a more varied diet to boost purchasing of foods that the government was subsidizing. It literally has no bearing on how healthy a diet is. All that matters is that you eat foods that are clean and nutrient-rich.