People who take healthy eating seriously are familiar with the term “empty calorie”.  It is a calorie minus its nutritional value. It is often very tasty.  Think junk food.  Consuming empty calories means digesting food your body does not profit from or profits very little.  It goes down easy but does more harm than good.

Swing to the other end of food and you have whole and/or raw foods that are rich in nutrients.  They are full of things your body needs, rich in lean proteins and good fats and carbs in addition to other minerals and vitamins.  Very healthy yet often hard to swallow.  I cannot imagine after a workout taking a spoonful of whey protein and just sticking it in my mouth. I love broccoli but straight up is hard to swallow.   Good communicating is in the middle.  Your content can be palatable and profitable.  It can taste great and be good for your audience.  However, some communicators swing to one side or the other.

A comedian and/or humorist has very palatable content.  The stories are enjoyable.  The jokes make you laugh.  Apart from the physiological benefits of laughing the content is rather empty.  Empty calories.  Some “theologians”, term used loosely, get so caught up in preaching the “truth”, term used loosely, they deliver content that is hard to swallow.  It is very rich in spiritual nutrients but is delivered so poorly no one wants to try and keep it down or stay awake.  Remember, it doesn’t matter how true it is if your audience is catatonic when you say it.  Potatoes and gravy go better together.

When preparing your content ask, “Is it profitable, is it palatable?”  To do both well requires craft and art.  Oh, and you really do need both.

Which side of the spectrum do you find yourself drifting?  Do you dish out the candy?  Are you a raw broccoli type of person?