Most people have heard the word calorie before, but very few actually know exactley what a calorie is. In the health and nutrition world, a calorie is the potential energy in food and the amount of energy the body uses, according to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Calories are found in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and when the body digests them they release nutrients into the bloodstream, which are converted to either glucose or blood sugar. Any nutrients the body does not need to use right away for energy are stored as body fat, whether they are carbohydrates, fats, or proteins.
The average person should aim to eat approximatley 2,000 calories per day for women and around 2,500 calories per day for men; however, this will vary greatly depending on activity level and lifestyle. People looking to lose weight should aim to take in less calories than they burn per day, because one pound of body fat equals 3,500 calories.
Try starting a food journal and write down everything you eat in a day and calculate how many calories you are intaking per day. It’ll be interesting to see how your calorie intake compares to the recommended norms.
Food for Thought
Eating a slice of cake containing 500 calories will take approximatley one hour of cardiovascular exercise to burn off. Perhaps if you know your are going out for a big dinner, try and reduce the amount of calories you consume earlier in the day to allow for more calories at dinner. This does not mean to starve yourself because you will be so hungery at dinner you will most likely overeat, but opt for healthier lower calorie foods for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
