The calorie is the measure of energy in a food. Scientifically, a calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.
The caloric needs of different people are different. The calories that we derive from our food are necessary for the functioning of the body to keep us alive and to carry out other activities.
Sixty to sixty-five percent of the calories consumed are expended to carry out bodily functions such as breathing, digesting, purifying the blood, beating the heart, maintaining body temperature, etc. Another ten percent is spent on processing the food that is consumed.
A minimum of 1,200 calories per day is required to keep you alive. A lower calorie intake than that will lower your iron level and slow your metabolism.
Different People Different Caloric Needs
Many factors, such as age, size, gender, weight, height, activity level, and the climatic conditions of the surrounding environment, determine an individual’s caloric needs.
Smaller body size and warm ambient temperatures make the caloric requirement of those living in tropical climatic conditions lower than that of the same group of people living in temperate regions.
Similarly, age also plays a vital role in determining your caloric needs. A person in their twenties will have maximum caloric needs of 2,300 calories per day. There is a gradual decrease in this amount with increasing age. This decrease in caloric needs with increasing age is partly explained by the increase in fat accumulation.
Next is the gender factor. In general, men need five to ten percent more calories than women. This is because men have a higher percentage of lean muscle in their bodies. However, pregnant and lactating women need 300 to 500 more calories per day than they normally need.
Physical activity is another important factor that determines people’s caloric needs. A person, whose work involves more physical work, will have greater caloric needs than another who leads a sedentary life of the same age.
Caloric content of different types of food.
Various types of nutrients provide different amounts of calories. Approximately, carbohydrates and proteins contain about four calories per gram of your weight. There are about nine calories in one gram of dietary fat and about seven calories in one gram of alcohol. This obviously shows that a reduction in the intake of foods that contain more fat and alcoholic beverages will reduce your calorie intake.
However, dieting does not mean only eating low-calorie foods. Your diet should also be nutritious on the other hand. A nutritious diet plan will help you lose weight in several ways.
The first and main way is through your metabolism. Metabolism is the term used to refer to the way your body processes and uses the food you eat. There are a number of minerals and vitamins needed to maintain the efficiency of your metabolism. A proper metabolism will be hampered if your body lacks any of these minerals and vitamins. This in turn will negatively affect your pattern of weight loss.
Secondly, the lack of proper nutrition will create problems in digestion. The food you eat will not be properly digested and assimilated. The digestive system needs nutrition like minerals and vitamins. In addition, it also requires dietary fiber. The gastrointestinal tract, also known as the GI tract, benefits from a plentiful intake of dietary fiber, as it helps cleanse the tract and prevents constipation and indigestion-related complaints such as IBS and diverticulosis.
Here are some other types of foods that are linked to weight gain and loss.
Empty calorie foods: Empty calorie foods are the worst from a nutritional and caloric standpoint. These are those drinks and foods that add a lot of calories to your diet, with little or no nutrition. They don’t provide disease-fighting vitamins, minerals, or phytochemicals to your body compared to the calories they add. People who are overweight or obese or those who are trying to lose their body weight should avoid foods with empty calories. Energy drinks, carbonated drinks, candy, regular soda, soda, candy, etc.
Calorie Dense Foods: Foods that are high in calories from fat and foods that are high in fat and sugar are included in the category of calorie dense foods. They include hot dogs, butter, mayonnaise, full-fat cheese, white flour bagels, certain types of commercial popcorn, rich-bread snacks, candy, etc. Calorie-dense foods are often processed foods. They are not recommended for those hoping to lose weight.
Negative calorie foods: Negative calorie foods are those foods that burn more calories for processing than they actually contain. The calories contained in these foods present a lot of resistance and your system has to apply a lot of energy to break them down. This gives these foods a natural and extensive fat-burning ability. Consume these foods to lose weight quickly. Asparagus, celery, lettuce, onions, papayas, spinach, turnips, cucumbers, chili peppers, green cabbage, broccoli, carrots, beets, mangoes, cauliflower, garlic, zucchini, pineapple, oranges, raspberries, strawberries, grapefruit, blueberries, lemons, apples , tangerines, etc. They are negative calorie foods.
Fat Burning Foods – There are certain foods that help you in many different ways, each one to burn body fat fast. Examples of this type of food are avocados, olives, green tea, ice water, chili peppers, spinach, eggs, baby potatoes, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, almonds, seeded breads, fish fats, oats, whole wheat pasta, beans, legumes. , etc.
For the best type of weight loss through calorie control, include all food groups in your daily diet. Include even fat, but the right kind of fat like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated foods. Try to lose no more than 2 pounds of body fat per week. Don’t engage in complete caloric control that is entirely related to your diet. Burn about fifty percent of the calories you want to eliminate from your daily intake through exercise. Exercises will not only help you lose weight, but also shape and tone you up!