8 Calorie Facts Everyone Should Know

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

What are calories, why are they needed and how much are needed - answers to questions that concern everyone.

1. Calorie is a unit of measure for energy from food

Technically, one calorie is the amount of energy required to heat one gram of water by 1 ºC. There are 1,000 calories in one kilocalorie (kcal), and in this case we are not talking about a gram, but about a kilogram.

What does the food have to do with it? The proteins, fats and carbohydrates that make up it contain energy. This energy is measured in calories.

2. Calories allow us to survive, create new tissues and provide energy to move

Every time you eat, your body parses the incoming energy for a variety of purposes. It is primarily used to support vital functions such as regulating breathing and pumping blood.

The minimum energy required to survive is called the basal metabolic rate. Its value for adult women with normal weight is about 1,330 kcal, for adult men with normal weight - about 1,680 kcal.

The remaining calories and nutrients are used to build and repair tissue. That is why a high-calorie diet is prescribed for burns. To build muscle mass also requires energy: new tissue will not build itself.

Any additional calories are expended during physical activity. Moreover, any movement is considered. But if you don't burn the residue, it will be stored as fat.

We are used to thinking of fat as the enemy, when in reality it is our strategic reserve of energy in case of an emergency. True, an excess of it harms the body, increasing the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases.

Finally, there is also digestion: 10-15% of incoming calories are spent on this process.

3. Your body may not need 2,000 kcal per day at all

Two thousand kilocalories is an average. Individual energy needs depend on age, gender, weight, activity level and goals: lose weight, gain weight, stay fit. To find out your rate, use this calculator.

4. Calorie quantity and quality are equally important

You can also lose weight on sweets, if there are few of them, as one American professor did. But calorie count is only one side of the coin. Nutrients in food are also important.

Let's say you decide to have a snack. Low fat biscuits with only 100 calories are not the best choice because they are low in nutrients and a lot of sugar. Peanut butter with 190 kcal will bring more benefits: it has less sugar, more protein and vitamins.

5. Foods with negative calories do not exist

It is believed that some fruits and vegetables are so low in calories that they require more energy to digest than they can provide. Lie. As already mentioned, the body spends 10-15% of the incoming calories for food processing. So all the rest, albeit in an insignificant amount, remain with you.

6. Calories from carbohydrates are not a universal evil

Some diets are based on a limited carbohydrate intake. But the weight does not increase because of them, but because of the excess of calories. So you can gain extra pounds on chicken breast, if you absorb it without measure.

In general, carbohydrates differ in carbohydrates. Harmful things like candy and soda are devoid of nutrients. Healthy grains like whole grains and fruits, on the other hand, are rich in nutrients and fiber.

7. The rule of 3,500 kcal is not true

In dietetics, the assertion is widespread that 3,500 kcal are equal to 0.5 kg (that is, if you consume 500 kcal less during the week, you will lose half a kilo). Such numbers first appeared in 1958, but they are now outdated.

The bottom line is that weight loss is individual and depends on metabolism and other factors. So 3,500 kcal, as well as the consumption rate, can be considered only an approximate average value.

8. Calorie counting doesn't work for everyone

Calorie obsession can be harmful to your health. Say, in the event that you prefer to take pretzels instead of almonds just because of their lower calorie content.

On the other hand, calorie tracking really helps you maintain a healthy weight. True, not for everyone.

In general, the advice is simple: if life is easier and better for you with a calculator, continue; if not, then stop harassing yourself.