The first thing many people look at on a Nutrition Facts label on a box or can of food is the calorie content.
Before making a decision based on calories only, a person needs to have a good understanding of the importance of calories in the diet.
Calories are a measure of energy and there are three nutrients that supply energy, including carbohydrates, protein and fat. The calories in food are based on the content of these three nutrients. Alcohol also provides calories but it’s not a nutrient.
Calorie needs will vary from person to person. Age, gender, body size and activities level are things to keep in mind when determining how many calories should be consumed each day. To find the right amount of calories for you, check out the MyPyramid Web site at www.mypyramid.gov.
When balancing calories, remember that food and beverages supply calories into the body and physical activity affects the calories that are worked out of the body.
Calories are in balance when the calories going into the body equal the number of calories coming out. If you consume more calories than you burn, weight gain occurs. Weight loss occurs when more calories are burned than consumed.
Although weight loss can occur simply by cutting down the intake of calories, it is more effective if a person is to lower calories in and increase calories out together.
There are 3,500 calories in one pound of body fat. In order to lose one pound per week, your calories in need to be 500 calories less than your total calories burned each day.
Foods such as salad dressing, oil, cream, butter and margarine are high in fat. Soft drinks, candy and sweet desserts are high in sugar and/or fat. These foods provide calories but very few nutrients.
In an effort to watch calories, control serving sizes. Also, by increasing daily exercise you can increase your calorie output. Thirty minutes of exercise each day can help prevent disease; 60 minutes per day will help prevent weight gain; and 60 to 90 minutes per day is needed to lose weight or maintain weight loss.
Just like vitamins and minerals, calories are an important part of a healthy diet.
