Calories oh calories ! You see it written everywhere and people keep talking about it. Why do people care about it so much ? Why do people always say this has too many calories or why is it such a big topic of discussion. Let us help you clarify that a bit.
The path to a healthy lifestyle is getting a little harder day and day. As people’s lifestyle’s change and we evolve, poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle is becoming more and more of a concern every day. It has started to cause various issues like obesity, heart conditions, diabetes to name a few. It’s becoming necessary to watch what you eat and how it impacts your lifestyle fitness. Fortunately, you have us and we can guide you on how to go about it.
So what are calories ? Simply explained, our bodies requires a constant energy supply to keep us alive and organs functioning. Every cell and muscle in our body needs the energy to function optimally and that energy is attained by different kinds of foods and drinks. Whatever we consume has calories in it, and these are essential for human health. In physics terms, calories are a way of measuring energy, and it is defined as the amount of heat needed to increase the water temperature of one gram by one degree Celsius.
In food terms, the word “calorie” refers to the amount of energy released when your body digests and absorbs food. If you consume high-calorie food, you will get more energy in your body. However, if you cannot turn those calories into energy by partaking in physical activities, your body will store those extra calories as body fat. Any imbalance in calories taken and calories burnt will basically causes some of the health conditions mentioned above. Consuming calories and burning them is a circle. As mentioned above, your body produces energy by burning calories and how quickly or slowly these calories turn into energy, also depend upon the complex cell structure of the food you consume. The more work it takes to extract energy from the food, the better it will be for your body to sustain that energy. So consuming sugary food will instantly spike your energy level and make you feel drained faster.
So there is this phrase, “A calorie is a calorie,” which is quite often tossed around on the internet. Although accurate according to science, reality is a little different in our bodies. That’s because our body is a complex biochemical system that regulates energy balance through an elaborate process. The food that we consume goes through different biochemical pathways. The sources of food that are not healthy can make our bodies lose energy. So, calories are not just a source of energy, it is also a way through which other nutrients enter our body and make it healthy. So, you should focus on two things to get things right.
Maintain a perfect balance between the number of calories you intake compared to how much you burn. The recommended dosage of calories per person will vary based on various factors such as age, metabolic health, physical activity level, body mass index, overall health, and more. On average, men need 2,000 to 3,000 calories, while women need 1,600 and 2,400 calories per day.
Moving on, ever heard of “empty calories”? You probably have and if not, it’s basically processed and sugary food as empty-calorie food. It means your body can use the food for energy but will offer little or no nutrients and minerals. An example for this is, protein snacks such as our very own Matcha Burn Bar (apologies for the shameless plug here) has 200 calories, exactly the same as a can of soda. However, our bar offers various essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in contrast to generic sodas which is nothing but sugar. Hence, it is better to go for healthy calories than empty calories.
Next up, do you know the difference between feeling satiated and feeling full ? Ever noticed when you eat something and you might feel full for an extended period of time whereas sometimes you’ll feel hungry after a short span of time. Well, food rich in nutrition will keep you satisfied for longer compared to unhealthy snacking. So try and eat fresh fruits such as apples which have essential vitamins, minerals, fibre, and natural sugar to keep you satisfied and boost energy. Consuming doughnuts, burgers, and sodas on the other hand may fill your stomach, yet you will crave more of them and eventually lead to weight gain.
Finally, getting into a healthy lifestyle is not easy and requires conscious and continuous efforts. And we are here to help you in that journey. On to the next one and hope to see you then.
