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We can find six main types of nutrients in food, which are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. From all of them only proteins, fats and carbohydrates yield energy that is used by our body to function. Another substance that is not a nutrient is able to produce energy: alcohol.

Energy produced by food components can be measure in calories. Each compound releases a different quantity of calories. Proteins supply four calories for every gram as well as carbohydrates; fats provide nine calories per gram and alcohol seven. Gram is a tiny portion of weight, 1 ounce has about 28-30 grams and a pound has 480 grams approximately.

Counting calories could be a bothersome occupation but if a person really wants to manage adequately body weight and diet, this has to be done. First of all, we need to know how many calories we really need to satisfy our daily requirements of energy. You cannot live without calories. Every person needs a certain amounts of them to be alive. From the total intake of calories, 60-65 % goes to basal metabolic processes (vital reactions necessary to maintain life), 5-10 % to processes related with food digestion and 25-35 % to voluntary activities. The total amount of necessary calories is closely related with gender and level of activity. You can find good and detailed information on MyPyramid.gov.

Once you know your necessities, then you know that you must not surpass them, because the excess of calories is usually stored as fat and, at the same time, you need to satisfy them in other to be healthy. One way to count calories is to calculate them from the weight of nutrients. Let's say you are eating 40 grams of carbohydrates, 35 grams of fat and 25 grams of protein, then you know that you are consuming (40x 4) + (35x9) + (25x4) = 575 calories. But you don't always know the exact weight of the nutrients you are eating, then you can check the nutrition facts panel present in most of the products, it says the amount of calories per portion, the amount of calories from fat per portion and the amount of protein per portion. With those numbers you can make your estimates. Once again I recommend MyPyramid.gov, because they provide information about the calories present in different portions of food and the amount of diverse meals that we need to take.

Counting calories is a matter of balance, what you use is what you need to ingest.

Learn more about this author, Grettel V..
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