Welcome to the ultimate guide to understanding calories! If you’ve ever felt lost in the world of nutrition, like you are trying to understand Nigeria’s economy, or not sure what the numbers at the back of your packaged foods mean, how calories influence your diet, how to start your healthy eating journey whether you plan to lose, gain or maintain your weight without eating just salad or shawarma every day (FYI not all salads are healthy or have low calories, you can eat your Eba and still have fewer calories than the salad) or how to make informed choices about your diet, you are not alone but fear not O faithful people for FOOD AND CALORIES is here to rescue you. Let’s start our rescue mission with the basics
WHAT ARE CALORIES?
Calories are the amount of energy that food provides when we consume it. Our bodies need this energy to function. Think of calories as your body’s fuel tank and just as your car needs fuel to move (I know fuel is expensive but stay with me) your body needs calories to function and do all your daily activities
HOW MANY CALORIES DO YOU NEED?
Now that you know what calories are, how many do you actually need? Calorie need depends on many factors including your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. You might be asking “But how can we calculate the calories we need? You can use online calculators, the St Jeor formula (if you hate math seeing ‘formula’ can make you run, it’s just addition and division so Murife don’t run) or consult a nutritionist to determine your daily calorie requirements. If you plan to lose weight, subtract 500 calories from what you get and maintain that number For gaining weight add 500 calories to what you get, and to maintain your weight just maintain the calories you get. Remember, it’s not just about the quantity but also the quality of calories you consume, which leads to my next point
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE EMPTY
Not all calories are the same. “But you said we should count calories for weight management, isn’t it enough to just know the calories of what we are eating?” We know what we said, dear foodies. The quality of the calories is as important as the quantity, instead of focusing on just counting the calories try to make the calories come from food rich in nutrients like fruits, grains, proteins, and healthy fats, aim for a balanced diet, and focus on nourishing your body. Empty calories are foods high in added sugar and refined carbohydrates (this is for our foodies who can’t do without drinking soda, energy drinks, and fruit juice in a day) . We don’t advise you to not drink soda but in little quantities or choose the diet versions with very little calories.
READ NUTRITIONAL VALUES ON YOUR PACKAGED FOOD
Nutritional labels provide good information about serving sizes, macronutrients and calories. Pay attention to the serving sizes. If the serving size on a package is 100g = 400 calories and the net weight of the package is 500g, if you need just 50g which has 200 calories, you can measure it on a food scale and they mare readily available for order on our website @ myfoodandcalories.com and you can also learn more about counting calories on our YouTube page @Foodandcalories
● It is important to have a balance between the calories you take in and the calories you burn through physical activity.
● Add regular exercise into your routine, like walking, dancing, or hitting the gym. You can also find easy home workout playlists on our YouTube page @Foodandcalories
● Focus on nourishing your body with nutritious food not just calorie counting
● Remember, small changes can add up to significant results over time, choose progress over perfection and be proud of yourself like we are for every healthy choice you make.
Congratulations!! You can now make progress on making informed decisions on your diet and well-being. Here’s to a healthier you🎉🎉. You are now one of our elite foodies.
Tip for our Muslim foodies
Add electrolytes (lemon slices, ginger, coconut water, watermelon juice or slices, sea salt) to
your water to retain it better so you don’t pee it all after Fajr.
XOXO,
FOOD AND CALORIES💜.