What are calories and what are my daily calorie requirements?

You've probably heard about calories a lot, especially if you're on a weight loss program. In order to streamline the diet program, you must limit your daily calorie intake. However, what are calories and why does this seem to be the enemy to many people? Is it true that calories are the enemy of health? In order not to get confused about calories, consider the full explanation below.

What are calories?

According to the Medilexicon medical dictionary, a calorie is a unit of heat or energy content. More precisely calories are the amount of energy you get from food and drink, or the energy we burn through daily activities. Simply put, calories are the energy the body needs to be able to move and carry out their functions properly.

For example, an apple that you eat contains about 80 calories. While a 10-minute walk requires about 30 calories. How many calories the body burns depends on each person's height, weight, age, gender, and level of physical activity.

There are two types of calories, namely:

Small calories (calories)
Large Calories (Calories, Kcal)

It should be noted, 1 large calorie (1Kcal) equals 1,000 small calories.

When looking at nutrition labels on food or beverage packaging, the calories listed are large calories, namely kilocalories (Kcal). So if the chocolate packaging label says it has 250 calories, that means it contains 250,000 calories.

Uniquely, most people think that calories only exist in food and drinks, even though anything that contains energy has calories. Even coal contains calories, but humans will not get the essential nutrients from coal, so there is no point in consuming these sources of calories.

Sources of calories from food and drink

Calories are one of the basic human needs in order to survive and carry out daily activities. Calories can be obtained from consumption of food and drinks. Almost all types of food and drinks contain calories. Even teas that don't use sugar even contain very few calories.

How come? These calories are not actually a nutrient or nutrient, but can be obtained from various types of nutrients. Calories can be obtained from macro nutrients such as protein, fat and carbohydrates. These three nutrients will be digested in the body and later converted into calories. If it becomes a calorie, then your body can use it as a source of energy.

Therefore, any food and drink that contains protein, fat, and carbohydrates is sure to contain calories. The amount of calories varies. Calories from natural foods such as fruits and vegetables are usually lower than calories from processed foods such as packaged potato chips, donuts, and so on.

Empty calories, what are they?

Empty calories are the type of calories that come from solid fats and added sugars in food products. Empty calories have very little nutritional value, no significant dietary fiber, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, or vitamins. Empty calories make food taste better but can lead to obesity if consumed in excess.

Well, this type of empty calories is often touted as an enemy to health. Especially for those who want to lose weight or are maintaining an ideal body weight. Apart from that, calories are an important intake that everyone must meet every day.

The foods below are high in empty calories:

Solid fats and added sugars:

Ice cream
Donuts
Pastry
Pastry
Cake

Solid fat:

Fried
Ribs
Smoked meat
Sausage
Cheese
Pizza

Added sugar:

Soft drink with fruit flavors
Isotonic drink
Energy drink
Soft drink

What are my daily calorie requirements?

In order not to experience excess or deficient calories, you need to know how much your daily calorie needs are. Well, everyone's calorie needs vary, depending on several factors. Therefore, you need to calculate it with the right formula. Don't worry, so that the results are accurate, you can calculate how much your daily calorie needs are in this BMR calculator or on the following link: bit.ly/bMR calculator.

After knowing how much your calorie needs are, you need to design a balanced diet and physical activity menu. You can ask for help from a nutritionist or personal trainer your exercise to prepare the healthy living plan. You are also advised to consult a doctor if you have certain medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and indigestion.