The dictionary defines a calorie
as a unit of heat energy. It is also defined as a unit of energy-producing
potential equal to the amount of heat that is contained in food
and released upon oxidation by the body. When making the distinction
between a chemistry calorie and a food calorie, we must clarify
the difference in quantity. The food calorie is equal to 1000 chemistry
calories.
Now that we have addressed the mathematical
and chemical analogy of calorie, let’s look at what the calorie
means to you, a food consumer. A calorie is the way we measure the
energy potential of food. It is also the way we determine if we
are overeating and consuming too much potential energy for our bodily
functions. If we consume too much energy, our body stores it for
future use. This makes us become obese. If we don’t consume
enough for our daily use, we can become anorexic.
In order to maintain optimal health,
and our optimal body weight, a calorie requirement that is specific
to our unique needs must be obtained. Once we are aware of what
our calorie needs are we can tailor our diet to fit those needs
One of the most difficult situations
to overcome is that of the need to diet. Once we have determined
our calorie requirements, if we also need to diet and lose body
weight, we are faced with cutting our calorie intake. Having been
slightly overweight most of my adult life, I can tell you this is
a difficult struggle. Combining the need for fewer calories, and
the increased need for exercise, is often a daunting task for an
individual. It is also a very difficult one to maintain.
There are products on the market
today that make calorie counting easier than ever, and there are
diet plans that make substitution of diet foods easier than ever.
What they have not invented is a way to boost will power, which
would make the struggle easier than ever. Those products are worn
on some part of the body, and tabulate for us what our calorie expenditure
is during the day. What we need is to take this one step further,
and have an instrument that can also calculate our calorie intake
and leave us with our available consumption balance. If you overeat,
there could be a warning sound from the calorie counter. If the
sound is quite embarrassing, you wouldn’t have to worry about
overeaters!
The road to good health is not an
easy one for most. It should be one of the easiest things we have
to do, since good health is something we should have spent a lifetime
incorporating into our daily routine. But what we find most of the
time, is that we make very little time for our health, and even
less time for our understanding of the calorie and its effect upon
our body. When we do take notice of the bugle around the waist,
we want the quick fix for the problem, diet and exercise are to
difficult and take too long. But they are the only alternatives
that work.
So as you go about your day, think
about the calorie. Think about what it means to your waistline and
your health. Proper understanding, consumption levels, and a maintenance
plan make for a healthy, high quality life.
What Is a Calorie?:
Sponsors;