Calories: Friend or Foe?
When it comes to energy, calories can be your best friend. You just need to sort through all the jumble of information out there! Consuming the right amount and type of foods will fuel your metabolism and prevent energy dips. Your caloric need does change to some degree every day, but you can get an average that can be a good guideline to follow regarding just how many calories you can eat. Divide Your weight by 2.2, then multiply that number by the corresponding daily activity level:
- Light Activity: (Walking at 2.5 to 3 mpg, housecleaning, child care, golf, working in a restaurant) Multiply by 34
- Moderate Activity: (Walking at 3.5 to 4 mph, gardening, cycling, skiing, tennis, dancing) Multiply by 37
- Heavy Activity: (Walking uphill with a backpack, climbing, basketball, football, and soccer) Multiply by 44
- Exceptional Activity: (Professional athletic training, world-class events) Multiply by 51
Once you have the number of calories you need, your next goal is to pick foods that provide the biggest energy payoff. Fat contains more calories per gram (nine) than carbohydrates, but won't get your energy levels up and running as much as a whole-wheat bagel will. Carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source. Protein can provide energy as well, but your body relies on it primarily for cellular repair and growth. More than one-half of your caloric intake should come from carbohydrates, with the remainder split almost equally between fat (25 percent) and protein (20 percent).
Following is an extensive list of different types of healthy foods and their caloric amounts per serving. Try to make as many selections from the list as possible, to meet your calorie requirements.
