I thought this would be an appropriate time to discuss calories the day before we stuff our faces full of food.
What is a calorie and how do you use it?
Well, in short it’s a unit of measurement. A calorie quantifies the amount of energy our bodies get from food. In order for your body to create the energy it needs, it burns calories in a process called metabolism. It then uses this energy in different ways. 65-75 percent is used for basic continuous functions (like breathing or blood circulation for example) this is referred to as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Some organs take more energy to function than other, for instance the brain takes around 20 percent of your BMR . 10 percent of your total calorie needs (separate from BMR) go to digesting, absorbing and storing food. The remaining 15-25 percent are consumed by any physical activity.
How do you burn them?
Your body is programed to hold onto energy (it doesn’t like to waste calories) so it stores any unused energy as fat (yikes). Basically to loose the fat you have to expend more calories than you take in. Thankfully your body uses up quite a bit just to function, but you still have to incorporate some physical activity into your routine (sorry no getting around it). Ideally eat less calories and exercise more. As temping as that roll slathered in butter is, try skipping it. It’s those simple steps that can start to make a difference. I mean, you don’t really need two slices of pie tomorrow! Don’t be a couch potato this holiday, keep your energy moving.
Photos are courtesy of Martha Stewart
Have a happy, healthy, and “green” Thanksgiving!
