That is an interesting question since we all must be on a diet to consume energy to live. Of course, we understand this question to ask if one is on a specialized or restricted diet and why. Maybe your friend has noticed that you have lost weight and have more energy, so they would like to do the same, or your doctor inquires because of concern.
Specialized or restricted diets can be implemented for multiple reasons, including:
- To treat medical conditions, allergies, and food intolerances
- Electively as one's choice to feel better or
- For cultural and/or religious reasons.
Have you ever questioned what is most important in a diet? Is it the number of calories? The amount of protein, carbohydrates, or fat? The sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, or iron content?
Sometimes it seems so overwhelming.
This article cannot advise you what diet is best, simply because no one diet is best for everyone. However, the article will aim to look at some of the basics that apply to everyone since knowledge is the key to a successful healthy diet, no matter the reason.
First, what are calories?
Ready for a math flashback? A calorie is a unit that measures energy. Since food is humans' source of energy, we can measure how many calories (or how much energy) each type of food gives us when we eat it. Let's also clarify something that may be confusing. The calories listed within the nutritional labels of food are, in fact, kilocalories (kcal) and may be represented with a capital C (Calories).
But no need to grab your calculator to start converting units. Since 1990, the nutritional food labels are all standardized so when discussing the number of calories within food, we are all referring to the same kind of calories.
Ever wonder how calories within food are calculated?
If you take a moment to consider, we have a lot of information at our fingertips within the nutritional food labels. So how is that information calculated? There are a few methods and equations that food scientists use to determine the number of calories within our food, and one interesting tool that food scientists use is called a bomb calorimeter. When using a bomb calorimeter, scientists place the food to be measured in a sealed container with water and then heat it until the food is completely burned away. By measuring the increase in the water temperature, scientists can determine the number of calories in the food.
Quick Trivia: Did you know that "calor" is Latin for heat?
In science, one kcal (or one dietary Calorie) is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. So now you can see why some people refer to "burning calories" from our food.
How many calories should I eat a day?
Are you looking for a specific number? Well, it's more like an equation with an individual number just for you – and it can change. The number of calories one needs to eat depends on how many calories one burns daily and if there is a goal to maintain the current weight, lose weight, gain weight, or train for athletic goals. Daily activity level is important when assessing how many calories one burns a day, and it is significant whether one is sedentary or active.
So exercise is the only way to burn calories… right?
Wrong.
Exercise is the best way to burn calories, to get healthy, and stay healthy, but did you know that you burn calories even at rest? This is called the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the rate of energy expenditure at rest. Your body uses energy to stay alive by breathing, circulating blood, digesting food, converting food to energy, repairing and producing cells, maintaining your immune system to fight off possible infections, and many other processes. Did you also know that you can change your BMR? Although some medical conditions can increase or decrease one's BMR, you have control of increasing your BMR by increasing the amount of lean muscle and decreasing the amount of fat in your body. So if your goal is to lose weight, you can burn more calories at rest by increasing your muscle mass.
What about protein, carbohydrates, and fats?
The calories in food all come from the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The 8th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that the average adult diet should consist of:
45%-65% of calories from carbohydrates
20%-35% of calories from fats and
10%-30% of calories from protein
Protein is the building block for muscle. Therefore, it is essential for building and repairing muscle. Dietary fats help absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Protein and fat may give the sensation of being satiated or "feeling full" so that one does not overeat. Carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy, especially for hard, strenuous work. It is essential to have all three macronutrients in one's diet. The ratio of each is very important. Just as inadequate intake of one macronutrient can be harmful causing illness and malnutrition, excess intake of macronutrients can also be harmful.
Too many carbohydrates can lead to obesity and diabetes. Excess fats can lead to obesity, high cholesterol, triglycerides, and heart disease. Excessive intake of protein can cause kidney injury. When adjusting your ratio intake of macronutrients, discussing your plans with a health care provider and/or nutritionist is important.
Do you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, diabetes, heart disease, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, anemia, or osteoporosis, or do you have a family history of any of these conditions?
If so, then under the direction of your health care provider, monitoring your diet's sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron content is particularly important to treat, control, or even prevent these conditions. These are just some of the many micronutrients and are just as important as the macronutrients. It is essential to have appropriate levels of micronutrients; depending on certain medical conditions, some people may need more or less in their daily diets.
Knowledge, not money
All of this can appear to be overwhelming, but it does not have to be. Fortunately, there is so much information at your fingertips. However, the knowledge of how to use this information is what is essential for accomplishing your health goals.
Many people assume that it is expensive to have a healthy diet to achieve personalized goals. However, the abstract below shows that mothers who did not have financial advantages were successful at losing weight through nutritional education. "Mothers who lost weight appeared more cognizant of diet, weight loss, and health information."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002822305017323
Klohe-Lehman, D. M., Freeland-Graves, J., Anderson, E. R., McDowell, T., Clarke, K. K., Hanss-Nuss, H., ... & Milani, T. J. (2006). Nutrition knowledge is associated with greater weight loss in obese and overweight low-income mothers. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(1), 65-75.
If you would like to have personalized answers for the number of calories you should be eating daily, the amount and ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and if monitoring sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and/or iron is relevant to you, then after discussing goals with your healthcare provider, you may want to consider consulting with a Nutritionist to help you accomplish your diet goals.
