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The name “calorie” derives from the Latin word “calor” which means HEAT. The calorie is generally used as an energy measurement unit and specifically for the amount of food energy.

There are 2 definitions related to calories:

The small calorie (gram calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Joules). The symbol of this unit is “cal”.
The large calorie (kg calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Kj). The symbol of this unit is Kcal and is often referred to as a Calorie (with a capital “C”).

However, there are a lot of other definitions for calories. For example, the thermochemical calorie (4.184 joules exactly), which is almost the same thing as the small calorie, is used to define the power of TNT. The equivalent of one tone of TNT is 1 billion thermochemical calories.

In order to reduce body weight, dieticians recommend to reduce the intake of calories. So, in a lot of countries, producers of food products are obliged to label the nutritional value (including calories) of their products. The energy obtained from a certain food product is expressed in both Kilocalories (Kcal) and Kilojoules (Kj). In this way, everyone can calculate the daily intake of Kilocalories and can balance it with the needed quantity of Kilocalories for their life style.

In order to estimate the energy value of a product, the first step is to estimate product’s digestible constituents (fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc.). The result of this analysis is then converted into an equivalent energy value based on a standardized table of energy densities:
FOOD COMPONENT Kcal/g

1. fat 9
2. ethanol (alcohol) 7
3. proteins 4
4. carbohydrates 4
5. organic acids 3
6. polyols (sugar-free sweeteners) 2.4

Vitamins, minerals and water do not contribute in any way to the energy value of food products.

The recommended daily energy intake values for young adults are: 2,500 Kcal per day for men and 2,000 Kcal per day for women. However, the lifestyle is very important when establishing the daily needed energy intake. Children and old people require less energy, while active persons require more energy than the recommended value.

It is very important to remember that the human fat tissue contains approximately 87% lipids. This means that 1 kg of body-fat tissue has the caloric energy of 870 g of pure fat, representing about 7,800 Kcal. So, in order to lose 1 kg of body fat, you have to create an energy deficit (consume more than assimilate) of 7,800 Kcal.

Still, this can work in the other way too. If your energy intake exceeds your energy use with 7,800 Kcal, you will gain 1 kg of body fat.

These approximates assume that there is no gain or lose in muscles (muscles are built using food energy too) and that there is a direct relationship between calories provided by food and calories stores in the body as fat.

So, in order to lose weight quicker you have to burn more calories. The best solution for this is to increase your metabolic rate.

The metabolic rate represents the rate at which your body burns up calories. There are multiple solutions for speeding up the metabolic rate. The most important thing is to know what solution is more effective for your body, what determinates your metabolic rate and how can you influence it.

Usually, the energy provided by burned calories is used for three main functions:

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) – represents the amount of calories a person burns in order to stay alive, even when standing still. BMR uses approximately 60% of the energy provided by calories burned for an average person.
BURNING CALORIES FOR ACTIVITY – represents the energy used during movement. This function uses approximately 30% of the amount of energy provided by burned calories.
DIETARY THERMOGENESIS – represents meal-induced heat production (calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food).

These functions can be influenced in order to speed up your rate of burning calories. Some of the best solutions for this are:

1. Exercises
2. Move more
3. Eat spicy food
4. Eat less and often

1. EXERCISES

The muscles in the human body are very important when it comes to burning calories. It is known that for every extra pound of muscles you put on, your body will burn an extra quantity of 50 Kcal a day. Also, a lot of exercises boost basal metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn calories at a more accelerated rate (for example: regular weight lifting training can increase the basal metabolic rate by about 15%). The main explanation for this is that muscles are metabolically active and can burn more calories that any other tissue in the human body, even when standing still.

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of exercises:

The low intensity exercises are usually of a long duration (45 minutes or more), burn mainly fats and not carbohydrates, preserve joints, etc.

The high intensity exercises are usually of a short duration (20 - 30 minutes the most), burn a lot of calories and increase the metabolic rate throughout the day, etc.

Referring to the effectiveness of exercises when it comes to burning calories, the main 10 most effective exercises are:

1. step aerobics
2. swimming
3. bicycling
4. rock climbing
5. racquetball
6. cross-country skiing
7. running
8. elliptical trainer
9. rowing
10. brisk walking

The upper mentioned 10 general exercises can help you burn from 150 to 400 Kcal in 30 minutes time. Still, there are other more effective exercises but of a much higher intensity, like:

2. MOVE MORE

Most people burn around 30% of the calorie intake through daily activities. For sedentary people, this rate might drop to even 10%, leading to a considerable calorie surplus.

In order to maintain the usual rate of burning calories through daily activities, or even improve it, you have to keep moving. Small daily activities, that usually are not considered as a solution for weight loss, can help you a lot. You should make use of every opportunity to move, like:

3. EAT SPICY FOOD

Not many people know that chiles are the second most common spices in the word, after salt. The heat of chiles and peppers is caused by a substance called CAPSAICIN, a flavourless and odourless substance.

Capsaicin has a lot of positive effects on the human body, like:

Some even believe that capsaicin can even help prevent cancer. Researchers say that capsaicin attacks mitochondria of cancer cells, triggering them death.

Referring to these aspects, Dr. Timothy Bates (a lead researcher in the field) stated: “as these compounds attach the very heart of the tumour cell, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers”.

4. EAT LESS AND OFTEN

There are proven evidence that eating smaller and regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger and less frequent meals.

There are two main reasons why your metabolism rate is increased by small meals:
Hours after eating a meal, thyroid hormones begin to drop, slowing down metabolism. So, by eating more often, the thyroid hormones will remain active, maintaining your metabolism rate at a high level.

The thermogenic effect of eating smaller meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once. This means that calories are burned faster and better (the body has the ability and time to burn more calories) when eating little and often.

In order to help you estimate the daily intake of calories, here are some products that can provide 100 Kcal each:

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2007 at 2:40 am and is filed under Calories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.