Healthy Calorie Intake Per Day

What is the standard healthy calorie intake per day? The general standard of calories a person needs is different. Factors that influence such as gender, age, weight, physical activity, physiological conditions (eg pregnant women), and others.

What is a calorie?

Calories are the unit used to express the amount of energy. In general calories for the amount of energy contained in food. Calories can be obtained from the intake of nutrients that contain nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins.

What is important to know the calories?

The number of calories in the diet is necessary to calculate energy balance. If the number of calories consumed is less than calories used, the weight will be reduced because the energy from the fat reserves will be used. Conversely, if the number of calories in is greater than calories used, the weight will increase. Excess energy will be stored as fat. The excess fat can increase the risk of hypertension, obesity, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes1. Therefore, calorie intake needs to be controlled to maintain weight and prevent metabolic diseases.

How much intake of calories needed in a day?

In general, men need 2,500 calories per day, while women need about 2,200 calories per day, the benchmark is balanced nutrition. Balanced diet includes diversity food, between carbohydrates, proteinmelalui side dishes, and other regulating substances through the vegetable and animal can buah.Protein such as meat, fish, or eggs, or vegetable protein, such as tofu, tempeh, and beans.

For women, for example if you need 2200 calories per day, calories can be divided into about 20 percent eat breakfast, lunch and dinner 30 percent, and the rest is snack. Snack can be two times, morning and afternoon, respectively 10 percent. The man, the same divisions just needs more caloriesthat is 2,500 calories,

Source Of  Calorie

There are three main sources of calories that can be obtained from foods, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

a. Carbohydrate

• One gram of carbohydrates is equivalent to 4 calories.
• Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the body.
• Figures Daily Nutritional Needs for carbohydrates is 300 grams. The fiber needs should be met as much as 25 grams per hari3.
• There are several things to consider in choosing a source of carbohydrates, the Glycemic Index. Glycemic index is a number that indicates the potential of a food to raise blood glucose levels. The higher the Glycemic Index value, the faster these foods increase blood sugar levels darah4.
• Examples of foods that have a glycemic index (GI) among other high-sugar, glucose, and sugary drinks. While foods with a low GI are brown rice, pasta, and whole wheat bread. As for foods with low GI provide satiety longer so as to prevent excessive calorie intake. In addition, foods with a low GI will not increase blood sugar levels drastically making it suitable for people with diabetes5.
• Consumption of carbohydrates should not done to excess because glucose levels are too high in the blood can lead to diabetes. In addition, excess carbohydrate is converted and stored as fat in the body.

b. Protein

• One gram of protein is equivalent to 4 calories.
• Protein plays an important role in metabolism and the formation of the human body. Protein is the substance of cells and plays a role in repairing damaged body parts. Protein is an essential nutrient for muscle building as well as supporting role in the body's metabolism and immune system in addition to acting as an energy source.
• Daily Nutritional Requirement Numbers for protein is 60 grams.
• Protein source is divided into two, namely animal and vegetable sources.
• Animal: beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk
• Vegetable: beans, tempeh, tofu

c. Fat

• One gram of fat is equivalent to 9 calories.
• Fats serve as energy reserves and protective organs.
• Excess calories from food intake is stored as energy reserves. Therefore, the consumption of carbohydrates or proteins that your body converts excess fat.
• Daily Nutrient Requirements Numbers for fat by 62 grams. The consumption of dietary cholesterol be limited so as not to exceed 300 mg per day.
• Daily fat intake should be considered. Because excess fat intake resulted in the accumulation of fat that lead to obesity and elevated cholesterol. High cholesterol levels can lead to coronary heart disease resulting in death.
• There are two sources of fat, which is fat source of "good" fats and "bad". Expand resource consumption of good fats and reduce the consumption of bad fats because bad fats can lead to the risk of a fatal disease.
• Sources of good fats: fish, vegetable sources like beans, soy, olive
• Bad fat sources: organ meats, fried foods, butter, trans-fat in margarine, fat in meat

Set the calorie intake, it's important. Set the a good balance of calories can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, a healthy weight and prevent metabolic diseases later in life.