What exactly are calories/carbs and is our body supposed to have any?!
Question: i am assuming we are supposed to have a certain amount of them, what what are they , why are they so good, and why do they make us fat?!?
Answers: i am assuming we are supposed to have a certain amount of them, what what are they , why are they so good, and why do they make us fat?!?
carbs is short for carbohydrates. our bodies need carbs in order to function, since carbs contain glucose which gives us energy.
Dietary fiber (a type of carbs) are good for you, while sugars (another type of carb) is bad for you. On the back of every food item you buy, will have a nutrition guide on the back, and in bold, it should have the percent of carbs in that item. For example, the ice cream bar i'm eating has 45% of the carbs I need for that day. Those are mainly from sugar, the bad carbs. Which means I should probably consume the other 55% in good carbs, like wheat bread. You should make 50% of your carbs wheat.
Carlories are a bit more confusing. We eat what we call "kilocalories". We need actually about 2,000,000 calories (because actual calories are to small to measure in any food, we just go by "kilocalories" which we just call calories to shorten it. In that case, we need 2,000 calories on average.)
Based on your age, height, weight, and activity level, everyone needs a different amount of calories. Go to mypyramid.gov to find out exactly how many calories you need, as well as tons more information on food and nutrition.
If you eat something that has to many carbs you body burns them faster and stores them as energy and if you dont waste it than it becomes fat cells. ( hahaha that sounded smart I got it from my teacher)
Calories are a source of energy you get from food. You get calories from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, of alcohol. Fats have the most concentrated amount of energy, and that is why they fill you up so fast and why you are supposed to have a limited about. Carbohydrates are sugars, but not just the kind in your sugar bowl. They are found in fruits, veggies, breads, pastas, and milk. Your body needs them as a primary source of energy for your body and the only source of energy for your brain. It is best to get at least half of your carbohydrates from whole grains, such as wheat bread. Proteins are used to help you build muscle and body tissues. Fats are used not only to fill you up, but also to help your body store energy, to absorb vitamins, components of cell membranes, and to insulate your body so you don't lose too much heat. These are all important nutrients to keep you healthy. The problem is when you have too many of any of these three sources of energy. Your body doesn't want to waste energy because it anticipates needing it later. Therefore, it stores excess in the form of fat. So, that is how carbohydrates can make you fat. If you eat too much, they go into storage. The key to being healthy is keeping a balance of all of the nutrients, as well as vitamins and minerals. Not too much or too little. There are plenty of websites online that can help you determine how many calories you need each day based on your size, gender, and age. Here is a pretty simple one: http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/...