A well-balanced diet, based on caloric needs, is the most important element affecting health. How to calculate the caloric intake? What should be consumed to provide the body with the required daily dose of vitamins? What is erythritol sugar and when is it worth consuming? This article gives answers to these and many other important questions relating to a healthy diet.
Caloric demand (kcal demand) - what is it?
The caloric demand (also known as the calorie requirement or kcal requirement) is the number of calories that must be supplied daily through food. The energy provided in meals must be adequate for energy expenditures caused by basic metabolic processes, such as respiration and digestion. The caloric demand also depends on the level of physical activity. How to calculate your caloric intake? For this purpose, it is necessary to determine the value of BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), i.e. the rate of the basic metabolism process.
How to calculate your caloric demand?
How can I calculate my caloric intake? To set the value of BMR, we need to take into account several factors such as gender, body height, body weight, as well as the type of physical activity performed, health status and physiological state. This is due to differences in metabolism for different groups..
Here is the simplest formula needed to calculate your kcal requirements:
- for women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 × body weight in kg) + (1.8 × body height in cm) - (4.7 × age in years);
- for men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 × weight in kg) + (5 × height in cm) - (6.8 × age in years).
To calculate your energy requirements, you can also use ready-made tools - the so-called BMR calculators. All you have to do is fill in a short questionnaire and then click on "Calculate". In response, the BMR result will appear on the screen. The more information you enter into the calculation, the more accurate the result will be.
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Caloric needs and NEAT and TEA parameters
Based on your calculated caloric needs, you will be able to calculate NEAT, the number of calories burned per day (for non-workout activity)..
Here is the formula:
- for a person working mentally: NEAT = BMR * 0.3;
- for a physically active person: NEAT = BMR * 0.5.
Another important factor is TEA, which is the number of calories burned during training. Ready-made calorie need calculators may also calculate EPOC, the physiological process that increases oxygen consumption after exercise. With such accurate calculations, you can get an estimate of your daily energy use.
Calorie demand and glycaemic index
By calculating your caloric needs, you can get a valuable indication of how many calories you should provide to your body throughout the day and then - design a diet that's suitable for your health. Your dietitian may recommend you to follow a low-glycemic index diet. Products with a low glycaemic index make you satisfied for a long time, making it easier to eat according to your kcal requirements. Another way to help you maintain a good balance between calories consumed and energy spent is to use sugar substitutes, such as. erythritol. What is it? We answer this question below.
