Learning About Calories Summary

I choose the article on “Learning about the Calories” because I believe that it’s one of the most important thing to know and understand when studying nutrition. Every once in a while, I hear people talked about how much calories their foods contain and wonder what do they mean. According to the writer, a calorie is a unit of measurement but it doesn’t measure weight or length. A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains calories, it’s a way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it.

Calories aren’t bad for you because your body need calories for energy. However eating too many calories and not burning enough of them can lead to weight gain. Most foods and drinks contain calories. But some foods contain a lot of calories than the other. For example, one cup of lettuce has less than 10 calories while one half cup of peanuts has 450 calories. To find out how many calories are in a food you have to read the nutrition facts label. The label describe the components of the food, like how many grams of carbohydrate, protein, and fat it contains.

Carbohydrate and protein has four calories while fat has nine calories. Some people watch their calories when they are trying to lose weight. If you want to know how many calories your body need, you have to consult with your doctor. Because each person body burns energy or calories at different rates. If you eat more calories than your body needs, the leftover calories are converted to fat and too much fat can lead to health problems. To prevent it from happening, you have to stay away from eating igh calorie foods, such as sugary sodas, candy, and fast food. Instead, eat healthy and balanced diet. Also, exercising are important because it burns calories and keeps your body strong and can help you maintain a healthy weight (http://kidshealth. org/kid/nutrition/food/calorie. html). This article gives more information on calories. I learned how many calories are in my food, which foods contain high calories and why I do have to avoid it. Furthermore, this emphasize the important of eating healthy foods and exercising.