For a long time, people passionate about fitness and health had the notion that controlling calorie and fat intake is the key to healthy living. The low-fat, low-calorie diets that became very popular in the 1980s to 1990s called the American Paradox proved to be ineffective as rates of obesity in the US and South Africa continued to rise. Comparatively, chronic diseases in other countries whose population eat far more calories and fat than Americans, such as the French, Spanish, Greek, and Sardinian population, are not as severe. 

Understanding Calories

Calories are the amount of energy released when your body breaks down food. They fuel our body, without them our organs would not function. The more calories a food has, the more energy it can provide to your body. To function, our body needs a certain number of calories depending on our age, gender, weight, and level of physical activity. 

Health organizations around the world led by the World Health Organization believe that an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended are the fundamental problems that lead to obesity. Food is energy and people measure that energy in the form of calories. By consuming more calories than we burn we get fat; we lose weight if we burn more than we eat. Those who adopt this way of thinking tend to spend their lives controlling their calorie intake, trying to eat less, and exercising more.

Understanding Calories

According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, men are likely to need between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day, and women from 1,600 to 2,400. This depends on their age, height, size, lifestyle, overall health, and activity level. The following calorie intake values are also suggested if you want to maintain your weight or gradually reduce it: 

For Men: 

• 2,500 calories/day to maintain weight
• 2,000 calories/day to lose 1 lb per week

For Women: 

• 2,000 calories/day to maintain weight 
• 1,500 calories/day to lose 1 lb per week

Not All Calories are the Same

Calorie density is defined by the number of calories in a given volume of food. Some foods contain more calories than others. Rice, for example, has 130 calories per 100 grams, while apple has about 52 calories per 100 grams. Knowing the caloric density of the food you will eat is the most accurate way to determine the foods’ effect on your health.

There are also nutrient-dense calories and empty calories or calorie-dense foods. Nutrient-dense calories are high in nutrients. They provide a good proportion of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Empty calorie foods contain solid fats and /or added sugars. It is the quality of the calories we consume, not the amount that influences our weight and how our body feels. Nutrient deficiency is not because we don’t eat enough. The poor nutritional quality of the food we eat is what’s causing us health issues. Many of us are overfed but undernourished because too many empty calories are consumed. Consuming empty calories is a form of malnutrition. It can contribute to weight gain as the body holds onto fat in the absence of nutritionally dense food.

Quality Makes Calorie Control Sustainable

The quality of the foods you eat is the most important aspect of nutrition and health, not merely the amount of food you eat.

Scientific evidence suggests that getting enough and the right balance of necessary nutrients offers important protection against weight gain, premature aging, and chronic diseases. Research, however, has shown that many people are severely deficient in some key nutrients including vitamins A, C, D, and E, calcium, fibre, potassium, and magnesium.

To eliminate empty calories from the diet, knowing which foods have them is key. Empty calories are foods that have high-calorie density. They include sugary foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, pies, ice cream, soft drinks, energy drinks, and solid fats such as cakes, pizza, biscuits, cheese, sausages, fatty meats, butter, and margarine. Avoid processed and refined foods that are laden with sugar, refined carbohydrates, fats, and sodium.

Boosting Immune System through Nutrient-Dense Foods

Our immune system is an important aspect of our health and survival. With a weak immune system, our bodies would be open to attack from bacteria, viruses, parasites, and a sea of other pathogens we drift through. A healthy diet is key to a strong immune system. The following foods are good choices to boost your immune system. 

1. Chickpeas

This legume is great for malnutrition caused by protein deficiency. It lowers cholesterol, assists kidney function, and flushes toxins from the body. It is high in vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, folic acid, beta carotene, magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, and absorbable iron.

2. Lentils

A stable food to replace meat, lentils are great for the heart, helps lower blood pressure, boost the energy levels in the body, and assist with the blood sugar levels in the body. Its protein and fibre content prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after a meal. It is high in vitamin A, B, and C, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, protein, and dietary fibre.

3. Millet

Millet is an energy-giving food. Low in purines, it is great for gout. It is a rich source of fibre, a high-alkaline, and a very low allergenic food. It is high in vitamin A and B complexes, selenium, zinc, iron, potassium, manganese, and dietary fibre.

4. Broccoli 

Considered a miracle food, this green plant eaten as a vegetable prevents cancer, eye degeneration, toxemia, high blood pressure, obesity, and constipation. It is high in vitamin A, B6, C, E, and K, folic acid, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and lutein.

5. Sesame Seeds

The seeds from the flowering plant, which grow on pods, are used for constipation, to remove worms, aid digestion, stimulate breast milk production, improve blood circulation, and strengthen the heart and low blood pressure. They are high in antioxidants and aid with lowering cholesterol and cleansing the liver. They are also high in vitamin E, B1, and B2, copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, mono and polyunsaturated fats, and sesamin, and an antioxidant.

Only through creating a better lifestyle based on the habits of eating that you sustain could you achieve and maintain proper nutrition, health, and well-being.