Even though salt, or sodium, has a bad reputation, you actually need small amounts of it to survive. Sodium helps regulate how much water enters and leaves your cells. It's also vital for proper nerve and muscle function. Unfortunately, if you take in more sodium than you need on a regular basis, you're likely to suffer from high blood pressure, fluid retention and other serious medical conditions.
With the flood of information available on nutrition and dietary needs, you may find yourself wondering about the exact definition of daily nutritional needs and how they are calculated. Human nutrition is an extremely complica...
Getting enough calories in your daily diet gives your body the energy to keep your heart beating, muscles moving and brain thinking. If you are engaging in athletic activity or exercise, you also need calories to give you endu...
Your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, is the total number of calories you burn every day. Calculate your TDEE by applying an activity modifier to your BMR or basal metabolic rate. Determine your BMR using the Katch-McAr...
For most people, dietitians recommend a nutritional breakdown of about 60 percent carbohydrates, 15 percent protein and 25 percent fat. Boxers need to eat considerably higher amounts of protein to prevent muscle breakdown and l...
Carbohydrates are one of essential nutrients that comprise a balanced diet. The amount that you require daily depends more on your caloric intake than your gender, although men typically require more calories and, therefore, mo...
Although advocates of a high-protein diet often cast carbohydrates as fattening or unhealthy, these claims are misleading. Dietitians recommend that between 55 and 75 percent of your total calorie intake be from carbohydrates. ...
While many food label suggested serving sizes are based on a 2000-calorie diet, you may need more or fewer calories to gain, maintain or lose weight. By calculating how many calories your body needs per day, you can take contro...
Not only does it help regulate body temperature, but also it assists in nutrient absorption, cushions organs and joints, helps remove waste from your body and moistens oxygen for better breathing. Water carries such important r...
Calories are necessary to fuel your body to function daily. Although all foods contain different amounts of calories, some foods provide healthy calories that give your body the nutrients it needs while others simply provide em...
Food nutrition labels are typically based on a 2,000-calories-per-day diet, but taking in that amount isn't appropriate for everyone. The figure is based on the average number of calories needed to maintain a healthy weight, an...
Dietary fiber comes from the parts of plant foods that your body does not absorb. It is a healthy phytonutrient, and it may lower your risk for certain chronic diseases. Most Americans do not get enough fiber, and you may benef...
Instead, it passes through your intestines, making up the bulk of your bowel movements. A high fiber diet offers many health benefits, from weight control to reducing your risk of having a heart attack. It's important to know h...
Adults can choose one of several methods to determine daily fiber needs.
The first step in determining your daily caloric needs is to determine your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is an estimate of the amount of energy your body requires to perform its vital functions, such as respiration. Y...
With these health benefits, it's no surprise that probiotic use is a growing trend among consumers . Still, many people wonder if probiotics should be taken daily and in what amount.
Endurance exercise expends a tremendous amount of calories, presenting an increased need to restore the body's energy supplies. Aerobic endurance athletes, such as swimmers, cyclists and triathletes, consistently register the h...
Consuming foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole-grain products will ensure you get enough fiber in your diet to reach the recommendation for fiber intake. However if you are a man you will probably n...
You don't want to consume more calories than what your body requires, because extra calories cause you to gain weight. By knowing how many calories your body needs daily, you can monitor your diet and reduce your risk of obesit...
Weight control is an important part of overall health and for an athlete that is no different. Many athletes maintain highly strenuous training programs and ensuring they have adequate calorie intake may help prevent hunger, il...
The most important thing to know when creating a weight loss program for yourself is how many calories your body needs on a daily basis. There are many Internet tools and calculators available, but many of them do not disclose ...
These values combined constitute your daily caloric intake. But it's not as easy as just adding up these values; these values must be evaluated against your recommended daily caloric needs. Several factors are considered to det...
Despite common myths, fat is important to your body's daily functions. Fat helps with immune system function, cell membrane function and vitamin absorption, according to MayoClinic.com. However, eating too much fat or the wrong...
The amount of calories you need may also depend on your dietary goals. For example, to gain weight, you must consume more calories through food than you expend throughout the day. You can gain a better idea of your body's calor...
An artificial sweetener is a type of sugar substitute derived from herbs or from sugar itself. Saccharin is an artificial sweetener that adds zero calories to your diet, unlike regular sugar, which provides about 15 calories pe...
Your body needs energy to function properly, even at rest. The energy comes from the food and calories you eat. The number of calories your body needs for its most basic functions varies from person to person based on several f...
The calories in mints may contribute to your daily nutritional needs.
Factors that affect what you need to eat can include your current weight, your goal weight, your job and your hobbies. A professional rodeo clown, for example, needs more calories per day than a professional writer.
For women, managing weight is about keeping a balance between calories burned and calories consumed. Knowing how many calories you need helps you maintain this balance and avoid excessive weight gain or loss.
Children need calories for basic bodily functions, healthy growth and development. However, an article in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" reported that half of all the calories American children consume are e...
The National Institutes of Health reports that the number of calories you need daily is determined by gender, activity level and age. The more you exercise, the more calories required to maintain your weight.
All foods provide calories in the form of various nutrients. Your body uses this form of energy to fuel your body. Calorie needs differ depending on age, sex and activity level.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created the Food Guide Pyramid over 15 years ago. The current dietary guidelines still emphasize the importance of controlling weight and continue to stress the importance of physical ...
The Harris-Benedict Equation uses age, height, weight, gender and activity level to estimate a person's daily caloric needs. With this tool, any male can figure out how much he should be eating everyday to maintain his current ...
Thus, estimating the caloric needs of a 51-year-old woman is impossible without first knowing more about her. The Harris-Benedict Equation uses age, height, weight, gender and activity level to figure out a person's daily calor...
Understanding how many calories is needed to maintain current body weight can assist in losing weight or building lean muscle. The amount of calories needed to maintain weight varies in individuals and can be determined by taki...
By understanding your young child's caloric needs, you can encourage better eating.
Commit to portion control and planning your meals in advance if you want to manage your calories. Focus on proper nutrition while limiting your consumption of empty calories to reach your 20-lb. weight loss goal. Include your p...
Basic body processes require energy, so something as simple as breathing still requires a few calories of stored energy to continue. Knowing your body's basic caloric needs can help you pinpoint how much you need to eat to gain...
The number of calories you need to burn each day depends on the number of calories you consume and your desired weight-loss rate. You can calculate your daily calorie expenditure from your activity level and physical measuremen...
In fact, people who want to retain a youthful appearance should concentrate on working from within, according to research from University College London and reported in the Daily Mail.
Whether you are looking to maintain, reduce or increase your body weight, it is important to know how many calories your body needs per day. Your caloric needs depend on a variety of factors, including your sex, weight, height,...
Esophageal obstruction by a tumor, or neurological conditions that preclude normal swallowing, require a liquid diet. Liquid nutrition in the form of Boost Nutritional Energy Drink can meet daily needs for calories and most ess...
Daily caloric needs are highly dependent on age, gender, current weight, height and activity level. Individual variations in metabolism make calculating calorie requirements even more challenging; however, there are a few simpl...
Eating more frequently throughout the day keeps your metabolism elevated and your body energized from morning until night. Energy, in the form of the calories you derive from the foods you eat, should be divided evenly througho...
As we age, we often face additional needs and challenges connected to getting older. If a family member, neighbor, or friend has reached a point where he needs assistance with his daily routine, you'll need to know what those d...
Toileting is a basic human need where many people need assistance. Problems such as poor balance, weak legs and upper body limitations force many to find solutions. Fortunately, there are many options available including raise...
Understanding how calories affect your life and calculating your total daily calorie needs is a step toward a healthy lifestyle. Most people who begin calorie counting do so with the goal of weight loss in mind. This is not th...
Identify the elderly person's mobility needs. Then you can decide which mobility aids would help the most with daily activities. Some of the mobility aids people usually think of are canes, walkers or wheelchairs. There are gr...
