I am starting off my food adventure by tackling one of the topics I have been obsessed with ever my 30th birthday - Calories!! I know this may sound cliche and it probably is, but I have always been blessed with an amazingly high metabolism. I basically ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted all through my college years. But as I rapidly approached 30, for the first time in my life I actually took an interest in the nutritional value of what I was inputting in my body. Thats when my need for a daily balanced diet really began. Now that I am an avid regular at the gym, my interest in calories has peaked and there are a few helpful facts I managed to scope out:Calories are not the enemy or those evil creepy things that sneak up on us, they are actually vital to our survival. To understand the role calories would play would be to appreciate the real value of food. It is a fact that you need calories to survive, to be able to function or even exist. Every activity you perform even brain use depend on the amount of calories you consume. Thats why its uber important to keep something I learnt called
resting metabolic rate (RMR) at a decent level in order to keep up with your busy daily routine. Basically calorie is a defined as the energy content in food. Some foods have more energy content than others like butter has more energy content than celery. So for those of you are determined to starve yourself into that wedding or prom dress, a diet in strictly vegetables while not the wisest way to diet will substantially lower your caloric intake and allow you to fulfill your goal. But this whole process is actually pretty easy to understand because we all have basic requirements we have to satisfy in order to meet our calorie quotient for the day. And this all depends on your weight and height. You can calculate this on your own (if you dare) by using the Mifflin-St. Joer equation which seems to be the most reliable formula to date. It goes like this: Your weight in pounds must be converted to kilograms by dividing weight in pounds by 2.2. Height must be changed to centimeters by multiplying inches by 2.54. Then input your weight into the equation that you have you set up. For example: 9.99 x weightheight - 4.92 x age. Men should add 5 and Women should subtract 161. The total will reveal your approximate daily calories. I calculated that I need at 1369 calories per day which came as a big surprise to me because I definitely don't consume close to that routinely. But its helpful to be aware especially as I get older. A good website to use for a weight and calorie calculator is www.cordianet.com. It does all the work for you after you answer 4 easy questions. At the end of the day we all know that in order to burn excess calories you have to fit in an exercise regimen into your schedule. This will also guarantee more muscle development and get rid of the annoying fat pockets in your trouble areas. But most of all a well balanced diet that consists of all the essentials including fruits and vegetables will keep those of us at our desired weight right where we want to be without the possibility of tipping the scale. As with everything in life excess is bad and balance is good.
Halloween is fast approaching and is a time most people dread because it kind of officially kicks off the "sweet tooth"season that tends to challenge our resistance to nutritionally flawed foods. But there are a few healthy options out there that even the kiddies will salivate over. (1) Caramel Honey Apples: The sauce is both quick and yummy. Just combine 1 cup light brown sugar, packed, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/3 cup chopped nuts in saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat stirring consistently. Allow the tasty confection to cool down for 5 minutes. Then dip and roll your popsicle-style sicks until they are
