How Many Calories Do You Need

By Author: sadas
Total Articles: 105
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How many calories do you need? It is estimated that the average woman burns up 2 000 calories a day; and the average man from 2 500 to 3 000 calories. Therefore if you are an overweight woman and you cut your calorie intake down to 1 500 a day, you should automatically shed weight. As a general rule, the more overweight you are, the faster you will lose it when you start dieting. But because you eat less food while you are slimming, it is important to make sure that your diet is nutritionally sound. Your daily meals should include some low-fat, protein-containing foods, plenty of vegetables and fresh fruit and some whole grain cereal foods. Weigh and measure all food accurately and remember not to exceed your daily calorie quota.
Annam knows what it is like to be hungry. His father is a casual laborer in Bangladesh who is lucky to earn 5 pounds a month. More often than not, there is no work and little food for Arnam's family. They sometimes get milk from a voluntary agency but not on a regular basis. Arnam was two, when helpers at the agency recognized that he needed urgent nutritional help if he was to survive, so he ...
... was sent to a Save the Children unit. Here he was given treatment round the clock for starvation and the related ills. Within two days, the swelling of his face and limbs began to subside and soon he could enjoy a solid meal. His mother came in every day to be with him and to attend classes in nutrition.
How many of us know what our daily nutritional needs are? How many of us, when buying food at the shop or supermarket, consider what the nutritional value of each of our purchases is? A harassed mother will rush around the supermarket, buying foods which are simple and quick to prepare. She will often buy foods which have been advertised on television or which are attractively wrapped. Mothers can be seen leaving supermarkets with trolleys piled high with "junk foods". Their families are eating far more calories than are good for them. Often they are over-eating on the protein side as well, by eating more meat than they need. Families spend money on food that is unnecessary or even harmful.