What is good health?
The vast amount of information about fitness and diet is evidence that at some point in our history we stopped eating well and being active, and became complacent. Almost 40 percent of adults over the age of 18 are still overweight, paving the way for countless diseases.
Good health has become a passive wish, a tedious goal, taking time away from our most pressing ambitions. But even for someone trying to wrap their heads around the idea of good health and get on the road, there is a sea of misinformation to partake in, where simple resolutions elude us and remain out of sight. The goal of this column is to help you get a fresh start, this time with simple, effective, and practical ideas about exercise and nutrition that continue to survive the most rigorous scientific scrutiny.
There is no single idea of good health, it is relative. Our response to any environment is usually unique and different from each other. Similarly, a generic exercise routine or diet plan has variable effects. It benefits some and has little or no effect on others. To understand why this happens, it would be helpful to know how our bodies generally use food as a source of energy and exercise as a means of improving physical and mental fitness.
energy and calories
Imagine you are on vacation waiting for your morning cup of tea, overlooking a meadow. As you lie still and wait for your tea, the serene environment keeps your emotional disturbance to a minimum, and when you enter this calm state of mind and body, all your organs continue to work and perform their vital functions.
The amount of energy your body needs during this state determines your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the base amount of energy needed while awake. But as you go about your day, certain activities may demand more energy and increase your energy requirements. The total amount of energy you end up using throughout the day determines your total energy expenditure (TEE). BMR absorbs a staggering 45 percent to 70 percent of the total energy.
Everything you eat becomes a source of energy and meets BMR and TEE. To find out where you stand right now with regards to your energy needs, knowing the average BMR can be a good starting point. The average BMR among adult men is between 1,300 and 1,500 calories and between 1,000 and 1,300 calories for adult women.
Total energy requirements strictly depend on your lifestyle. If you are moderately active through daily commutes and easy walks, your total energy expenditure would be less than someone who is moderately or vigorously active.
Your total daily energy expenditure comprises your BMR, NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which means your daily activities minus your time in the gym or any training sessions), and TEF (Thermic Effect of Food, which simply means the energy your food demands) to be absorbed and digested).
Calories simply refer to the amount of energy you get from the food you eat. One of the goals of all the meals you eat in a day is to meet your basic and total energy needs.
calorie game
Our body has a natural response to store calories. This response has evolutionary roots. Our ancestors struggled to meet their daily dietary requirements, and in response to this struggle, our bodies took on the ability to store energy when it could. Now what happens when you consume more calories than you need for the day, your body stores them.
What is it that our body stores?
The obvious answer is fat. There is also glycogen which is stored for energy in the muscles. The body perceives excess calories as a source of energy for the future, and when the body does not use this energy, it is stored as fat. This is an indication of a diet with excess calories.
Caloric deficit, on the other hand, involves consuming fewer calories than the body expends in a day, so that the body gets its energy from stored fat.
What is needed?
In both cases, nutrition is the linchpin that holds the caloric umbrella in place. Rationing your calories using adequate amounts of macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and fat is key to a good diet. You need to tie a knot between the required calories and the required macronutrients.
One of the effective ways to do this is to set a fitness goal, which will determine the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Your goal becomes the basis on which you determine how many calories you need. If you are one of those who wants to lose weight, it is essential that you subscribe to a calorie-deficient diet. And even while you’re at it, you can add exercise to the mix to burn and balance the extra calories.
Your fitness goal will keep the elements necessary for good health in place. And it’s one of the best ways to get involved in the science of health, which is the most reliable way to map your fitness journey. So what is your goal?
—A corporate executive turned entrepreneur, Vikas is the founder of Fitpage and a cardio evangelist. When he’s not running his company, he can be found mostly running or training aspiring runners.
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