The Perfect 30-minute Weekend Workout

Working out at the weekend can feel like a real chore.

In fact, many of us give up on our exercise regime come the weekend – excusing ourselves from hitting the gym or heading out for a run because we have too many other things to do.

Keep to your fitness goals by not making excuses this weekend. With the cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to keep to our fitness and healthy eating goals if we want to keep our immune systems boosted.

So if you’re considering making an excuse to ditch your exercise goals this weekend, then think again.

Here Anita Albrecht, a nutrition advisor and personal trainer, reveals her 30-minute weekend workout that promises to fit in with your weekend plans and keep you on target for your fitness goals.

The perfect 30-minute weekend workout: A toning, aerobic fitness and strength exercise.

How it works: The combination of skipping, mixed in with the resistance excises keeps your heart rate up - which if done with little to no rest period - gives you a real calorie burn and metabolic boost. 

Equipment you'll need: A skipping rope and a resistance band, with handles.

Warm-up: 3-5 minutes skipping (work up to doing 5 minutes once you get used to it).

1. Resistance Band Rows: Great exercise for the back and arms. Loop your resistance band around a strong door handle or stair banister holding on to the handles at chest height. Pull the handles towards you squeezing your shoulder blades together and then release again. Make sure you have plenty of tension on the resistance band so you can really feel the tension as you pull the band towards your body on the contraction phase. 

Perform 12-15 repetitions.

2. Squat with Bicep Curl: Place the middle of the resistance band under your feet holding on to the handles. Do a squat with your feet shoulder width apart keeping your abs pulled in tight, chest up and neutral spine with eyeline ahead (your weight should be in your heels). The depth of the squat should be where the thighs are parallel with the floor or ground, if you can. Once you have done the squat keep your elbows close to your ribcage and do a bicep curl with plenty of tension on the band. 

Perform this combination for 12-15 repetitions.

3. Chest Press: Just like you looped the resistance band around a banister, but this time your back is facing the banister. Step forward so there is plenty of resistance on the band and start with bent elbows at shoulder height creating a 90-degree angle. Push your arms forward now squeezing your chest muscles and straightening the arms out in front of you completely then release back to the start position. 

Perform 12-15 reps.

4. Skip for three minutes.

Keep to your fitness goals by not making excuses this weekend. 5.Stationary Lunge with Floor Touch and Reach: A great one for legs and bums! Stand with one leg in front and the other behind. As you bend down into a lunge bending both knees (the back knee should be just off the floor) keep your hips facing forward, abs tight and weight in the heel of the front foot. Reach towards the floor either side of your front foot keeping a nice straight spine touch the floor then lift up the upper body keeping abs tight still then reach and stretch up with both arms up towards the ceiling keeping your legs in a lunge position. 

Perform on each leg for 10-12 repetitions

6. Tricep Press Up: Do this from your knees to start with. Straighten out the body keeping abs tight, neck in line with your spine and bottom down without collapsing the lower back. Your hands should be together, thumbs touching. Perform a 'tricep' push up but unlike a conventional press up, your elbows will be travelling in towards your ribcage then push back up again. This puts the full focus on to your triceps toning those bingo wings.

Perform for 12 repetitions.

7. Bicycles and Plank: Lie on your back and extend one leg out leg straight about 4-5 inches off the floor, with the other bent up towards your chest. Your hands should be at the sides of your head elbows bent. Lift up your upper body touching the opposite elbow to opposite knee then swap, but as you swap the extended legs and elbows bend as they comes towards your chest. Meanwhile the other bent leg extends out straight as it swaps keeping your upper body up, relaxing the neck muscles putting the tension on the abdominals.

Once you have done 15-20 of these on either side, go straight into a front isometric plank holding it for as long as you can. A 'plank' is where you are facing the floor or ground, up on to the balls of your feet, neutral spine, pull your belly button into your lower spine leaning on forearms and keeping the body pulled in as tight as you can for as long as you can. Great core exercise and tummy combo putting these two together. A strong plank hold is around 2 minutes...see how long you can hold yours for.Finish with three minutes of skipping.http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/the-perfect-30-minute-weekend-workout-.html

Scientific Weight Loss Tips

Top Five Foods Every Slimmer Should Have In Their Freezer

Frozen berries

Why? - Fresh berries are bursting with immune boosting vitamin C but the amount they contain can soon plummet if they are stored for any length of time. Frozen berries however have all that goodness locked in making them just as good (if not better) than the fresh stuff but so much more convenient and they can be used in so many ways, not least of all as a low calorie dessert or breakfast topping.

How? - Pop a cup full of frozen berries such as raspberries, fruits of the forest or blueberries into a blender. Add a small tin of pineapple, a splash of fruit juice and a banana and blend for a taste bud tingling, super cool smoothie that works just as well as a speedy breakfast as it does as a snack or a dessert.

Frozen soy beans

Why? - An 80 grams serving of these super convenient, tasty little beans provides 20 per cent of the vitamin C you need in a day plus ten of the 25 grams of soya protein you need to help reduce blood cholesterol. They are also a great source of fibre and slow releasing carbohydrates which means they are great at keeping cravings at bay.

How? - Use them pretty much as you would frozen peas. They taste great added to rice pasta salads or stir fries too or just add them to boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain, sprinkle with a little salt and eat them as a tasty snack.

Frozen king prawns

Why? - With less than 60 calories per serving and almost no fat, frozen king prawns are a great way of adding cell repairing, satiating protein to your meals in minutes.

How? - Use them defrosted in sandwiches, add to stir fries and rice dishes, throw a generous handful into pasta dishes and curries or add to any home made salad to make it feel that little bit special.

Mixed vegetables

Why? - We all know we should be eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day but all that chopping, peeling and slicing can be a little off putting. That's where your bag of frozen mixed veg comes in. The filling fibre frozen veg contains coupled with the relatively low calories mean these little multi-coloured gems really are a slimmer's best friend.

How? - Whether you're making a pasta sauce, curry, soup, rice salad, stir fry, Thai noodles or a casserole just grab a bag from the freezer and add a few handfuls to the pot. What could be simpler?

Wild Alaskan salmon

Why? - Wild-caught Alaska salmon, which matures at a natural pace in the pristine waters off Alaska's rugged 34,000-mile coast line, have high concentrations of omega 3 oils proven to reduce the risk of coronary disease and help treat and prevent of many other diseases.

Salmon is also an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids, contains vitamins A, D, B6 and B2, as well as niacin and riboflavin, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus.

As if all that wasn't enough, the high protein levels couple with the fatty acids found in salmon help to reduce hunger and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

How? - Simply wrap a frozen fillet in some tin foil and bake in the oven for a super easy, extremely nutritious supper that can be served with rice, pasta, salad or fresh vegetables.

Alternatively, use it to make fish cakes or pie.

By Rachael Anne Hill

Get a Flatter Stomach in 24 Hours

1. Curb the curries
Spicy foods can increase the speed with that food travels through the gut, encouraging wind production and bloating.

2. Pick up a pineapple
Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme, so try some after a heavy meal. Fennel may also help by combating flatulence.

3. Treat yourself to tea
Peppermint and chamomile teas are particularly good at easing indigestion and bloating. Green teas and teas made with fresh mint can be particularly effective too.

4. Drink It down
If your bloated tummy is linked to your time of the month try drinking more water. Research shows that bloating and water retention are often linked to dehydration so make sure you sip down at least eight glasses of water a day.

5. Chew on it
Eat slowly with your mouth closed, to avoid gulping down air along with your food. Chew each mouthful thoroughly and sit up straight at the table to help improve digestion.

6. Start grazing
Eat small, regular meals and avoid a pattern of eating little all day then having a large late meal.

7. Put your best foot forward
Take regular exercise. Research shows even a short 20-30 minute brisk walk four times a week can improve your bowel function.

8. Have an apple a day
Snack on fresh fruit instead of salty snacks such as nuts or crisps. Too much salt in the diet can increase water retention especially in the stomach area where as the high water and fibre content of fresh fruit will have the reverse effect.

By Rachael Anne Hill

Simple Weight Loss Tips

Healthy Tip - Personalize Your Weight Loss Goals

Did you make a public pledge last week? Last Monday's Healthy Tip was to set a short-term goal and make it public by posting it on Facebook or sharing it with friends, family or coworkers, and using the public pressure in a positive way. If you didn't make a pledge last week, make one now. But for those of you who made a pledge, here's what you do with your results.

Personalize Your Weight Loss Goals in 3 Steps

Assess your success. Regardless of whether or not you succeeded in keeping your commitment last week, the information you gathered will help you set personalized weight loss goals.

If you succeeded in doing whatever you set out to do for a week, then you know that a seven-day time frame is a good short-term goal duration for you. Use this time frame for your next goal.

If you did not succeed in sticking to your goal, don't worry. This information is helpful. To set and reach goals successfully you need to use a shorter time frame. Try setting a goal for three days instead and see what happens.

Set a new goal. Successful weight loss is all about setting and reaching goals. Now that you know which time frame is likely to work for you, set a new goal for this week. For example, add an additional workout to your schedule, commit to eating at least three veggies every day, or promise that you'll eat lean protein at every meal. If you were successful with last week's goal, can you continue to maintain that healthy habit as well?

Build on Your Success. Once you find a time frame that works for you, continue to set short-term goals for several weeks then start to build on your success. After a few successful weeks, begin setting longer term goals, but continue to use short term goals as building blocks to reach it. For example, your longer term goal may be to exercise every day, but you'll get there by setting short-term goals to add one workout to your schedule each week.

And don't forget that you can still use friends and family to help support you in your endeavors. Add me to the list of supporters, as well. Post your goals on my Facebook pageand I'll check in with you periodically to see how you're doing.

10 Fast Weight Loss Suggestions

We are living in today's world where obesity is the major problem. History says that weight problems have doubled since 1980. Study in 2008 report signifies that more than 1.5 billion adults and 45 million children were suffered from obesity. Around Three million people dead each year from illness caused by excessive weight such as diabetes, cardiac arrest, cancer, and so on.

Following will be the top ten Suggestions allow you to lose fat safe: 

1. Be Physically Energetic 

This is main reasons for obesity, people are not active in their day to day life and their laziness get more pounds and suffers from obesity so when you are doing your day to day work actively then you are burning your extra pounds so does not require to do any exercise or so for each day if you are actively passing your day.

2. Eating Habits 

Stay away from junk foods and bad foods, as these include huge levels of bad cholestrerol levels. Choose easy to prepare and healthier food choices. Instead of grabbing a burger for breakfast, take some time to buy whole wheat cereal flakes, whole wheat sandwich buns, oatmeal, wheat berries, and other readily available foods.

3. Choose Complicated Carbs 

Complicated carbohydrates will be the main element to manage and maintaining a weight loss plan. You can eat more foods which contain this type of carbs like, cereals, whole wheat, beans, oatmeal cookies and a lot of different products.

4. Walking

Walking is actually quite critical factor to regulate your weight and this isn't too much time but a person may spare only a quarter-hour in a day is also enough. This makes your metabolism more more quickly and reduce your unwanted weight even you are enjoying to see the shop items or merely enjoying the morning cool atmosphere.

5. Craving Control

Once you are already maintaining your diet program and controlling your meals habits then you need to stick to it, otherwise that will divert your mind to consume processed foods over again and this may result in the very same obesity problem so this is very much vital that you control your eating habit regularly.

6. Eat Slowly and Gradually 

Chew the food completely and savor the taste. Experts say, it requires fifteen or even more min's for your mind to understand that you've already eaten. When you eat slowly, you may help your brain to feel happy, allowing your body to believe so as well. If you're much like me and enjoy a quick dinner, learn to slow down a little and take your time.

7. More Fresh fruits and Vegetables 

Vegetables and fruits are perfect for health because it consists of extra water as well as fibers and this allow you to complete pleased with just small foods and also clinical studies proves that higher fiber eating habit people as lesser fat compare to far more fatty eating habit men and women.

8. Small Amount Meal A lot more Times

Be habituated with much more number of times to eat food instead of eat a lot more meals in 1 time.

9. More Sleep 

Who has sleeping difficulty has a lot more change for obesity that's verified along with research, it is because less sleeping disturbed your system cycle and your metabolism and a number of other points and their body release specific chemical compounds which raise the food desire.

10. Use Weight Loss Pills - If Necessary

If you are suffering much more with weight problems then you need to check out all of over thing so you can use very best weight loss pill that may help you to make this technique faster. the fundamental about weight loss pill is that moderate your food need and moderate your appetite so that you are not eating unwanted food but eat only what exactly is require for your body. One of best weight loss pill you can purchase is Phen375 which can be very much warm in today's industry and a huge number of people features tested with this so you can also take this with your regular weight loss plan.

If you stick to all of over things then you'll definitely begin losing your weight faster however makes sure you need to regular monitoring and controlling those things. 

Author: Kelly Henchi

Effective Weight Loss - Keep A Food Journal, Don't Skip Meals, Don't Eat Out

If you want to really succeed in losing weight you should never skip meals, you should avoid eating out, and ideally, you should keep a food journal, especially if you are an overweight or obese postmenopausal woman, researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The authors added that eating out in restaurants during lunchtime especially, should be avoided.

The authors claim that theirs is the first study ever to focus on the impact of a wide list of self-monitoring options and diet-related behaviors, as well as eating patterns on body weight among obese and overweight postmenopausal females.

Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., team leader, said:

"When it comes to weight loss, evidence from randomized, controlled trials comparing different diets finds that restricting total calories is more important than diet composition such as low-fat versus low-carbohydrate.

Therefore, the specific aim of our study was to identify behaviors that supported the global goal of calorie reduction."

Below are some of their findings:

Food journals - those who kept food journals, across all diets, lost approximately 6 pounds more than women who did not

Missing meals - the females who "skipped meals" lost much less weight than those who never missed meals, about 8 pounds less

Lunching out - women who went out for lunch at least once a week lost about 5 fewer pounds compared to those who lunched out less often. Eating out regularly for breakfast, lunch or supper was linked to less weight loss; however, the strongest association was with lunch.

A food diary is important for successful weight lossMcTiernan said:

"For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the No. 1 piece of advice based on these study results would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals. It is difficult to make changes to your diet when you are not paying close attention to what you are eating."

When keeping a food journal, the researchers advised those participating in the study to:

Be thorough - make sure the journal has details of food preparation, which toppings, condiments, sauces or gravy were used, etc.

Be truthful - make sure everything that is eaten is recorded, do not leave anything out

Accuracy - portion sizes, label details, need to be accurately entered

Consistency - the food journal (diary) must be with the dieter at all times; this is easier these days with some of the applications for smart phones.

McTiernan said:

"While the study provided a printed booklet for the women to record their food and beverage consumption, a food journal doesn't have to be anything fancy. Any notebook or pad of paper that is easily carried or an online program that can be accessed any time through a smart phone or tablet should work fine."

Eating routine and not skipping meals For successful weight loss, the researchers found that eating at regular intervals is vital for effective and long-term weight loss. Skipping meals can be a diet's kiss of death.

McTiernan explained:

"The mechanism is not completely clear, but we think that skipping meals or fasting might cause you to respond more favorably to high-calorie foods and therefore take in more calories overall.

We also think skipping meals might cluster together with other behaviors. For instance, the lack of time and effort spent on planning and preparing meals may lead a person to skip meals and/or eat out more."

Eating out may be a barrier for making healthy food choices

At a restaurant we have less control over the ingredients that are added to our food

Eating out was found to undermine the overall success of weight loss efforts, when compared with rarely or never eating out, the authors wrote. Going out to restaurants may be an obstacle for making healthful food choices, they added.

When we are at a restaurant we have less control in what ingredients are used in preparing our meals, and which cooking methods are used. Even portion sizes are no longer under our control.

The study involved 123 women aged from 50 to 75 years. They were all overweight or obese and lived sedentary lifestyles. They were selected at random into two groups in this year-long dietary weight loss intervention study:

Exercise plus diet group

Diet only group They completed questionnaires which asked them about their dietary intake, what eating-related weight-control strategies they used, meal patterns, and eating behaviors. In order to assess what changes occurred from the beginning to the end of the study, they completed a 120-item food-frequency questionnaire.

Participants in both groups weighed on average 10% less than they did at the start of the study - the aim of the intervention was also a 10% drop from starting weight.

McTiernan said:

"We think our findings are promising because it shows that basic strategies such as maintaining food journals, eating out less often and eating at regular intervals are simple tools that postmenopausal women - a group commonly at greater risk for weight gain - can use to help them lose weight successfully."

In an Abstract in the same journal, the authors believe their findings indicate that more focus should be placed on dietary self-monitoring, home cooking, and a regular eating routine for a more effective 12-month weight-loss regime among women over the age of 50 years.

Written by Christian Nordqvist

What Are The Top 10 Healthy Foods?

Imagine a selection of foods that were delicious, nutritious and good for you - i.e. they reduced your risk of developing diseases. According to several different surveys and sources in North America and Western Europe, the following ten foods are generally considered to be the most healthy.

1) Apples

Apples are an excellent source of antioxidants, which combat free radicals, damaging substances generated in the body that cause undesirable changes and are involved in the aging process and some diseases.

Some animal studies have found that an antioxidant found in apples (polyphenols) might extend lifespans. Tests on fruit flies found that polyphenols also help them to preserve their ability to walk, climb and move about.

Another study found that adult females who regularly ate apples had a 13% to 22% lower risk of developing heart disease.

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is not just an old expression that rhymes

2) Almonds

Almonds are rich in nutrients, including iron, calcium, vitamin E, fiber, riboflavin, and magnesium. A scientific review published in Nutrition Reviews last year found that almonds as a food may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The authors wrote:

"The message that almonds, in and of themselves, are a heart-healthy snack should be emphasized to consumers. Moreover, when almonds are incorporated into a healthy, balanced diet, the benefits are even greater."

The fatty acid profile of almonds, which is made up of 91-94% unsaturated fatty acids, may partly explain why it helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Almonds also have the highest fiber content of any tree nut.

Almonds have more fiber than any other tree nut

A recent article on the health benefits of almonds:

"Research Review Suggests Almonds Contain Nutrients That Provide Cardioprotective Effects"

3) Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in fiber, folate, potassium, calcium and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds which reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Broccoli also contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant, as well as vitamin C.

Boiling broccoli for too long can destroy much of its vital nutrients

If the enzyme myrosinase is not destroyed during cooking, broccoli can also reduce the risk of developing cancer. The best way to cook broccoli and to preserve the myrosinase is to steam the vegetable lightly - if it is overcooked, and the vegetable's beneficial effects can be seriously undermined, researchers from the University of Illinois wrote in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrition and Cancer.

The researchers said that adding broccoli to a meal can often double its anticancer properties.

Another ingredient, sulforphane, which exists in broccoli, is also said to have anti-cancer as well as anti-inflammatory qualities. However, overcooking can destroy most of the benefits.

Broccoli powder does not contain myrosinase.

A recent article on the health benefits of broccoli:

"Lightly Steamed Broccoli Has Powerful Anticancer Enzyme Myrosinase"

4) Blueberries

Blueberries are rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber.

According to a study carried out at Harvard Medical School, elderly people who eat plenty of blueberries (and strawberries) are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline, compared to other people of their age who do not. (Link to article)

Blueberries were found in another study carried out by scientists at Texas Woman's University, to help in curbing obesity. Plant polyphenols, which are abundant in blueberries, have been shown to reduce the development of fat cells (adipogenesis), while inducing the breakdown of lipids and fat (lipolysis). (Link to article)

Blueberries may help in controlling body weight

Regular blueberry consumption can reduce the risk of suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure) by 10%, because of the berry's bioactive compounds, anthocyanins, scientists from East Anglia University, England, and Harvard University, USA reported in the American Journal of Nutrition. (Link to article)

Blueberry consumption has also been associated with a lower risk of artery hardening, and/or intestinal diseases. The fruit has also been linked to stronger bones in animal studies.

5) Oily fish

Examples of oily fish include salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies. These types of fish have oil in their tissues and around the gut. Their lean fillets contain up to 30% oil, specifically, omega-3 fatty acids. These oils are known to provide benefits for the heart, as well as the nervous system. Oily fish are also known to provide benefits for patients with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis.

Oily fish also contain vitamins A and D.

Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found that prostate cancer progression was significantly slowed when patients went on a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements. 

Oily fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids

6) Leafy green vegetables

Studies have shown that a high intake of dark-leafy vegetables, such as spinach or cabbage may significantly lower a person's risk of developing diabetes type 2. Researchers from Leicester University, England, said that the impact of dark green vegetables on human health should be investigated further, after they gathered data from six studies.

Spinach, for example, is very rich in antioxidants, especially when uncooked, steamed or very lightly boiled. It is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C, E and K, as well as selenium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, copper, folic acid, potassium, calcium, manganese, betaine, and iron.

Boiling spinach can significantly reduce its levels of good nutrients.

7) Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as carotene (the pink, yellow ones).

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA, compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. The sweet potato ranked number one, when vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates were considered.

Sweet potato roots are rich in fiber and several important nutrients

8) Wheat germ

Wheat germ is the part of wheat that germinates to grow into a plant - the embryo of the seed. Germ, along with bran, is commonly a by-product of the milling; when cereals are refined, the germ and bran are often milled out.

Wheat germ is high in several vital nutrients, such as vitamin E, folic acid (folate), thiamin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as fatty alcohols and essential fatty acids.

Wheat germ is also a good source of fiber.

9) Avocados 

Many people avoid avocados because of its high fat content; they believe that avoiding all fats leads to better health and easier-to-control body weight - this is a myth. Approximately 75% of the calories in an avocado come from fat; mostly monosaturated fat.

Weight-for-weight, avocadoes have 35% more potassium than bananas.

Avocados are also very rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin K and vitamin E.

Avocados also have a very high fiber content of 25% soluble and 75% insoluble fiber.

Studies have shown that regular avocado consumption lowers blood cholesterol levels. 

Avocado extracts are currently being studied in the laboratory to see whether they might be useful for treating diabetes or hypertension.

Researchers from Ohio State University found that nutrients taken from avocados were able to stop oral cancer cells, and even destroy some of the pre-cancerous cells.

10) Oatmeal 

Oatmeal is meal made from rolled or ground oats, or porridge made from ground or rolled oats. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the term "porridge" or "porridge oats" are common terms for the breakfast cereal that is usually cooked.

Interest in oatmeal has increased considerably over the last twenty years because of its health benefits.

Studies have shown that if you eat a bowl of oatmeal everyday your blood cholesterol levels, especially if they are too high, will drop, because of the cereal's soluble fiber content. When findings were published in the 1980s, an "oat bran craze" spread across the USA and Western Europe. The oats craze dropped off in the 1990s.

In 1997, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) agreed that foods with high levels of rolled oats or oat bran could include data on their labels about their cardiovascular heart benefits if accompanied with a low-fat diet. This was followed by another surge in oatmeal popularity.

Oats is rich in complex carbohydrates, as well as water-soluble fiber, which slow digestion down and stabilize levels of blood-glucose.

Oatmeal porridge is very rich in B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium.

Coarse or steel-cut oats contain more fiber than instant varieties.

What Are The Top 10 Healthy Foods?

Written by Christian Nordqvist

How Many Calories Should I Eat?

The number of calories people should eat each day depends on several factors, including their age, size, height, sex, lifestyle, and overall general health. A physically active 6ft 2in male, aged 22 years, requires considerably more calories than a 5ft 2ins sedentary woman in her 70s.

Recommended daily calorie intakes also vary across the world. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the average male adult needs approximately 2,500 calories per day to keep his weight constant, while the average adult female needs 2,000. US authorities recommend 2,700 calories per day for men and 2,200 for women. It is interesting that in the UK, where people on average are taller than Americans, the recommended daily intake of calories is lower. Rates of overweight and obesity among both adults and children in the USA are considerably higher than in the United Kingdom.

The NHS stresses that rather than precisely counting numbers (calories), people should focus more on eating a healthy and well balanced diet, being physically active, and roughly balancing how many calories are consumed with the numbers burnt off each day.

According to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the average person's minimum calorie requirement per day globally is approximately 1,800 kilocalories.

Daily calorie consumption varies considerably around the world (countries in gray indicates "no data available")

What is the difference between calories and kilocalories?Scientifically speaking, one kilocalorie is 1,000 calories. However, the term calorie in lay English has become so loosely used with the same meaning as kilocalorie, that the two terms have virtually merged. In other words, in most cases, a calorie and kilocalorie have the same meaning.

A kilocalorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water from 15° to 16° Celsius (centigrade) at one atmosphere.

A "small calorie" refers to the traditional scientific term of calorie, meaning one-thousandth of a kilocalorie.

Internationally, most nations talk about food energy in kJ (kilojoules). 1 kcal (kilocalorie) = 4.184 kJ.

In this article, the term "calorie" means the same as "kilocalorie" or "kcal".

Portion sizesIn industrialized nations and a growing number of emerging economies, people are consuming many more calories than they used to. Portion sizes in restaurants, both fast food ones as well as elegant places, are far greater today.

The average cheeseburger in the USA 20 years ago had 333 calories, compared to the ones today with over 600 calories

The human body and energy usageFor the human body to remain alive, it requires energy. Approximately 20% of the energy we use is for brain metabolism. The majority of the rest of the body's energy requirements are taken up for the basal metabolic requirements - the energy we need when in a resting state, for functions such as the circulation of the blood and breathing.

If our environment is cold, our metabolism increases to produce more heat to maintain a constant body temperature. When we are in a warm environment, we require less energy.

We also require mechanical energy for our skeletal muscles for posture and moving around.

Respiration, or specifically cellular respiration refers to the metabolic process by which an organism gets energy by reacting oxygen with glucose to produce carbon dioxide, water and ATP energy. How efficiently energy from respiration converts into physical (mechanical) power depends on the type of food eaten, as well as what type of physical energy is used - whether muscles are used aerobically or anaerobically.

Put simply - we need calories to stay alive, even if we are not moving, and need calories to keep our posture and to move about.

How many calories do I need per day?The Harris-Benedict equation, also known as the Harris-Benedict principle, is used to estimate what a person's BMR (basal metabolic rate) and daily requirements are. The person's BMR total is multiplied by another number which represents their level of physical activity. The resulting number is that person's recommended daily calorie intake in order to keep their body weight where it is.

This equation has limitations. It does not take into account varying levels of muscle mass to fat mass ratios - a very muscular person needs more calories, even when resting.

How to calculate your BMR

Male adults

66.5 + (13.75 x kg body weight) + (5.003 x height in cm) - (6.755 x age) = BMR

66 + ( 6.23 x pounds body weight) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.76 x age) = BMR

Female adults

55.1 + (9.563 x kg body weight) + (1.850 x height in cm) - (4.676 x age) = BMR

655 + (4.35 x kg body weight) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = BMR

Applying levels of physical activity to the equation

Sedentary lifestyle - if you do very little or no exercise at all

Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.2

Slightly active lifestyle - light exercise between once and three times per week

Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.375

Moderately active lifestyle - if you do moderate exercise three to five days per week

Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.55

Active lifestyle - if you do intensive/heavy exercise six to seven times per week

Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.725

Very active lifestyle - if you do very heavy/intensive exercise twice a day (extra heavy workouts)

Your daily calorie requirements are BMR x 1.9

How much should I weigh?As with how many calories you should consume each day, your ideal body weight depends on several factors, including your age, sex, bone density, muscle-fat ratio, and height.

BMI (Body Mass Index) - some say BMI is a good way of working out what you should weigh. However, BMI does not take into account muscle mass. A 100-metre Olympic champion weighing 200 pounds (about 91 kilograms), who is 6 feet (about 1mt 83cm) tall, who has the same BMI as a couch potato of the same height, is not overweight, while the couch potato is overweight.

Waist-hip ratio - this measurement is said to be more accurate at determining what your ideal weight should be, compared to BMI. However, waist-hip ratio does not properly measure an individual's total body fat percentage (muscle-to-fat ratio), and is also limited.

Waist-to-height ratio - this new way of determining ideal body weight is probably the most accurate one available today. It was presented by Dr. Margaret Ashwell, ex-science director of the British Nutrition Foundation, and team at the 19th Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France, on 12th May, 2012. It is also a very simple calculation; easy for lay people to work out.Dr. Ashwell's team found that:

"Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height can help increase life expectancy for every person in the world."

Put simply, to achieve and/or maintain your ideal body weight:"Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height."If you are a 6ft (183cm) tall adult male, your waist should not exceed 36 inches (91 cm).

If you are a 5ft 4 inches (163 cm) tall adult female, your waist should not exceed 32 inches (81 cm)

How do I measure my waist? - according to the World Health Organization (WHO), you should place the tape-measure half-way between the lower rib and the iliac crest (the the pelvic bone at the hip). 

Not all calories are the same, not all diets are the sameSimply counting calories, and ignoring what you put in your mouth might not lead to good health. Insulin levels will rise significantly more after consuming carbohydrates than after eating fats (no rise at all) or protein. Some carbohydrates, also known as carbs, get into the bloodstream in the form of sugar (glucose) much faster than others. Refined flour is a fast carb, while coarse oatmeal is slow. Slow-release carbs are better for body weight control and overall health than fast carbs.

A 500-calorie meal of fish/meat, salad, and some olive oil, followed by fruit, is much better for your health and will keep you from being hungry for longer than a 500-calorie snack of popcorn with butter or toffee.

Taking 500 calories from this dish is much better for the health, preventing hunger, and maintaining a healthy body weight than the equivalent calories in popcorn with butter or toffee

There are several diets today which claim to help people lose or maintain their body weight. Some of them have been extremely successful and good for participants, but are notoriously difficult to adhere to long-term.

The "Eight Most Popular Diets", according to how many articles mentioned them favorably, how popular they were generally, and which ones we received the most positive feedbacks on, include:

The Atkins Diet

The Zone Diet

Vegetarianism

Veganism

Weight Watchers

The South Beach Diet

The Raw Food Diet

The Mediterranean Diet

Written by Christian Nordqvist