Holistic weight reduction - Part5 - Energy Sources and Energy Requirements

All three energy sources should always be part of daily food intake because, though it may appear that energy can be produced from any one of the three main sources of energy, there are other essential roles played by carbohydrate, fat and protein. For the normal healthy maintenance of human life, carbohydrates are essential, because the brain uses carbohydrates in the form of the simple sugar glucose as its main energy supply. The brain needs approximately 100 grams of glucose per day for its normal function. Fats are essential for the body, because hormones and a great deal of brain tissue are made from derivatives of fat. In addition, certain essential vitamins, known as fat-soluble vitamins can be absorbed from food only in the presence of adequate amounts of fat in food. Finally proteins, as already mentioned, are more a structural material of the human body itself, though under conditions of carbohydrate and fat deprivation, aminoacids obtained from protein can also function as an energy source. During periods of carbohydrate starvation, the body can produce glucose for the energy needed by the brain by a process called gluconeogeneis - the production of glucose from aminoacids obtained from proteins. It is also worth pointing out that a derivative of carbohydrate, glycerol is essential for the storage of fatty acids (oils) in the form of neutral fat in the adipose tissue.

ENERGY REQUIRMENTS

How many Calories of energy does a human body need for each day? The answer to this question depends on three factors. First is known as the basal metabolic demands of the body. This is the amount of energy for maintaining body and brain function at a minimum level, when the body is not physically active. The second factor is the amount of energy required to maintain body temperature above the ambient temperature of the environment. The third is the energy required to do physical work, which is dependent on the nature as well as extent of activities undertaken. The level of thyroid hormone in the body, which controls the basal metabolic rate, determines the basal energy requirement of the body. Under normal activity of the thyroid gland the basal metabolic demand is approximately 800 Calories a day. The energy required for maintaining body core temperature at 98.60 F is a function of the ambient temperature of the environment and the extent of insulation the body has in the form of adipose tissue under the skin in its naked state and also the amount of insulation provided by the clothes worn at any given time. This amounts usually to about 300-400 Calories per day. Thus in the absence of any physical activity, the minimum energy requirement of an average sized human body is about 1200 Calories. To this one must add the energy spent on daily physical activity, which is a variable figure to obtain a total count of the energy requirement of each individual.

The ideal weight for a human adult is usually calculated by a simple formula, which assumes an ideal weight of 100 pounds for someone who is 5 feet tall. For every inch of height after that, an ideal male of medium build is supposed to weigh 6 pounds and a female 5 pounds. For someone with heavier build or lighter build higher or lower allowances of weight must be used. Men have more muscle mass normally and women have greater fat content in their bodies. These observations are obtained from charts created from measurement of large numbers of Americans, but it is obvious that genetic characteristics and food habits dictated by cultural habits also play an important role in determining appropriate and acceptable weight ranges for men and women.

The most serious form of overweight is that caused by excessive fat accumulation in the body. This is because fat can accumulate around vital organs interfering with their normal function and because unlike other tissues, the blood vessels coursing through fat tissues are of very small diameter (most are capillaries) and predispose to increase in blood pressure when the volume of adipose tissue increases. Another reason for excess fat weight being a leading cause of illness is because excess obesity leads to diabetes - a major metabolic disorder - which in turn leads to blood vessel disorders, heart disease, kidney problems and strokes. Obesity also leads to excessive wear and tear of joints of the skeletal system. Since most of the time the body has no control over where excess fat gets deposited in the body, it is also a major cause of cosmetic problems and associated disturbance of self-image, especially among women.

About the Author : Abe Kurien MD, is a proponent of holistic medicine. He writes profusely on subjects of Weight reduction. His enlightening articles can be found on the smatix weight reduction section : Natural Health and Nutrition