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Energy:

Every living organism requires energy to maintain life. Every breath, beat of our heart and movement requires varying amounts of energy. Energy is measured in Joules or Kilojoules but normally when we talk about energy from food or how much we need on a daily basis, most people are more familiar with the term ‘calorie’. This is denoted as kCal. Calories are simply a measure of how much energy we need and how much energy is available to us from different food sources. We break down the food we eat into the simplest components of the nutrients within the food and use it to fuel reactions within our body. So in essence, energy from food is FUEL.

We all have a minimum requirement of energy to sustain life, called our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). This number is dependent on age, gender, height and weight. Once we know your BMR, we factor in your activity level. This is dependent on whether you’re sedentary or move around a normal amount during the day, or whether you take regular exercise every week or every day or even twice a day.

Use this simple calculator to see how many calories you need each day. Remember to look at the activity levels as well to get an accurate idea of the extra energy you need for your lifestyle needs.