What You Don't Know About Calories

The human body is nothing but a complex machine which keeps running day in and day out from the day you were born till the day you die.

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Your lungs breathe without your help and your heart beats without any assistance. They all need energy to keep you alive.

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And you need proper nutrition to keep your body alive. Though most of us are busy counting calories and planning diets, it is important to know how every calorie you ingest plays a role in keeping you alive. Read on...

Fact #1

Calories contain energy. Your body's cells convert that energy into nucleotide ATP which allows all the cells to carry out their functions efficiently.

Fact #2

All bodily functions like reproduction, transportation of materials, maintenance of weight and transmission of signals need energy through food.

Fact #3

We think muscles are necessary only to lift weights but they are more important than you imagine. Most of the vital organs like the heart need the support of muscle tissue without which it is impossible to survive. The calories from the food you eat provide energy to your muscles and allow them to function. When you starve, they fail to function.

Fact #4

All tissues in the body need energy from food to repair themselves and also to build fresh tissue. When you lack enough food, those tissues may die down.

Fact #5

Many functions of your body require hormonal action. When your nutrition fails to provide enough calories, the hormonal action comes to a standstill.

Fact #6

Not all fat is bad. Your body generally stores some unused energy as fat and this helps you stay warm. Also the stored fat can help you survive when you don't have enough to eat. But yes, excessive fat accumulation can kill.

Fact #7

To put it in a nut shell, every calorie you eat plays a role in providing the body with energy to carry on with your life. Malnutrition could eventually lead to death.