ENERGY FROM FOOD
Anything that moves needs energy, and the human body is just the same. It
needs energy to work properly and stay healthy, as well as doing activities.
When you take in food and drink, it gives your body the energy it needs for
all the important basic processes of life – like breathing or growing. But it
also gives you energy for activities – whether it's walking, running or just
talking. The body is using energy all the time and, the more active a person is,
the more energy they are using.
The body's energy needs
Whether a person is busy and rushing around, or just taking it easy and
relaxing, their body is using energy.
The amount of energy we need is different for everyone. It depends on our
age, gender, size, health and how active we are. Some people live busy, active
lives. They walk to school or work; they play sport in their spare time and are
rarely still except when they sleep. These people use a lot of energy so they
need to eat more food to give them that energy. Other people are less active,
perhaps preferring to read a magazine, chat to their friends or watch TV, so
they need less food because they use up less energy.
Energy through the day
The body has natural energy 'highs' and 'lows' during the day. This chart is
for a typical 14 year-old.
The body needs enough food to keep it going during the day, and even out the
energy peaks and troughs. For example, research shows that breakfast is an
important meal because it gives you the energy to start the day well and
improves your mental capacity. The term 'breakfast' means that the meal breaks
our night-long fast, giving the body the energy it needs to get going again.
The best foods for giving energy contain carbohydrates. Find
out more about different food groups and the importance of carbohydrates
here. Bread and breakfast cereals contain carbohydrates, so that's why they
are good options for breakfast.
Here are some ways of planning what you eat to keep your body topped up with
energy through the day.
| Planning tip |
Why it works |
| Make sure you eat breakfast. |
Breakfast raises blood sugar and energy levels, which improves
mental and physical performance. |
| Eat a high carbohydrate fibre snack mid-morning. |
It counteracts the natural slow-down in metabolism and lowering of
blood sugar levels that occurs by noon. |
| Always eat lunch. |
Energy levels naturally drop around the middle of the day; eating
lunch helps to keep your energy and stamina going. |
| Eat regularly so you don't have a gap of more than four hours
between meals. |
It prevents a dip in blood sugar levels and carbohydrate stores, so
you keep your energy levels and stamina up. |
| Avoid high fat foods (such as crisps) before doing anything active. |
Fats take longer to digest than carbohydrates; they stay in your
stomach for longer and can make you feel heavy and sluggish while you
exercise. |
