Health Tools
(Calculators and more for assessing your fitness and nutritional needs)
Would you like a quick and easy way to estimate your basic nutritional and caloric needs? Click on the links here for a set of free calculators to help you do just that. Knowing what your individual needs might be for protein, carbohydrates, fats, calories and more will help you choose wisely whether you are shopping at the grocery store, selecting a snack from your own cupboards, or heading out to get some exercise.
Please NOTE: When using these calculators, you are given an opportunity to choose one of five different activity levels. Choose accurately or your final result for each of the estimations will be significantly off. Also, the calculators provide you with a single value for each estimate when a range of values might be more helpful. I am preparing a series of short lessons to give you a better way to determine some of these values (coming soon!)
Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR is a measure of the energy you require to fuel basic physiological needs even when you are resting. This includes such things as breathing and keeping your heart beating. It is influenced by a number of different factors such as your age, sex, height, and weight.
Discover how many calories your body burns for more than 70 different exercises and activities. This is one of the best free calculators I’ve found online. if you would like more choices you will need to consider joining My Food Diary, a membership site (read my review here.) or the Global Health and Fitness membership site (review )
Learn how much protein you need each day. The figure generated by this calculator is an estimate of your needs based on your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. Also provided is a list of some of the best protein sources as well as an explanation of “protein quality.”
Just how much fat do you need? You need fat for a number of reasons. Dietary fat helps your body transport and absorb fat soluble vitamins. This is an important reason for including “good fat” in your diet every day. Fat serves many other important functions as well. Find out more about the role fat serves in your diet, what the better sources of fat are, and how much you need with this easy to use calculator.
Do you need “carbs”? Yes! Discover how much. Glucose, a carbohydrate, is the preferred source of energy for your brain. In addition to the minimum amount you need for brain function, carbohydrates also provide energy for other body functions and all of your daily activities whether you exercise or not. In addition, carbohydrates are a source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important compounds such as antioxidants to keep you healthy.
