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Sustain: Food + Fuel

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Fresh Salad

Daily Calories

Daily calorie requirements for adults are carefully calibrated based on age, sex, and activity.
Young to middle-aged women with a sedentary lifestyle require a range of 1,600–2,000 calories, while active women may require up to 2,400. For men, the spectrum is broader. a sedentary 19–30-year-old male typically needs 2,400–2,600 calories, escalating to 3,000 for highly active individuals. Notably, caloric needs naturally taper off with advancing age, particularly after 50, necessitating greater attention to food choices to prevent undernutrition and frailty. These recommendations serve not as rigid prescriptions but starting points, with individual needs modified by body size, muscle mass, health goals, and physiological changes.

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Healthy Morning

critical factors

  • Age: Basal metabolic rate (calorie burning at rest) declines with age, reducing overall caloric needs.

  • Sex: Men have higher caloric needs due to greater muscle mass + basal metabolic rate.

  • Body Weight and Height: Larger people require more calories to sustain functions.

  • Consideration for women: Pregnancy and breastfeeding increase caloric needs by
    300-500 calories per day.

  • Activity level Classifications:

    • Sedentary: Only activities of daily living (mostly sit)

    • Moderately: Meeting the 150-min/week (moderate) or 75-min/week (vigorous) goal outlined on Exert

    • Active: Meeting the goal 300-min/week (moderate) or 150-min/week (intense)

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Healthy Vegan Salad

Macronutrients

Macros are the major categories providing caloric energy sources. Research shows that diets with calories from about 50% carbs, 25% proteins, and 25% fats are associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

  • Carbs: 1 gram = 4 calories
    Focus on whole grains, legumes, and fruit variety,
    get 20-30 grams of fiber daily, and minimize added sugars

  • Proteins: 1 gram = 4 calories 
    Athletes and older adults should aim for more protein for muscle maintenance and supplementing creatine (5g/day) offers many benefits

  • Fats: 1 gram = 9 calories
    Focus of unsaturated sources as saturated fat should be kept to <10% of calories and trans fats avoided completely

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Diet Salad

Micronutrients

Micronutrients which include vitamins and minerals are vital for prevention of deficiency diseases, optimal immune system function, and long-term well-being. Micronutrient needs show meaningful variations across the lifespan and by sex. Notably, iron requirements are substantially higher for premenopausal women, necessitating careful dietary consideration for those who do not consume animal products. Calcium and vitamin D needs rise with age, highlighting the importance of bone health in older adults. Potassium remains an under-consumed mineral for most adults and it is critical for heart and kidney functionality.  Sodium is tailored to activity level (highly active = greater need) and risk factors (high BP, heart disease or strokes = decrease intake).

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Calories + Nutrients

Recommended calories and macronutrients per day.png

calculate your daily calorie goal

Healthy Breakfast

Medical Benefits

A balanced diet is foundational to the prevention and management of numerous chronic diseases:

  • Cardiovascular Disease: High intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats is associated with a 25% lower risk of heart disease.

  • Diabetes: Diets high in fiber and low in refined grains and sugars will reduce HbA1c and offers up to 30% reduced risk of diabetes-associated organ damage and diabetic crises.

  • Some Cancers: Plant-dense, high-fiber diets correlate with lower incidence of colorectal and GI cancers.

  • Obesity: Calorie optimization is a key to healthy weight reduction and maintenance which further decreases risk of all cause mortality.

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Healthy Salad

Longevity

Research reinforces how quality diet control improves cognitive function and slows rate of aging.

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns lowers risk of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s dementia. Higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids reduces risk of anxiety and depression.  High diet quality scores correlate with emotional well-being for older adults, leading to longer and healthier lives. Transitioning from a processed food diet to an optimized, plant-forward diet - that is abundant in whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and reduced meat - can increase life expectancy by up to a decade when adopted at younger ages; however, gains (up to 8 years) are seen even if adopted later in life.

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Pepperoni Slice

Bad Diet results

  • Metabolic Syndrome: Diets high in processed foods, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat are a top cause of metabolic dysfunction.

  • Hypertension: Excess sodium and low potassium intakes increases hypertension rates.

  • Micronutrient Deficiencies: Inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals (especially iron, calcium, vitamin D, and B12) may result in osteoporosis, anemia, and neurological and immune system dysfunction.

  • Cognitive Decline: Diets low in antioxidants, omega-3s, and phytonutrients may accelerate cognitive decline and raise dementia risk.

  • Mental Health: Poor diet is correlated with poor stress resilience and depression.

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Cocktails

consider alcohol

​​The belief that moderate drinking (e.g., a glass of red wine) protects the heart is considered outdated. A 2025 Stanford study shows any alcohol use raises risk of cancers. The 2024 National Academy of Sciences commission found no consistent evidence of net health benefits from moderate drinking. Instead, risks (cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer) outweigh any potential benefits.

2023 JAMA meta-analysis shows that even low‑volume alcohol use (1–2 drinks/day) is associated with an increase in all‑cause mortality. If people choose to drink, it is ideal to limit it to 2-drinks/week.  Non‑daily drinking (occasional use, with alcohol‑free days) is safer than daily use. Best health outcomes are consistently seen in those who abstain or drink rarely.

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How Food Affects Health

FRESH Nutrition 1.png

create your diet plan

Download The plan here:

References + Futher Reading

  1.  Number of Calories Needed to Lose, Maintain, and Gain Weight
    https://www.webmd.com/diet/calories-chart

  2. How Many Calories Per Day For A Sedentary Man
    https://caloriehealthy.com/how-many-calories-does-a-sedentary-man-need-each-day.html

  3. How Many Calories Per Day For Active Male
    https://caloriehealthy.com/how-many-calories-per-day-for-active-male.html

  4. How Much Calories Should A Moderate Active Man Eat
    https://caloriehealthy.com/how-much-calories-should-a-moderate-active-man-eat.html

  5. Nutritional goals for each age/sex group 
    https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Appendix-E3-1-Table-A4.pdf

  6. Estimated Calorie Needs Per Day by Age, Gender, and Physical Activity
    https://www.extension.colostate.edu/docs/smallsteps/calorie-needs.pdf

  7. How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day
    https://www.health.com/calories-in-a-day-7151720

  8. How Many Calories Needed For A Sedentary Person
    https://caloriehealthy.com/how-many-calories-needed-for-a-sedentary-person.html

  9. What Are the Recommended Daily Calories for Men
    https://www.verywellfit.com/average-calories-per-day-for-a-man-4121367

  10. Caloric Intake for Women by Age
    https://organizeforliving.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-a-day-by-age-as-a-female/

  11. Calorie Needs for 50-Year-Old Women
    https://reverse.health/blog/calorie-needs-50-year-old-woman

  12. AMDR: Macronutrient Ranges & Recommendations 
    https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/blog/food/acceptable-macronutrient-distribution-range

  13. What Are Macros? A Complete Guide to Macronutrients https://www.bodyspec.com/blog/post/what_are_macros_a_complete_guide_to_macronutrients

  14. Recommended Daily Intakes and Upper Limits for Vitamins and Minerals
    https://www.consumerlab.com/rdas/

  15. Nutrition and Chronic Disease
    https://nutrition.org/nutrition-and-chronic-disease/

  16. Huge Meta-Analysis Shows This Ancient Diet Is Full of Health
    https://www.inverse.com/health/huge-meta-analysis-plant-based-diets-health-benefits

  17. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Diet
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-024-00779-y

  18. Diet Quality and Resilience through Adulthood
    https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/11/1724

  19. Association of Diet Quality With Longevity and Successful Aging
    https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2792843

  20. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy
    https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889

  21. Associations of diet patterns with successful aging and longevity
    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-025-03667-0

  22. Prospective associations between diet quality and health
    https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/prospective-associations-between-diet-quality-and-healthrelated-quality-of-life-in-the-australian-diabetes-obesity-and-lifestyle-ausdiab-study/725B9F5D1D430B893F401F6FDFAC4979

  23. Nutrition and Chronic Disease: Food as Preventive Medicine
    https://www.indwes.edu/articles/2025/07/nutrition-and-chronic-disease

  24. The importance of a balanced diet
    https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2023/vol9issue6/PartD/9-6-90-877.pdf

  25. Alcohol consumption and your health
    https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/08/alcohol-consumption-and-your-health--what-the-science-says.html

  26. New Report Reviews Evidence on Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Health Impacts
    https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2024/12/new-report-reviews-evidence-on-moderate-alcohol-consumption-and-health-impacts

  27. Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2802963

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