How Many Calories Does Walking Use? While the most important value of exercise is general good health, a side benefit is the calories we burn that would otherwise become unwanted weight gain. If you have been curious about how many calories you use walking, the table below provides some estimates. The main factors that affect number of calories burned are your weight and the speed you walk. Of course, walking uphill burns more calories and downhill burns fewer calories. Walking at about 3.5 mph (miles per hour) is the most energy efficient pace and therefore uses the fewest calories per mile. Walking slower requires more calories per mile. Similarly, walking faster than 3.5 miles/hour uses more calories as we swing our arms to keep balance, breathe harder, etc. Speed/Weight 100 lb 200 lb 300 lb 2.0 mph 57 114 170 2.5 mph 55 109 164 3.0 mph 53 106 159 3.5 mph 52 104 156 4.0 mph 57 114 170 4.5 mph 64 127 191 5.0 mph 73 145 218 Interested in more about what affects the number of calories burned per mile while walking? There’s more to learn in Wendy Bumgardner article titled “How Many Calories Does Walking Burn Per Mile.” Join me for a Saturday morning walk that’s guaranteed to be fun and burn a few calories. Nancy Neighbors, MD Was The Refrigerator Guilty? An urgent evening call about digestive distress frequently turns out to be about a food-borne illness issue. If the event followed a meal eaten at a restaurant, the restaurant typically gets the blame. In fairness to restaurants, if our home kitchens had to meet the health standards of restaurants, virtually all home kitchens would fail the inspection. While restaurants can be the source of food-borne illnesses, the more common cause is our home kitchen. Four culprits top the list. 1. Failure to properly clean hands, surfaces or food, 2. Cross contamination during preparation or storage, 3. Failure to cook at a safe internal temperature, or 4. Failure to properly defrost, refrigerate or freeze Counter tops and cutting boards are a frequent source of cross contamination. Wooden cutting boards are the biggest challenge. When possible use a glass or plastic cutting board. In either case, when the possibility of cross contamination is possible, clean with hot soapy water. Washing hands with hot soapy water is wise. As for drying with a reusable cloth towel, a lot depends on where the towel has been roaming. A cloth towel reused after meats have been prepared or just hanging around for a week is an accident waiting to happen. There are many situations where paper towels are a wise alternative. The care needed in cleaning of fresh fruits and vegetables depends on how they will be prepared. If served raw, a prewash with a scrub brush followed by a rinse under clean water is usually the right approach. Of course, delicate fruits like fresh berries will at best get a double rinse. Cross-contamination of bacteria from animal products to other foods can happen when transferred between containers or left in poorly covered containers in the refrigerator. Meats need to be cooked to a high enough internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria that can cause food-borne illness. Poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. For other meats, cook to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F. Heat other leftovers thoroughly to 165°F. Most importantly, make sure there are no cold spots where bacteria can survive. For best results, cover food to hold in heat, stir, and if microwaving, rotate the dish by hand a few times during cooking. When storing food in the refrigerator keep the temperature at or below 40°F. Still, some bacteria like Listeria can survive and grow in refrigerator temperatures below 40°F. For perishables, put them in the refrigerator as soon as you get home. Frozen foods should be kept at 0°F or below. Studies have identified the produce compartment in home refrigerator as was one of the “germiest” places in the kitchen. Keeping it clean reduces the likelihood of cross contamination in the refrigerator. Routine cleaning with hot soapy water is wise. In general, avoid letting raw meat, poultry, eggs, cooked food or cut fresh fruits or vegetables sit at room temperature more than two hours or longer than one hour if the room is above 90°F. After thawing, food becomes more susceptible to spoiling due to the effects of freezing. That’s why it’s best to defrost frozen food in the refrigerator. In general, it’s best to avoid defrosting food at room temperature. Food can be more quickly thawed in water or in the microwave. Just be sure it’s cooked immediately after thawing. These are a few reminders for avoiding the distress of food borne illnesses. Learn more at “Top 10 home safety myths.” For a deeper dive into food safety visit the Partnership for Food Safety Education, an education oriented organization advising consumers about how to prevent food poisoning. Our susceptibility to food-borne illnesses is largely determined by our general health and natural immunity. When we are healthier, illness is less likely and when it happens is less severe. Topping the healthy To-Do List for most is diet and exercise. As for exercise, should you need a little encouragement to get started, then join me for a fun walk Saturday morning. It’s a fun way to start the day. Regardless of where you call home, food safety is always important. When to Call the Doctor? Most food-borne illnesses resolve on their own, but you should call the doctor if you have: • A high fever • Bloody stools • Prolonged vomiting • Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days • Signs of dehydration (dry mouth, dizziness, or reduced urination) |