The Foundation of Nutrition and Fitness: Macronutrients
Have you been trying to eat healthier but still can’t seem to shed those pounds? Or perhaps you still feel tired all the time despite the fact that you’re eating healthy?
There are a lot of factors that go into this. In fact, there is a LOT to talk about when it comes to nutrition.
But today, we’re going to talk about the basics. Although it’s only the basics, it has a lot to do with the results that you’re seeing.
Today we’re going to talk about macronutrients, also known as macromolecules (because from a molecular standpoint, they’re VERY, VERY BIG).
These macronutrients are the basis of our biochemistry. Do not be intimidated by the word biochemistry. For the sake of this post, this word is synonymous with the way our bodies functions.
(However, you may find it useful to have read my post on The Key Fundamentals of Health and Wellness).
These macronutrients that we eat are broken down by our digestive system. They are then built into different molecules by our cells, which our bodies then use to function properly.
There are three main macronutrients that I’m going to briefly go over today:
- Carbohydrates
- Lipids (Fats)
- Proteins
Note: These macronutrients have an enormous array of information, so I will soon be coming out with blog posts specific to each one.
Let’s begin!
Carbohydrates
Good ol’ carbs.
Carbs have a very bad rep these days, which is what makes it so important to understand what they actually are.
As you may know, carbs are the basic source of energy for life. Let’s take a look at why.
Every single cell in your entire body relies on carbohydrates to function.
Carbs are broken down in our saliva, our stomach, and the small intestine into glucose, or sugar. Once carbohydrates are broken down, our bodies release insulin. Insulin is a hormone responsible for grabbing the glucose and bringing it into the cell.
(Note: Insulin is the reason why carbs get their bad rep. Subscribe to my free newsletter to receive my blog post specific to carbohydrates instantly when it’s released to find out why.)
The glucose that enters the cell then reacts with the oxygen that we breathe. This forms ATP, that thing you learned about in high school that is one of the keys to life.
ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. You do not need to worry about this, but I want to give you an idea of what is going on at the most fundamental level of your living, breathing body.
ATP is VERY, VERY important. For the simplicity of this post, I will go further exactly about why in my post specific to carbs. Just know that ATP gives us the necessary energy to be alive.
In summary: The carbs that you eat = ATP for your cells = alive.
Lipids (Fats or Fatty Acids)
Dietary fat also gets a very bad rep today. That is because a lot of us make the assumption that dietary fat equals stored body fat.
This is not the case.
Again, it is important that we understand exactly what these macronutrients are so that we don’t fall prey to the popular myths of nutrition that most believe to be true.
Dietary fat is important because it is broken down and then used to build important cellular structures, such as:
- Myelin, which is an essential component of healthy nerve and brain tissue
- Cell membranes, which are the outer part of the cell that, well, allows a cell to not spill out all of its inner components and die
- Transportation of certain vitamins (Vitamin A, D, E, and K) because they are fat soluble
Another very important function of fats is that of EFAs, or essential fatty acids.
These are important for cellular function and growth. They are called essential fatty acids because our bodies are unable to make them on their own. Therefore we must get them through our diet.
Good sources of EFAs include:
- Fish
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Beans
- Vegetables
- Whole Grains
Another important aspect of dietary fat (especially for fitness) is for the production of certain hormones.
The digestion of fats releases certain hormones such as testosterone. Testosterone is important for many functions, particularly to those of puberty and sexual development. But, it is especially important for building muscle in adults.
More muscle contributes to being lean. This is because your body requires more calories to maintain that muscle. AKA more muscle = burning more calories.
So if you don’t have a weight lifting regimen yet, you better get started!
So does eating fat mean getting fat?
No.
But.
Here’s the reason it could.
Lipids are more calorie dense than carbohydrates and proteins, carrying about 9 calories per gram. Meanwhile, carbs and proteins only carry 4 calories per gram.
So, eating a lot of dietary fat won’t contribute to any weight gain IF you watch your calories closely. A great way to track your calories is through MyFitnessPal — the mobile app is great for this!
As long as you burn more calories than you eat, then it is physically impossible for any dietary fat to become stored fat.
Now, I’m not telling you that it’s okay to indulge on the fried foods.
Obviously, some forms of fats are a much healthier alternative to others, such as the famous avocado or nuts.
An important part of nutrition is to eat foods that are nutrient-dense. When I say nutrient-dense, I’m referring to micronutrients, not macronutrients. I will go over this in depth in another blog post coming out soon.
Now, onto what is the most important macronutrient…
Proteins
Now I’ll say this again:
The point of my posts isn’t just to inform you about these things. Or to tell you what certain techniques will help you reach your goals. But my goal is to tell you why. My goal is to tell you why all this is important because the more knowledgeable we are on the subject, the more likely we are to accomplish our goals.
So, I could just tell you that protein is very important, which you could also read anywhere else on the Internet.
And you’ll probably say something like, “Hmm, okay maybe I should eat more protein in my diet” in a half-hearted tone.
But what if I told you that almost the entire purpose of your DNA is to make proteins.
According to proteomics.cancer.gov, each cell contains a range of 250,000 to one million proteins that each performs a unique function.
Do you have a sense of how important protein is yet? Good.
Protein is made up of 20 different amino acids, or building blocks. Each protein is a unique combination and length of these amino acids.
When you eat protein, your body breaks it down into these building blocks. Then when your DNA fulfills its purpose, your cells grab these amino acids to construct these proteins.
On a much broader scale, protein is notoriously known for its ability to build muscle tissue. As stated earlier, more muscle mass means more calories burned to preserve this tissue, which then contributes to weight loss.
Dietary protein also is the hardest macronutrient for the body to break down. This makes it the most thermogenic, or calorie-burning, macro.
That’s right. Eating more protein means that you burn more calories throughout the day.
But remember: If you want to reach your goals — and not just your fitness goals but also your personal goals — then you want your physiology running as perfectly as possible. So be sure to get that protein in!
Excellent sources of protein are:
- Meat (chicken, steak, turkey, etc.)
- Seafood (very lean too!)
- Greek yogurt
- Eggs
- Milk and Cheese
- Soy
And some moderate sources of protein include:
- Beans
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Nut Butters (I LOVE peanut butter!)
So How Much of Each Macro Should I Eat?
Well, that depends. There are many different types of diets out there, each with different proportions laid out for you to eat.
For example, a standard dietician might tell you to eat a 40/20/20 diet. That is 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat.
Or a ketogenic diet, or low-carb/high-fat diet, might be something like 35/5/60. Again, that’s 35% protein, 5% carbs, 60% fat.
It really depends on what you feel the most comfortable with. Low-carb diets can work great for some people, and terrible for others.
I recommend something like 40/30/30 (protein:carbs:fat). I believe that 20% fat is too low. Eating a bit more fat will provide you with great health benefits and keep you less hungry throughout the day.
You can experiment with different ratios if you’d like, but you definitely want to keep your protein as the highest ratio (except in the case of a Ketogenic Diet).
What Do You Think?
What’s your favorite ratio? Do you find that eating more fat benefits you? Do you like your carbs on the lower side or higher side of the spectrum? Comment and let’s have a discussion!
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Originally published at www.lebeikohealth.com on August 24, 2017.