What
Are Macronutrients?
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are pretty important since they are
the main source of energy for your brain and muscles. A diet very low or devoid
of carbohydrates may help some people lose a little weight but it will leave a
person physically and mentally exhausted. A better and more realistic way is to
try and consume more “good carbs” and less junk. Avoid simple sugars from foods
such as soda, too much fruit juice, white bread, white rice, cookies, candy,
cakes, etc. These simple sugars usually don’t satisfy hunger very well so
people keep large amounts of them until they are full. This can be very
difficult but you should try to opt for more complex carbs when you can such as
whole wheat/grain products, veggies, oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, Kashi,
Total, etc. Subtract the grams of sugar from the grams of total carbohydrates
to determine the amount of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are excellent
sources of fiber as well as other important nutrients and provide long lasting
energy. Each gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories of energy. Fiber does
not really provide any calories though because it is not digested significantly
by the body and instead simply goes through your digestive system.
Protein:
Proteins, and their amino acid components, are the
building blocks of many parts of your body including muscles. Each gram of
protein provides 4 calories of energy. Adequate protein intake will help
improve muscle recovery, increase metabolism, and increase satiety. Increased
muscle recovery and growth will help decrease bodyfat because your muscle
tissue is metabolically active and thus burns calories at all times. Foods that
are good for this while being low in fat include skim milk, whey/soy/casein
protein powder, eggs (especially egg whites), nuts, seeds, chicken, turkey,
lean beef, fish (wild Alaskan salmon is the best!), protein bars, beef jerky,
fat free cottage cheese, and fat free yogurt, etc. Protein consumed after a
workout involving resistance training may also naturally increase levels of
growth hormone and testosterone which can be beneficial to your bodyfat levels
and physique.
Fats:
Fats should not be avoided like the plague. They are
crucial for energy storage, organ protection, performance in aerobic
activities, and satiety. Each gram of fat provides a massive 9 calories of
energy. However, you do want to avoid saturated fats (red meat, fried foods,
butter, cakes, pastries), especially trans fats which cause even more artery
clogs and heart disease than regular saturated fats. Foods sold in the United
States are now required to display trans fat content due to a 2006 legislation.
Most companies have removed it from their foods or reduced it to such small
amounts that they don’t legally have to list it on their labels. In New York
and many other cities they have also banned it in restaurants! Unsaturated
fats, fat that comes mostly from plant sources and is liquid at room
temperature, are fine for you and can actually be beneficial to heart health,
cholesterol levels, and normal body maintenance. Omega-3 fatty acids are very
beneficial for overall health and cholesterol levels. Good sources of fat
include eggs, vegetable oils, nuts, sunflower seeds, natural peanut butter,
almond butter, salmon, anchovies, mackerel, and flaxseeds.
Alcohol:
While alcohol is technically a macronutrient, it
should be an extremely small percentage of your caloric intake. Each gram of
alcohol provides 7 calories of energy. Unfortunately, alcohol has almost no
beneficial nutrient content and has many detrimental side effects on the body.
Dark beers do have some beneficial health properties but not at the expense of
the alcohol and carbohydrate content in my opinion. Red wine does have some of
the highly-touted antioxidant resveratrol but in my opinion it is not worth the
damage from the alcohol. It is highly concentrated in resveratrol but it is not
conclusive if 1 glass of red wine gives you enough for significant health
improvements. You also would be consuming a lot of simple sugars with each
glass of wine which is often combined with a slow metabolism late at night. One
alcoholic beverage at night is not going to derail your diet. If you drink one
every night or drink a larger quantity, you may be cancelling out a lot of the
progress you made from other dietary or exercise improvements.
Take a look at my Free Recipes page and The Frugal Diet eBook to learn more!
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