Weekend Warrior: Macronutrients 101.
Macronutrients 101
Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates Fuel Your Body
Recently I have announced the addition of health and nutritioncontent on my social platforms. YAY!! As a nutritionist I am pumped about what’s coming! The teacher in me chose to begin our journey with a conversation about what we all need:
MACRONUTRIENTS. In today’s blog I will explain each one and share simple recipes you can try out for each one. Be sure to stay connected to the Weekend Warrior blog posts!
Macronutrients are nutrients that the body uses in relatively large amounts and therefore needs to receive daily. There are three macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
Each of the three primary macronutrients affects the body differently. To make sure that you're getting the right amount of each macronutrient in your diet, it will help to understand the role each macro plays in your body.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the body's preferred fuel source. Converting carbohydrates into immediately usable energy is easier for the body than converting fat or protein into fuel. Your brain, muscles, and cells all need carbohydrates to function.When you consume carbohydrates, the food is converted into sugars that enter the bloodstream. These sugars (in the form of glucose) can be an immediate source of energy or stored in the body's cells to be used at another time.
There are Two Types of Carbohydrates: Complex or Simple
Complex carbohydrates are made up of long strings of sugar units that take longer for the body to break down and use. Complex carbs have a more steady impact on blood glucose levels.
Simple carbohydrates are made up of either one or two sugar units and can be broken down fairly quickly in the body. Simple carbs have a fleeting impact on blood sugar levels. Some types of simple carbohydrates (when consumed in isolation), such as juice or sugary candy can cause blood sugar and energy to rise quickly and then drop shortly after.
In addition to providing fuel to the body, complex carbohydrates (especially fiber) help the body maintain healthy digestive function and cholesterol levels.Examples of foods that are high in carbohydrates include starchy foods like grain products (such as bread, cereal, and pasta), potatoes, and rice. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy products also provide carbohydrates.
Protein
Protein provides the body with amino acids, which are the building blocks for muscle and other important structures such as the brain, nervous system, blood, skin, and hair. Protein also transports oxygen and other important nutrients. In the absence of glucose or carbohydrate, the body can use protein as energy.
Your body makes 11 amino acids on its own. There are 9 amino acids that your body cannot make (known as "essential amino acids"), which means you need to consume them through your diet.
You can consume different types of protein to get these amino acids.
Complete proteins provide all of the amino acids that your body needs in appropriate amounts. The most common sources of complete protein are meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, milk, quinoa, and edamame.
Incomplete proteins provide some, but not all, of the amino acids you need. Many plant-based proteins are incomplete proteins. However, when they are consumed together as complementary proteins, you can get all the amino acids that your body needs. Nuts, seeds, and (most) grains are examples of incomplete proteins. You can consume these foods separately or together throughout the day to get the essential amino acids you need.
Fats
People might try to avoid fat in their diets, but dietary fat plays an important role in the body.There are three different types of fat that can be part of your diet: Saturated, Unsaturated and Trans fats.
Saturated fats are found in animal products like milk, cheese, and meat, as well as tropical oils, including coconut and palm oil. Saturated fats are often called “bad” fats because they tend to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood. High cholesterol levels can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Unsaturated fats (made up of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are also known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). They are essential because your body cannot produce them on its own so they must come from your diet. The two primary EFAs are known as linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
These EFAs are necessary for the following processes:
Formation of healthy cell membranes
Proper development and functioning of the brain and nervous system
Proper thyroid and adrenal activity
Hormone production
Regulation of blood pressure, liver function, immune and inflammatory responses
Regulation of blood clotting: Omega-6 FAs encourage blood clot formation, whereas Omega-3 oil reduces clotting. The ideal is to achieve a balance between omega-6 and omega-3 FAs
Crucial for the transport and breakdown of cholesterol
Support healthy skin and hair
Sources of Omega 3’s include flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, soybean and its products such as tofu and tempeh. Walnuts, and dark green veggies, such as kale, collards, chard, parsley, and cereal grasses (wheat & barley grasses), are also good sources. This is because all green (chlorophyll-rich) foods contain Omega-3 FA in their chloroplasts.Sources of Omega-6 fatty acids include nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, and dairy.
Trans fat (also known as hydrogenated fat) is a polyunsaturated fat that is processed to become shelf-stable. These fats have been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Trans fat also has an unhealthy effect on your cholesterol levels. Foods like crackers, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods typically contain these hydrogenated fats.
Until Next Week Weekend Warriors,
Venniece
Ps. Do you have any questions about nutrition? Feel free to leave a blog comment or send Venniece a direct message: https://venniece.com/contact-me/
Upcoming Blogs:
How Much of Each Macronutrient do I Need?
Demystifying Food Labels
Don’t Be Fooled by Food Packaging