Macronutrients
Do you know what macronutrients are? They are the nutrients that provide your body with calories, or energy. That's protein, carbohydrates (carbs) and fat.
Don't worry, I'm not going to go into too much detail about that! But I would like to show you how your body works, so we can learn how to treat it better. Did you know that it's so important to get the right amount and the right balance of the macronutrients in your daily food - getting it right will actually help you lose weight 50% faster.
Everything you eat contains calories - 1 gram of protein contains 4 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates is also 4 calories, but 1 gram of fat has 9 calories. Let's look more at the different macronutrients:
Carbohydrates — our main source of energy. We need energy for the central nervous system, kidneys, brain and muscle functions. Carbohydrates can be stored in the muscles and liver and used when needed for energy.
Also fiber is a carbohydrate. When you eat high fiber foot you will get less hungry and it also helps lower your cholesterol. If you're dieting then fiber makes you feel full faster, helping you to control your weight. It helps digestion too. We don't eat enough fiber though.
Some examples for carbohydrates are starchy foods like grains, sweet potatoes, rice, taro, fruit, yoghurt...
Protein — is made up of amino acid. We need to eat the correct amount of protein every day for lean muscle mass, growth hormones and enzymes, the immune system and for energy to use when carbohydrates are not available.
Some examples for protein are meats, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, some vegetables and poultry. The best part about protein is that it reduces your hunger while you are dieting, because it takes more time for your body to digest.
Fat — there are 3 types: saturated, unsaturated and transfat. Fat is an energy source, and is also used to absorb certain vitamins (like A, D, E, K and carotenoids). But we need to eat mostly unsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocado and nuts. Just don't forget that too much fat is stored as extra body fat, no matter how good the fat source is.
I hope I explained this well enough so that you can understand, and give more attention on which food choices you make! Don't forget that - just like everything else in life - balance is the key.
If you have any questions feel free to email me! And please come to my nutrition workshops where I explain in more detail how we can make healthier choices and improve the quality of our lives. Join my free workshops and you will become your own nutritionist! The next one is Tuesday October 21, 5:30pm at Home Pumehana.
Stay healthy and keep smiling!