Macros -what are they? How will they help me?
With the first third of 2019 gone its time to bring the focus back to you, your wellbeing, and your fitness goals. And 70% of your result comes from nutrition.
One way to achieve a really good result with nutrition is to count the macronutrients (macros) you are consuming each day.
What are macronutrients? They are the building blocks of nutrition: carbohydrates (carbs), fat, and protein. Counting macros has been linked to more success in sticking to a diet plan and to overall success in weight loss!
Lets break it down a little bit further…
MACROS: THE BUILDING BLOCKS
Carbohydrates
Carbs, a dreaded word for most - which we need to learnt to love again, refers to dietary sugars, starches, and fibre.
Our body digests dietary carbohydrates (big) into simple sugars (small) for easy absorption from the small intestines into the bloodstream. Glucose is one of these absorbed sugars, and it is the body’s preferred form of sugar. Glucose is incredibly important for the brain, central nervous system, and red blood cells, as they are totally reliant on glucose as their main energy source.
It is quite challenging to fully escape the consumption of carbs, as they are found in a wide variety of foods that we eat on a daily basis – veggies, fruits, grains, dairy, and of course those sneaky 3pm lollies & chocolates…. But The Institute of Medicine recommends carbs be consumed by adults and children (over 1 year old) to ensure the brain receives a sufficient quantity of glucose - without some carbs our bodies cannot function!!
Carbs should make up about 45% to 65% of your total caloric intake. Carbohydrates contribute about 4 calories per gram of sugar and starch, and about 2 calories per gram of fibre.
Whether we like it or not, carbs are an important factor in our diet, as evidenced by needing this significant portion of the total calorie intake - yay!! We love carbs!!
It is important to note that not all carbs are equal, and many carbohydrate-containing foods can also contribute fibre and other important nutrients. A high fibre diet has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and chronic diseases. A sweet potato is better choice of carbs than a packet of M&Ms!!
Fat
Fat is the nutrient that packs a punch – 9 calories per gram – over 2 times as many calories as carbs or proteins and should comprise approximately 20% to 35% of your total caloric intake.
Even with the denseness of the nutrient, the body does require some fat in the diet. We know fat is a great source of energy and is the primary storage form of energy in the body. Additionally, fat aids in hormone production and absorption of other nutrients, protects our vital organs, and helps control body temperature.
Healthy fats can be found in a variety of tasty foods that we already consume: avocados, cheese, dark chocolate, whole eggs (yolk in particular), fatty fish, nuts , chia seeds, and extra virgin olive oil.
can be found in: avocados, almonds, cashews, and peanuts, cooking oils (ex. canola, olive, soybean)
can be found in fish, tahini, linseed, soybean sunflower, safflower and canola oil, margarine spreads, pine nuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts.
OMEGA 3 are healthy fats that can reduce your risk of heart disease, can be found in
Oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, blue mackerel) 2-3 serves/week
Nuts and Spreads: walnuts, linseed, chia seeds, oils and spreads from canola/soybeans (1 g of plant source per day)
Animal sources: eggs, chicken, beef
It’s a tough balancing act with fats. Some simple tips to include them in your diet are:
1) Eat more nuts: as little as 30 g (a handful) per day! (unsalted, dry roasted, or raw)
2) Seafood options: try 2 to 3 serves of fish per week
3) Cook with healthier oils: olive or canola, and margarine
4) Reduced fat dairy: reduce the amount of saturated fat consumed – switching to low fat dairy options can remove approximately 4 kg of saturated fat from your diet over a year!
Protein
Proteins are incredibly important component for our body, aiding in cell-to-cell communication, immune cell function, and the building of muscle, hormones, and enzymes.
The adult Recommended Dietary Allowance is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, with the range spanning from 10% to 35% of the total caloric intake.
It is important to note that, due to the wide range of uses for protein in the body, the recommendations for protein intake vary based on age, body composition, health status etc.
Dietary protein can be found in a variety of animal and plant products, including the obvious meat (ideally lean red meat, poultry, and fish), eggs, dairy products, seeds and nuts, beans and legumes, and soy products (tofu).
Now, LET’S GET DOWN TO IT – Counting those macronutrients - START TRACKING
At our studio we are very lucky to have access to a bio scanner through Vision Personal Training Southport. A comprehensive scan that helps determine your muscle mass and a system designed to give you your personal macros. After all the numbers are crunched and ratios determined, it is finally time to start recording what you are consuming on a daily basis. Tracking macronutrients can be as simple as logging your daily eats into a Fitness app (Vision Virtual Training, MyFitnessPal, MyPlate, Lose It, MyMacros+), a website, or good ol’ food journaling.
BENEFITS
Tracking macronutrients may help you to focus on what exactly you are eating on a daily basis, aiding with a better selection of nutritious foods to meet the ratio of macronutrients you are seeking, rather than just meeting calorie intake each day.
Seeing what you are eating each day and sticking to the ratio of macronutrients you have set will help you to stick with a more effective diet scheme, providing variety of what you are consuming but keeping within the limits.
Counting macronutrients has been linked to more success in sticking to a diet plan and successful weight loss!
Happy tracking!