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If you're interested in health and fitness, chances are you've heard the term macros flying around. One of the biggest things that has transformed the way I think about diet has been understanding macronutrients. But, for the longest time I dismissed taking the time to learn what macros were because I felt like calorie counting was all I needed to do nutrition wise to help me lose weight. How wrong I was!
Understanding macros has been so eye opening to me and has completely changed the way I think about food for the better. I now think about food in terms of nutrients and fuel rather than as a number of calories. Basing your diet around a healthy balance of macros rather than calories can completely make over your mindset towards food and help you understand exactly what is going into your body with your food choices.
So, what exactly are macronutrients?
Macronutrients are the three main nutrient groups that make up food. These nutrients provide us with the energy (or calories) that we need to both survive and thrive. The three macro groups are carbohydrates, protein and fat.
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbs are our primary source of energy, so are the group that it's recommended we intake the most of. I have been guilty of associating carbs with being bad in the past, but have grown to love them for the fuel that they are - especially now I have a much more active lifestyle.
Good sources of carbs:
Oatmeal
Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Bread
Pasta
Rice
Bananas
Apples
PROTEIN
Protein is used for building and repairing body tissues and cells, manufacturing hormones and the healthy functioning of your immune system. Although protein is rich in a lot of animal products, there are also many sources of plant based protein.
Good sources of protein:
Lean meat
Seafood
Eggs
Beans
Yoghurt
Cottage Cheese
Nuts
Edamame
FAT
The idea of consuming fats sounds scary, but fats are an essential part of the diet for the healthy functioning and regeneration of our cells and hormones as well as being necessary to protect our organs and regulate our body temperature.
Good sources of fat:
Avocado
Eggs
Dark chocolate
Fatty fish
Nuts
Full-fat yogurt
Olives
Cheese
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