Your guide to macronutrients

Macronutrients are the nutrients our body needs in the largest amounts. They are classified as proteins, carbohydrates and fats and are the basic building blocks of our diet.

“Everything you eat is composed of one or more of these nutrients”

All of our cells are made up of each of these too, so if we don’t eat them all regularly, in sufficient amounts, we starve our cells and experience imbalance in the body. This can show up in all kinds of ways, like weight gain/weight loss resistance, low energy, headaches, mood issues, weakened immune system, digestive issues, brain fog or difficulty focusing, sleep struggles, skin and hair issues, and more.

Protein

Protein digests into amino acids that your body uses as building blocks of every cell in the body, for our bones, muscles, and many neurochemicals and neurotransmitters. It also helps with blood transportation, stress management, and immune support. Protein is important for muscle growth and repair, productions of hormones and enzymes.

Signs of not eating enough protein can be: immune challenges, lowered resiliency to stress, hair loss, weakened digestive system, mood issues (irritable, depression, anxiety), muscle or joint pain and sleep issues.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars, starches and fibres that come in two main types - simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates contain longer chains of sugar molecules which take longer for your body to break down and provides more lasting energy. Carbohydrates digest into glucose that your body uses for fuel. Since the neurons in our brain cannot store glucose, our brains depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply it needs to function properly. It also improves digestion, mood, and brain health.

Signs of not eating enough carbohydrates can be (or too many low-quality carbs): Cravings for sugary and bready foods and low energy.

Fats

Fats digests into essential fatty acids that your body doesn’t produce on its own so it relies on them coming from our diet. The body uses essential fatty acids to form healthy cell walls, development and functioning of the brain and nervous system, hormone and blood sugar regulation, digestion “regularity,” reducing inflammation, and absorption of nutrients. You can check out another blog post on Omega 3 fatty acids and why they are essential for additional information on their importance in the human body.

A table of the different foods from each Macronutrient, their role in the body and how many calories per gram.

“Macronutrients provide our body with the energy (calories) it needs every day”

Every meal should contain all 3 of these macronutrients. Carbohydrates and protein have the same amount of calories per gram (4) and fats have 9 calories per gram as you can clearly see above. Basically, this means that fats are more calories dense than carbohydrates and proteins but they will leave you feeling fuller for longer as well. For a more detailed description of what your plate should look like you can contact us here for more information.