Just as all foods are not created equal, all macros are not created equal. This chapter will give you an in-depth look at proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, showing you what your best choices are in each macronutrient category. This chapter will also debunk a few common macronutrient myths and illuminate how some other restrictive diets can actually hurt your body while flexible eating allows you to keep your systems in proper working order. Having a better understanding of each macronutrient will allow you to make the best choices for your health and diet goals.
You’ve probably heard of simple carbs and complex carbs. This simply refers to the speed at which they are broken down, digested, and absorbed into your bloodstream. Simple carbs are fast-digesting and complex carbs are slow-digesting.
Digestion speed is measured by something called the glycemic index. This is a complicated test, but it involves checking blood sugar levels, consuming carbohydrates, and then timing how long it takes to see an increase in blood sugar. All you need to know is that high-glycemic carbs are the ones that digest quickly and low-glycemic carbs digest a bit more slowly.
High-glycemic carbs come from foods like fruit, rice, candy, soda, juice, and any other “sugary” carb. They digest quickly and give you a quick hit of energy. Low-glycemic carbs come from whole grains, vegetables, and any carbohydrate that’s a bit slow to digest. These typically take longer to break down, so you’ll feel full longer and have a steady, slow release of energy.
Carbs are unique in that they are the only nonessential macronutrient. If you don’t get adequate levels of the other two macros, protein and fat, you could face serious health consequences. However, the human body can survive without any carbohydrate intake. If you ever hear that low-carb diets are dangerous or bad for your brain, this simply isn’t true. Your body can turn fats and proteins into glucose if it needs to, but it can’t turn carbs into fats and proteins.
Typically when someone talks about “bad carbs,” they are referring to sugary, processed carb sources. These are things like candy, soda, fruit juice, or just about anything else that’s sweet, delicious, and comes from a box.
The truth is, all carbohydrates are made up of simple sugar molecules. When fully broken down by your body’s digestive system, carbohydrates are made up of either glucose or fructose, two simple sugar molecules. It doesn’t matter if you get 40 grams of carbs from cake or from brown rice; your body reacts to the 40 grams of carbs.
Many popular diets preach the dangers of too much sugar. It’s not a good idea to eat pure sugar, of course, but it really isn’t as bad as the media would have you believe. Will drinking soda, a high-glycemic, fast-digesting carb, cause a blood sugar spike? Absolutely. The aftermath of that spike can leave you feeling hungry, moody, and tired.
Do you know what other foods supply fast-digesting, high-glycemic carbohydrates? White rice, bananas, kiwis, oranges . . . and the list goes on. Here’s the difference: whole foods will be significantly higher in micronutrients, which are the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy. You’ll get those in high quantities from fresh fruit and vegetables, and you’ll get virtually none from processed sweets.
In terms of pure body composition, the carb source doesn’t really matter. It’s important to know this so that you don’t associate desserts, soda, or any other carbs you enjoy with guilt and immediate fat gain.
For optimal health, you should be getting your carbs from whole foods. However, the occasional treat, assuming it fits into your daily calorie allotment, isn’t going to derail your progress. It’s much better to allow yourself to enjoy these treats in moderation if it helps you stay on track, rather than attempt to eliminate them completely and end up binge eating a whole cake on the weekend. Don’t make a habit of getting all of your carbs from cookies, but understand that those cookies are not bad in and of themselves.
To help you plan your diet, here is a list of whole foods that contain primarily carbohydrates. Some foods will contain high amounts of multiple macronutrients, but these foods are mostly carbs. There will be similar lists for proteins and fats as well. The best way to learn what macros are in what foods is to start checking the nutritional information labels of the foods you buy, but the following lists will give you a quick reference guide to look at.
• Rice
• Oatmeal
• Pasta
• Fruit
• Bread
• Potatoes
• Squash
Just like carbohydrates are classified as simple or complex, proteins also come in two varieties: complete and incomplete. Remember how proteins are made up of amino acids? Well, of those amino acids, nine are referred to as essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the human body and must be obtained through food or supplements.
Protein is what allows you to rebuild your body and recover from the daily wear and tear you place on it. Often people associate high protein intake with gaining muscle, but that’s just one role protein plays in the body. Every day, your body is regenerating hair, skin, fingernails, and yes, muscle tissue. It uses amino acids to do this, so if you aren’t consuming enough from your diet, your body will start to rip apart and break down your muscle tissue to get those amino acids.
The other main benefit of protein is its ability to keep you feeling full. Whole-food protein sources are tough for your body to digest. This means that when you consume protein sources like meat, fish, or eggs, it’s going to take your body longer to break them down compared to foods that consist of simple carbohydrates. If fat loss is your goal, increasing your protein intake is a fantastic way to keep yourself feeling full throughout the day, making your diet easier and preventing muscle breakdown as your food intake gets lower and lower.
If a protein source contains all nine essential amino acids, it’s considered a complete protein. If it’s lacking any of the essential amino acids, it’s considered an incomplete protein. It’s important that you get plenty of complete proteins throughout the day, whatever your diet of choice may be.
It’s possible to supplement with amino acids, and many companies produce “branched-chain” or essential amino acid supplements. It’s still better to get these amino acids from whole-food sources, but if you find you are struggling to get enough protein in your diet, an inexpensive essential amino acid supplement could help.
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you still need complete proteins if you want to live a healthy life. Unfortunately, most plant-based proteins just aren’t complete. Soy protein is one of the few complete plant proteins available, but excess soy consumption can have negative side effects, so try not to go overboard with the soy protein. If you follow a vegan diet, especially if you are active, you should strongly consider investing in a plant-based protein supplement to ensure you are reaching your daily goals.
There are quite a few myths about protein, most of which are false. It’s very important that you understand how important this nutrient is, so let’s get to the bottom of things.
A common myth is that protein makes you bulky and should only be consumed by those who want to grow big, strong muscles. This simply isn’t true. The process of growing new muscle is called muscular hypertrophy, and this occurs with regular resistance training such as body weight training or weight lifting. There’s no need to fear protein intake, because you’re never going to accidentally get too muscular.
You may have heard that eating too much protein or using protein supplements will damage your kidneys. This simply isn’t true. Your body has to work harder to break down protein, but if anything, this is a good thing. Even at doses as high as 2 grams per pound of body weight (which is far more than anyone needs), protein intake is very safe.
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Beef
• Fish
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Protein powder
Contrary to common belief, fat is not evil. The word itself sounds bad because it’s often associated with body fat, which many people want to lose. The truth is, you need dietary fat for your body to function. There are good fats and bad fats, and some are better than others, but without adequate fat intake, you’ll run into all sorts of health problems.
First, let’s define body fat and dietary fat. When you talk about body fat, the stuff you probably want to lose, you’re actually referring to what’s known as adipose tissue. Adipose tissue contains adipose cells, which are storage units for energy.
If your diet provides more calories than you are able to burn, you’ll store those calories in fat cells, causing you to store more body fat. Keep in mind that dietary fat intake does not cause body fat gain; excess calories from any macronutrient causes body fat gain. Dietary fat is simply another source of energy, just like proteins and carbs. Body fat is extra energy stored for later, but it can come from any food. Eating fat does not automatically make you fat.
There are several very important functions of dietary fats. In addition to being a good source of sustained, slow-releasing energy, they help support your cellular health and functioning. Without proper fat intake, many of the cells in your body wouldn’t be able to operate at 100 percent efficiency. Certain essential nutrients, like vitamins A, D, E, and K, are fat-soluble, which means they can’t be absorbed by your body without enough fat intake. If you take these vitamins or find them in foods that don’t include some fat, your body won’t be able to absorb and use them properly, and you may run into deficiencies.
The last important function of dietary fat is hormonal support. Fat supplies cholesterol, which is generally classified as HDL or LDL cholesterol. Too much cholesterol, particularly too much LDL cholesterol, can cause plaque formation and buildup in your heart. However, not getting enough cholesterol is also bad. Cholesterol is important for producing many hormones in the body, including important reproductive hormones, which is why those who follow very low-fat diets often report negative hormonal changes after a while. There’s no need to go overboard with fat, but don’t be afraid of including the right fats in your diet.
In terms of dietary fat, there are several different kinds. The exact science of how they are classified is not necessary to know; just know that unsaturated fats are the best, saturated fats are decent, and trans fats should be avoided whenever possible. You also have monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, but the easiest thing is just to remember which foods provide the “good” fats—there will be a list later on in this section for you to reference.
The best sort of fat you can get is one that’s high in omega-3 fatty acids. There are two common omegas: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3s are found in fatty cuts of fish, egg yolks, avocados, and nuts, as well as a few other foods, and they can also be supplemented. Foods that are high in omega-3s are considered to be good fats.
Omega-6 fatty acids are very common in processed and fried foods like salad dressings, pizza, french fries, and sausages, in addition to certain cooking oils, such as vegetable oil. Omega-6 fatty acids are a tricky subject. They are essential, in that your body needs them and cannot produce them, but it’s important to have the right balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
It’s very common to have a diet that’s much higher in omega-6s, as people tend to eat a lot of processed vending machine snacks and fast food. If your omega-6 fatty acid intake outweighs your omega-3 intake, you’ll run into health problems, like increased inflammation and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. To get as close to a one-to-one ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids as possible, be sure to eat plenty of good fats on a regular basis.
• Egg yolks
• Avocado
• Nuts
• Coconut oil
• Red meat
• Fatty cuts of fish
• Cooking oils such as olive oil and macadamia nut oil
A healthy diet will consist of a balance of all three macronutrients. The most commonly recommended ratio is 40 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrates, and 20 percent fat. Later chapters will detail exactly how to calculate your exact ratios based on your goals and lifestyle factors, but these numbers are a good general recommendation.
The total number of calories in your diet are determined by your macronutrient intake. If you decrease your total calorie intake, all of your macronutrient numbers will decrease as well. For a healthy, safe approach to weight loss, you should keep a balance of all three nutrients in your diet, rather than eliminating one altogether.
If your goal is to lose body fat, you need to maintain a caloric deficit. You can do this by reducing your food intake or burning more calories through exercise, but without this deficit, fat loss will not happen. There is no magic pill or one evil food you can eliminate to instantly lose fat, no matter what magazine covers may claim. If you are trying to gain weight, you simply need to eat more calories than your body needs.
Some of the more common diet strategies can have negative side effects and aren’t optimal for a healthy, sustainable body change. Always remember that any changes you make to your diet should be sustainable, lasting, and healthy, not short-term fixes that set you up to gain all of your weight back as soon as you stop the diet.
One of the most common diets is the low-carb or even zero-carb diet. You already know that carbohydrates are not essential to live, so if this diet is followed correctly, it wouldn’t have any serious health consequences. However, for most people, it just isn’t realistic to give up carbs completely for any long period of time. You’ll have to eat extra fats to make up for those lost calories, and unless you’re careful, it’s easy to eat too much of the wrong sorts of fats and end up with health issues down the road.
Unless you are following a carb-cycling diet, which is not necessary and is a bit more advanced, it’s probably best to avoid low-carb diets. It’s not an unhealthy option and in theory it makes sense. However, giving up carbohydrates for good just isn’t realistic for most people, and it would be more beneficial to learn to follow a balanced diet.
This type of diet is the one with the most potential to do more harm than good. Many people used to think that dietary fat was what caused fat gain, which remains a common misconception. You know the truth now, that excess calories are to blame and fats are okay.
When your fat intake drops too low, your hormonal levels will suffer. Hormones, particularly reproductive hormones, are dependent on fat. For both men and women, removing too much fat from a diet can lead to decreased energy, mood swings, and a decreased sex drive. Women often report irregular menstrual cycles as well when dietary fat intake drops too low.
Even if weight loss is your primary goal, you should still be concerned with your overall health first and foremost. Cutting out fat may help you lose weight, but it’s probably going to have some serious negative side effects. You don’t need to go overboard and eat all the fat in sight, but you shouldn’t eliminate it completely either. Moderation is key.
In a perfect world, all of your food would come from fresh, whole-food sources and supply perfectly balanced nutrition. In the real world, this simply isn’t realistic for most people. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and you shouldn’t have to make yourself miserable or become obsessed with your food choices to be healthy and maintain the body you want.
Most people find they are able to manage their nutrition while still enjoying themselves by following the 80/20 rule of nutrition. This means that 80 percent of the time you choose healthy food sources to the best of your ability. The other 20 percent of the time you enjoy what would traditionally be considered “bad” foods—your favorite dessert, a few drinks, or a slice of pizza, for example.
If you can learn to fit those indulgences into your daily macronutrients without losing control and binge eating an entire pizza in one sitting, you’ll find you can enjoy the foods you love on a regular basis and still see fantastic results.
The next chapters will go very in-depth on this topic and teach you the ins and outs of what foods to choose, why to choose them, how to build a meal plan suited to your lifestyle, and much more. It may require some practice and trial and error, but if you have some dedication and self-control, it’s absolutely possible for anyone to enjoy the foods they love guilt-free and still work toward the healthy body they want to have.