Macronutrients

There are three primary macronutrients that we can consume which provide us with energy. Many of you may be unfamiliar with this term but I'm sure you all know what  protein, fat, & carbohydrates are. As you would think there are various food sources for these three categories, and of course not all of them are healthy. This post will provide you with healthy sources to obtain your daily macronutrients. If you are interested in calculating what your personal intake of these nutrients should be then I'd recommend visiting   http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm

PROTEIN

Okay so let's start with protein, also known as "amino acids". I'm pretty sure it has the best reputation among the general population. It is recommended that 10-35% of your daily calories come from protein. It is responsible for growth, tissue repair, immune function, energy, and muscle mass.  The protein sources you consume are also important.  There are two types of proteins, complete and incomplete. Complete protein sources contain adequate proportions of all nine essential amino acids which are necessary for our diet and these include what are known as "animal proteins". Incomplete proteins are found in plant foods and can be mixed together to create a complete protein.

Complete Protein	Incomplete Protein
Meat Fish Poultry Milk Cheese Yogurt Eggs	Grains Nuts Beans Seeds Peas Corn

FATS

Opposite of protein, fats have the worst reputation. Everyone thinks fats are bad but in reality this is not always the case. It is recommended that 25-35% of your daily calories come from fat. Not all fats are unhealthy and many are great sources of energy for our body. "Good" fats include those that are unsaturated and include polyunsaturated (omega 3 & omega 6) and monounsaturated (omega 9). These are good for your heart and your cholesterol, many are known to lower your cholesterol. Below is a table of good fats.

Monounsaturated fat	Polyunsaturated fat
Olive oil Canola oil Sunflower oil Peanut oil Sesame oil Avocados Olives Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews) Peanut butter	Soybean oil Corn oil Safflower oil Walnuts Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds Flaxseed Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) Soymilk Tofu

"Bad" fats are the saturated and trans fats. These increase your risk of disease and elevate cholesterol. Try to stay away from these!

Saturated fat	Trans fat
High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork) Chicken with the skin Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream) Butter Cheese Ice cream Palm and coconut oil Lard	Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips) Stick margarine Vegetable shortening Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish) Candy bars

CARBOHYDRATES

 At the middle of the road we have carbohydrates. There are two types, simple and complex. 45-65% of calories eaten should come from carbohydrates. The chemical structure of the food determines how it is classified and how quickly it is then digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates are quick energy sources. Complex carbohydrates are the better option. They take longer to digest and are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains are the best food sources of carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates	Complex Carbohydrates
Sucrose Fructose Glucose Maltose Galactose Lactose	Starch Fiber Glycogen

Overall the idea is that balance is key among these nutrients. All of them are necessary to keep you healthy. Try to pick the healthiest options of these nutrients and believe me, you will feel the difference. Like the saying goes "you are what you eat", to a certain extent this proves to be true.

I hope you'll take the time to check out the macronutrient calculator link I have above. I have used it and am currently working on an excel sheet with a weekly diet plan containing the recommended daily allowance of macronutrients for my body weight. Once I have it completed I will share it with you all, until then....stay fit!