What are Macronutrients?

Simply put, macronutrients are your:

• Fat (9 calories per gram)
• Protein (4 calories per gram)
• Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)
  • Fiber (needed but not considered a major micronutrient)

They are the staples of nutrition and foundation of your diet. You also have your micronutrients which I like to think of the links between your "Macros" and also amongst eachother. For example, did you know that Vitamin D and Calcium work together in protecting your bones?

Micronutrients are the following:

Water Soluble Vitamins

• All B vitamins
• Vitamin C

Fat Soluble Vitamins

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

Minerals

• Calcium
• Phosphorous
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Iodine
• Fluoride
• Selenium
• Zinc

Trust me, I get that ensuring that you have adequate levels of your macro/micro-nutrients seems overwhelming when it's bullet pointed as such. I'm only skimming the surface in this post because even as a student of Nutrition, it can sometimes overwhelm me. I will say though that the way I look at my diet is by thinking of it as trying to get as much of these vitamins and minerals in my meals as much as possible, rather than a subtraction of "bad food." How you get a good mix of these food groups is by eating (DRUM ROLL, please)... healthily. Nature is our greatest source of food - fruits, beans, nuts and vegetables with bright colors can help you hit your daily goals. Recommended intakes can be easily found online and are basically categorized by age group/gender. Try not to get too caught up in worrying about those numbers, though. If your diet is a great mixture of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, you are probably not deficient unless you have an underlying condition. Speak to your doctor as always!

Macronutrients are the easier part of the equation as we're for the most part, informed, as to what is considered a Fat, Carb, Protein in food. Fiber can be tricky as it's not technically a macronutrient but is directly associated with carbohydrates. When you're trying to hit your carbohydrate and fiber goals, you'll find that you can't fill up on "empty" carbs and fulfill your Fiber goal. It's a great way to monitor your diet and keep it balanced!

So I'm guessing you're probably wondering, how much of eat Macronutrient you should consume? We're all different, though. Through my efforts of weight loss and education, there is not a one size fits all approach to health/weight loss. There is a lot of trial and error in finding the best mix of Macronutrients. Generally speaking, our diets should be 45-60% carbohydrates, 25-35% fats, 25-35% protein. This also varies with your physical activity, dietary history, body's response to different food groups, aesthetic goals, etc. That's where a nutritionist comes into the picture. There are a lot of internet sources to figure this out on your own. Take the following steps:

1. Find a website to calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). This will give you a basis of how many calories your body needs based off your daily activities.
2. Add/Subtract calories to the goal you want to meet. A great place to start would be around 400-500 in either direction.
3. Calculate using the percentages above, how many calories should be put toward each macronutrient. How does YOUR body respond to each one? This determines what end of the spectrum you should go toward.
   E.G. You respond well to Carbohydrates so you designate 55% of your calories toward them.
4. For the 3 categories of macronutrients, you'll have a calorie amount. Divide that by the amount of calories is in each gram. So refer to the top of this post. Fat is 9 grams per calorie so if my number was 495 calories designated for Fat, I would divide 495/9, coming to 55 grams of Fat per day!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me! I'm happy to help!