Essential Macronutrients

There are six main nutrients essential for energy, maintenance of tissues, cell growth, and other bodily functions. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals. Many people acquire these from their food and water consumption.

Right now let's focus on the three macronutrients which are,carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Macronutrients means our bodies need a large amount of these. So let's begin with... 

Carbohydrates

There are three different types of carbohydrates; simple, complex, and fiber. 

Simple carbohydrates have a simple chemical structure. They are only one to two sugar units long, which means because of the simple structure, they're broken down and metabolized really quickly by the digestive system. Generally they taste pretty sweet, like a fruit sugar, for example, bagels and desserts. 

Complex carbohydrates have a complex chemical structure. They are thousands of sugar units long, complex. Because of this, it takes more time to be broken down by the digestive system. And this is a good thing. Complex carbohydrates taste savory or starchy, like potatoes, noodles, and legumes/beans. 

Fiber cannot be digested and it doesn't provide calories, however, oh it provides a nice service. It helps move food through your digestive tract. 

Now all three carbohydrates are important in nutrition balance because carbohydrates are broken down into glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar which is the body's main energy, or fuel source. When the body uses carbohydrates for energy, and it can get glucose from carbohydrates, that means it's freed up to use other macronutrients for other jobs, like tissue growth and repair. Also, the brain, kidneys, muscles, and heart needs carbohydrates to function properly. Carbohydrates aid in the synthesis of intestinal health, and a fun little factoid is they have four calories, or units of energy per gram. 

You will find carbohydrates primarily in starchy foods like whole grains, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and sweets. Recommendation is to avoid white starches in this category like white potatoes, white flour, white noodles, white rice, etc.

Choose Colorful Mix of Carbohydrates

Fats

Fats are saturated or unsaturated.

Let's look at the skinny on fats. Fats do not dissolve in water. Fats are necessary for survival, we need them for many reasons. Fats are a high-density energy source because they contain nine calories per gram. Fats provide endurance, help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, provide cushioning for organs, and insulation for the body. Fats are the raw materials for creating Vitamin D and hormones - Vitamin D actually is a hormone. Fats provide taste, consistency, stability, satiety. Satiety is a nutritional word that means, "deliciousness". Consuming fats provide a sense of being satisfied. Fats make your body, "happy!" There are healthy fats and unhealthy fats. There are three main types of fats. 

Saturated fat comes from animal sources, like red meat, poultry, and full-fat dairy. There is one exception there, it also comes from coconuts, and we'll talk about that a bit later. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fat, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, are healthy fats. Monounsaturated fat also referred to as "MUFAs" is found in a variety of food and oils. These fats are liquid at room temperature and are found mostly in plant-based foods and oils, except Omega-3s. Omega-3s are referred to as "PUFAs" and are also liquid at room temperature. They are a special polyunsaturated fatty acid with multiple health benefits and are found in some plant-based foods, but the body doesn't convert it or use it as well as Omega-s from fish.

There is misconception about coconut oil. Coconut oil, although a saturated fat, is heart healthy. It contains approximately 50% lauric acid, which helps actively prevent various health problems like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Studies suggest coconut oil may help maintain healthy lipid profiles in some people. Coconut oil also contains capric acid which offers your body antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Coconut oil is very useful for weight loss. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help take off excessive weight. Research suggests that coconut oil helps reduce abdominal obesity in women. It is also easy to digest and helps with healthy thyroid and endocrine system functions. Further, it increases the body's metabolic rate by removing stress on the pancreas, thereby producing more energy in the body helping obese and overweight people lose weight. People living in tropical coastal areas using coconut oil every day have better heart health and are normally not fat, obese, or overweight.

Trans fat occurs naturally in some foods, but mostly it's created by a process called, "partially hydrogenation". I'm certain this is something most are familiar with as it's been in the news because it is unhealthy for the body! Partially hydrogenated oils become easier to cook with and less likely to spoil. It's commonly used in packaged and processed foods and lasts longer on the shelf. Some states have made trans fats illegal. Trans fats are also solid at room temperature. Recommendation is to avoid trans fats.

Choose Heart Healthy Fats

Proteins

Proteins are made up of hundreds of thousands of smaller units called, "amino acids".

There are 21 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a complete protein. Proteins are substantial in nutrition because they're used to produce new tissues for growth and tissue repair. They regulate and maintain bodily functions. A protein defines what an organism is, what it looks like, and how it behaves because the body is made up of thousands of proteins. The enzymes used for digestion, protection, and immunity are made of proteins. Essential hormones used for body regulation require protein. Proteins may be used as a source of energy when carbohydrates are not available, usually a last resort for the body, as it likes to save proteins for growth development and repair. Factoid is that proteins have four calories per gram, the same as a carbohydrate. Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes/beans, and in some starchy foods and vegetables in small quantities.

Choose Grass-Fed No-Hormone Animal and Wholesome Fresh Protein Sources