What are "Macros"?

An Essential Overview of Macronutrients

Macros, or macronutrients, are the cornerstone of a healthy and balanced diet. They are essential components of our diets and provide us with energy from calories and nutrients that help build and maintain our bodies. “Macros” are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy: in other words, fat, protein and carbohydrate. Micronutrients are mostly vitamins and minerals, and are equally important but consumed in very small amounts. We generally get our micronutrients along with macronutrients. Let’s take a closer look at what macros are and how they benefit us.

What Are Macros?

Macronutrients consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, like I mentioned before. Each macro has its own unique purpose in the body; together, they provide us with the energy we need to stay active throughout the day. They also contain essential vitamins and minerals that help us maintain healthy cells, organs, bones, muscles, hormones, and other systems in the body.

Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose that provide energy to the body. Carbs can be found in grains such as breads and pastas as well as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes. There are 4 calories per 1 gram of carbohydrate, by weight if weighing your food on a food scale.

Protein provides amino acids for muscle growth and repair, which can be found in lean meats such as chicken breasts or fish as well as nuts and eggs. There are 4 calories per 1 gram of protein.

Fats provide energy for the body. Healthy sources of fats include avocados, olive oil, nuts or nut butter and salmon. There are 9 calories per 1 gram of fat, which makes it the most dense macronutrient.

Eating these in a balanced ratio helps keep you full for longer periods of time by providing your body with necessary energy to fuel your day-to-day activities without feeling overly hungry every few hours, and also helps regulate blood sugar levels. because Eating a balanced diet increases insulin sensitivity which allows your body to better process sugars from carbohydrates when they enter your bloodstream. This helps prevent large spikes in blood sugar which can lead to diabetes over time if left unchecked!

As always, let me know if you have any additional questions regarding what a macro or macronutrient is! I’ll delve into micronutrients next!