Back to Basics Part 2: Macronutrients
/In my last post I discussed the body's utilization of glucose versus fat for fuel. Let's say you are intrigued by the idea of becoming a fat burner. There are a few things to understand before you jump in.
To begin, what are macronutrients?
The food we eat falls under three macronutrient categories: fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates, both simple and complex, are converted into glucose by the liver. Glucose is burned immediately as fuel, or accompanied by insulin to be stored in muscle, liver or fat cells. As the liver and muscles cells can only store about 500 grams of glucose, the rest is stored as fat.
- examples of simple carbohydrates: white sugar, high fructose corn syrup
- examples of complex carbohydrates: beans, whole grains, vegetables
Proteins:
Protein builds and repairs tissues. It also aids in the creation of hormones. The body breaks down proteins into peptides and amino acids. However, an excess of protein will be converted into glucose and eventually stored as fat.
- examples of proteins: fowl, fish, meat, eggs
Fats:
According to ancestral health doctors, fats are the preferred source of energy for the human body. Fats are a nutrient dense source of fuel that do not result in an insulin response. Fat is satisfying, it stabilizes hunger hormones, and provides an even source of energy. Fat is essential: it is present in all of our cells and makes up 60% of our brains.
- examples of fats: olive oil, avocados, butter
If you are a glucose burner, your macronutrient percentages might follow the USDA "Choose my Plate" guidelines, which would be broken down like this:
- 75% carbohydrate, 20% protein, 5% fat
If you are a fat burner, your macronutrients might look like this:
- 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbohydrate
Quite the difference!
In my next post we will look specifically at carbohydrates, specifically ideal carbohydrates for both glucose and fat burners.
In the meantime, do you have any questions? I'd love to hear from you!