I've noticed something interesting in some of the coffee shops and restaurants. They've started putting the calorie count on their foods. In some ways this can be quite discouraging. Especially when you are looking forward to enjoying that delicious latte and see that it comes to a whopping 400 calories; but with knowledge comes power, right?
The logical thought is to skip the latte and reach for a lower calorie drink, but if calories are the only thing you are looking at, you are missing half the picture. This might come as a shock to you, but not all foods are created equally. I'm not even talking ice cream vs salad, because I know you know one of those is healthy, and one of those is not. I'm talking about our essential break down of macro nutrients. Our body doesn't digest fats, carbohydrates ad protein the same way.
What are Essential Nutrients?
According to the World Health Organization, essential nutrients are nutrients that must come from food. They are vital for disease prevention, growth, and good health. Essential nutrients can be broken up primarily into 2 groups, macro nutrients and micro nutrients. While micro nutrients include vitamins, minerals and water, they are only required in small amounts. Macro nutrients on the other hand, are our primary building block of our diet and are made up of carbohydrates, fats and protein.
Why are Carbohydrates Important?
Carbohydrates are what creates glucose in the body, our most basic form of energy. Carbohydrates are found primarily in foods like fruits, vegetables, breads, pasta, and dairy products. When these foods are converted into glucose, the energy can be used right away or can be stored for later.
It's important to keep in mind that not all carbohydrates are created equally. Carbohydrates are made up of three components: fiber, starch, and sugar. Fiber and starch are complex carbs, while sugar is a simple carbohydrate. When a food is higher in starch and fiber it's considered to be a complex carbohydrate and is considered the best type of carbohydrate. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods like vegetables, fruit and whole grains. The reason complex carbohydrates are considered the best type is that they take longer to break down into glucose and give you the most nutrients along with your calories. When a carbohydrate is high in simple sugar, it's referred to as a refined carbohydrate and is generally considered to be a "bad” carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates have been processed so that parts of the whole grain have been removed and sugar has been added. Common examples of refined or processed carbohydrates are white bread, cakes, and cookies.
Carbohydrates are definitely an important part of a balanced diet as the brain relies on glucose to function. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. When eating a balanced diet, it's recommended to get between 45-65% of your calories from carbohydrates. It's important to note when trying to lose weight, if you significantly restrict your carbohydrates, you can rapidly lose water weight as your body breaks down the stored carbohydrates, however this weight will return quickly when carbohydrates are reintroduced into the diet.
Carbohydrate Tip:
Remember the types of carbohydrates you eat matters. Some carbohydrates are healthier than others. Instead of reaching for white bread or pasta, go for whole grains, beans, and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. Avoid refined grains and products with added sugar.
Why are fats important?
Remember that saying "fats make you fat?" Well news flash, they were wrong. Recent research has shown that healthy fats are an important part of a healthy diet. Fat supports many of your body’s functions such as vitamin and mineral absorption, blood clotting, building cells, and muscle movement.
Fats do contain more calories than their counterparts, protein and carbs. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, but those calories are an important energy source for your body. In a balanced diet, it's recommended one gets 20-35% of their calories from fats.
Including healthy fats in your diet can help balance blood sugars, decrease your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and improve your brain function. Fats also powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and they may lower your risk of arthritis, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Fat is also a great tool to help with satiety as fats digest slower than carbohydrates.
There was an interesting study done by Dr. Guenther Boden in 2005. "His team studied 10 overweight adults with type 2 diabetes in a metabolic ward for 3 weeks. For the first week, they ate to satiety from a carefully monitored buffet where everything they consumed was weighed. For the last 2 weeks, the buffet was changed to contain only low carb, high fat choices. For the first week, the patients remained weight stable eating about 3100 calories per day. For the next 2 weeks, they consumed only 2200 calories with protein intakes remaining about the same. And here’s the surprise—they reported significantly greater satiety eating the high fat diet at a much lower calorie intake."
Fat Tip:
Choose foods with “good” unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid “bad” trans fat.
Try eating more
avocados
cheese
whole eggs
fatty fish
nuts
chia seeds
extra virgin olive oil
coconut oil
full fat yogurt
Why is protein important?Finally there is protein. Protein is definitely the macronutrient's shining star at the moment, and it's with good reason. Protein is essential for good health. Protein provides the building blocks of the body. Every cell, from bone to skin to hair, contains protein. Protein is used primarily for growth, health, and body maintenance. All of your hormones, antibodies, and other important substances are composed of protein.
Protein is not used to fuel the body unless necessary, however it is possible. The process is called gluconeogenesis and it is the generation of glucose from non-carbohydrate carbon substrates such as amino acids. This is how people are able to maintain function when following low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diets while still staying healthy.
Protein, has 4 calories per gram, the same as carbohydrates. the recommended daily allowance for protein is 10-35% of your calories should come from protein. However, many scientists believe it’s not sufficient to optimize health and body composition. I recommend adults should aim to get in 100g of protein a day to help with weight control and satiety. Eating too much protein is not something you should worry however it's probably best to avoid more than 2 grams/kg; that would be about 125 grams/day for a 140 pound person.
Protein Tip:
While fish and eggs are amazing sources of essential amino acids, try adding protein from plant sources like beans, soy, nuts and some grains. Doing this will ensure you get a variety of nutrients and amino acids.
Food Combination Tip:
I recommend combining your fats and carbohydrates with a good source of protein. Adding a source of protein to meals will help stabilize blood sugar levels as well as help you feel satiated. I try to chose meals that are either high in carbohydrates or high in fats; not both. High fat and high carbohydrate foods are normally higher in calories and lower in protein; i.e. alfredo pasta or pizza. The result of eating these types of foods, is that you eat more because you find yourself hungry later. By choosing either a fat or a carbohydrate foods, you are a eating less calories and most like eating a healthier option.
Variety is the spice of life. The best thing you can do for your diet is keep it diverse and different. Mix up your dishes. Try new things. Cook with the colors of the rainbow.
Cheerfully,
Serial Dieter 911
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