Macronutrients and your body
The food that you consume is converted into energy, this energy comes in three forms as discussed in previous bogs. These three forms are what are referred to as macronutrients; fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They all operate in Separate yet interacting systems intertwining throughout our bodies.
I. Fats vs fatty acids
What do you think of when you hear the word fat? It’s funny how our society has conditioned a negative reaction to such an essential word. Fats are such an important macronutrient as they become fatty acids. Fatty acids are an important part of our bodies functioning and even more important in ketosis. In the absence of glucose the liver uses fatty acids to produce ketones, I will go more in depth about this later.
For years diets have tried to cut out the fat.... while it’s true that your body produces most of its own fatty acids in the lymph system. Your body can not produce all fatty acids, a few must come from our diet. Oddly enough those few are very important as Fatty acids help vitamins and minerals move throughout your body. The right fats can even help brain development, overall cell functioning, and protect your body's organs. The question is what are the right fats?
Fats come in 2 forms; saturated and unsaturated
Saturated fats
These fats are solid hydrogen, meaning that they stay solid at room temperature. These come from animal fats and tropical palm oils. These fats when coupled with a high sugar diet, lead to heart disease, diabetes, many other illnesses, and neurological disorders. However in the absence of sugar, a balanced diet of saturated and unsaturated fats are healthy for your body and brain!
Saturated fat sources
Coconut Oil
Palm Oil
Animal Fat
Butter
Lard
Unsaturated fats
These fats have at least 1 carbon atom, making them liquid at room temperature. They come from vegetable oils and fish oils. They are essential to a healthy heart and cardiovascular system, because they help protect your heart and artery walls. So getting a lot of these is important for a healthy body.
Unsaturated fat sources
Olive
Avocado
Sunflower
Soy
Algae
Fatty Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, and Sardines)
Unsaturated fats Mono & poly
Unsaturated fats can be either mono or poly. Both are beneficial for cardiovascular health and can lower the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes when consumed as part of a healthy diet. The three most well none of the poly unsaturated fats are omegas 3-6-9.
Omega 3-6-9 if you have ever looked at omega supplements, these are probably familiar terms, particularly omega 3 right? That’s because we’ll your body doesn’t produce omega 3 or 6, you must infest them. Omega your body produces it.
Omega 3 fatty acids
Go to any retail store that sells vitamins or any pharmacy and they are sure to sell omega 3... they all claim to be salmon or krill oil. Which is great if that’s the case but more often then not it is plant based omega 3. Omega fat sources from plant based sources do have high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. however, your body can’t absorb most of these fatty acids, without DHA & epa . Plant based omega 3 sources rely on ala nutrient. There are only a few sources of dha & epa nutrients; fish, fish oil(with dha), algae, hemp, grass and hemp fed animals such chicken and beef. Very few supplements contain dha and epa along with omega 3 fatty acids. So be sure to look for that if you are choosing a supplement.
Omega 3 with dha and epa key sources
Mackerel
sardines
trout
salmon
anchovies
cod
herring
oysters
caviar
Algae
Hemp
Omega 3 with ala key sources
chia seeds
walnuts
soybeans
Flax seed
Omega 6 fatty acids
Their main function is energy production. In the modern western diet many people get too much of this in their diet. Which can actually be harmful for your cardiovascular system despite the heart healthy affects of this acid. Many studies have shown that you should not cut back on omega 6 but instead increase your omega 3 consumption to be in Balance.
Omega 6 key sources
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Corn oil
Soybean oil
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
2. Proteins vs amino acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of life, they build proteins, help in the synthesis of hormones, and neurotransmitters. There are 20 amino acids needed to grow and function properly, though only 9 are essential from diet. The essential amino acids can not be made by your body, the other 11 are considered nonessential because your body already produces them. The best sources of essential amino acids are animal proteins and certain plant proteins.
Complete amino acids
The following foods are complete proteins meaning they contain all 9 amino acids.
Complete amino acid key sources
Meat
Eggs
Poultry
Seafood
Dairy
Soy
Quinoa
Incomplete Amino acids
These are amino acid sources that are incomplete meaning they only contain some of the 9 essential amino acids. If you don’t eat complete sources you have to eat a variety of the following sources of amino acids.
Incomplete amino acids key sources
Beans
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables
3. Carbohydrates and glucose
Carbohydrates are an essential for parts of the brain and they are a quick source of energy for the body. They come from 3 main sources; sugars, fibers, and starches. Sugars are simple carbs, dairy contains some sugars, but most simple carbs are added to the foods we eat. Simple carbs digest quickly and while your body enjoys the easy source of fuel, the fast utilization causes oxidation and inflammation in your body. These are the cause of many diseases, illness, and body pains.
Not all carbs are simple... fibers and starches are complex carbs, though they are not equal . The more complex the carb the better it is for you. Fiber is as complex as you can get, it is an insoluble carb that your body can’t process. Insoluble fiber helps your digestive system and helps to control cholesterol. Starches on the other hand are higher on the glycemic level and thus are only slightly better for you then sugars. The glycemic index is how much the carb affects your blood glucose levels. Glycemic index below.
Common simple carbs added to foods
Raw Sugar
Brown Sugar
Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Glucose
Fructose
Sucrose
Fruit Juice Concentrate
Main sources of Starch
Whole Wheat Bread
Cereal
Corn
Oats
Peas
Rice
Potatoes
Main sources of dietary fiber
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Beans
Whole Grains
The following chart shows you how much certain sugars affect your blood sugar levels. Referred to as glycemic levels in foods you eat. The lower the glycemic level the less it impacts your insulin levels. Spikes in insulin levels cause your body to hold onto fat for future use. As well as causing sugar cravings and sugar crashes.
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