What are macronutrients?

A macronutrient is a basic nutrient that has high requirements for a minimum daily intake. Something like this could be given as a basic definition of macronutrients. Well, what are their functions and how many do we actually need to take in daily? Good for asking.

We have three basic macronutrients: proteins (also known from the English name as proteins), fats and carbohydrates .

You have 100% already met all of them and quite possibly tried to go one way or another. High protein and paleo diet? So much meat that your ears are crawling. A low carb diet, that's it! But why am I acting so unpleasant and absent? A low-fat diet, this could be it! But why does it all taste so awful?!

If you are at least a little curious and like math, proteins and carbohydrates contain 4 calories (abbreviation is kcal, which is technically kilocalories, but since when it comes to diet, everyone talks about them as calories anyway, so let's go with them also called calories) per gram, while fats contain 9 calories per gram. But let's talk a little about each of these macronutrients.

Proteins

Protein is the most important macronutrient of all. Why? Because they help increase muscle mass, burn fat, improve regeneration, immunity and digestion. Most of the time, you will come across a recommended intake of around 1.5-2 grams of protein per 1 kg of your weight.

It may seem like too much, but a higher protein intake helps reduce fat, mainly due to the fact that it fills you up the most of all micronutrients. On purpose, try eating a portion of cottage cheese and a portion of some cookies and compare which fills you up more. And if you're full enough, you'll take in fewer calories overall.

At the same time, protein ensures that most of the weight you lose will come from fat stores. If you also treat yourself to them after training, they will also help you build some muscles.

Carbohydrates

We all know carbohydrates, maybe too well. Surely you have at least one person around you who has tried some form of low-carb diet, or you have even tried one yourself. If you know that feeling when you would almost kill for some sweets, you probably know the effects of low-carb diets. And maybe you still live under the belief that carbs are evil.

But let's be clear - they are not. Carbohydrates help our bodies keep our stress hormone levels down and make sure our thyroids work properly. They also ensure that our sex hormones remain healthy and that we sleep well and regenerate.

Have you ever tried a diet with less than 10 grams of carbs per day? We did and it was hell! And we certainly weren't the nicest and most pleasant creatures in the world at the time. And the craving for anything sweet was devastating.

But all this is backed by science. Low carb intake can increase your blood levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which can significantly affect your metabolic response, stress, mood, and energy.

One of the reasons why we are so attracted to low-carb diets is the possibility of rapid weight loss. But we have to realize that first of all we "lose" water and glycogen from the muscles. But if we reduce the intake of carbohydrates, we usually also increase the intake of proteins, because we have to take in some calories and so logically we have to take them somewhere. Well yes, but can weight loss be caused by a reduction in carbohydrate intake or, on the contrary, an increase in the amount of protein?

Fats

Low-fat products probably need no introduction either. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to go to the store and not come across at least one item containing a reduced (or even "zero") amount of fat - yogurts, milk, even ice cream can be low-fat. The belief that a lot of fat makes you fat has been with us since time immemorial.

And also that too much fat intake is associated with heart disease. But you may have always wondered how it is possible that our grandparents lived to be 95 years old and ate eggs and sausages every day.

This is where it starts to get a little complicated. But the important thing is that nutrition is not black and white. On the contrary, it can be beautifully complex. Today, however, we will not complicate it and will make do with the fact that our body needs it appropriate amount of healthy fats .​​​​​ We'll get to the healthy fats in a moment. Either way, a reasonable amount will help our cells function properly, build a strong immune system, and also provide some satiety between meals.

Considering that the goal of this article is primarily to introduce macronutrients and explain what they are and why we should take them in a balanced way, it will be enough for us to tell you where to get those healthy fats.

For example, from nuts, seeds, unprocessed foods such as avocados, natural nut butters, or olive oil. This is a list of just a handful of resources to help you incorporate healthy fats into your diet.

If you're wondering how many macronutrients you should be getting each day, it all depends on your goals. A good choice is usually an increased protein intake. But if you're just starting out and want to eat a balanced diet, you can start with a 40% (protein), 30% (carbohydrates), 30% (fats) split. Or contact us and we will help you with everything.

But all this is just the beginning. Next time we'll talk more about calories and how to work with them.