Macros Simplified
What are macros? Sometimes you will see an article about “macros” on a facebook post or in a health magazine. Well in reality most people have been eating macros but didn’t know they were or didn’t know they fell under the label of macros. There are 3 macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats. See, most of you have heard of all 3 of those! The thing is with these 3 macros is that most people either don’t eat enough of one or eat way too much of the others. In most cases people who aren’t as knowledgeable about nutrition will eat too many carbohydrates and fats, and not enough protein. But before we get too far into breaking down macros let's breakdown what each macro actually is. Carbohydrates are essential macronutrients that provide the most desirable form of energy for your body in the form of glucose. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream and provides energy to your cells. Eating adequate amounts of carbohydrates every day ensures that your body has access to enough glucose to function properly.1 Protein is a nutrient found in food (as meat, milk, eggs, and beans) that is made up of many amino acids joined together, is a necessary part of the diet, and is essential for normal cell structure and function.2 Dietary fat is fat consumed in the food that you eat. Fat is a major source of energy in the diet, providing nine calories per gram, more than twice the number provided by carbohydrates or protein. Dietary fat is different than body fat which is fat stored on your body. Due to its high calorie content, the chance of becoming overweight or obese increases with a high intake of dietary fat.3 So now that we have described what each macro is, we can talk about breaking down macros. Depending on what your nutritional goals are you should have each macro broken down into a percentage. How do you get this percentage? So the easiest way to figure your macros is to add up in grams how much of each macronutrient you are consuming. To get to the actual percentage of how much of each macro involves some basic math so if you’re not too savy with math there are many dietary apps out there that will do it for you!
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