Food Science & Facts!

Once you have a purpose, an understanding of your behavior, motivation, a goal, and a strong comprehensive plan, it’s time to think about the role nutrition plays in your success. 

The first thing to know is that it’s no small part; in fact, it’s 70 percent of the game. No matter what else you do, you will fail unless you eat the right foods in the right portions. 

It is much easier to have a good diet and a little exercise to lose weight. The other is an uphill battle eating a lot and doing a ton of cardio. Take the easy road. – Boot Camps

Let’s face it⎯food is awesome!  It tastes good, smells good, fuels our bodies, is something to enjoy with friends and family, and makes us happy when only moments before we were cranky. 

It’s one of the purest joys in our lives, and there’s no reason to deprive yourself of it.  It’s okay to love it.  That’s right, I said it.  

There’s nothing wrong with loving food…as long as we understand that it can’t love you back⎯it’s food.  It’s there to give us power, not make us powerless.  It’s there to help us, not make us feel helpless.  It’s there to serve us, but we are responsible for choosing the servings.

I don’t like to say there are certain hard fast rules you have to follow when it comes to food, because everyone enjoys food, especially different foods, in their way.

Instead, I’m going to share some vital information about how certain macronutrients affect your body, as well as a group of principles you can use as a guide when you’re faced with making healthy (both physical and emotional) decisions.   

Macronutrients

Macronutrients is an umbrella term for the nutrients that provide calories or energy. Macronutrients are Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat.  

Like everything else we’ve talked about so far, balancing these and eating them in the right proportions is imperative to your fitness, health, and weight-loss success.  Optimally, your diet should consist of:

• Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)– 20-40%
• Protein (4 calories per gram) – 20-40%
• Fat (9 calories per gram) – 20%-35%

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the kings of the macronutrient jungle because they are your body’s main source of fuel⎯your body easily uses them for energy. Every tissue and cell in your body can use glucose for energy!  

Carbohydrates are also needed if you want your important stuff to function properly: the brain, the central nervous system, the kidneys, and the muscles (including the heart).  

Wait…there’s still more⎯they also can be stored in the muscles and liver for later use, as well as playing a vital role in intestinal health and waste elimination.

For Our Science: Carbs Raise blood sugar levels this will help with the balancing of the Macronutrients later and is Principle 1. Why do we Eat all Macro’s together every sitting? Carbs raise blood sugar. Gives you Energy!

Protein

Protein, the stabilizer of blood sugar, has many other roles in the body.  It’s important for growth (especially for children, teens, and pregnant women), tissue repair, immune function, production of essential enzymes and hormones, energy when no carbohydrates are available, and last but not least, preserving and Building lean muscle mass.

Fat 

Hey, wait…isn’t this what we’re trying to get rid of?  Yes, but we’re going to remove it from our bellies, backsides, etc….not from our diet⎯it is essential for survival.  

Fat has become the villain in our battle against weight gain because, as we stated earlier, one gram of fat has 9 calories, as opposed to the 4 calories in carbohydrates and protein.  

But fat plays some very important roles in our body: it aids in normal growth and development, is a great source of energy, absorbs certain vitamins, maintains cell membranes, provides cushion for the organs, and provides taste and stability to food.

If you enjoyed reading this, stay tuned! More fun food facts to come weekly from our top nutritionists.