“Eating healthy” seems to be a phrase packed with so many different meanings for different people. For some, it’s “dairy-free,” “Paleo,” “Whole 30 approved,” “gluten-free,” “vegan,” “clean,” and so many more labels that it’s hard to keep track. I’m not going to take the time to define each one, because none of them is a secret weapon that will allow you to lose weight, feel great, and banish all your health problems (sorry if that’s what you were looking for).
Something my sister learned and has stuck with her as I've tried to teach her more about this, is that our body must be able to trust us to feed it CONSISTENTLY in order for it to respond and burn fat, or build muscle, or change in any way. (no yo-yo dieting)
Now don’t abandon hope; some of these eating guidelines might have specific benefits for YOU and could be a key to getting rid of headaches, or losing some weight, but ultimately they are not “cure-alls.” I've come to despise the word "diet" when it comes to a knowingly temporary way of eating.....any changes you make should be ones you can truly sustain or they will not be of benefit. I wince when people talk about juice cleanses, sugar detoxes, and even the Whole30 because while it may provide a short benefit, it is much better to LEARN about food and how to develop an outlook that will work with you in every stage of life while allowing you to make physical changes if desired.
Calories in vs. Calories out is always KING
With that preface, I want to share the approach that I take with food and maybe it will help you in some way. That’s really my only intention with this blog--to share things that I’ve learned as a result of a passion for nutrition, fitness and life in general.
Let’s start with an a broad overview and then I’ll elaborate in future posts so it’s not overwhelming.
TRACKING MACROS
I “track macros,” not calories, although it’s a similar concept. ‘Macros’ is short for macronutrients which is just carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All foods have some ratio of these three building blocks. Chicken has much more protein, fruit more carbs, and coconut oil more fat. Each nutrient is vital for our body and should be consumed--the trick is the ratio! For example, if a person lived on a daily caloric intake of 1400 calories, but consumed 95% of those calories in the form of carbs, they would not have the physical make-up (fat/muscle ratio), brain productivity, or hormonal balance of someone who consumed a mixture of protein, carbs and fat. Our body needs each one for something. Our body also needs consistency in order to function optimally and keep our metabolisms fueled.
Macronutrient Calorie Value:
1 gram of Protein = 4 calories
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of Fat = 9 calories
I sense all this science is probably losing a few readers, so let me tell you something exciting: when you track macros, you can literally have treats everyday.
Did I get you back?! The reason is: a gram of carbs is the same no matter the source and will be treated by your body the exact same (the amount of time the breakdown into glucose occurs is different). It doesn’t know the difference between a sweet potato and chocolate cake. Shocking, I know. But it’s not quite that simple because micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) are important and chocolate cake doesn’t have many. Things are getting a little wordy, so I’ll let a picture do the talking for me:
These snacks/meals have very similar amounts of CARBS, FATS and PROTEIN (measured in grams). Our minds and society have deemed one “healthy” and one “not healthy,” but our bodies metabolize them the same. If you know me, you know I don’t choose to fill my daily macros with junk--but I think the message I am trying to convey is that food doesn’t need to be feared or a guessing game. An Oreo doesn’t have to derail progress anymore than hummus and carrots because the macros could be similar. I think this scientific approach to eating can help people who borderline obsessive when trying to make physical changes or lose/gain weight.
The main benefit to learning to track macros is that it educates you on what you are eating. It teaches you that maybe the orange juice your drink isn’t worth the 40g of carbs because it doesn’t actually fill you up and leaves you deprived of the cookie you really would rather have instead. It’s kind of like learning a budget--you get to spend your alotted macros however you choose, but once they run out, they’re out (or they should be for the day). So maybe you’ll opt for that egg white omelet in the morning so you can fit in a scoop of ice cream later without sending your fat “budget” into debt.
If you're overwhelmed, but interested....
Homework: Didn’t sign up for that, did you? Well, I am a teacher after all… Here is my advice if you’re interested in starting to view food a little differently: pay attention to nutrition labels--specifically carbs, fats and proteins. Get to know your diet! Some people have no concept of balancing out their macros and eat different forms of carbs all day long, others avoid carbs as though looking at them causes weight gain. Learn to be informed, log the foods you eat for a day and look back and see if you have any concept of the amount of carbs, fats and proteins you consumed.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
I have and will continue to share a lot of the tips and tricks I have learned to maximize the macros appropriate for me and my activity level and goals. This post outlines a lot of those. If you want to do some exploring on your own, the free app I use is My Fitness Pal. If this seems obsessive, then don’t do it--but for those of you who are frustrated because you can’t seem to get the results you work for, this could be a tool for you!
http://hackyour.fitness/effectively-count-calories-macros/
http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/science-favors-flexible-dieting-iifym-diet/