Calories shmalories
Up until now, calories have probably been your main food choice determinant when it comes to choosing what to eat, or what to pop in your grocery cart. But the truth is they don’t tell the whole story. Now that you’ve pretty much got those basic numbers down, it’s time to look beyond counting calories and instead make each calorie count… And that all begins with looking at something sexier than it sounds: macro-nutrients.
Macro, macro man
Mankind consumes micro and macro nutrients, but largely macro, hence the macho name. There are actually three basic types: carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and they each have different personalities. We like to think of them as contestants in a dating show because… well, you know, it’s just more fun that way!
Enter Bachelor Number One
Mr Carbo has often been misjudged as a bad boy and he’s certainly a sweet-talker. In fact, he’s essentially made up of sugars. But the truth is we need him in our lives to provide energy. Medically, it’s recommended that he constitute 45-65% of our dietary intake. Why? Because he makes us feel good to be alive, baby. Yep, he’s got a whole stack of groovy feel-good foods under his belt that supply us with instant energy that is quickly metabolised, leaving the body free to use other macros for jobs like tissue growth and repair.
Carbo can be starchy, like potatoes and grains, fruity, milky and yoghurty too. He can also be little bit seedy, nutty and cottage cheesy and he’s bean there, done that.
Weighing in at 4 calories per gram, he can make you pay for dinner and he’ll always leave you craving more, but you’ll forgive him when he’s got you all fibre’d up in the bathroom. When deciding whether to go all in with Mr Carbo, remember that if weight loss is your goal, some experts recommend keeping carbs to around 40%. But you’ll find the right balance for you with a little experimentation. (Woot woot!)
Enter Bachelor Number Two
Mr Pro-Tein is a macho macro indeed and while many of us indulge in him far more than we should, some of the more mature ladies still aren’t getting enough of him! Dietary guidelines recommend dedicating 15-35% of total dietary allowance to this buff babe. He can be darn delicious and he fills you more than all the others, defining who we actually are at a deep, cellular level and giving us strength – literally. He’s responsible for helping us to grow, repair and function and gives us immunity against body baddies.
Weighing in at 4 calories per gram, he’s one heck of a macro all round, really. And he’s comfortable in his own fishy, meaty, chickeny skins. Always happy to say cheese and get milky and legumey with you too, Pro-Tein possesses all nine amino acids you need to live – yes, he does guard you with his life – plus he makes your hair shiny and your skin glow so yep, he’s got a feminine side too. And he gets your hormones going.
Phew! Sigh and get high ladies but don’t over-do it and stay away from him in processed form. He’s far sexier when he’s lean.
Enter Bachelor Number Three
Don’t let his name deceive you: Mr Fat isn’t always a bad guy trying to seduce you in his creamy, decadent form. He’s actually an essential bit of arm candy too, with his own food high macro bonuses. He’s also the only one packing fatty acids – body essentials that only come from certain Mr Fat foods. But sadly many of us get seduced by his bad boy deep-fried, sugar-stuffed side and overlook what a charming macro he can be when he’s being his lovely avocadoey, olive oily self.
He personally transports disease fighting phyto-chemicals and provides tenderness and texture to lots of our fave foods. Imagine how boring life would be without him! But avoid him when he’s in trans or saturated form, he’s sweetest when he’s unsaturated and working on improving your cholesterol. Weighing in at 9 calories per gram, he’s a macro you want to get seedy and nutty with, and he can even help make you smarter when he’s swimming with the fishes.
Sure, he’s irresistible and you’ll probably always have a crush on him, but too much of a good thing can leave you with a weaker heart, tired feels and (because he fills you up in all the wrong places) even some digestion dilemmas… so date him in moderation.