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Jan 11
Health and Fitness – A Nutrition Breakdown
We all know that to reach any fitness goal be it to lose weight, gain more muscle, perform better in sports, or just have general good health, nutrition plays a major role. The formula is quite simple. If your goal is to lose weight calories consumed must be less than calories burned and vice versa for those that are trying to gain weight. To maintain balance calories consumed must equal calories burned. Pretty simple, right? I am going to break down the major nutrients that make up a well-balanced diet and how much of each should be consumed daily.
There are three major nutrients that our bodies need in large amounts: Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins – these are known as macronutrients. I am also going to talk about water, which is considered a micronutrient. Each one plays a significant role in our daily lives and without one you risk an imbalanceand possible deficiency – related illnesses.
Carbs make up the majority (60%) of a proper diet and are the body’s preferred energy source forall functions. Carbohydrates provide energy, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. They can be classified as sugars, starches, and fibers. One gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories. This is good to know when tracking calories for weight loss or gaining muscle mass.
Fats generally make up 20% of a healthy diet. One gram of fat contains 9 calories (the highest of allthe nutrients). I want you to note that Fat does not make you FAT. Any nutrient consumed in excessive amounts can be stored as body fat if not expended through exercise. Fats are actually used as a source of energy and they police what comes enters and leaves cell membranes. There are three types of fats:
- Saturated fats, which increase LDL cholesterol “bad” and can be found in butter, lard, bacon, sausage,baked goods and fried foods. These should be limited to maintain a balanced diet.
- Trans fats also increase LDL cholesterol and the risk of stroke heart disease. These can be found in,margarine, doughnuts and fast foods.
- Unsaturated fats are the “good fats. These are liquid at room temperature and include various oils.Unsaturated fats are known as omega 3 and omega 6 which can be found in (but not limited to) salmon,tuna, and flaxseeds. Essential fats are good for the body and may reduce the risk of heart disease and lower LDL cholesterol.
Proteins are the building blocks for all structures and organs in the body. They provide amino acids andare required for the formation of hormones. To be a complete protein, the food must contain 20 aminoacids, but not all foods are considered complete proteins. Incomplete proteins lack some amino acidsand therefore can be combined with other incomplete proteins to make a complete protein. It’s simplearithmetic. An example of this would be beans with rice. Separately, each lacks certain amino acids but together they contain all 20 which makes them better for your body – who knew that beans and rice could be math! In general the requirements for protein in grams should be half your body weight in pounds. This willensure you at least meet the recommended amount per day. For simplicity sake, let’s say that protein should make up 20% of your diet.
Finally, let’s talk about water. By far one of the most important nutrients is good, old-fashioned H20. It’s so important, that we wrote an entire blog post about it ( http://www.earthfitnessgym.com/2010/09/08/the-1-nutrient/ ). Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water and it is constantly lostthroughout the day from regular, daily activities, so it must be replenished constantly. When you throwexercise into the mix, certain amounts should be consumed before, during, and after working out to
ensure you stay well hydrated.
Before: 16 oz (2 cups) 2 hours before exercise
During: 3-6 oz every 15 minutes of exercise
After: 16 oz for every pound of weight lost during exercise
So there you go. By following the 60-20-20 method, 60% carbs, 20% fat, 20% protein, in your daily diet and staying properly hydrated, you can rest assured that you have a well-balanced nutrition plan, whichwill help propel you to your goals.
