MACRO's

Written by Theresa Gray

6th March 2018

What are Macros?

Are you interested in MACRO’s or just curious? Before we take a look at the world of MACROs how about we decipher what Macro’s mean.

The prefix “Macro” means ‘LARGE’

Macro’s is an abbreviated word for macronutrients which are needed for our bodies in large quantities. They are the nutrients to provide energy (a measurement in calories) for growth, metabolism, repair and other functions within our bodies.

So back to the original question: What are Macros?

Macros are groups of Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates.

Right! Now that you have absorbed that, let’s take a look at them individually!

Proteins:

Proteins form structures which are the building blocks of our bodies. They are made up of 20 amino acids that grow, repair and replace tissues and muscles. In addition, proteins aid in facilitation and regulation of hormones and enzymes.

There are two broad classes of amino acids named accordingly, they are “Essential” that are supplied by the diet and “Non-Essential” that can be made by the body. A complete protein is a protein that includes all 9 essential amino acids, such as proteins from animal sources.  An incomplete protein is a protein that contains only some of the essential amino acids, such as proteins from grains and legumes.

SO LETS RECAP:

Complete proteins are the major components of fish, lean meats, eggs, dairy and soy.

AND

Incomplete proteins are sourced from grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, beans and leafy greens.  

Protein cannot be stored in the body so when proteins are eaten in excess the body breaks down the protein and stores it as a carbohydrate (glucose that subsequently converts to glycogen to which is a store of energy) or as fat, depending on what the body needs the most at the time.

Protein: provides 4 calories per gram of protein.

Fats:

A healthy number of fats consumed offers a protective factor in regard to cell membranes (walls) found in every part of our body and protects us from every day invaders, such as from bacteria and viruses. In addition, fat offers protection to the organs within by cushioning them from impact and builds and maintains a healthy brain.

Fats within our body fuels  energy levels and when we have not eaten in a while our body taps into fat stores breaking them down for further energy.

Fat provide 9 calories per gram of fat.

Fats can be complicated!  So here’s a brief preview of the world of Fats that are found in our foods.

Fats: also known as lipids are comprised of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and characterised by the fact that they are insoluble in water. The lipid family is comprised of triglycerides (fats and oils), phospholipids and sterols.

Dietary fat is found primarily in the form of triglycerides which are made up of three fatty acids and a glycerol backbone.

http://www.nutritionmyths.com/triglycerides-basic-chemistry/

The degree of saturation:

Fats can be classified as either saturated or unsaturated and the differences in their structures can have can significant impact on human health. For example, too much saturated fats can raise LDL levels that lead to heart attack and stroke.

What are saturated fats?

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and an example of these include, fatty meats, creams, butter and cheese.

What are unsaturated fats?

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and an example of these include olive, peanut and canola oils and foods such as avocados, nuts like pecans and almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds.

There are three groups of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and Tran’s fats.

First we will look at Tran’s fats:

A Trans-fat is when a chemist takes a liquid unsaturated fat and applies hydrogen's to the structure making it more like a solid saturated fat. 

The reasons behind this process is to make a food more stable prolonging shelf life. In addition, it makes it easier to cook with, makes it more spreadable, and allows manufacturers to replace saturated fats with these Trans fats making it more convenient and cheaper to use. HOWEVER, evidence suggests that Trans fats are more harmful than saturated fats as they increase Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL’s: Bad cholesterol) and decreases High Density Lipoproteins (HDL’s: Good cholesterol) which results in poorer health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke.

What do we look out for?

Tran’s fats are included in packaged food and used in vegetable shortenings, margarines, crackers, chips, cookies, pizza and snack foods. When looking at products in the supermarket look at the ingredients list, if it mentions partially hydrogenated oil in the list these are Trans fats. In addition, the nutrition facts under serving size will report trans fats as 0% but be aware they may still contain trans fats under <500mg.

In contrast,

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated have a positive impact of heart health improving HDL cholesterol and keeping blood vessel functions healthy.

Most sources of monounsaturated fats also contain Vitamin E which acts as an anti-oxidant and is important for many functions in the body including enzymatic activities, neurological processes and proper organ functions.

Sources of monounsaturated fats: include avocados, olives, nuts, salmon, trout and oils including olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats include the omega 3’s and omega 6’s fatty acids that cannot be made in the body and have to be consumed in the diet.

Omega 3’s help in the regulation of blood pressure and cholesterol. They help assist in recovery by decreasing inflammation, improve growth hormones and assist in a healthy immune system.

Sources of polyunsaturated fats: include sunflower, corn, soybean and flaxseed oils, walnuts, flax seeds, fish, fish oil and canola oil. Foods include, beef, chicken, eggs, anchovies, mackerel, salmon, trout, tofu, soybeans, navy beans and kidney beans.

Carbohydrates

Benefits of consuming Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates enables a strong immune system, provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that take care of internal muscle and cell damage, provides the energy for our brains to function and fuels our muscles. In addition, it prevents proteins in our body being broken down and enables fat metabolism.

Carbohydrates at the chemical level contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

Carbohydrates provides 4 calories per gram of Carbs

Carbohydrate consumption can be a contentious issue amongst people wanting to lose weight. However, carbohydrates rich in vitamins and minerals providing more than just empty calories should be viewed as the primary source in the diet.

I am leaning towards wholesome carbohydrates with great nutritional value, containing only naturally occurring sugars that include fruits, vegetables and wholegrains and provides vitamins, minerals and fibre to promote overall body health. As opposed to the refined/ processed packaged foods that offer little to almost no value in terms of vitamins, minerals and fibre but a whole lot of empty calories.

So, let’s clear this up in our mind!

Refined grains are grains that have been significantly modified (processed) from their natural composition. This modification process involves the removal of bran and germ either through grinding or sifting. Refined grains are nearly always used in processed food, such as cake, biscuits, fast food and white bread.

Classification of Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates can be broken down into three groups, monosaccharides (1 sugar), disaccharides (2 sugars) and oligosaccharides (3 to 10 sugars).

Monosaccharides: include glucose, fructose & galactose.

1 sugar molecules are the fastest to digest and are the primary source of energy for the body’s cells and most importantly the primary energy source of the central nervous system.

Disaccharides: include lactose, sucrose and maltose.

These each contain 2 sugar molecules and therefore not easily digested.

Example of sugars listed above (Monosaccharides and disaccharides) include

• ·         Glucose: found in fruit, honey and some vegetables
• ·         Fructose: honey and fruit
• ·         Sucrose: sugar cane
• ·         Lactose: milk including breast milk
• ·         Maltose: in malted grains.

Oligosaccharides: are made of 3 to 10 monosaccharide units. They provide a health benefit as they are not digestible, suppling food (pre-biotics) to the good bacteria (pro-biotics) in our digestive track. Oligosaccharides are found in foods like beans and legumes, and as our gut microbes feast on them they produce the bubbles of excess gas or wind which is what beans are famous for. Oligosaccharides also include maltodextrins, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. These carbohydrates are manmade and take longer to digest.

Polysaccharides: are made of 10 or more (Poly meaning many), and complex carbs are long chains of sugars that are more complex and are the toughest to break down in the digestion process. These include starches and those that contain a significant amount of fibre, such as oats, cereals, fruit and vegetables, like cabbage, onions, garlic, strawberries and apples and yoghurt.

This is also where good gut bacteria in the colon (Large intestine) lend a helping hand when it comes to breaking down complex carbs and polysaccharides.

Dietary fibre include 

•           Wholegrains
• ·         multigrain products and are labelled wholegrain or wholemeal
• ·         vegetables
• ·         legumes
• ·         fruits
• ·         nuts and
• ·         seeds.

Starches 

Starches are found in

•           Legumes
• ·         Nuts
• ·         Potatoes
• ·         Rice
• ·         Wheat
• ·         Grains
• ·         Pasta
• ·         Cereals like breakfast cereals
• ·         Flour
• ·         Burgul
• ·         Polenta
• ·         Quinoa
• ·         Couscous

Take a look at the recipes BLOG page in particular the Sweet Potato Boat with butter beans, olives and seeds drizzled with a tahini dressing.

References: 

Brown, A. (2015). Understanding food principles and preparation. Cengage Learning: USA.

Grant, J. (2017). The difference between oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/545158-the-difference-between-oligosaccharides-polysaccharides

Hodgson, J. M (2011). Protein. In M, L. Wahlqvist. Food & nutrition: Food and health systems in Australia and New Zealand (3rd., pp. 295-311). Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin

Jones, G. P., & Hodgson, J. M (2011).  Carbohdrates. In M, L. Wahlquvist (Eds3.), Food and nutrition: Food and health systems in Australia and New Zealand (pp.268-283). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin  

Jones, G. P., & Hodgson, J. M (2011).  Fats. In M, L. Wahlquvist (Eds3.), Food and nutrition: Food and health systems in Australia and New Zealand (pp.284-294). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin  

National Health and Medical Research Council (2013). Eat for health. Australian dietary guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_131014.pdf

Whitney, E., Rolfes, S.R., Crowe, T., Cameron-Smith, D., & Walsh, A. (2013). Understanding nutrition. Australia: Cengage Learning