Matt Dustin - Macronutrient Basics: Your Guide to the Essentials of Macronutrients—and How a Macro Diet Can Work for You!

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First Adams Media trade paperback edition January 2020

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Cover design by Michelle Kelly

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Dustin, Matt, author.

Title: Macronutrient basics / Matt Dustin, CSCS.

Description: Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media, 2020.

Series: Basics.

Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019038550 | ISBN 9781507212707 (pb) | ISBN 9781507212714 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Weight loss. | Carbohydrates. | Carbohydrates in human nutrition.

Classification: LCC RM222.2 .D788 2020 | DDC 613.2/83--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019038550

ISBN 978-1-5072-1270-7

ISBN 978-1-5072-1271-4 (ebook)

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Simon & Schuster, Inc., was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

The information in this book should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health problem. Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. You should always consult a trained medical professional before starting a diet, taking any form of medication, or embarking on any fitness or weight training program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Always follow safety and commonsense cooking protocols while using kitchen utensils, operating ovens and stoves, and handling uncooked food. If children are assisting in the preparation of any recipe, they should always be supervised by an adult.

Contains material adapted from the following title published by Adams Media, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.: The Everything Guide to Macronutrients by Matt Dustin, CSCS, Pn1, copyright 2017, ISBN 978-1-5072-0416-0.

You may have heard of the health benefits of macronutrientscarbohydrates, fat, and protein. Theyre the source of the calories you consume and the building blocks of any diet, whether youre counting them to lose weight, boost energy, build lean muscle, or strengthen your heart. Each macronutrient serves a specific purpose, and you should consume it in the proper amount for the best health. But how can you plan your diet so you have the right balance of macronutrients?

Begin with the basics.

Macronutrient Basics teaches everything you need to know about macronutrients in a quick, easy-to-understand way. Wondering what macronutrients mean for your health? Youll find a systematic discussion of carbohydrates, fat, and protein and the role each should play in your eating habits. Want to know how many calories you should be eating? Here youll find out the optimum number. Want to build the perfect diet plan? This book gives detailed advice about what to drink and eat. Plus, there are more than fifty delicious recipes that will help get your diet plan off to a good start!

In this book, youll learn the ins and outs of macronutrients; how you apply this information is up to you. Maybe youre already on a diet but want to make some tweaks to it. Maybe you want to build lean muscle or increase your energy. Whatever your goal may be, this book will give you the tools to get there.

No matter what your reasons for learning more about macronutrients are, this book is here to help you confidently ease into this new lifestyle and apply it to your lifeeasily and effectively.

Macronutrients are the building blocks of any dietproteins, carbohydrates, and fatsand they are where all of your calories come from (minus alcohol, which contains calories but is technically a toxin, so we dont count it as a macronutrient). Macronutrients supply the energy, fuel, and nutrients you need to live. Each macronutrient serves a specific purpose and should be consumed in the proper amount for optimal health. Quite a few variables come into play when setting up macronutrient ratios, but first, you must understand what they are, what they do, and what foods they come from.

Macronutrients form the basis of any nutrition plan. Regardless of whether you follow a strict diet plan or just eat whatever you feel like, you take in macronutrients every single day. Without an adequate macronutrient intake, your body would stop working. The amount of macronutrients in a given food determines how many calories are in that food. By figuring out exactly how many macronutrients your body needs each day and then eating that balanced amount, and adjusting your intake when things get stuck, you can achieve your health and weight loss goals.

Macronutrients are carbs, proteins, and fat. An easy trick to remember this is remembering that macro means large. Micronutrients on the other hand, while essential, dont have any calories. Micronutrients would include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other things found in food that dont have any calories.

To understand macronutrients, you need a very basic understanding of how your body operates. Every single process your body goes through every day, from brushing your teeth to digesting food and even breathing, requires energy. You may not feel physically tired from sitting on the couch watching television, but even the simple act of staying alive requires a little bit of energy. Your body gets the energy it needs from calories. Some foods have quite a few calories while some have very little, but all foods contain calories, even if they are found in very small amounts.

A calorie is a measure of energy. In scientific terms, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1C. Thus, the more calories a food contains, the more energy it supplies to your body. A calorie isnt good or badit just is. Different foods will offer more nutritional benefits than others, but ultimately a calorie is still a calorie and nothing more than a measure of energy.

If you have a very active lifestyle, your body will use or burn a greater number of calories to function every day. Activities that make you feel physically tired, like running, playing sports, yard work, or significant walking, will burn more calories than sitting around doing nothing.