Content provided by the Health & Wellness Team at GBS Benefits
Every individual has unique energy requirements, activity levels, and dietary preferences. Meeting these specific needs involves consuming the right balance of macronutrients—carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—which provide essential energy (calories) crucial for daily activities, exercise, and recovery.
Let’s break down each of these categories for further insight.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (or carbs) might be a triggering word for many. Fads come and go, often promoting the idea that cutting out carbs entirely is beneficial, especially targeting women. However, carbs fuel your brain and nervous system. They help preserve muscle tissue by preventing your body from using protein as the primary energy source. Carbs are also stored in the form of glycogen and used to fuel workouts. As you complete activities and exercise throughout the day, those stores are depleted and need to be replenished.
Stacy Sims, author of ROAR, a book about catering your food and fitness to female physiology, shares the following regarding low-carb diets in relation to performance:
“Low carbohydrate diets increase fatty acid oxidation during exercise and encourage intramuscular fat storage, increase oxidative stress, trigger overtraining syndrome, and downregulate the endocrine system. [These diets] can also put you in a state of low energy availability where your body may have the energy it needs for training, but not enough for other functions – disrupting menstruation, performance, and bone mass.”
Long story short, your body needs carbohydrates. Think veggies, fruit, and ancient grains.
Proteins
Protein is used to build and repair muscle and bones, make hormones and enzymes, and provide energy for our body. Studies suggest that adequate protein intake leads to a reduction in blood pressure, bad LDL cholesterol levels, and triglycerides.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Out of the 20 different amino acids, nine cannot be synthesized/created from other nutrients in our bodies and must be delivered through our diet. Protein comes in two varieties, incomplete and complete. Complete proteins contain all nine amino acids that can’t be created in our bodies. Incomplete proteins contain some but not all of these amino acids. You can combine incomplete proteins to create a complete protein, such as hummus with pita or rice and beans. For more ideas of complimentary protein pairings, visit https://www.realsimple.com/complete-protein-foods-6891861.
Fats
Fat from food does not equal body fat. Fats have gotten a bad rap in the nutrition world, often encouraging people to look for low-fat or no-fat options. However, fat is an essential source of fuel for aerobic exercise and life itself. It protects inner organs, preserves bones, and is necessary for immune and nerve cell function. The key is getting fats from whole, natural, and unprocessed sources such as grass-fed beef, chicken, eggs, dairy, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds. Try to limit trans fats and look for foods rich in omega-3s.
Ultimately, fueling your body is all about balance and finding what makes you feel the best. Listen to your body and tune into how particular foods make you feel.
