Welcome to the first post of National Nutrition Month 2019!

We wanted to use this post to highlight some of the basics of nutrition including macronutrients, micronutrients, and how to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

Macronutrients

There are 3 macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat, and protein.  These are called the macronutrients because our bodies need them in large quantities. Carbs, fat, and protein all yield energy, but they are digested, absorbed, and utilized in the body differently.

Carbohydrates are your body’s number one fuel source. They are the most efficient at providing energy and should therefore be a large part of your diet. Not all carbohydrates are created equal, however, which often causes carbs to get a bad reputation. Here’s what you should know about carbohydrates:

1. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are all sources of carbohydrates and are an important part of a healthy diet
2. Added sugars, refined grains like white bread and pastries, and syrups like those found in coffee drinks are also sources of carbohydrates, but these should be consumed in moderation as they are not beneficial to the body
3. Including a healthy source of carbohydrates in your first meal will provide you with energy for the rest of the day. Overnight, our energy stores are depleted, so it’s important to replenish these energy reserves in order to stay focused and energized throughout the day

Protein is the macronutrient that aids in the regulation of metabolism, necessary repairs, muscle maintenance, and other important functions within the body. Here’s what you should know about protein:

1. Varying your protein sources is an important part of a healthy diet. Choosing different sources throughout the day will ensure that your body is getting enough of each amino acid.
2. Plant proteins, such as those found in legumes, nuts, and seeds, should be included in the diet on a regular basis. These protein sources have unique qualities that animal proteins don’t, such as containing fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals that help keep us healthy.
3. Just like calorie requirements, protein requirements vary among individuals. Age, activity level, goals, and other factors all influence the amount of protein that is appropriate.

Fat, like carbohydrates, is a macronutrient that often gets a bad rep. There are two broad categories that we group fat into – saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, like those found in cured meats, coconut oil, and highly processed foods have been shown to be associated with obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Unsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado have been shown to be beneficial and can even help prevent these chronic diseases.  Here’s what you should know about fats:

1. Not all fats are created equal. Unsaturated fats should be given preference over saturated fats in order to maintain a healthy body weight and prevent disease
2. Adding a source of fat to your meal can help keep you fuller longer due to the increased rate of digestion and absorption that fat requires. Adding avocado or a handful of nuts to a salad, or eating fruit with peanut butter will help keep you full until your next meal.
3. Don’t go nuts over coconut oil – a recent trend has consumers believing that coconut oil is a health-promoting food. However, coconut oil is high in saturated fat, and research shows that it should be limited in the diet just like other sources of saturated fat.

Now that we’ve discussed the basics about the 3 macronutrients, let’s talk about micronutrients and what they do for our bodies.                

Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Micronutrients do not provide energy to the body, but they are still an important part of a healthy diet.

The 13 vitamins include Vitamin A, the 8 B vitamins (thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and biotin), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. All vitamins are essential to life and have different functions in the body, which is why consuming a healthy, balanced diet with variety is so important.

Our bodies also require minerals like calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, and others in order to function. Consuming a variety of healthy foods will ensure that your body is getting enough of everything that it needs.

Antioxidants are important for fixing damage within the body. The color in different plant foods is actually a result of antioxidants and other compounds that greatly benefit our health. When you hear people say to eat the rainbow, it’s because different colored fruits and vegetables provide different antioxidants and nutrients that keep us healthy.

So how exactly do you aim to eat a healthy, balanced diet?

Try to include all of the macronutrients in each meal. For example, rice, beans, and guacamole can be made into a burrito bowl that has a nice balance of carbs from the rice, protein from the beans, and fat from the guacamole. Next, consider adding some color to your meal. Throw in some green peppers, red onion, and salsa to add color, antioxidants, and micronutrients to your meal.

Some other examples are:

• Chickpeas with shredded carrots, quinoa, hummus, and lettuce wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. Have some fruit on the side like grapes, a sliced apple, or fresh berries
• Rolled oats soaked overnight with nut butter, berries, cinnamon, and ground flaxseeds
• Avocado toast with scrambled eggs or tofu scramble. Add some spinach and mushrooms to your scramble and top with salt, pepper, and paprika

But what about Fad Diets?

Fad Diets

There is ultimately no “quick fix” to a healthy, balanced diet and claims like these can lead consumers astray. Claims such as “lose weight fast,” even from those denoting that they are a nutritionist, require no research backing. Even some diet and nutrition books you find in stores may not be backed by science!  In many cases, these “new” diets are only maintainable in the short-term. You may you lose weight fast in the beginning, which is how these fad diets gain popularity, but they are ultimately unsustainable long-term.

A fad diet is any number of weight-reduction diets that either eliminate one or more of the essential food groups, or recommend consumption of one type of food in excess at the expense of other foods. Diets such as the atkins and the keto diet, made popular in recent years, reduces carbohydrates in order to force the body to burn other resources as energy. As a result, the body will burn adipose tissue and eventually degrade muscles in order to produce energy. The best recommendation for an overall healthy lifestyle is to include a balance of all macro and micronutrients in the diet.

If you do wish to lose weight, gain muscle, or clean up your diet in a healthy, sustainable way, contacting a Registered Dietitian is a great first step! Unlike nutritionists, RDNs or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists can not have that title without credentials including a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science as well as passing the RD exam!

That’s all for this week!

Check back next week for a spotlight on fruits and vegetables.