What are macros?
We hear this all the time, and rightly so, but we also hear "Macro's scare me" now that's understandable, but you're simply fearing the unknown.
To put it simply Macronutrients (or macros) is the collective word for carbohydrates, fat and protein.
Right now that isn't going to mean much, but just think of the calories that you eat through the day are divided up into 3 different groups (carbs, fat , & protein)
Why are macros important?
Why this is important is because different foods are made up of different macro ratio's.
For example you've got chicken, which is made up majorly of protein. Where as Weetabix is made up majorly of carbs. The lastly something like an avocado is made up majorly of fats.
Sounds pretty straight up right?
Well where it get's confusing is there is many food out there which has a mix of ratios, high fat, high carbs, and low protein like cake. Or high protein, low carbs, high fat... like salmon.
Don't worry too much, over time you will understand this perfectly.
We've created a guide below and a cheat sheet for you to refer to over the next few weeks.
Carbs
Carbs are an important part of our diet - they give us energy for activity, help us recover from the activity and generally contain a lot of micronutrients (fruit, veg, wholegrains).
Fat
Fat is a necessity in our diet. It helps our bodies to work properly, keeping our hormones in check and helping us to absorb certain vitamins.
Protein
Protein is also a necessity for us. Having a minimum amount of protein in your diet helps maintain muscle mass while on a diet. It also helps us stay satiated. You can learn about protein sources here.
Below we have created the ultimate cheat sheet to help you get your head around macros...
Now if you are looking for fibre, which I have a feeling you probably are, you can read more about that here (including branded examples)
Remember... the 5 Golden Rules, on the Team RH Life Plan, are:
- Hit your calories
- Hit your protein macro
- Exceed your fibre macro
- Focus on hitting 80% nutrient - dense foods (20% sh!te)
- Smash your water
Looking for some high protein food examples to help smash your protein goal on the Life Plan? Checkout this blog here
Would you rather get some fibre examples instead? Have a read of this blog here.
