Typically, we try to eat healthy, don’t we? Yet, how do we decide to eat healthy? The most ubiquitous way used for decades was calculating calories to determine the energy levels and top them up timely. Yet, in recent years, nutritionists made a great breakthrough in HLS research. That is, counting calories is less efficient than tracking macros!

Do you know what macros are? Are you engaged in calculating them? If this term is still unknown to you, let’s discover more about what are macros, why they are important, and how to design your daily ration according to their balance.

The Main Types of Macros: Which Are Essential for Our Healthy Lifestyle

The term macros is used for the shortened determination of macronutrients. Instead of micronutrients (vitamins, trace minerals, etc) which are consumed in microscopic doses, macronutrients are what our meals mostly consist of. We are pretty sure that you know them all. The main macros we consume are Fantastic Three – protein, fat, and carbs! It was proved that different macronutrient compositions provide a higher impact on appetite regulation and overall energy consumption than the calorie number of a person’s meals

It’s not a secret that we need all three of them to remain healthy, strong, young, and beautiful. Yet, how many macros of each type do we need? Let’s consider this.

Proteins

Proteins are the main building materials for our bodies. They provide 4 calories of energy per gram of pure protein, yet we try to get more of them due to their incredible properties like as follows:

  • Proteins are the basis for muscle growth
  • They help to maintain balanced production of hormones and enzymes in our bodies
  • Proteins when you get enough of them, maintain healthy metabolism in cells
  • One more significant feature of this macronutrient is its immunity support and faster recovery.

Typically, an average person should consume no less than 0.8 grams per 1 kilogram of weight yet, your lifestyle and activity can impact the necessary amount of protein.

As for the main sources of this macro, of course, the most popular are meat and poultry. However, protein can be also consumed with fish, seafood, mushrooms, lentils, nuts and seeds. So, it’s not impossible to maintain this nutrient balance even if you strictly adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Fats

The second in our Fantastic Three is fat. Although fats are the richest in calories among all macros with over 9 calories of energy per gram of pure fat, they are necessary both for energy maintenance and weight control.

The main functions of fats in our bodies are as follows:

  • Supplying enough energy for daily activities;
  • Absorbing vitamins;
  • Protecting brain health and preventing heart strokes;

At the same time, there are so-called ‘bad’ and ‘good fats’. If you are interested in eating healthy, you shouldn’t refuse to eat fats, yet, you can select the most useful ones like as follows:

  • Monounsaturated fats – avocado oil, olive oil, canola, sesame, and peanut oils, olives, nuts (walnut, macadamia, pecans and oils extracted from them);
  • Polyunsaturated fats - fatty fish (herring, mackerel, tuna, salmon, etc), sunflower oil, tofu, soy oils and milk.

These are macros you can safely consume with your meals while consuming so-called ‘bad fats’ is unhealthy. These are trans fats and some kinds of saturated fats (for example, chicken skin or lard). Nevertheless, some saturated fats are also essential for balanced eating, for example, whole-fat dairy products, butter, or red meat. You can eat them moderately to control ‘good’ cholesterol.

As for the daily amount of fats you can eat without weight gain or health issues, it is 20-35% of all daily calories.

Carbohydrates

Although carbs are often considered to be enemies of dietary eating, we cannot function without them. Carbohydrates provide us with the maximum amount of energy per day as they contain 4 calories per 1 gram of pure carbs. And they deliver over 45% of energy to our bodies.

When thinking about which carbs to choose, you should understand that they are divided into fast carbs and slow carbs. The first are quickly digested and they rapidly increase the levels of blood sugar while slow carbs provide a modest increase in blood sugar.

Typically, sweets and pastries provide us with fast carbs while whole-grain bread, Italian pasta and unprocessed grains refer to slow carbs.

For healthy eating, as the FDA claims, an average person should eat 275 grams of pure carbs. Yet, if you want to lose weight, you should reduce their consumption while there is no strict correlation between fast/slow carbs impact on weight loss.

What Are Macros

Maintaining the Balance: Which Macros’ Proportion Is Healthy for You?

As everywhere in the world, the key secret of macros is their balance. That’s what impacts your well-being. As we mentioned earlier, you have to consume daily:

  • No less than 0.8 g of protein per 1 kg of your weight.
  • Something like 275 g of carbs.
  • 20-35% of calories delivered from fats.

That’s what can be the basis for your menu planning.

Which Factors Should Be Considered to Track Macros

At once, macros calculation should also consider the following features of your body:

  • Your current weight as if you are overweight, you have to reduce the number of calories and thus, reduce your consumption of macros too.
  • Your age. While ageing, the body’s metabolism slows down, and you need more time to process a similar amount of carbs and fats when you are over 50 than when you are at your prime.
  • Your physical activity levels. Athletes who train regularly, need more protein for their muscle growth while people with sedentary lifestyles need less fats and carbs. At once, if you are engaged in brain work, you need more energy for your brain and you can get it from fast carbs.

All that should be taken into account when you decide on tracking macros in your menu and keeping them balanced.

Benefits of Counting Macros Instead of Calories

Why should we calculate macros instead of calories, after all? The secret is simple. Although nutritionists claim an average person should eat 2,000-3,000 calories daily, these calories can be delivered by various eating menus.

Just compare the 2,000 calories got from two packs of chips and a pack of chocolate cookies and the same number of calories that you get from a glass of yogurt for breakfast, a portion of baked salmon with a salad, and a portion of protein shake. Which menu seems healthier? No doubt, the second one while their energy levels are similar. That’s why considering macros is more profitable for healthy eating. At once, you can combine these two approaches when you have some specific goals. For example, calculating macros and calories at once is profitable for weight loss as you still need to maintain the deficit of calories to lose weight. But you can make the process healthier when you also control the consumption of macros and eat enough proteins and fats instead of fast carbs.

Three Methods of Counting Macros to Choose the Best

At last, how can we control macros with no hassle? First, keep in mind the percentage:

  • 45-65% - carbs;
  • 20-35% - fats;
  • 10-35% - proteins.

There are three main methods for macros calculation:

  1. Using special apps. There are enough macros-counting applications that are available for mobile devices, so, you can download them and try your hand in calculation.
  2. Use measuring spoons, cups, and culinary scales to control the weight of your meals.
  3. Rely on 95 Nutrition! We can develop a full-fledged menu with balanced macros for you and make it meet your tastes, specific goals, and eating habits.

Considering macros is what can help you on your way to healthy eating. These nutrients are not too complex to calculate, and there are plenty of products containing their healthiest versions. So, it’s up to you to choose high-quality proteins, fats, and carbs and combine them in your meals maintaining a perfect balance. At once, controlling the portion size is what can help you fight overeating and weight gain.