What are macro nutrients and how many should be consumed?

Macronutrients are the substances that our body require relatively large amounts of. They are your proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Your fitness results are dependent on your macronutrient intake and either too much or too little of any will be harmful to you.
Let's start with protein. Protein is the building block of muscles and a sufficient amount is needed in order to recover after a workout. Not enough protein will cause your muscles to take longer to recover and decrease in mass, which will cause your metabolism to slowdown.

The suggested daily intake for protein is around 54 grams (or 0.8 grams/kg of bodyweight) per day for a non active person . However, for someone who exercises regularly, their intake may be anywhere between 1.3-2 grams/kg of bodyweight depending on the intensity of the exercise. Too much protein will put a lot of stress on your kidneys as well as cause dehydration and leaching of important bone minerals.

So don't go overboard and think that more is better, a common mistake made by teenagers and young adults when starting a fitness routine for the first time.

Next, let's move on to carbohydrates, the body's favorite fuel. Generally, it is recommended that carbohydrates make up 45-65% of your total caloric intake per day. There are 2 kinds of carbs: simple and complex.

Simple carbs are found in foods such as fruits or sweets. They are easily and quickly absorbed by the body which make them a real threat in the form of fat gain. Most people blame fat as the culprit to fat gain, which logically makes sense, but it's usually a high consumption of simple carbs that are the real culprit. They have no nutritional value, add unnecessary calories and don't satisfy hunger. A low to moderate consumption is okay especially if it's from fruits. In addition, simple carbs can actually be beneficial to athletes who perform high intensity sports when consumed before or during an event.

Complex carbs are found in foods such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. They are absorbed slower and provide consistent energy over a longer period of time where as simple carbs provide a larger burst of energy but for a short period of time. In addition, complex carbs contain fiber which helps the body maintain regular bowel movements and keep your intestines healthy.

Lastly, I'll discuss fats. There are three types of fats: unsaturated, saturated and trans fat. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, where as carbohydrates and protein contain only 4 calories per gram.

Unsaturated fats are considered to be the good fats that your body needs to function properly.
These fats help reduce heart disease, lower cholesterol levels and have other health benefits when they replace saturated fats in the diet. They are found in plant based oils as well as nuts, seeds and fatty fish.

Saturated and trans fats are considered to be the bad fats that increase cholesterol levels and increase heart disease risks. Saturated fats are found in animal food products and are ok when consumed in moderation. Trans fats are the worst of the fats and should be consumed as little as possible (ideally not all) because they are artificially created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. They are found in fried foods like doughnuts, and baked goods including cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, and stick margarines and other spreads.

It is suggested that fats make up 20-35% of your total calorie intake per day.