Seems everyone is counting their 'macros' nowadays. But what are macros?
Most simply, 'macros' is short for macronutrients, of which there are three; protein, fats and carbohydrates (or four if you include water)
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They are the building blocks of which all our food and calories are made up of. .
⏺ Protein - Protein is a nutrient found in things like meat, fish, seeds, nuts and eggs. It has a huge array of functions, but we perhaps know it best as one of the molecule that helps build up our muscles. For every gram of protein consumed, it's 4 calories.
⏺ Fats - Fats can be split into two main groups: unsaturated and saturated. Unsaturated fats can be found in a lot of plant sources like seeds and avocados. Saturated fats can be found in things like coconut oil and butter. More about different kinds of fat 🔜 1g fat = 9 cals ⏺ Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates can be split into 'simple' and 'complex' sources. Simple sources include sugar in things like chocolate etc and also in fruit. While complex includes the starches we find in bread, pasta etc More about these kinds 🔜 1g of carbohydrate = 4 calories.
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When people 'count macros' they set a certain about of grams/calories to be consumed of each micronutrient each day. The amount of which is specific to that individual and their goals. Some people love this approach to eating, whereas others hate it. As with everything it is all about personal preference! Any questions? Let me know!