All the foods you need in your daily diet in order to keep your body feeling energized, looking great and overall maintaining excellent health! I am no expert so I will be simplifying everything so you guys can easily understand everything and even explain it to kids or others. #health #healthyfood #food #macros #carbs #fats #protein
So you must be wondering, what even are macros?
Macros, short for macronutrients. They are the three categories of nutrients which provide energy, muscle repair, growth and everything else we need as humans. These categories are: Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats.
Now you must had have the impression that carbohydrates are what makes you gain weight, you must cut them out completely in order to lose weight blah blah blah. No. We all NEED carbs in order for our bodies to have energy to move, for our bodily systems to function, for our brain to function. Without carbs you will be left:
Always feeling hungry - this leads to unhealthy snacking
No energy - no exercise or you wont be bothered to cook
In fact, cutting out carbs will make your body starve itself and whatever you eat next will be stored as fat
Your stomach will never be satisfied with portion sizes
You will probably end up over-eating your proteins or fats - this leads to gaining bad weight.
Next, you might be thinking that protein is just meats. Maybe you don't like a lot of meats, maybe you're bored of meat, maybe you're vegetarian or vegan (like me). Don't worry, not all protein are meats or any sort of animal product. Proteins are just as important as carbohydrates and fats, equally they help the body function, provide energy and most foods that are under to protein category are high in fibre (what makes you feel full).
Finally, fats. "Oh no, these are the ones that make me gain weight! I need to cut out all fats! All fats are bad!" Woah woah woah. Slow down. The fats you're thinking of are called saturated fats; Donuts, cakes, biscuits, pizza, take away and foods high in diary or sugar like chocolate or sweets. Those are the ones you want to avoid daily, and only have them as a treat.
You see when we see the word fat when it comes to food we automatically think - "these foods are what make me gain weight". No Michael, they don't. In fact the unsaturated fats (the good ones) are what help you lose weight. I know, crazy right. Unsaturated fats are what supports out hormones, control cravings, and improve brain training.
Each category of food is good, when given the right portions. They each help our body grow and function, too much of one and not the others will cause issues and I understand some people want to gain, lose or maintain healthy weight. Each follow different dietary requirements but still include each of the following categories. If you want to gain weight, don't cut out fats and eat more carbs. Or if you want to lose weight, don't cut out carbs and eat more protein. All of them go hand in hand.
Carbohydrates:
Breads (v)
Pasta (v)
Noodles (v)
Cereal (v)
Rice (v)
Fruit (vg) (gf)
Wholegrains (vg)
Whole wheat (vg)
Vegetables (vg) (gf)
Oats (vg) (gf)
Potatoes (vg) (gf)
Sugar (vg) (gf)
Carbohydrates// Proteins:
Beans e.g. kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils etc (vg) (gf)
Skim milk (v) (gf)
Quinoa (vg)
Low fat yoghurt (v) (gf)
Peas (vg) (gf)
Proteins:
Whey protein (v)
Chicken (gf)
Quorn meats (v/vg)
Lean beef (gf)
Turkey (gf)
Turkey bacon (gf)
Canned tuna (gf)
Fish (gf)
Egg whites (v) (gf)
Proteins// Fats:
Whole eggs (v) (gf)
Cheese (v) (gf)
Salmon (gf)
Ground beef (gf)
Bacon (gf)
Steak (gf)
Fats:
Nuts (vg) (gf)
Nut butters (vg) (gf)
Olives (vg) (gf)
Olive oil (vg) (gf)
Coconut oil (vg) (gf)
Avocado (vg) (gf)
Egg yolks (v) (gf)
Flax seeds (vg) (gf)
Chia seeds (vg) (gf)
V = Vegetarian
VG = Vegan
GF = Gluten Free
Thank you so much for reading. I hope this helps with your daily intake and remember that when looking after your body, a number doesn't define your beauty. Happiness and health go hand in hand when deciding change. Don't restrict your body too much, your mind and body desire what it wants and you must do what it takes to keep you feeling happy. Most of the time if you over eat or under eat you are left feeling unsatisfied, bloated or still hungry and this takes a toll on your emotional and mental health.
It is important to be healthy, but it is as equally as important to listen to what your body wants. Here's a secret tip from yours truly: Don't eat from emotion because that is where it all goes downhill. If you're upset and eat a whole tub of ice cream, it will hit you in the morning and this will make you feel sluggish and tired and bloated, this will effect your mental health and you wont feel great. However a sweet treat or a craving is normal. So just listen to your body and eat until you are satisfied, as you eat your treats think about how they make you feel and enjoy it, you deserve to be happy. And with happy emotions comes a happy mindset, happy mindset and a happy body lead to great progress.
If you have any questions or want any advice do contact me via my Instagram (@phoebeadams_) or email me (phoebe.adams.03@gmail.com). Until next time...
- Phoebe Xoxo