Back on Wednesday, June 16th, we discussed a great way to determine approximately how many calories you should be consuming each day. Assuming you did so, fantastic! And if you didn't, stop procrastinating and do it!
Now, the next step in creating a healthy nutrition plan is to divide these calories amongst the three primary macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Protein: Eating high-quality protein ensures that your body always has the raw material to build and maintain lean muscle. It also helps you feel fuller, faster. High quality proteins include poultry (chicken), pork, fish, eggs, beef, whey and casein proteins.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are broken down by the body into glucose. When used for energy, glucose becomes fuel for your muscles and brain. If your body does not have any use for the glucose, it is converted into glycogen and stored as an energy reserve. If your body has more glucose than it can use, the excess is converted to fat. Excellent sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, and 100% whole wheat bread and pasta.
Fat: Consuming fat is a crucial factor in helping you control the total number of calories your body craves. This is because it's very effective at keeping you feeling satisfied after you've eaten. They key to consuming fat is eating the right fats in limited quantities! Stick to natural fats including avocados, olive and canola oils, nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, and the fat found in meats and cheeses.
Healthy nutrition guidelines recommend that an individual consumes approximately 50% of their overall daily caloric intake in carbohydrates, 30% in protein, and 20% in fat.
So if a person's daily caloric intake target is 1,430 calories, he/she should consume the following:
715 calories of carbohydrates (or 179 grams)
429 calories of protein (or 107 grams)
286 calories of fat (32 grams)
Follow this nutrition plan and make your weight loss or weight gain goals a reality!
Bon Appetit - Jake
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