Introducing Macronutrients

The three main macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
They all provide the body with energy in the form of calories and are also all needed to maintain your body’s functions and structure.
During digestion, these macronutrients are broken down into smaller parts that are then used for their specific functions.

Carbs are the main energy source, proteins help build and repair tissues, and fats insulate organs and make up cell membranes.
Most foods contain a combination of all 3.
The number of calories a food has, is determined by the amount of each macronutrient it contains.
Each macronutrient has its own caloric value.
Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram
Protein also has 4 calories per gram
Fat has 9 calories per gram – so it has more than twice the calorie density per gram then both protein and carbs.
Which is why, as I have mentioned previously that it is easy to create a calorie deficit by limiting the amount of fat you consume in your diet.
In the next videos I will take a closer look at each macronutrient to further explain why it is important we eat all of them, and also share some of the foods that are the best sources of each.