Nutrition 101
Understanding the basics of nutrition.....

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To most, nutrition is confusing. The ‘diet’ industry is a multi-billion pound juggernaut that cannot be stopped. The abundance of ‘special diets’ within it is staggering. They have their place in the market, hence why they make money. They work for some, but not for all. Those some are the ones who turn that ‘diet’ into the next big thing. The Hollywood must have. The magic pill. The rabbit hole you need to go down to achieve successful weight loss.

Now…..

Let’s go back a line. Weight loss is not what we desire. Weight can mean many things. It’s just a term lazily banded around by millions of treasure hunters seeking the key to open the chest to where success is lying. The term was used above purposely. Fat loss is what we are truly reaching for. A change in body composition. That’s the holy grail that we all desire, but we so often get confused with it’s more generic terminology.

This blog will trim the fat, so to speak. It written to give you an easier understanding of basic nutrition. We’re not going to throw a lot of scientific terms at you. We’ll look at some of the basics and break it down into easy to digest (unintentional pun) information.

So, here goes…..

Firstly. What is a calorie? A calorie is the energy the body requires to increase the temperature of one gram of water by one degree celsius. In modern times, the term kilocalories are often seen on nutrition labels. This is the energy it takes to raise the temperature of one kilo of water by one degree celsius.

Secondly. How many calories are found in the three macronutrients? Well. There are four calories in one gram of protein. The same applies for carbohydrates. One gram of fat contains nine calories. In order to achieve fat loss, we need to burn more calories than we consume. So how does that breakdown?

In simple terms…..

1lb of body fat contains 395g of fat. There are around 9 calories of energy per gram of fat. This equates to 3,500 calories per pound of body fat.

So…..

In order to lose 1lb of body fat, we must expend 3,500 calories more than we consume. To gain body fat, we reverse that number.

Let’s look at your body as a house. All three macronutrients are essential to building optimal health. Just as tradesmen, materials and foundations are crucial to building a strong house. If we have a deficiency in one, the others can’t perform the same job as the missing link, hence the reason why we need all three in our diet.

The foundations are protein. They are used to build and repair tissue. A stronger structure. The tradesmen are carbohydrates. Carbs are the engine room that supply energy to function more efficiently. To build the house. The materials are your fats. Essential to a well balanced diet, as well as holding it all together with the other two elements.   

Let’s talk macronutrients in a little more simple detail….. 

Carbohydrates

Carbs come in two main types: Complex and Simple.

Complex are found mainly in grains (whole), vegetables, nuts and seeds. They are called complex carbs due to the chains of sugars within them, as well smaller amounts of protein, fats and fibre. This results in a slower insulin response leaving you feeling fuller for longer (satiety).

Simple carbs can come in many forms. Some are healthier. Whilst carbohydrates contain nine calories per gram, some lack any nutritional value. Foods such as refined grains which means they have been stripped of their natural qualities are good examples. White bread, rice and pasta. Cake. Sweets. Crisps. Simple carbs contain sugars that are absorbed quickly, hence the name.

Carbohydrates are split into three elements: glucose, fructose and galactose. Entering the blood stream through your small intestine, they are taken up by cells within the body and turned into energy. Once turned into glucose, they are stored as glycogen and used by the body during exercise, after being turned back to glucose by the liver.

Protein

The building blocks of the body. Protein provides the body with the dual ability of building and repairing muscle. Protein is made up of chains of amino acids through the process of digestion. Nine of these amino acids are essential to the human body and cannot be synthesised by the body and must be obtained through our diet. This blog is going to be kept in its simplest terms, so we’re not going to go into all the amino acids here.

In future blogs, we’ll discuss this in more detail when we’ll break down each macronutrient into more scientific terms. For this purpose, we’re keeping it simple. There are five that can be synthesised by humans, and a further six that can be synthesised but only in a limited capacity.

Many of you may have heard or seen the term ‘BCAA’. This stands for branch chain amino acids, or the nine essential amino acids spoken about above. These are also known as ‘complete’ proteins and are the gold standard.

So…..

Where do we find the best sources of proteins? Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, grains (some), legumes and soy. Of these, meat, fish, poultry, eggs and soybeans are complete proteins.

Protein also helps with satiety. The feeling of being full. One the key factors in gaining body fat is due to the lack of the above. Many people eat foods that leave them hungry for more, which leads to snacking, which if done consistently over a sustained period of time, will lead to a gain in body fat %. Protein also helps to regulate our metabolism through the production of hormones as well as cell building.

Fats

Let’s talk about the devil. Fats. You’ve heard it before. “Avoid fat at all costs”. “It’s the devil in the form of food”. It isn’t. Like proteins and carbs, not all fats are created equal. Fats come in four different forms. None of their structures are the same, and this has implications in the impact they have on our bodies. They are:

Trans Fats

Monounsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated Fats

Saturated Fats

We’ll have a little look at each one now…..

Trans fats have a structure that is more stable meaning that they will ultimately have a longer life, and more often than not, are synthetically produced during processing. Trans fats have been shown to have a negative effect on our good cholesterol, making us more prone to heart issues.

Monounsaturated fats are looked upon more favourably due to their structure being made up of liquid form rather than solid.These are more commonly referred to as ‘good’ fats. Examples are avocados, fish such as salmon, nuts, seeds and plant based cooking oils to name a few. Polyunsaturated fats are similar in terms of the benefits they offer to the human body and its function, whilst they are also linked to keeping our heart healthy as opposed to trans fats, which are seen to negatively effect our heart health.

Saturated fats are more often than not solid in their structure and more commonly found in things like red meat and forms of dairy. Whilst it can also be found in some plant forms like avocado, it’s important to be aware of how much we consume.

Supplements can and should also be considered as they contain many health benefits that we sometimes often overlook. Omega-3 supplements have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, not to mention joint function.

So…..

We’ve looked at the the three big boys.

But…..

There is another not-so-well-known-more-commonly-not- spoken-about-macronutrient.

Alcohol

Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. Not far off that of fat. This is largely due to the fermentation process in the making of alcohol. A pint of lager can contain between 180 and 245 calories versus around 52 to 55 calories found in clear spirits such as vodka and gin. If you drink alcohol on a regular occasion, you can expect implications on your health in the longer term. Alcohol has links to brain, heart, and liver disease, whilst also increasing the risk of developing various forms of cancer. Enough said about alcohol.

Finally……

Micronutrients

Unable to be synthesised by the body, micronutrients are derived from our diet and the foods we consume. Micronutrients are more commonly known as vitamins and minerals. They are vital to optimal function and a deficiency can have consequences on our health.

Micronutrients aren’t hard to find in our diets. Colour is what you’re looking for when you plate up at meal times. Green vegetables, nuts, grains, carrot are some examples. In essence, lots of colour.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. Master the basics. Ensure proteins, carbohydrates and fats are included in your diet. Get a balance of the three. Eat the things you like in moderation. Make better, wiser choices. Drink lots of water. Understand that the new craze might not work for you. Put all these very basic things together and you won’t go far wrong.

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