When it comes to eating macro-nutrients, or nutrients that are above the micro-level (carb, protein, and fat), there is quite a bit of confusion. Some say you do not need much more than a balanced diet, while others suggest very limited amounts of certain foods.

The reason most people get this confused message is because food guides like the USDA’s My Pyramid use the term “recommended levels” for both carbs and proteins.

These tips recommend limiting your daily intake of carbohydrates to equal to our body’s requirement and also advise limiting your daily intake of protein to match our needs.

However, they fail to tell us how much of each nutrient we should actually have in our diets. So even though the recommendations limit one to be equals of the other, they lack information about how many servings of each individual food group you should eat.

That’s where things get tricky. Because nutritionists cannot agree upon exact numbers, they usually offer some general guidelines. These include having enough balance in your diet by ingesting adequate amounts of all three macronutrients — carbohydrate, protein, and fat.

This article will go into detail about what these nutritional guidelines mean for weight loss, disease prevention, and overall health.

Hygiene is important

While it’s tempting to think that bigger muscles are the goal, eating enough macro-nutrients to grow strong bones and lean tissue is actually the more efficient way to gain muscle mass.

That’s because growth occurs when your body uses nutrients to produce proteins. So instead of trying to eat as much protein as possible, focus on ingesting enough of each nutrient to ensure steady muscle growth.

By keeping track of how many grams of specific foods you consume, we can easily determine how much of each nutrient you meet your daily quota for. And with nutritional software programs like MyMacroPlanner, you have even easier ways to do this!

MyMacroPlanners allows you to create weekly, monthly and yearly goals which make creating your plan easy and fun. You get rewarded for meeting your goals with points and tchats with other users who also use the app.

Don’t go to fat

Even though it seems like everyone and their grandma is talking about how much “healthy food” they are eating, we as individuals need to be careful not to overdo it with fats.

We live in an increasingly processed world where most foods contain some amount of saturated fat or sugar. It can become very difficult to find foods that are high in healthy nutrients unless you actively look for them.

So why should you care? Because too many carbs and too many fats can affect your blood glucose levels.

Higher glucose levels indicate higher insulin production, which may cause your body to store more calories as fat. This could contribute to weight gain and/or obesity.

Also, studies show that diets rich in carbohydrates and fats increase your risk of getting heart disease and diabetes.

Don’t go to sugar

While it is tempting to give into your sweet tooth, eating too much of it will only make you feel tired and hungry. Your body will begin storing the glucose in carbs as fat so that it does not have to work as hard to process them.

Many people start diets with this theory but then something happens like someone gives a party or you get invited onto a friend’s couch, and before you know it, chocolate and sweets are the order of the day.

When you eat enough carbohydrates for an extended period of time, your blood glucose can rise which stimulates your pancreas to release insulin. This helps to regulate glucose levels in your blood.

However, if you overdo it on carbs, your body may eventually switch from using insulin to manage glucose to having no effective tool to do so. Without enough insulin to help control blood glucose, diabetes can occur.

So, although it seems obvious, don’t overconsume carbs! If you find yourself craving foods high in carbohydrate content, try limiting how many carbs you consume for the rest of the day.

Know your sources of protein

Although most people’s favorite source of protein is chicken, it is not necessarily the best one for you depending on your health and fitness goals.

Other popular sources include fish, tofu, and nuts such as almonds or pistachios. Consuming too much protein can be harmful if consumed in excessive amounts due to the high concentration of glucose in the body.

Too much glucose can contribute to insulin resistance and even diabetes. Fortunately, we have some tips here for you to keep an eye on how much protein you are eating.

General recommendations suggest that individuals limit their daily intake to about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. A gram has two units: a bit over 2 tablespoons or 1 teaspoon. So, a person who weighs 70 kg (about 160 pounds) should aim to eat around 14–16 ounces — just under 5 cups!

Why? Because adequate levels of protein help promote bone growth and muscle development in our bodies. Also, they help regulate blood sugar levels.

However, there are times when limited calorie diets may require some changes. For example, someone on a 800-calorie diet might need to cut back on their yogurt powder by half to meet their nutritional needs.

Disclaimer: This article contains general information only. The contents herein should never replace the advice of a doctor – ask yours at least once a week!

This article was written with my own experiences and opinions.

Focus on whole plant foods

There’s an old cliché that says “you are what you eat,” which is pretty much indisputable. If your diet consists of lots of processed junk food, you will probably gain weight more quickly than someone who eats healthier.

By this we mean things like white bread instead of brown, pasta dishes instead of vegetables, and canned soups and packaged meats instead of fresh produce and grilled meat.

When was the last time you heard anyone talk about eating their greens?

So how does all of this relate to investing in microcap stocks? Well, one important factor is how much macro-level nutrition you consume.

That is, how many grams of fruits and veggies you eat per day.

Eat to balance

Having enough macro nutrients in your diet is more important than how much of each individual nutrient you have, unless you are deficient in them. This is because those other nutrients work together to make up our body’s fundamental building blocks- or macronutrients- such as protein, carbs, and fat.

By having adequate supplies of these nutrients, we can survive for several days without eating food!

So whether you are trying to gain weight, lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight, you should be looking at overall nutritional adequacy, not just which foods contain specific vitamins and minerals.

That said, it is still important to eat enough of every one of the three main types of nutrition to achieve optimal health.

Eat often

It’s not enough to have lots of food once in a while — you need to eat frequently to maintain your health.

That means eating at least twice per day, every day. One meal can be any size, but it should satisfy you and make you feel full.

Many people get this wrong. They may overdo it with their calories and become overweight, or they may forget how hungry they are and suffer from frequent hunger pains.

Either situation can hurt your overall health. Overweight individuals experience higher levels of inflammation and risk of disease, while those who are hungry too often are more likely to gain weight due to poor nutrition.

Fortunately, there is some helpful information about the average person’s calorie needs.

General recommendations suggest that most adults (including teens) require around 2,000-2,500 daily calories to stay healthy.

But what counts as “enough” depends on your individual body type and activity level. And remember that everyone is an individual, so one person may need less than that for themselves.

This article will help you determine the right number of calories for yourself by comparing two different ways to calculate personal calorie needs.

Eat wisely

Even though it may seem like a lot, you should not worry too much about how many foods you eat if you are trying to gain or maintain weight. After all, we live in an overfed, over-consumed culture!

If you feel hungry at some point during the day, try to ignore your hunger by engaging in other activities. Or have something light for lunch so that you do not need extra food later in the day.

We recommend keeping yourself within calorie range (2,000 – 2,500 per meal) to avoid nutritional deficiencies and health problems. Consistency is the most important factor when it comes to eating enough macro nutrients.

Once you find your personal caloric needs, you can easily determine how much of each nutrient you need for daily intake. Simply divide your total calories by the number of megajoules needed for every one of the macronutrients – protein, carbohydrate, and fat.