Macros | Macronutrients | Nutrition | Get fit with Shubham

-

 

1. Carbohydrates: The Preferred Fuel

Carbs are your body's primary and most efficient energy source. Your brain, in particular, runs almost exclusively on glucose derived from carbohydrates.

  • Why you need them: They provide immediate energy for physical activity and brain function. They also help "spare" protein so your body doesn't have to burn muscle for fuel.

  • How much: Typically 45%–65% of your total daily calories.

  • Best Sources: 

    • Complex (Fiber-rich): Oats, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and legumes.

    • Simple (Quick energy): Whole fruits and dairy.

    • Note: Aim for "complex" carbs most of the time to avoid energy crashes.

2. Protein: The Building Blocks

Think of protein as the "structural" macro. It’s responsible for much more than just big muscles; it’s involved in every single cell in your body.

  • Why you need them: Protein is essential for tissue repair, immune function, hormone production, and maintaining lean muscle mass.

  • How much: Typically 10%–35% of your daily calories. (A common rule of thumb is roughly 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight for sedentary adults, and more for active individuals).

  • Best Sources: 

    • Animal: Eggs, chicken, fish, lean beef, and Greek yogurt.

    • Plant: Tofu, lentils, chickpeas, seitan, and hemp seeds.

3. Fats: The Regulators

Fats often get a bad reputation, but they are vital for survival. They are the most energy-dense macro, providing 9 calories per gram (compared to 4 calories for carbs and protein).

  • Why you need them: Fats support cell growth, protect your organs, keep your body warm, and are required for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are also crucial for brain health and hormone regulation.

  • How much: Typically 20%–35% of your daily calories.

  • Best Sources: 

    • Unsaturated (Healthy): Avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish (like salmon).

    • Limit: Saturated fats (fatty meats, butter) and avoid trans fats (processed fried foods).

4. The "Hidden" Macro: Water

While it doesn't provide calories, water is technically a macronutrient because you need it in large amounts to survive.

  • Why you need it: It regulates temperature, lubricates joints, and flushes out waste. Even mild dehydration can lead to brain fog and fatigue.

  • How much: A general guide is about 2.7 to 3.7 liters per day from all beverages and foods, but this varies heavily based on your activity level and climate.

Quick Comparison Table

MacronutrientPrimary FunctionDaily Caloric GoalCalories per Gram
CarbohydratesEnergy & Brain Fuel45% – 65%4 kcal
ProteinRepair & Structure10% – 35%4 kcal
FatsHormones & Vitamin Absorption20% – 35%9 kcal

Pro Tip: While tracking grams can be helpful for specific goals, for general health, focus on "Whole Food" sources. If your plate has a colorful vegetable (carbs), a palm-sized portion of meat or beans (protein), and a thumb-sized portion of healthy oil or avocado (fats), you’re usually right on track!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Timing tab of chrome dev tools

-
Timing breakdown phases explained Here's more information about each of the phases you may see in the Timing tab: Queueing (no-color, transparent, white ) . The browser queues requests when: The request was postponed by the rendering engine because it's considered lower priority than critical resources (such as scripts/styles). This often happens with images. The request was put on hold to wait for an unavailable TCP socket that's about to free up. The request was put on hold because the browser only allows  six TCP connections  per origin on HTTP 1. Time spent making disk cache entries (typically very quick.) Stalled/Blocking (grey) . Time the request spent waiting before it could be sent. It can be waiting for any of the reasons described for Queueing. Additionally, this time is inclusive of any time spent in proxy negotiation. Proxy Negotiation (grey): Time spent negotiating with a  proxy server  connection. DNS Lookup (Dark green) . Time spent p...
Read more

Understanding focal length and aperture | Become a photographer with Shubham Part-9

-
Image
1. What if focal length Focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the imaging point 2. Focal length and aperture relation: The aperture is a fraction that describes the ratio of aperture (entrance pupil) diameter to focal length. 3. How to differentiate between lenses: Camera name itself says, like: Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-P. Maximum aperture is f/3.5 but it shifts gradually from f/3.5 at the wide end to just f/5.6 at the longer focal lengths. It can be identified by column as well, like:Nikon 50mm 1:1.4G(Max aperture f/1.4). Nows lets get into the details: 1. What is focal length: Focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the imaging point (focal plane) where the light for the image is collected. When a lens is described as a "50mm lens," it is referring to its focal length. Different focal lengths create different levels of magnification and change the viewing angle of the resulting photograph. As the focal length value decreases, the ...
Read more

HDR photography and What is Auto bracketing | Become a photographer with Shubham Part-4

-
Image
What is HDR photography High Dynamic Range imaging How HDR work Instead of just taking one photo, HDR uses three photos, taken at different exposures. And combine all them together into a single photo. Over exposed Normal Under exposed When you should use HDR Landscapes : Big landscape photos usually have a lot of contrast between the sky and land, which is difficult for your camera to deal with in just one photo. With HDR, you can capture the sky’s detail without making the land look too dark, and vice versa. Portraits in sunlight : We all know that lighting is one of the most important aspects of a good photo, but too much lighting on someone’s face—like harsh sunlight—can cause dark shadows, bright glare, and other unflattering characteristics. HDR can even that all out and make your subject look better. Low-light and backlit scenes (see above): If your photo is looking a little too dark—which often happens if your scene has too much backlight—H...
Read more