nutrition

Knowing the basics of Nutrition will help you on your weight loss journey:

Basic Nutrition

You will already see that your Macro is divided into three main types of food:

• Carbohydrates

• Protein

• Fats

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates provide 'fuel' for our bodies but are seen as the 'Enemy' to weight loss, since they often include sugars and starches. These are 'refined carbohydrates' and a healthy diet reduces these or replaces them totally with a healthier alternative. Carbohydrates also occur in dairy products in the form of a milk sugar called lactose.

The best carbohydrates to choose are those which are called 'complex carbohydrates' and are based on whole grains. These provide the energy the body needs in a healthier way. They also make you feel fuller, since the body digests whole grains more slowly and they contain fibre which is needed for good digestion.

Examples include quinoa, bran, whole wheat, whole oats, barley and rye.

Carbohydrates are always needed by the body, however, when less carbohydrates are eaten, the body is more likely to burn our stored fat for energy - and this is exactly the result we want!

Protein

Protein is the 'building block' of the body, being used in all our cells. Your body uses the amino acids of proteins to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can also be used as an energy source. Everybody needs protein to remain healthy and an adequate protein intake helps us feel full.

Protein is an important part of a healthy diet. The trick here is to choose lean proteins to eat, rather than those containing a lot of unhealthy fats. This allows us to eat more of what is good for us, as with 'healthier' selection of carbohydrates.

Examples include lean cuts of beef, chicken, pork and lamb, all without too much fat on them. Select your meat carefully and trim off any excess fat before cooking. Fish and seafood provide excellent protein, although some seafood is high in calorie values so always check quantities, first. Oily fish contains more fat than white fish, but it is considered healthy fat and is fine, as long as it doesn't exceed your macro allowance.

Eggs provide a good source of protein, especially egg whites, so they can easily be added to the diet plan to boost protein intake. Nuts and seeds also add protein to the diet but beware of calorie values so always weigh before eating. Other plant-based proteins such as beans, pulses, legumes, tempeh and tofu are also good, healthy, low-in-fat proteins.

Fats

There are lots of fats which are good for you , but basically fat in general is bad for you as we know it, like the skin on chicken, the fat around a good piece of tasty steak and of course the good old melted cheese on pizza. Like all things in moderation, fats are not always bad for you, but large quantities of fat, like chunks of pork belly, are simply not good for you.

Your body needs fat to function, though, and you do need to eat some fat, you just need to choose the healthier types of fat. Olive oil and avocado oil can provide the fats you need for cooking. Fats drawn from nuts, such as macadamia oil and walnut oil provide better alternatives to sunflower and canola oils for higher temperature cooking.

Beware of coconut oil and butter, though, as they have a higher saturated fat content and should be used only in moderation.