Let's Clarify the Macros

One of the most confusing aspects of nutrition, and the one with the widest-ranging advice, is how to handle the macros: carbohydrates, protein, fat, and water. These are necessary for human life, and each of them is present in virtually every whole food we eat. How we discuss macros in general often causes a lot of misunderstanding, which is what I aim to clarify today.

First, every whole food, except for extracted sugar (which contains no fat or protein but is not a whole food) and animal flesh (which contains virtually no carbs), contains a combination of the macros. If you offer someone a potato, and they respond by saying they don't eat carbs, you can ask them if they'd like to eat the protein, fat, and water in the potato. A food is not a carb, fat, or protein: It contains them.

Secondly, your body must break down whatever protein source you eat into its constituent parts: amino acids. Eat a pork chop? Your body breaks down the pork chop into the various fats and amino acids it contains. Only then do they build up proteins in our bodies. Eat an avocado? Same deal. The amino acids are separated. What's key in ensuring you eat enough "protein" is that you get enough of the essential amino acids to provide the raw materials needed to make proteins inside your body.

I think this shift in how we talk about macros is essential because many people continue to believe that you can't get enough "protein" by eating plant-based foods. That idea is false, and numerous studies have demonstrated that plant-based protein sources are linked to a lower incidence of disease, particularly cardiovascular disease. I'll post an update in the next couple of weeks that addresses this point directly, but in the meantime, here's a resource.

Before I go, I'd like to make a quick note about carbohydrates. Carbs comprise sugars, starches, and fiber and are the primary fuel source for humans (that's you!). Over the past several decades, carbs have been demonized as causing diabetes (science shows otherwise), overweight and obesity, brain fog, and more. Not only does this oversimplify what carbs are and what they do in the body (puts complex carbs in the same bucket as simple carbs), but it also influences people to avoid a macronutrient that is vital to the diversity and vitality of our microbiota, which is, in turn, crucial to our health. I'll write about this soon, but in the meantime, here's a helpful resource to consider.

Try using the term amino acids whenever you want to use the term protein, and see if it changes how you view the macros.

When you look at a famous carb whole food, think about its fiber, resistant starch, micronutrients, and polyphenols before you dismiss it as unworthy of your consumption. Remember when you support your gut flora with fiber (a carb!!), they prosper, multiply, and give you a variety of essential gifts you need in order to thrive.

See you soon. My website is here.

T. Colin Campbell on protein

T. Colin Campbell on carbs and type 2 diabetes

Michael Greger, MD, on a healthy microbiome

(This blog is not intended to diagnose or treat disease. I am not a physician. Please consult your physician for any medical advice. Thanks.)