Macronutrient Quotes

One macronutrient, in particular, demands more of our attention than most people realize: not carbs, not fat, but protein becomes critically important as we age.

In a modern twist to the classic overeating experiments, Feltham decided that he would eat 5794 calories per day and document his weight gain. But the diet he chose was not a random 5794 calories. He followed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet of natural foods for twenty-one days. Feltham believed, based on clinical experience, that refined carbohydrates, not total calories, caused weight gain. The macronutrient breakdown of his diet was 10 percent carbohydrate, 53 percent fat and 37 percent protein. Standard calorie calculations predicted a weight gain of about 16 pounds (7.3 kilograms). Actual weight gain, however, was only about 2.8 pounds (1.3 kilograms). Even more interesting, he dropped more than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) from his waist measurement. He gained weight, but it was lean mass.

Whether through grains, beans, or even fruit, there’s plenty of protein in a plant-strong diet. We only need 5-8% of our calories from protein, and since protein is the one macronutrient that we can’t store, when you get above 15% it either stores as fat or we excrete it.

Just as the human body requires three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) to run properly, Ryan and Deci proposed the human psyche needs three things to flourish: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When the body is starved, it elicits hunger pangs; when the psyche is undernourished, it produces anxiety, restlessness, and other symptoms that something is missing.

board, and as the law of energy balance dictates, you’ll still lose weight. But if you hold the protein steady, or even increase the protein, it’s more likely that all the weight you lose will be fat. Maintaining muscle isn’t the only advantage: Protein also suppresses hunger and increases metabolism more than any other macronutrient. That makes three major advantages to keeping protein high when calories are low.

It’s also important to eat what most people would typically recognize as a “balanced meal”: some protein, some fat, and some carbohydrates, including fiber. This translates well to eating quality meats and fish, quality added fats, large portions of nonstarchy vegetables, and some starchy vegetables and fruit. Recommendations for portion sizes and macronutrient ratios are discussed in more detail on see here.

(visit paleotrack.com or FitDay.com, input a day or two of foods you eat, and it will generate a breakdown of macronutrients and calories), but

biochemistry tells us that there is no receptor for calories, that is, no way for cells to sense how many calories are coming in, only how much of each type of macronutrient. The available chemical energy will ultimately show up but there is no reason to think that there will be a direct relation between calories and weight gain or loss. Calories do count but not in a simple way.

As described again, the biological basis for the Gerson Therapy is predicated on sodium restriction, potassium supplementation, protein limitation, calorie reduction through avoidance of fat, dialysis of the bloodstream for reduction of electrophiles, macronutrient hyperalimentation, salt and water management, and accelerated metabolism.

If you’re an endomorph or you want to accelerate fat loss, decrease the carbs, and increase the protein (40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat is super-popular among fitness models and physique athletes). Using nutrition tracking spreadsheets or software makes calculating your macronutrient ratios a cinch! But if you make sure to eat a lean protein, a fibrous vegetable, and a natural starchy carb with every meal, your numbers will be in the ballpark, automatically!

Arguments against metabolic advantage often rely on practical considerations: how small the effect is. At the same time, the same critics espouse the value of cumulative small effects, operative in diets where you explicitly control calories, where 50 calories a day is supposed to add up over a year. It doesn’t. Metabolism doesn’t work like that. Homeostatic (stabilizing) mechanisms compensate for simple changes in calories unless they are the right kind of calories and, in fact, the effects of different macronutrients can be dramatic. In any case, if there really is any change at all, that should be a call to find out how to maximize it, not toss it.

Many weight-loss diets have been based on the idea that to lose weight, a dieter has to maintain the perfect balance of these three “macronutrients” in daily eating. That none of these diets can agree on the magical macronutrient ratio is not the only evidence that it does not exist.

But for endurance athletes, doing so is a little different because macronutrient balance also has a major impact on training performance and many athletes do not consume enough carbohydrate in particular to maximize that performance. Any measure that boosts your training performance will also tend to make you leaner.

As you read through my journey you may think that I actually hate protein. In reality, how can you hate a macronutrient? Obviously we need protein. My concern is more with the fact that we no longer talk about food as food. Rather we are obsessed with breaking food down to its component parts and, in so doing, have developed an unhealthy obsession for one particular macronutrient.

While excessive intake of any of the macronutrients can provoke nausea, fat is perhaps the most culpable of the three.

The main macronutrients are protein, starch, and fat. You need an adequate supply of all three macronutrients each and every day.

Get enough sleep, because sleep reduces sugar cravings. Eat full, satisfying meals that include all three macronutrients: protein, starch, and fat. Do not restrict calories. Pick a start date during a low-stress time of your life. Go cold turkey for four weeks. Know that intense cravings subside after twenty minutes. Know that all cravings should subside after seven days. Supplement magnesium, because it reduces sugar cravings. Know that you’re okay. You’re not a bad person just because you crave sugar.

Like rapamycin, metformin mimics aspects of calorie restriction. But instead of inhibiting TOR, it limits the metabolic reactions in mitochondria, slowing down the process by which our cellular powerhouses convert macronutrients into energy.20 The result is the activation of AMPK, an enzyme known for its ability to respond to low energy levels and restore the function of mitochondria. It also activates SIRT1, one of my lab’s favorite proteins. Among other beneficial effects, metformin inhibits cancer cell metabolism, increases mitochondrial activity, and removes misfolded proteins.21

The type of food you consume directly affects your metabolism and insulin response. Food is composed of three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, and fat, and each of these macronutrients affects your metabolism in a different way. One gram of protein or carbohydrate provides four calories, while one gram of fat contains nine calories. A calorie is the base unit of heat measurement related to metabolic rate. It measures how much energy a particular food provides to the body. Of course, if you do eat more calories than your body requires, it doesn’t matter whether those calories come from protein, carbohydrates, or fat—the extra fuel will be stored in the body as fat. Eating too few calories can be equally problematic. When you do not eat enough food, your body’s endocrine, immunological, and nervous systems begin to malfunction. The result is often hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems, and insulin resistance. When you are in a state of extreme caloric restriction, your body does everything possible to return to a state of homeostasis, or equilibrium—including slowing down your metabolic rate. A slow metabolism affects your energy levels, your digestive and hormonal health, and your ability to lose weight. In my case, severely restricting my calories increased my adrenal

Fertilizers all have a combination of nutrients in them. Most of them have the “Big Three” macronutrients: nitrogen (N), which promotes green leafy growth, phosphorus (P), which strengthens roots and flowers, and potassium (K), to help with flavor and hardiness. Some fertilizers have micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. Fertilizer labels include what is called an “analysis,” which is the percentage of each of the “Big Three” nutrients contained in the product, listed in order of N-P-K.

Vegetarians and especially vegans have a significantly lower prevalence of obesity than meat eaters. Differences in macronutrient intakes (protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, sugars, alcohol) accounted for about half the difference in mean body mass index (BMI) between vegans and meat eaters.

The writers in this book share the common belief that diabetes does not need to be chronic and progressive. We also share the common belief as to how. We know that the macronutrient that diabetics (both types) are least able to handle is carbohydrate. We therefore cannot understand that dietary advice for diabetics is to eat the majority of one’s diet in the form of carbohydrate – the very substance that cannot be handled. (This is the same advice for non-diabetics, which is why we continue to make more people diabetic daily).

In physique sports, where you see some of the leanest bodies in the world, 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein, and 20 percent fat is one of the most popular macronutrient splits during the fat-loss phase.

THE CARBOHYDRATE-INSULIN HYPOTHESIS, the idea that carbohydrates cause weight gain because of insulin secretion, was not exactly wrong. Carbohydrate-rich foods certainly do increase insulin levels to a greater extent than the other macronutrients. High insulin certainly does lead to obesity. However, the hypothesis stands incomplete. There are many problems, with the paradox of the Asian rice eater being the most obvious. Most Asians, for at least the last half-century, ate a diet based on white, polished rice, a highly refined carbohydrate. Yet until recently, obesity remained quite rare in these populations.

STEP 4: INCREASE YOUR CONSUMPTION OF NATURAL FATS OF THE THREE major macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats), dietary fat is the least likely to stimulate insulin. Thus, dietary fat is not inherently fattening, but potentially protective. (For more about fat as a protective factor, see chapter 18.) In choosing fats, strive for a higher proportion of natural fats. Natural, unprocessed fats include olive oil, butter, coconut oil, beef tallow and leaf lard. The highly processed vegetable oils, high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids, may have some detrimental health effects.

Richard Ryan and his colleague Edward Deci are two of the most cited researchers in the world on the drivers of human behavior. Their “self-determination theory” is widely regarded as the backbone of psychological well-being, and countless studies have supported their conclusions since they began research in the 1970s. Just as the human body requires three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) to run properly, Ryan and Deci proposed the human psyche needs three things to flourish: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When the body is starved, it elicits hunger pangs; when the psyche is undernourished, it produces anxiety, restlessness, and other symptoms that something is missing. When kids aren’t getting the psychological nutrients they need, self-determination theory explains why they might overdo unhealthy behaviors, such as spending too much time in front of screens. Ryan believes the cause has less to do with the devices and more to do with why certain kids are susceptible to distraction in the first place.

Insulin increases primarily in response to dietary carbohydrates and protein, and responds within minutes. mTOR increases primarily in response to dietary protein and plays out over eighteen to thirty hours. AMPK responds to overall cellular energy, which reflects the intake of all macronutrients.

On Dr. Greger’s heels is Proteinaholic by Garth Davis, MD, which systematically upends conventional wisdom surrounding our favorite macronutrient, laying out an evidence-based case for why our misplaced obsession with protein—particularly animal protein—is making us sick, fat, and tired. For the more visually inclined, I suggest checking out a few compelling documentaries, including Forks Over Knives, What the Health, and Food Matters.

The challenge and the solution were described in memorable terms in September 1898 by William Crookes, a chemist and a physicist, in his presidential address on wheat delivered at the British Association’s annual meeting in Bristol. The most quoted sentence from his presentation was that “all civilised nations stand in deadly peril of not having enough to eat,” and he estimated that the rising demand would bring a global wheat supply shortfall as soon as 1930. But he also identified the most effective solution and its most important component: increased crop fertilization and higher applications of nitrogen, the macronutrient that most often limits wheat (and indeed all cereal) yields. Crookes correctly observed that neither the animal manures nor the planting of green manures (alfalfa, clover) could meet future needs, and that the supply of the era’s only important inorganic fertilizer, Chilean nitrates mined in the desert of Atacama, was obviously limited. What was needed was to tap the unlimited supply of atmospheric nitrogen, to change the inert molecule (N2) that forms nearly 80 percent of air’s mass into a reactive compound (preferably ammonia, NH3) that could be assimilated by crops and supply the macronutrient guaranteeing higher yields.

changed? The periodic release. Normally, insulin is released in bursts, which prevents the development of insulin resistance. In the experimental condition, the constant bombardment of insulin led the body to down regulate its receptors and develop insulin resistance. Over time, insulin resistance induces the body to produce even more insulin to “overcome” the resistance. In the case of insulin resistance, it comes down to both meal composition and meal timing—the two critical components of insulin resistance. The types of food eaten influence the insulin levels. Should we eat candy or olive oil? This is the question of macronutrient composition, or “what to eat.” However, the persistence of insulin plays a key role in the development of insulin resistance, so there is also the question of meal timing, or “when to eat.” Both components are equally important. Unfortunately, we spend obsessive amounts of time and energy trying to understand what we should be eating and devote virtually no time to when we should be eating. We are only

In case my point here isn’t clear enough, let me restate it: don’t ignore protein. It’s the one macronutrient that is absolutely essential to our goals. There’s no minimum requirement for carbohydrates or fats (in practical terms), but if you shortchange protein, you will most certainly pay a price, particularly as you age.

One macronutrient, in particular, demands more of our attention than most people realize: not carbs, not fat, but protein becomes critically important as we age. Exercise is by far the most potent longevity “drug.” No other intervention does nearly as much to prolong our lifespan and preserve our cognitive and physical function. But most people don’t do nearly enough—and exercising the wrong way can do as much harm as good. Finally, as I learned the hard way, striving for physical health and longevity is meaningless if we ignore our emotional health. Emotional suffering can decimate our health on all fronts, and it must be addressed. —

Not surprisingly, refined carbohydrates cause a surge in insulin levels. What was astounding was that dietary proteins could cause a similar surge. The glycemic index does not consider protein or fats at all because they do not raise glucose, and that approach essentially ignores the fattening effects of two out of the three major macronutrients. Insulin can increase independently of blood sugar.

of processed foods is curtailed. Remember that the single defining characteristic of the Western diet is food processing, not macronutrient content. The toxicity lies not in the food, but in the processing.

Combinations of different foods, macronutrients, and fiber (which costs calories to process, too) will influence how much energy is required to digest the meal and what your net caloric profit actually is.

Here are a few notable things that can spark inflammation and depress the function of your liver: Alcohol overload—This is relatively well-known. Your liver is largely responsible for metabolizing alcohol, and drinking too much liquid courage can send your liver running to cry in a corner somewhere. Carbohydrate bombardment—Starches and sugar have the fastest ability to drive up blood glucose, liver glycogen, and liver fat storage (compared to their protein and fat macronutrient counterparts). Bringing in too many carbs, too often, can elicit a wildfire of fat accumulation. In fact, one of the most effective treatments for reversing NAFLD is reducing the intake of carbohydrates. A recent study conducted at KTH Royal Institute of Technology and published in the journal Cell Metabolism had overweight test subjects with high levels of liver fat reduce their ratio of carbohydrate intake (without reducing calories!). After a short two-week study period the subjects showed “rapid and dramatic” reductions of liver fat and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Too many medications—Your liver is the top doc in charge of your body’s drug metabolism. When you hear about drug side effects on commercials, they are really a direct effect of how your liver is able to handle them. The goal is to work on your lifestyle factors so that you can be on as few medications as possible along with the help of your physician. Your liver will do its best to support you either way, but it will definitely feel happier without the additional burden. Too many supplements—There are several wonderful supplements that can be helpful for your health, but becoming an overzealous natural pill-popper might not be good for you either. In a program funded by the National Institutes of Health, it was found that liver injuries linked to supplement use jumped from 7 percent to 20 percent of all medication/supplement-induced injuries in just a ten-year time span. Again, this is not to say that the right supplements can’t be great for you. This merely points to the fact that your liver is also responsible for metabolism of all of the supplements you take as well. And popping a couple dozen different supplements each day can be a lot for your liver to handle. Plus, the supplement industry is largely unregulated, and the additives, fillers, and other questionable ingredients could add to the burden. Do your homework on where you get your supplements from, avoid taking too many, and focus on food first to meet your nutritional needs. Toxicants—According to researchers at the University of Louisville, more than 300 environmental chemicals, mostly pesticides, have been linked to fatty liver disease. Your liver is largely responsible for handling the weight of the toxicants (most of them newly invented) that we’re exposed to in our world today. Pesticides are inherently meant to be deadly, but just to small organisms (like pests), though it seems to be missed that you are actually made of small organisms, too (bacteria

Macronutrients and Micronutrients: Macros come in three forms: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. And they all have different functions. Protein, for example, serves as the building blocks for our cells, while carbs and fat are used as energy (albeit in different ways). Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and compounds found in food that also have effects on the body, namely in terms of promoting good health and strong systems at the cellular level.

Eat more protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect of feeding than any other macronutrient. Around 20%–35% of the calories you consume from protein are burned up during the digestion

One macronutrient, in particular, demands more of our attention than most people realize: not carbs, not fat, but protein becomes critically important as we age. Exercise is by far the most potent longevity “drug.” No other intervention does nearly as

don’t ignore protein. It’s the one macronutrient that is absolutely essential to our goals. There’s no minimum requirement for carbohydrates or fats (in practical terms), but if you shortchange protein, you will most certainly pay a price, particularly as you age.

We also find anticipatory effects from another macronutrient, oral fat. People who chew and spit out real cream cheese on a cracker versus nonfat cream cheese (a.k.a. fake cream cheese) on a cracker have relatively large elevations in triglycerides measured in the blood plasma for hours after.13 This study suggests that whole body lipid metabolism may be regulated by oral sensations of fats.

Ancestral diets show a remarkable spread in macronutrient profiles. Some are rather low carb, while others may be as high as 70 per cent carbohydrate. This spread in macronutrients appears to have little if any impact on health so long as the foods are largely unprocessed and the carbohydrates come mainly from fruits, vegetables and tubers.

The essential issue in human nutrition is meeting your macronutrient needs without excess calories, and getting sufficient micronutrients in the process.

Unfortunately, this focus on macronutrients over micronutrients diverts attention away from understanding optimal nutrition in a complete and effective manner. Many people worry about their weight, but almost everybody—even the person who carefully monitors caloric intake—neglects their health.

The macronutrients of happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose.

mass produced consistent batch to batch consistent country to country uses specialized ingredients from specialized companies consists of pre-frozen macronutrients must stay emulsified so that the fat and water do not layer out must have a long shelf life or freezer life

The upper limit for protein in our diets seems to be about 40 percent of our total calorie intake, beyond which point we might exceed the liver’s ability to process this macronutrient. This means that 60 percent of our caloric needs must be met by either fat or carbohydrates.