Fat, Protein, Carbs - What are they anyway?

There seems to be so much advice given these days about what the best diets are. The only problem with all of this advice is … So much of it conflicts. Some people say no fat, others say no carbs. You can even find advice saying you should eat a lot of fat, so long as the fats are healthy.

It can be hard to know what is right.

Today lets take a look at what all of this means.

Let’s Start Big

When looking at food, there are 3 big categories. Let’s not bother with all the little nutrients, let’s start big. These 3 are called the macronutrients (macro: large-scale). These are protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Proteins

In simple terms, proteins are used as the building blocks within the body and therefore, they help with healing and repair. Proteins can be found in both animals (meat, fish, eggs) and plants (cauliflower, quinoa, almonds, broccoli). ⁽¹⁾

“proteins are used as the building blocks within the body”

Salmon - Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

Many people drink protein shakes in the morning, especially if they want to lose weight or build muscle.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of these forms of protein as they are often synthetic. They aren’t food-based, and really, the idea is to be consuming healthy foods, not man-made food-a-likes (aka - look-a-like).

Fats

For a long time now, fat has gotten a pretty bad wrap. There are many stories why (who knows if they are true), but in the ’80s, fat-free became all the rage and the idea that fat made you fat took over. Given that a huge portion of the western world is carrying too much weight, this message was swallowed (pun!) by the masses.

We are still living in the fat-free era, although thankfully, we are wising up to the idea that… maybe we actually need fat.

Why do we need fat?

1. Your brain is made of fat … actually, 60% of it is. This means, that if you don’t have enough fat, your brain may shrink. Research tells us that fat is critical for brain integrity and performance ⁽²⁾

2. Fat is used as an energy source

3. Helps you absorb vitamins A, E, D, and K as these are fat-soluble ⁽³⁾

4. Every single cell membrane in your body is made up of fat

“if you don’t have enough fat, your brain may shrink”

Ok, so there are 4 pretty good reasons to make sure that you are eating enough fat. In another blog, I’ll share with you what the best types of fat to eat are. (Clue: Avocado is a great source of fat)

#interestingfact - if you eat more healthy fat, you will be satiated for longer, and therefore not get as hungry.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the main source of energy we consume. They are what sustain us throughout the day. In simple terms, carbs are sugars used for a fast-release of energy.

“carbs are the main source of energy we consume”

Carbs are high in sweet foods such as fruits and things like confectionary. They are also at high levels in some of the household favourites like bread, pasta and rice. 

Berries are a Source of Carbohydrates

These days, carbs are the ones getting a bad wrap. Many people say that you should not eat carbs at all. Again, I’m not convinced that we should totally remove 1 or the 3 macronutrients, but there is some wisdom here.

These days, carbs are the ones getting a bad wrap

The Real Issue

So the idea of cutting out a class of macronutrient is not smart (in my opinion). So why then is there so much around about stopping carbs? The reason is, that is the western diet, we eat way too high a proportion of carbs, especially when compared to the amount of fat and protein that we consume.

"we eat way too high a proportion of carbs, especiually when compared to the amount of fat and protein that we consume

The ideal ratios of these 3 should look something like the graphic below. ⁽⁴⁾ 

Made withVisme Infographic Maker

Notice here that the greatest proportion is actually fat.

Let’s now look at the standard western diet rations ⁽⁴⁾ … 

Made withVisme Infographic Maker

See here that the ratios are very different. In general, we are eating waaaay to high a proportion of carbohydrate to fat and protein. This is actually leading to the following health issues in our society:

• obesity
• diabetes
• immune-system issues
• hormone issues
• gut issues, and
• brain-based issues including dementia

There is much to be said about the type of carbs that we consume (more on that later), but in my opinion, we should be getting carbs from plant-based sources like fruits, vegetables, eaten in as close to the way they were grown (ie: not processed). Bread, pasta and rice (gluten issues aside) are ok in very small quantities. (more on gluten later)

“we should be getting carbs from plant-based sources like fruits, vegetables”

The Take-Home Message

• We need to be looking to consume a balance of all 3 of these key macronutrients - Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates
• Our standard diet contains too many carbs. This leads to many health issues
• We should be getting carbs from plant-based sources like fruits, vegetables
• Eating more healthy fat is recommended
• Protein helps your body build, heal and repair
• Natural proteins are best (ie: not man-made)

The Best Sources

Protein

• Organic, grass-fed red meat
• Organic free-range chicken
• Wild-caught fish
• Organic free-range eggs
• Quinoa
• Brocolli
• Cauliflower
• Nuts & seeds

Fats

• Organic, grass-fed red meat
• Organic free-range chicken
• Wild-caught fish
• Avocado
• Coconut oil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Butter
• Ghee
• Nuts & seeds

Carbohydrates

• Berries
• Apples
• Bananas
• Sweet potatoes
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Brown rice

Vitae Holistic Wellness website

REFERENCES

1. 10 Protein-Packed Plants ^link
2. Essential fatty acids and human brain ^link
3. 11 Best Healthy Fats for Your Body - Dr. Axe ^link
4. The Question of Macronutrient Ratios ^link