Managing your macros

This week, I wanted to cover a short, but important topic: Managing your macronutrients.

I have repeatedly commented that the largest component of your health and fitness footprint comes from what you eat. So what are macronutrients? Macronutrients are nutrients we consume in large enough amounts for our body to sustain itself with healthy growth and development. The primary sources of macronutrients are made up of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Macronutrients provide enough calories for the body to perform at peak levels, supplying energy needed for growth, fuel, recovery and immunity support.

All three of the above mentioned areas start with eating habits built around the macronutrients we eat. The trick to eating right is getting the proper ratio of the big three macronutrients: Protein, carbohydrates and fats. A very large position of us, meaning most of us, eat our daily balance of macros in the form of carbohydrates. This one aspect is one of the biggest reasons obesity rates are so high in the United States. Now in fairness to the average consumer, it is not exactly your fault. The overwhelming majority of packaged foods sold at the grocery store are carbohydrate-based.

Having a good understanding of managing your macros is the best way to approach your nutrition. This is not so much a diet program as it is a method of eating what you want in the proper combination that lets your body function at peak capacity without overloading yourself with empty calories.

Each of us has a unique nutrition footprint. This means we must approach macro management on an individual basis so you can meet your unique needs as they pertain to specific fitness or activity levels. It is all about consumption levels and ratios — once you fulfill your key macronutrient requirements in the correct amounts on a daily basis, blood sugar spikes, weight gain and energy levels will usually stabilize. When you manage your macronutrients properly, food choices are wider and eating becomes much simpler. The key is fulfilling your required protein, carbohydrate and fat across a broader range of food choices, but in the correct amounts for each.

Macronutrient management can be one of the most basic road maps to follow for your overall health and fitness. Now USDA dietary guidelines places an emphasis on carbohydrates coming in at 45-65 percent of your daily caloric intake. The USDA also recommends ranges for both protein and fat that just do not make sense for most of us. For most people, getting roughly 50 percent of your calories from carbs will lead to weight gain. Depending on the type of carbohydrates, you could be dramatically spiking your blood sugar and drive metabolic disease and other health concerns.

Now remember, macronutrient requirements vary from person to person based on health levels, activity levels and metabolism. So what are some examples of recommended ratios for proper balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

1. USDA recommended macronutrient ratio range: 45 percent/65 percent carb, 25 percent/35 percent and 10 percent/35 percent protein, 25 percent/35 percent fats

2. Common recommended macronutrient for body building ratio: 40 percent carb, 30 percent protein, 30 percent fats

3. Common recommended macronutrient for endurance athletes: 60 percent carb, 20 percent protein, 20 percent fats

4. Paleo/Primal type nutrition plans macronutrient ratios are around: 23 percent carb, 38 percent protein, 39 percent fats

5. Ketogenic type nutrition plans macronutrient ratios are around: 5 percent/10 percent carb, 15 percent/30 percent protein, 65 percent/70 percent fats

As you can see there is a broad range of recommendations and within these groups are health and fitness professionals that stand firm on these ratios. With that said, there is no one-size-fits-all in the world of macronutrients.

From my own experience the makeup of Paleo/Primal and Ketogenic nutrition approaches makes the most sense and delivers the best results. Unfortunately these very low carbohydrate programs are very tough to follow since most of us are carb-burning sugar loving machines, and in my humble opinion why on average we in the U.S. are so unhealthy.

The bottom line to getting your health and fitness on the right path is to start with managing the big three macronutrient ratios. Cut carbohydrates, embrace good fats and increase your protein levels. A big help for this is to read nutrition labels so you understand how much of each macro you are eating and keep them in proper balance for your health and activity levels.

Judd Jones is a director for the Hagadone Corporation.