Compared to simple carbs, complex carbs are released as glucose at a more consistent rate, delivering a lasting source of energy. Made up of longer molecule chains, complex carbs are considered “good” because they take more energy and time to break down. On nutrition labels, simple carbs can be disguised by different names like glucose, fructose, and sucrose or even coconut sugar, honey, agave nectar, and molasses.Ĭomplex carbs. The most common sources of “unhealthy” simple carbs include soda, baked goods, and sugary breakfast cereals. While some simple carbs naturally occur in fruits and milk, most are added to foods in the form of white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrate. By producing a spike in glucose, simple carbs deliver a brief spike in energy-sometimes called a “sugar rush.” Often thought of as “unhealthy carbs,” simple carbs are made up of shorter molecule chains that your body breaks down faster than complex carbs. In addition to differing chemical structures, simple and complex carbs are digested and absorbed by the body differently. Although often vilified in fad diets, carbs are vital to keeping your body functioning, providing the glucose your body converts into energy to fuel the central nervous system and muscles.ĭepending on the length of the carbohydrate molecule, carbs are classified as either simple or complex. Here is a quick rundown of each of the three macronutrients: Carbohydratesīest sources: Complex carbs made from whole grains, including whole-wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, and beans.Īs the most easily digested macronutrients, carbohydrates, or “carbs,” are your body’s primary source of energy. Understanding how your body reacts to each macronutrient will help you design a diet plan that gives your body enough energy while supporting goals like weight loss, muscle growth, or healthy weight maintenance.
Each of the three macros plays a different role in nutrition and affects our body differently depending on how it delivers fuel and is digested. Macros, or macronutrients, are the three primary food groups that you need not only to survive but to perform any activity. That’s why many health and nutrition experts recommend tracking another type of measurement in addition to calories: macronutrients. For example, to hit 2,000 calories (the recommended daily caloric intake for a moderately active woman between 19 and 50 years old weighing around 120 pounds), you could eat half a chocolate cake or 65 large carrots-neither of which would be healthy. The concept behind macro tracking is that not all calories are created equal or that the kind of calories we eat is more important than the number of calories when it comes to weight loss, building strength, or maintaining a healthy body composition.Ĭounting calories, while also necessary for weight optimization, doesn’t tell you much about how balanced your diet is. Sometimes referred to as “IIFYM” (an acronym for If It Fits Your Macros), macro counting involves tracking your daily intake of the three primary categories of nutrients-proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. Counting macros (short for “macronutrients”) is a nutritional strategy long favored by bodybuilders that has recently gained mainstream popularity.
From baby food to juice cleanses, diet trends rise and fall with time and scientific advancement.īut while many nutrition fads have been discredited or forgotten, others have withstood the test of time and nutrition science scrutiny.
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