Nutrition November Week 2-

Week 2: Macronutrients and Eating a Balanced Diet.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is essential for maintaining good health. This means eating a variety of foods in the correct portion sizes, not only does this affect energy balance and influence weight management, but it also helps you to obtain the best nutrition.  Consuming a variety of nutrients can help the body and vital organs to function properly.  

All food and drinks (apart from alcohol) contain nutrients, these can then be used as energy to achieve good health and help you to move around and carry out daily tasks.  

Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

– Carbohydrates: Provide energy and exist in two forms:

– Simple Carbohydrates– are beneficial for protein absorption and aid faster muscle repair.  These are typically found in sweets, chocolate, fruit juice, fizzy drinks, cereals and white breads/pasta, they tend to be higher in refined sugar.

– Complex Carbohydrates – are slower to digest, these provide you with longer lasting energy and help you to feel fuller throughout the day and can be found in grains, fruits, legumes and vegetables.

– Proteins: Build and repair tissues. Found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and tofu. Aim to consume 20-30g of protein each meal in addition to high protein snacks.

– Fats: Support cell function and hormone production. Found in oils, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.

A balanced macro ratio might be Carbs 50%, Fats 30% and Protein 20%; however, it is normal for these ratios to fluctuate or resemble something like the pictures below.

Understanding your own Macros:
Use the Virtuagym Food App to look at your own Macronutrient balance, does it resemble something like the above ratio? If not, speak to the team and they might be able to shed some light on your current balance.