MyPlate assists people in understanding how to eat a balanced diet. Explore www.myplate.gov/  and www.nutrition.gov/  for more info.

Macronutrients or "macros" are the 3 largest quantities of foods we eat. These include fats, carbohydrates, and protein.

1 gram of fat is 9 calories, 1 gram of carb is 4 calories, and 1 gram of protein is 4 calories.

What is a calorie?

Carbohydrates are the body's first choice for breakdown to gain energy. A balanced diet should consist of 40-65% carbohydrates.

Examples of carbs include starches, sugars, and fiber. Complex carbohydrates such as beans, rice, whole grains, and vegetables take longer to digest, keeping you satiated for longer and providing prolonged energy. Simple carbohydrates such as fruit, candy, bread, and pasta break down quickly leaving the body hungry more quickly than complex carbs.

The daily recommendation for fiber is 14g per 1,000 calories. Fiber helps to move things along in the digestive tract, and can actually prevent colon cancer.

The daily recommendation for sugar is 25g in total. This is very difficult for many people as sugar is hidden in many foods, and has been proven to be addictive to the body. If sugar is consumed and not used (person is not active or is sedentary), it becomes stored as fat.

How do carbohydrates impact your health?

Fats are the body's second choice for energy, as they are more complex to break down. Fats provide energy, as well as a protective layer over the body to retain heat and protect organs. A balanced diet should consist of 20-30% fats.

There are 2 different types of fats; saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are mostly found in animal products, and can be seen as solid in room temperature environments (an example of this would be butter). Unsaturated fats are mostly found in plants, and are liquid at room temperature (one example would be olive oil), and are typically healthier than saturated. Trans fats are a third type of fat, which is synthetically made and has been banned for use in the United States.

Cholesterol makes up about 5% of body fat. There are 2 types of cholesterol; LDL and HDL. HDL cholesterol is carried into the liver where it is stored and can be removed by the bloodstream, whereas LDL cholesterol goes straight to the arteries, and is a major cause for heart disease as it can cause blockages. Examples of HDL cholesterol, or healthy fats, include avocados, oils such as olive or canola, flaxseed, walnut, sesame, grapeseed, and sunflower, nuts, and seeds. Examples of LDL cholesterol foods, or bad fats, include fried foods, butter, full fat dairy, red meat, and baked goods/sweets.

*Please understand that you do not need to exclude things from your diet, moderation is key to health and there is no such thing as a bad food. Try instead to switch foods for others, for example use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, or reduced fat milk instead of whole.*

What is fat?

Protein is the macronutrient responsible for repairing damaged muscles and tissues. A balanced diet should consist of 10-35% protein. This being said, those who partake in sports and lifting activities require more protein than those who do not. There are varying studies on how much is required, some say athletes need 1g per pound of body weight, others say 1g per kilogram of body weight (which would be about half as much). For example, if I weigh 150lbs, I should be eating 150g of protein a day if i follow the 1g per pound, whereas it would be 68g if I follow the 1g per kilogram. To help your body recover from vigorous exercise, ensure you are eating enough protein to which is sustainable for your lifestyle (150g is a LOT of protein to be consuming and is not always sustainable).

Protein takes the longest of the 3 macronutrients to digest, which means that the body will be more satiated throughout the day and the consumer will be less hungry. Good sources of protein include meat products (tuna and chicken are very lean sources, meaning higher protein than fat), eggs, beans (kidney, black etc), nuts and nut butters, as well as some dairy products. Protein can be taken as a supplement in powder form, however supplements are not regulated by the FDA and should be taken with caution and physician approval.

It should be noted that many foods high in protein will also be high in fats, which is good depending on your fitness and nutrition goals. If you are looking for a lower fat food, try chicken, tuna, turkey, and lean beef such as 90/10.

Getting enough water every day is important for health. Drinking water can prevent dehydration, which may cause unclear thinking, mood change, overheating, constipation, and kidney stones. Water has no calories, so replacing sugary drinks with plain water can help reduce caloric intake. 

Water helps your body keep a normal temperature, lubricate and cushion joints, and protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues. Water intake can also assist in acne or other skin related issues.

To drink an adequate amount of water, take your bodyweight, divide by 2, and drink that in ounces. For example, if I weigh 150lbs, I would need to drink 75 ounces of water per day. Those who participate in athletics, labor intensive jobs, or are prone to perspiration should consider drinking more. If you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

The human body can only survive for 3 days without any water intake, making it arguably the most important resource to consume.

CDC 

What happens if you don't drink water 

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals that aid in health development, disease prevention, and overall wellbeing.

Electrolytes are minerals in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. Electrolytes affect how your body functions in many ways, including the amount of water in your body, the acidity of your blood (pH), and your nerve and muscle function.

Electrolyte imbalances occur when the levels of essential minerals in the body, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, become too high or too low. This can lead to various symptoms including muscle cramps, weakness, or spasms, fatigue, confusion or irritability, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, irregular heartbeat, numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face, and seizures in severe cases.

Complications include heart problems, such as arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) or heart failure, kidney damage, bone health problems, muscle paralysis, and coma in extreme cases.

Electrolyte information 

Gut health refers to the well-being of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the stomach, intestines, and colon. It encompasses a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms, known as the gut microbiome, as well as the function of the GI organs and tissues. To maintain good gut health, consider the following recommendations: 

Eat a balanced and varied diet, consume sufficient fiber (15g/1,000 calories per day), take probiotics and prebiotics when appropriate (consult your doctor), get enough sleep (7-9 hours per night), manage stress effectively through exercise, yoga, or meditation. Engage in regular physical activity (30 minutes most days of the week), and drink enough water (divide your bodyweight by 2 and drink that number in ounces).

Eating enough fiber can prevent colon cancer which is typically detected in its later stages, making it more difficult to treat.

How food affects your gut

Americans consume too much added sugar, which can increase the risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cavities, acne, and high blood pressure among other issues. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, which is much more than the recommended amount. Sugar addiction is a condition where someone consumes large amounts of sugar, even when they're not hungry, and experiences withdrawal symptoms when they stop.

How sugar addiction works: Sugar releases dopamine in the brain, which can create a high or a "sugar rush." Sugar causes insulin (a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels by moving glucose from the blood into cells) levels to increase, which leads to a drop in blood sugar levels. The drop in blood sugar levels increases hunger and appetite making the body crave sugar again to fix the hunger or unease.

Signs of sugar addiction: Eating large amounts of sugary foods or drinks, eating to cope with emotions, eating sugar even when you're not hungry, binge eating sugary foods, feeling tired or bloated after eating, mood changes, such as irritability, depression, or anxiety, hiding or lying about your sugar consumption, withdrawal symptoms like lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, or mental fog. 

How to manage sugar addiction: Limit highly processed foods and read food labels and recognize the names of added sugars. You can try to get sweetness from other sources, like fresh berries, dried fruit, low-fat milk, or low-sugar yogurt. You can expect to experience mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms when you stop eating sugar.

Sugar: hiding in plain site

Eating disorders present themselves in a variety of ways, typically regarding self image related problems. Many of these disorders are accompanied by Body Dysmorphia; a mental illness that includes obsessive focus on one's body image, distorting their perception of their own body seeing themselves as bigger or smaller than their actual self. If you are easily triggered or have an eating disorder, please use caution as you proceed through the information below.