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The Importance of Fats:
Health Benefits, Types, and How Much to Consume

Introduction to Fats:

Discover why fats are essential for a healthy diet and why they don’t deserve their bad reputation.
Learn about the crucial roles fats play in your body’s overall health.
Health Benefits of Fats:

Vitamin Absorption: Fats help your body absorb essential vitamins A, D, E, and K, along with Beta-Carotene.
Hormone Production: Necessary for producing vital hormones that regulate bodily functions.
Organ Protection: Fats insulate and protect your organs.
Energy Source: Fats are the most calorie-dense macronutrient, providing 9 calories per gram.
Digestion Aid: Slow down digestion for better nutrient absorption.
Cell Membrane Building: Essential for creating and maintaining cell membranes.
Brain Health: Crucial for brain function and cognitive health.
Taste Enhancement: Fats make food taste better.
Different Types of Fats:

Unsaturated Fats:
Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs): Essential fatty acids, including Omega 3 and Omega 6, necessary for reducing inflammation and promoting heart health.
Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs): Known as “brain’s best friend,” these fats support brain function, heart health, and reduce inflammation.
Saturated Fats:
Found in animal products and certain plant oils, these fats are vital for cell membrane structure and hormone production.
Trans Fats:
Understand the difference between natural and man-made trans fats. Discover why artificial trans fats are harmful and how they contribute to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and heart disease.
How Much Fat Should You Eat?:

Guidelines on how much fat you should include in your diet based on your individual health goals, dietary preferences, and lifestyle.
Learn how to balance fat intake to meet your body’s needs without overconsumption.
Choosing the Right Fats:

Tips on selecting high-quality fats like Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), avocado oil, and fatty fish.
Advice on integrating healthy fats into your diet for optimal health benefits.
Conclusion:

Find the right balance of healthy fats in your diet.
Enjoy indulgent foods in moderation while focusing on nutrient-rich fat sources for long-term health.

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What is the Purpose of Carbs:

* Provide the Body with Quick source of energy
* Provide Stored Energy in the Liver and Muscles
* Hold 4cal/g (Same as protein)
* Help in muscle preservation (Protein Sparing)
* Promote digestive health (Source of soluble and insoluble fiber)
* Influence Heart Health and Diabetes (regards to cholesterol & insulin)
* Source of vitamins and minerals

Types of Carbs:

There are different sources of carbs within the food that you consume. Each type of carb has a different purpose and role that it plays within your body.

1.Sugars-Simple Carbs

* Made of 1-2 Sugars (Glucose, Lactose, Fructose, Sucrose...)
* Naturally occurring such as fruits and milk
* Added Sugars (honey, Sugar, Maple Syrup, etc...)
* Refined Grains like White Bread, Pasta, Flour
* Usually our decadent sweets and salty fatty snacks we crave or love:
* Potato Chips, Pastries, Etc...
* Less Nutrient Dense: Meaning they have less micronutrients
* Quicker to Digest and typically spike Insulin levels
* We typically enjoy them the most, but it is best to limit your intake of these

2.Starches- Complex Carbs

* 3 or more sugars (Chains of Simple Sugars)
* Whole Grains (Oats, Barley, Brown Rice, Whole Pasta....)
* Starchy Vegetables (Corn, Lima Beans, Beans, Peas, Potatoes....)
* Higher in Fiber and Nutrients
* Takes Longer to Digest, Slower to Absorb (Stay Fuller longer)
* More Steady Insulin Levels-no crashing
* Typically you want to focus on more of these

3.Fiber - Complex Carbs

* They are the Indigestible part of plant foods
* Whole grains, Fruits, Veggies, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
* Daily Recommended intake 25-35g/day
* This varies based on current fiber Intake and gender
* With increased fiber, water intake is crucial to make sure that you are able to pass p**p and reduce chances of constipation
* Helps with Satiety Contributes to Gut and Digestive Health, Decreased Cholesterol levels, Offset Cancer and Diabetes
* Typically want to Focus on more of these
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Are Carbs the Enemy?

Carbohydrates have become demonized in society, when the truth is they AREN'T the enemy. Unless you are a person who has If you are a person who has metabolic syndrome (Diabetes, PCOS) then carbs will affect you differently and a lower carbohydrate diet may be beneficial.
The majority of the population tends to over consume carbs in relation to their bodies requirements with regards to their current activity levels. Meaning the more active you are, a higher intake of carbs can help enhance your performance.
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How many Carbs should I Consume?

Carbohydrate requirements vary from person to person and are dependent on a couple of things:

* Current Goals:
* Weight Loss (typically you eat less carbs)
* Weight Gain (typically you eat more carbs)
* Athletic Performance (typically you eat more carbs)
* Daily Activity Levels and NEAT
* Current Training Regime: How intense are your workouts and what types are you doing?
In General:
When it comes to figuring out how many carbs you should be eating on a daily basis, as long as you are meeting your required protein and minimum fat intake while staying within your calorie targets the amount of carbs will vary based on personal preference and what you have left in regards to your daily intake as well as the above listed factors.
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If you are following a protein and calorie diet then the ratio of your carbs and fats may vary from each day. These variances can cause the weight fluctuations that tend to scare people when it comes to consuming carbs.

Simple Rule of Thumb for Carbohydrate intake:

1. How many calories do you need to consume to achieve your goals?
2. Ensure you're meeting your required protein intake (0.8-1.2g/lb)
3. Ensure you have adequate fat in your intake minimum 30-35g/day and/or about 30% of your intake
4. Rest of your intake is made up of carbs
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Does Carbohydrate Timing Matter?

If you were to reflect back to the nutritional hierarchy pyramid, nutrient timing is one of the last focuses. Timing carbs in your day is also going to vary based on the individual and their activity level.
For the general population:
1. Research studies have shown that the body can use (burn or store) about 40 grams of carbs after a meal
2. For High intensity exercises, timing your carbs for before and after your workouts can help with recovery and replenishment of your glycogen stores
3. For the majority of people looking to reduce body fat, keeping carbs lower in the morning and higher in the middle to evening can help with this. It has been shown to also help reduce cravings and can help with metabolic flexibility (aka your bodies ability to adapt to the stress you put it through like eating and training)

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The Importance and Purpose of Protein:

Protein is THE MOST IMPORTANT Macronutrient.

It helps with:
* Muscle Building, Sustainability and Growth
* Appetite and Satiety
* Body Repair
* Immune Health and Antibodies
* Insulin Spikes (Sugar) and drops
* Creates biochemical reactions for digestion, energy production, blood clotting and muscle contractions
* Balances fluid in the body
* Transports and stores nutrients
* And SO MUCH MORE

Bottom line PROTEIN IS KING and the majority of people don’t consume enough.

How Much Protein Should You Consume?

When it comes to consuming protein the general rule of thumb is 1g/lb of body weight. The minimum amount a person should be consuming is 0.8g/lb of body weight up to 1.2g/lb of body weight for muscle building and maintenance. If you are a larger person, with very little muscle mass and lots of fat mass you can use the calculation of 0.6g/lb in the beginning of your journey to calculate your protein intake.

For instance, a 130lb individual would consume 130g protein per day if using the 1g/lb method. Take note that this would be the amount of protein that your food makes up, not the weighted number that you see on the scale when weighing your food. This is where your nutrition tracker is key to understanding the makeup of the foods you consume.

When it comes to the amount of protein you should be consuming, the goal is to ensure you’re fueling your lean body mass (organs, skin, bones and muscle mass). Basically everything minus your fat mass. Your protein intake will vary based on preference, muscle size, goals, etc….

To calculate your Protein Goal take your body weight in pounds multiplied by the g/lb protein range given (0.8g/lb-1.2g/lb)

How to Eat More Protein:
When it comes to ensuring you’re eating an adequate amount of protein, it's important to look at your current makeup of the foods that you’re consuming. You can see the breakdown of these foods in your nutrition tracker.

Ask yourself the following:
1. What food sources am I currently consuming that are primarily protein?
2. Can I increase the serving size of those foods to get more protein?

Typically most people need to consume 5-8oz of lean meats to hit their protein requirements.
Other great ways to increase your protein intake are as follows:

Incorporating Dairy: if you are dairy tolerant
1. Fat Free or Low Fat Cottage Cheese or Cheeses
2. Fat Free or Low Fat Greek Yogurt
3. Egg Whites and Eggs

Front load your Protein in the beginning of the day: This will help satiate (satisfy) you, keep you fuller longer and allow you to more easily hit your protein target

Plan Ahead: Just like you can pre log your food, pre plan the amount of protein sources you need to consume to hit your goals

Mix Dairy Products and Protein:
1. Tuna and Cottage Cheese or Greek Yogurt
2. Tuna and Egg Whites
3. Eggs, Egg whites and Greek Yogurt (Use greek yogurt as a topping or dish on the side)
4. Protein Powder and Egg Whites
5. Protein Powder, Oatmeal and Egg Whites, etc…..

Supplement:
1. Protein Powder
2. Collagen Powder
3. Protein Bars, Snacks, Treats, etc…

Protein Source Tips:
1. Find 2-3 Single Ingredient Protein Sources you enjoy
2. Focus on eating lean protein if you’re trying to keep calories low
3. Pay attention to the amounts of protein within the foods you consume

Our Favorite Leaner Protein Sources:
* Poultry and Pork: Chicken breast and thighs (boneless, skinless), 93-97% lean ground turkey, Center cut pork loin, pork tenderloin
* Dairy: Egg Whites, Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Fat Free Greek Yogurt
* Canned: Tuna, Wild Caught Salmon
* Seafood: Shrimp, Wild Caught Smoked Salmon, Scallops
* Beef: Top Sirloin, Round Roast, Wild Venison, Wild boar, Beef Cheeks

Protein Focused Snack Ideas:

* Protein Shakes: Bring your own protein powder or have the RTD (ready to drink) ones like the Fairlife Protein Shacks
* Protein Bars: 1st Phorm, Quest, ONE are some great options
* Jerkies: There are many beef and turkey jerkies that are high in protein and relatively low in calories
* Fat Free Greek Yogurt: Universal as eaten either sweet or savory and has a good pack of protein.
* Mix protein powder into it and top it with some berries
* Make it into a ranch dip or buffalo dip using the no calorie seasonings and sauces then dip cucumber, tomatoes, celery into it
* Fat Free/Low Fat Cottage Cheese: Universal as eaten either sweet or savory and has a good pack of protein.
* Puree it and mix in some sugar free pudding mix and protein powder
* Top it with some berries
* Top it with grilled chicken or smoked salmon
* Hard Boiled Eggs: Bring some hard boiled eggs that you can pop in your mouth
* Tuna/Chicken Salad: You could prepare this as home using greek yogurt and/or pureed cottage cheese. you can eat it by itself and/or dip celery, cucumbers, crackers, etc... in it

P.S.
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Build a Solid Foundation:

When it comes to making progress in life and excelling to the top it starts with building a solid foundation on which you can stand on with anything.
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Nutrition is a MAJOR component and factor when it comes to achieving your goals, but it doesn't have to be complicated. The Nutritional Hierarchy pyramid breaks down the key things to focus on to help eliminate confusion and allow for continual growth and progress long term.

You can make anything as complicated and granular as you want, but the reality is if it's too complicated then it tends to lead to inaction and overwhelm. Keep it simple until you've mastered the basics and if you want to increase the intensity then feel free to do so.

Starting with the most important and leveling up the pyramid:

Adherence, Sustainability and Enjoyment:

As with anything in life if you don't enjoy something you typically won't stick with it for very long.

When deciding your nutrition make sure that it is something that you can adhere to aka stick with the plan for the given time period or at least the foreseeable future. If you decide on what you THINK would give you THE BEST RESULTS, but can't implement it into your life for s**t, then it is pointless.

Identifying what it is you're looking to achieve and how you can achieve it in a sustainable and enjoyable way is a major factor for long term success.

Calories:

Calories affect the WEIGHT of your body (not body composition)

1. Weight loss: Eating less than what your body needs to maintain its current weight will cause you to lose weight.

2. Weight Maintenance: Eating within the average amount that your body needs on a weekly basis will allow you to maintain your current weight

3. Weight Gain: Eating more than what your body needs on average on a weekly basis will cause your body to gain weight

When focusing on hitting calories your macro distribution typically varies on a daily basis. For many people they typically have “go-to” foods on a regular basis and when they track they will find that they typically gravitate towards similar macronutrient ranges on the regular.

You may have noticed that after certain intakes (meals you have consumed) that some days you may have weight spikes if you consumed a higher amount of carbs than you typically consume on the regular and this can be caused from WATER retention.

Weight fluctuations are common for people who focus on calories and protein and calories, typically because they eat a wide variety in their intake and have varying proportions of fats to carbs that they consume. This is completely normal and is due to the water fluctuations occurring. As long as you’re staying within your body's calorie requirements the fluctuations aren’t fat.
Calories will allow you to maintain and make progress, but ensuring that you hit a minimum amount of protein on a regular basis is where body recomposition comes into play.

Protein and Calories:

Protein and Calories will change your PHYSIQUE. When you hit Protein and Calories it will ensure that you make and maintain progress but also ensure that you have adequate protein for muscle building and sustainability.

Protein and Calories will give you increased flexibility within your intake and allow you to make/maintain progress. Since your carbs and fats will vary depending on your food choices this may also cause higher daily water weight fluctuations as mentioned above, if your carbs drastically change day to day.

You could hit protein and calories for the rest of your life and make/maintain progress.
Everyone is different in the amount of protein they enjoy eating, the amount needed for muscle sustainability and growth and also how they feel with regards to satiety within the day.

Full Macronutrient Spread:

When hitting specific macros it typically allows and requires increased structure within your intake on a regular basis with less water weight fluctuations as your body is accustomed to particular amounts of each macronutrient.

Hitting full macros also allows you to time and/or pair your nutrients in a way that you may be able to maximize the way you look and feel, perform in the gym, etc...

Depending on how your specific Macronutrient distribution is laid out and the amount of calories that you're consuming it may or may not be as enjoyable when it comes to food variety in the long run and grand scheme of life. This is of course dependent on multiple factors.

Hitting your particular macros on structured days, while also incorporating a couple protein and calorie days on perhaps weekend days can also allow for more food variety and be a great option.

In General your ratio of Carbs to Fats DOES NOT affect your rate of Fat Loss. Total Calories is what matters.

Ultimately it comes down to your personal preferences, adherence, consistency and priorities in life then identifying what you can realistically do and are willingly to do to make the progress you desire.

Meal Timing/Distribution:

Meal timing and distribution can help when it comes to your meal make up (carbs, fats and proteins inside the meal), the size of your meals (High and Low calories), Calorie Cycling (High and Low Calorie Days) and/or the number of your meals you eat along with when to consume your meals in and around your day for increased energy, performance and function.

Meal timing is usually reserved for people who have built a solid foundation with macros and/or at least protein and calories.

For example you could use meal distribution as follows:
* Seeing how you feel starting your day with mainly proteins and fats & reserving carbs for when you need the most energy in your day.
* Carb Cycling for Body Building prep. Having low carbs days to lean out then having super high days to help fill out your muscles to make them look fuller for a show
* High and Low Calorie Days for life... We like this option because we like to explore crazy foods, so we will stack higher calories on the days that we do

The list goes on when it comes to how you can utilize this tool to increase how you feel and live your life based on your goals.

It can also be beneficial for elite Athletes who are looking to increase their performance. For example marathon runners who need to saturate their muscle glycogen stores for a marathon the next day, etc...

Meal timing is a TOOL that can help you get better. There is many applications that you can use it in, but in general it will be based on your preferences, life, skill set and goals. You could technically implement this tool at any stage in your journey, but ULTIMATELY the biggest factor when it comes to achieving your goals is making sure your calories are appropriate for the desired result.

Supplements:

Supplements are just as the name suggest. They "Supplement" and help bridge the gap for what it is that you are consuming.

Even when you are eating single ingredient whole food sources you can still be deficient in micronutrients. Supplements can be integrated at any stage of your journey, but the biggest thing when it comes to supplements is asking why am and I taking this and am I seeing or noticing any benefits from taking this? There is much more depth to this that is discussed in the Supplements course.

Focus on:
* What are you WILLING to do?
* What can you REALISTICALLY do?
* What can you be CONSISTENT with?
* Take Action
* Monitor Progress and Adjust the Plan if needed

When life happens:

As you know Life events happen... Parties, vacations, sickness, stress, etc...
Depending on where you are on your journey will determine what you can or can't do.
What do we mean?

If you are or become an avid macronutrient hitter and you're going on vacation, hitting specific macros might be overwhelming. You can utilize this pyramid in a way that allows you to make/maintain progress during your trip and free up some of your mental energy by regressing to protein and calories. If you end up not getting enough protein that day then focus on staying within your calorie targets, etc...

The key to success is being able to adapt and adjust when life happens. Mastery comes from continual practice of this skill.

WTF are Macros and Micros
Made simple by Fit Foodies Sammy and Mickey

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Macro and Micronutrients:

You’ve all heard the term “counting macros” or “if it fits your macros” even “flexible dieting”...
So what the heck are we talking about when we’re referring to Macro and Micronutrients?

Calories: A calorie is a unit of energy. In scientific terms it is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. A kilocalorie, or Calorie, is the equivalent of 1,000 calories and is the unit used to discuss the nutritional value of food. Our bodies utilize a certain amount of calories per day to sustain life.

Micronutrients: aka micros, your vitamins and minerals. They have NO calories within them. Due note that if you are eating gummy vitamins, you get calories from the sugar and gelatin in the gummy, not the micronutrients themself. Micro nutrients are crucial for health, well being, development and of course feeling good. When you eat a "varied" well balanced diet you are usually covered. Many packaged foods now a days are also "fortified" with additional vitamins and minerals. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements would be for "filling the gaps" in your nutrition or if your body isn't absorbing them based on blood work.

Macronutrients: aka macros, are the nutrients that your body requires in large amounts. These macronutrients contain calories in different proportions. They each serve different purposes in our bodies. There are 3 types of macronutrients.

Protein: Mainly used for muscle building, repair and muscle preservation. It also helps you feel satiated (full). Protein has a higher thermic effect as well helping increase your rate of burn. Large amounts can be found in meats, poultry, fish, egg whites and plant sources like tofu and lentils. 1 Gram of Protein contains 4 calories.

Carbohydrates: Used as the body's primary source for energy while providing fiber that aides in digestion. Carbs make us feel "happy" and help with our mood. Large amounts can be found in potatoes, grains, fruits and veggies. 1 Gram of Carbs contains 4 calories.

Fats: Crucial for hormone regulation and production, aids in brain function and nutrient absorption. Also helps you stay "full" for longer. Large amounts can be found in oils, butters, nuts and seeds. 1 Gram of Fat has 9 calories.



Food Macro Makeup:
Now that you know what Macros and Micros are the next step is understanding them when it comes to the foods that you consume.

Many foods consist of predominantly of one macronutrient, but many have a combination of the three in various quantities. For instance avocado is a good source of fats AND carbohydrates. Chicken thighs are a good source of protein AND fat.

Utilizing a nutrition tracker you will be able to see how many macronutrients are within the different food items you consume.

When you understand the concept of food macro makeup it empowers you to make informed decision about what you want to put on your plate which will help in long term transformation of your body.