Eating a nutritious diet offers many benefits, from reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes to helping you lose and maintain a healthy weight. A healthy eating plan is also instrumental in giving your body the fuel it needs to function well. Three macronutrients give your body energy -- carbs, protein and fat -- powering your muscles and helping your organs run smoothly.
Carbs
Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for your body. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, or blood sugar, which provides energy for your body's cells and organs to carry out their basic functions. Carbohydrates come in the form of simple carbs, found in fruits, vegetables and dairy products, and complex carbs, found in whole grains and starchy vegetables such as potatoes. One gram of carbohydrates offers 4 calories of energy.
Protein
One gram of protein also includes 4 calories for energy. Protein is found in every cell in your body as it's used to build and maintain cells. Protein helps your cells carry out their basic functions, as well as forms a major part of your muscle tissue. Protein-rich foods include meat, beans, nuts, tofu, fish, eggs, seeds, poultry and dairy products. Some protein-rich foods -- which include red meat and full-fat diary products -- are high in "bad" fats, such as saturated fat.
Fat
Fat is another source of fuel for your body, providing 9 calories of energy per gram of fat. Your body uses fat to form cell membranes, cushion organs and create energy stores. Fat comes in "good" forms -- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats -- and "bad" forms -- trans fats and saturated fat. Good fats lower your overall cholesterol and help carry artery-clogging, bad fats out of your bloodstream for disposal. Bad fats build up on your artery walls and can trigger high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Good fats are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocados and fish. Bad fats are in red meat, some dairy products, fried foods and some baked desserts and pre-packaged snacks.
Muscles
Muscles come in different forms and include the skeletal muscles, such as your biceps, triceps and hamstrings, your heart muscle and your smooth, or involuntary, muscles. Protein is a major component of your skeletal muscles. Your muscles glean energy from all of the macronutrients you eat. Simple carbs offer a fast-burning source of energy for your muscles, and complex carbs offer a slow-burning source of energy, which is why endurance athletes often "carbo load" for energy before big events. Fat offers a slow-burning source of energy for your muscles. When your body depletes its reserves of carbs for energy, it turns to fat for fuel. Proteins provide a small amount of fuel for exercise, but are vital for building and repairing your muscle tissue after you work out.
References
- MedlinePlus; Weight Control; August 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Balance Food and Activity
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Losing Weight; June 2011
- Kids Health; Your Muscles; Steven Dowshen, M.D.; August 2009
- MedlinePlus; Carbohydrates; August 2011
- MedlinePlus; Protein; August 2011
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