Calculate your macronutrient ratios based on your goals
Macronutrients are the protein, carbohydrate and fat that we take in from our diet. How much of each we should consume varies widely depending on our gender, age and state of health. The important thing to remember is that we are all unique, and what works for one person may well not suit another. This is because beyond our shape, there are a multitude of variables underpinning how we look and feel and this makes broad recommendations difficult. When it comes to weight control and boosting performance mind and body, there are some useful guidelines that can be taken on board depending on the desired outcome.
Before looking at macronutrients, it’s useful to work out a few basics. While I don’t believe you should count calories in order to control weight, by working out calorie needs per day based on your height and weight, you can then work out what percentage of your daily calories should come from each macronutrient depending on your state of health and goals. Start by working out your baseline calorie needs, or basal metabolic rate, using a calculator like this or you can also get a rough idea by multiplying your weight in pounds by 10. This will only show you how many calories will support a sedentary lifestyle without any additional variables taken into account. Depending on your activity levels you would add to this baseline level to meet your needs, this calculator may be helpful.
Calculate your macros, but it doesn’t need to be quite as precise as this
Now you can think about macronutrients. You will need to experiment, as individual needs vary tremendously and can change over time. The following guidelines, based on a paleo template, contain macronutrient ratios very different to the typical British or American diet, but have been shown to boost health and improve body composition when tweaked to suit individual needs. Try a comprehensive calculator like this to help keep track of your macronutrient intake each day.
The important thing to remember is that we are all unique, and what works for one person may well not suit another
And finally, when you’re reading the sections below, it will be useful to know that one gram of carbohydrate has four calories; one gram of protein has four calories; one gram of fat has 9 calories.
Carbohydrates
Try to get the majority of your carbohydrates from plant-based sources, such as sweet potatoes and other root vegetables
Try to get the majority of your carbohydrates from plant-based sources, such as sweet potatoes and other root vegetables plus some fruit, and a smaller amount from unrefined cereal grains if tolerated. Don’t count carbohydrates from non-starchy vegetables like greens. For those that exercise regularly, you can increase carbohydrate intake on workout days and reduce it on others, and try to eat your carbohydrates after workouts and at dinnertime, as research suggests this is better for recovery, muscle mass and metabolism.
If you need to lose some weight and have some problems balancing your blood sugar aim for a low carbohydrate diet, with 10 – 15% of your total calories from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 50 – 75g per day.If you want to maintain your weight, exercise regularly but not too intensively and are in good health, try a moderate carbohydrate diet, with 15 – 30% of your total calories coming from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 75 – 150g per day.For athletes and those that train hard, or those with a very fast metabolism and find they lose weight too easily, aim for 30 – 40% of your total calories from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 150 – 225g per day.
| Carbohydrate guidelines |
|---|
| If you are obese and need to lose a lot of weight, or are suffering with severe blood sugar problems, try a very low carbohydrate diet by aiming for less than 10% of your total calories from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be less than 50g per day. This type of very low carbohydrate diet tends to act as a temporary therapeutic plan to achieve specific goals, before being moderated over time. |
| If you need to lose some weight and have some problems balancing your blood sugar aim for a low carbohydrate diet, with 10 – 15% of your total calories from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 50 – 75g per day. |
| If you want to maintain your weight, exercise regularly but not too intensively and are in good health, try a moderate carbohydrate diet, with 15 – 30% of your total calories coming from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 75 – 150g per day. |
| For athletes and those that train hard, or those with a very fast metabolism and find they lose weight too easily, aim for 30 – 40% of your total calories from carbohydrates. For a 2000 calorie intake, this would be 150 – 225g per day. |
It’s worth noting that, in certain situations, a low carbohydrate diet is not recommended – such as underactive thyroid, adrenal fatigue, insomnia, chronic stress, pregnancy or being highly active/training hard.
Protein
Healthy, quality protein comes from eggs, organic grass fed meat, game, poultry and fish
If we listen to our bodies, we can naturally settle at a healthy protein intake as our appetite for it increases or decreases with need. Eating as much protein as you desire will therefore tend to satisfy your body’s requirements, and as a general rule this will be between 10 – 20% of total calories, so around 50 – 100g per day.
Healthy, quality protein comes from eggs, organic grass fed meat, game, poultry and fish. Quality protein powders can be used to boost intake when needed but shouldn’t be relied on at the expense of food-based sources. There are several scenarios that may call for increased protein intake of between 20 – 35% of total calories, or 150 – 175g per day based on consuming 2000 calories.
| Protein scenarios |
|---|
| Weight loss – increasing protein levels can help increase the feeling of fullness, and reduce appetite, which can aid weight loss. |
| Blood sugar control – if blood sugar balance is a problem, eating more protein can help to stabilize blood sugar levels. |
| Muscle mass – if building or maintaining muscle mass is a goal, such as body builders, endurance athletes, the elderly or chronically ill, then increasing protein could be advisable. |
Eating more than 35% of total calories from protein is not advisable, as this seems to be the body’s threshold in terms of protein metabolism. Exceeding this can cause a toxic build up of ammonia in the body. Once goals are reached, protein intake should be reduced gradually to between 10 – 25% of total calories.
Fat
Once you’ve worked out your ideal carbohydrate and protein requirements, the rest of your macronutrient intake will come from fats.
Make sure the balance of the fats you’re eating is healthy – choose a variety of sources such as oily fish, the fat from organic grass fed meat, grass fed butter, organic dairy if tolerated, coconut products such as oil, yoghurt and milk, extra virgin olive oil, plus some nuts and seeds.
