According to a Food Policy for Canada report by York University, which summarized findings from various nutrition-focused studies conducted in Canada, many Canadians have unhealthy diets. To start with, many Canadians consume foods that are high in fat and simple sugars to the point that they consume calories that exceed their daily activity levels. On top of this, many Canadians have very high salt intakes coupled with minimal consumption of fruits and vegetables.
It thus comes as no surprise that on top of the increasing obesity rates, Canada is also grappling with rising rates of lifestyle-related health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancers. Naturally, the government and other stakeholders have taken note of this growing concern and delved into various studies on how they can address what they have now termed an epidemic. And all their findings have pointed to the same thing – people need to adopt healthier eating habits, not just so that they can lose weight but also so that they can protect their mental and physical health.
While it may seem like quite a straightforward solution, the truth is that many people are unsure what healthy eating entails, since there are many conflicting reports online. To make matters worse, Canada’s official food guide is quite ambiguous as it not only lacks serving sizes but also lumps various foods together without accounting for their nutritional differences. This guide seeks to simplify eating by breaking down the key nutrients into groups which you can turn to when building your own plate.
Understanding Macronutrients
With movements such as IIFYM (if it fits your macros) coming up in fitness circles, more people have become knowledgeable about the roles that different macronutrients play in their weight and health. At the same time, we have seen an influx of movements such as low-carb and low-fat, which have urged people to completely eliminate or minimize certain food groups, thus resulting in confusion as to whether we need certain macronutrients for healthy living. To get to the bottom of this, we would have to figure out why we need macronutrients, how each macronutrient works, and just how much of each macronutrient we need.
So, what are macronutrients? The reason these nutrients are referred to as macro is that our bodies need them in large quantities as opposed to micronutrients. These nutrients essentially provide our bodies with the energy they need to perform basic functions like movement and breathing and are thus integral to our daily lives. And while some people may advocate for cutting out a macronutrient, the truth is that they all serve important roles in our bodies, as follows:
Proteins
In the modern age, there has been quite a lot of emphasis on including protein in our diets, which has led to the growth of protein-maxxing. This focus on protein has especially been so in the fitness circles where many people on muscle-building journeys have credited their gains to eating a lot of protein.
But besides helping you build muscle, protein has an array of vital roles in our bodies because it provides the amino acids that are used in everything from repairing muscle tissues to manufacturing hormones and enzymes. As such, even though you may not be keen on building muscle, you do need protein to pave the way for optimal organ functioning in your body.
At the same time, people on weight loss journeys as well as those who want to maintain healthy weights find that protein is a key part of their diets. Since our bodies spend a lot of time digesting proteins, people who eat diets high in protein find that this slowed digestion time results in high satiety levels that help them keep their hunger pangs at bay. Moreover, this slowed digestion ensures a steady stream of energy, which prevents the typical energy crashes people face when they are following diets that are low in protein.
How Much Protein Is Enough?
Luckily, as much as some people have been carried away by protein emphases to the point of eating up to 3 grams of protein per pound of body weight, you do not need that much. In fact, when it comes to how much protein you need, current dietary regulations have settled at about a quarter of your plate comprising a quality protein source.
So, what counts as quality protein? The good news is that protein comes in various forms, and some of the best sources include poultry, lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, lentils, Greek yogurt, and chickpeas. There are tons of other great options out there, including plant-based alternatives, such as soy meat chunks.
It is important to note, though, that people on vegan and plant-based diets should consume proteins from a wide variety of sources because most plant proteins are not complete proteins, in that they do not provide all the amino acids necessary for optimal health.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, which are often abbreviated as carbs, do not have the best reputation in the weight loss industry. In fact, when many people think of losing weight, they immediately think of cutting carbs, as these macronutrients have been positioned as being the ones to blame for weight gain.
However, before cutting carbs, there is something that you should know. When you consume carbs, your body breaks them down into glucose, and given that this is the most efficient energy source, your body prefers using it to fuel important functions within the body, such as regulating your nervous system. Your muscles also rely on this quick energy, which explains why endurance athletes rely a lot on carbohydrates when training.
As such, when you cut out carbs, you are essentially forcing your body to tap into other less accessible energy sources, and this does put a strain on your overall system. Carbs can and should be enjoyed as part of a typical diet, unless advised otherwise by a medical practitioner.
Differentiating Carbs
Carbs are not the same, and this distinction is especially important in the health and weight context. You see, we have two categories of carbs – complex and simple.
Complex carbs come in whole or minimally processed forms and thus include dietary fiber as well as a wealth of other micronutrients. As such, they are able to slow down digestion, thus providing a steady stream of energy to the body and keeping hunger at bay. Furthermore, thanks to their fiber content, they support our gut health. Examples of such carbs include root vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Simple carbs, on the other hand, are refined such that they have been stripped of nutrients as well as their dietary fiber. As a result, they have fast digestion periods, which results in fast absorption in the body, and they also lack the fiber content necessary to increase satiety levels. Therefore, these carbs are known to lead to spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels, which explains why many people who enjoy such carbs also find themselves grappling with cravings coupled with high hunger levels. Examples of such simple carbs include pastries made with white flour, sodas, and chocolate candies.
Portion Guide
Dietary recommendations advocate for focusing on complex carbs for the most part and limiting simple carbs, save for occasional meals. And as to how much of the complex carbs you should have in every meal, the answer is no more than a quarter of your plate. This moderation not only helps you remain full for longer, but it also helps you enjoy carbs without worrying about weight gain.
Fats
Besides carbs, some people have also been known to fear consuming fatty foods for fear of weight gain. But while a high intake of fats can result in weight gain, avoiding fats is not the answer. After all, we need fats for functions that carbohydrates and proteins cannot perform. Why and how?
Every cell in our bodies has a membrane around it which is mostly made up of fat. At the same time, our nervous system relies on fat to insulate nerve fibers. Thus, we rely on fat not only to absorb the vitamins that are necessary for hormone production but also to maintain our overall health, including our brain health. And that means that when we cut out fats, we are depriving our bodies of the resources necessary for these vital functions.
Moreover, fat does increase our satiety levels and can be a powerful tool in weight management.
Healthy Vs. Unhealthy Fats
Truth be told, many Canadians consume diets that are high in fat. But this is not the good kind of fat but rather the unhealthy kind that leads to an increase in LDL cholesterol and which has negative impacts on health. Examples of such fats include saturated fats from high-fat animal products and the trans-fats found in processed foods.
The kind of fats that you should consume are the healthy unsaturated fats, which are not only known to lower inflammation but also support cardiovascular health. Examples here include plant oils, nuts and their butters, seeds, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and fatty fish.
How Much Fat Should You Eat?
Fat does make food taste good. But while that may be so, even healthy fats are high in calories. A single gram of fat carries 9 calories, and this means that it is quite easy to consume a high number of calories without even realizing it, as people often do with dressings such as mayonnaise. To get the portions right, dietary recommendations stand at adding small and intentional sources of fats to meals.
Examples include cooking with olive oil, adding half an avocado to a meal, sprinkling seeds over your food, and so on. Be sure to vary your fats from one meal to the other and keep your portions small.
What about Micronutrients?
Thanks to the degree of processing that many foods go through, research shows that it is quite possible for people following modern diets to get all their macronutrients while missing out on key micronutrients. But is this a problem? Why yes! While macronutrients provide your body with the energy it needs to fuel important functions, micronutrients provide the resources your body needs for vital functions such as protecting you from diseases. And since your body cannot make most of these micronutrients on its own, you can only get them from eating foods that are rich in these nutrients.
Luckily, though, as the term micro implies, you do not need to consume micronutrients in high amounts. But you do need to consume enough to derive their benefits. Let us take a look at the current recommendations.
Vitamins
These micronutrients serve a wide array of roles in our bodies. These include protecting us from cellular damage, strengthening our immune systems, maintaining tissue health, regulating cellular functions, and enabling our bodies to extract energy from the foods that we eat. These are but some of the ways in which vitamins play a role in our health, seeing as each vitamin serves a distinct role in our bodies.
Categorizing Vitamins
Vitamins fall into two main groups based on how our bodies absorb and store them, and these are water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored in large amounts in the body. In fact, when you consume them in excess, your body flushes out most of the extra vitamins through urine. As such, you need to consume a significant amount of these nutrients on a daily basis to ensure that your body has an optimal supply of the same. Examples here include vitamin C and B vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are storable in the body such that if you consume them in excess, your body stores the extra vitamins in your liver and fatty tissues. It is important to note that for your body to absorb these vitamins, you do need to consume an adequate amount of dietary fat to support this process. Here, examples can be vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin D, for example, is vital in strengthening our bones and aiding in calcium absorption.
Where Can You Get Vitamins?
The trick when it comes to vitamins is eating a diet that is full of colorful vegetables and fruits. Examples include bell peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, and oranges. And when it comes to how many of these fruits and vegetables you should eat, recommendations stand at half of your plate being full of these vegetables and/ or fruits.
Minerals
Alongside vitamins, we also need to consume various minerals to ensure that we enjoy good health. For context, minerals are inorganic elements that are found in soil and water. And for us to get them, we either have to eat plants that have absorbed these minerals or animals that have consumed these minerals. The benefits of mineral consumption range from building bone density to regulating fluid balance, transmitting nerve signals, and transporting oxygen in our bodies, to name but a few.
Which Minerals Matter the Most?
Ideally, your diet should comprise a wide range of minerals as each mineral serves a unique role in our bodies. But for the most part, health experts agree that we should focus mainly on calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc. For example, magnesium plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions in our bodies, including energy production and muscle relaxation.
Luckily, it is quite easy to consume these key minerals alongside many others by consuming a diet that is rich in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, lean meats, seafood, dairy, and fortified plant-based milks. And if you are plating your food as we have discussed in this guide and varying your foods, you should get enough minerals.
Must You Track Everything?
You do not need to track your food in order to ensure that you hit your macronutrients and micronutrients. All you need to do is ensure that your portions are per this guide and that you are consuming a wide variety of foods each week. For optimal health, you can work your way to 30 different kinds of plants each week.