Protein
What does it do?
- provides the body with the building blocks for the growth and maintenance of body tissues (muscle) and reproduction.
- Forms neurotransmitters for brain and nerve function
- Supports hormone production
- Supports Immune function
Where to get it from?
Animal sources
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
- Dairy products
Plant sources:
- Beans/Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Soy products
- grains such as quinoa/oats
Recommended daily intake
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend:
- 0.75g/kg bodyweight (bw) for females or 0.84g/kg bw for males
- For those doing regular resistance training, 1.2g-1.6g/kg bw
- For strength athletes, 1.6g-1.7g/kg bw
Research supports increasing protein intake to 1.2g-1.6g/kg bw can support weight loss.
Carbohydrates
What does it do?
- Carbs are the body's preferred source of energy
- They also provide Fibre in our diet.Fibre is important for good gut health as it provides food for probiotics in the Gastrointestinal Tract. It also promotes regular bowel movement. One of the consequences of a low carb diet is the lack of fibre you get, which can impact both of the above.
Where to get it from?
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Grains/Cereals
- Bread
- Dairy products
- Beans/Legumes, Nuts and Seeds
- Sugar
Recommended daily intake
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that carbs make up 45%-65% of your diet. This can be achieved through following the recommended servings sizes of:
- 5-6 serves of vegetables
- 2 serves of Fruit
- 6 serves of grain (preferably wholegrains)
Also, try to limit the intake of your carbs through added sugars. Ideally, you do not want to consume more than 6 tsp of added sugar per day.
Fats
What does it do?
- Can be used as an energy source
- They're the bodies main form of stored energy
- Pad our organs to protect from shock
- Insulate our bodies against the cold
- Provide transport through our body for fat soluble vitamins
Types of fat
Saturated
Usually solid at room temperature. These are found in meat, butter, cheese and coconut oil. Consuming too much of these has been linked elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk of heart disease
Monounsatured
These are liquid at room temperature and are found in foods such as avocados, olive oil and nuts. These, in particular olive oil, form a key part of the Mediterranean diet which has shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Polyunsaturated
These are liquid at room temperature and are mainly found in plant foods. Good sources also include fish and seafood, nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats also contain the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6.
Fat spotlight - Omega 3
Omega 3 is often lacking in the western diet but is essential for brain function and development, retina integrity and also plays an important role in prevention of heart disease, arthritis, hypertension and cancer. Good sources include oily fish, flaxseeds/oil, leafy plants and soybeans
Recommended daily intake
The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that fat make up 20%-35% of your total daily energy
Remember, fat is energy dense, containing a little more than double the kj per gram compared to carbs or protein.
By Mitch
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