So I have a lot of topic ideas and have been chomping at the bit to sit down and write about them, but it wouldn’t do me any good if I didn’t start at square one. I am a strong believer in the IIFYM (if it fits your macros) diet, because let’s face it- your body doesn’t judge the types of carbs, fats, and proteins you eat…a carb is a carb—this is true, but at the same time it’s not – but we’ll discuss that in a minute. I will say, however, that this diet is not for everyone. It takes someone with a basic understanding of nutrition to be able to use this diet because you need to make sure that you are still getting other things like vitamins and minerals (which are varied depending on the person) and a variety of types of carbohydrates (ie: fiber).
So let’s talk glycemic index. What is this? It’s basically the amount your blood sugar spikes due to the types of food you eat and the insulin response that results. When you eat high glycemic index or foods with high sugars, this spikes your blood sugar causing a spike in insulin. You may think, what’s the big deal? Well, I’ll tell you- it’s the age old saying, what goes up, must come down! That’s right- just like a kid with a pixie stick, your insulin spike causes that blood sugar to come crashing down and leaves you hungry within the next hour or two…so what do you do? Eat some more! And as we know, the more we eat, the more calories we’re ingesting and when calories in > calories out, you begin to gain weight.
When you eat low glycemic foods, this helps to level out your blood sugar allowing for a level insulin rise as well, leaving you satisfied for longer. These foods typically have more protein or fat in them because that is what helps to slow the digestion, allowing for that slower, more controlled rise.
The biggest thing I see in the medical profession is that patients come in all of the time thinking that they are eating healthy and well because the media and gimmicks make them think they are making those right choices. Then we talk for a moment and they are choosing all of the foods in the red, high glycemic index column.
So how do you find out whether what you’re eating is high vs low? You can usually google it by typing the name of the food and “glycemic index” in the search bar. Below are the values for each and hopefully these can help you to make better decisions.
Low = 0-54
Moderate 55-69
High 70 +
So what should my C/F/P ratio be? Well, that also depends on your goals. A good rule of thumb for maintenance is the zone’s 40/30/30. Weight loss usually increases the protein and lowers the carbs for a 30/25/45. So how do you calculate this? First you calculate your basal metabolic rate and multiply that by your activity level coefficient (these are standard values). From here you choose what your percentage ratio will be and determine the allotment of calories per macronutrient. Once you know the number of calories, you convert to grams: (Carbs 4cal/g; Fat 9cal/g; Pro 4cal/g) and voila!
Finally, why it’s important to know a bit about nutrition to properly utilize this diet. While it’s great to have the freedom to eat what you want with mild restriction, you must remember to try to get a balanced diet. Our bodies are well oiled machines and the better you feed it, the better it runs. God tells us that our bodies are temples and we should treat them as just that, so being conscious of what we are putting into our bodies and making sure that we are getting the proper nutrients in addition to our macros is still very important!
If you have any questions or are curious as to how to calculate your daily macros, feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment! Hope this helps!
Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Strength,
Jayme
So let’s talk glycemic index. What is this? It’s basically the amount your blood sugar spikes due to the types of food you eat and the insulin response that results. When you eat high glycemic index or foods with high sugars, this spikes your blood sugar causing a spike in insulin. You may think, what’s the big deal? Well, I’ll tell you- it’s the age old saying, what goes up, must come down! That’s right- just like a kid with a pixie stick, your insulin spike causes that blood sugar to come crashing down and leaves you hungry within the next hour or two…so what do you do? Eat some more! And as we know, the more we eat, the more calories we’re ingesting and when calories in > calories out, you begin to gain weight.
When you eat low glycemic foods, this helps to level out your blood sugar allowing for a level insulin rise as well, leaving you satisfied for longer. These foods typically have more protein or fat in them because that is what helps to slow the digestion, allowing for that slower, more controlled rise.
The biggest thing I see in the medical profession is that patients come in all of the time thinking that they are eating healthy and well because the media and gimmicks make them think they are making those right choices. Then we talk for a moment and they are choosing all of the foods in the red, high glycemic index column.
So how do you find out whether what you’re eating is high vs low? You can usually google it by typing the name of the food and “glycemic index” in the search bar. Below are the values for each and hopefully these can help you to make better decisions.
Low = 0-54
Moderate 55-69
High 70 +
So what should my C/F/P ratio be? Well, that also depends on your goals. A good rule of thumb for maintenance is the zone’s 40/30/30. Weight loss usually increases the protein and lowers the carbs for a 30/25/45. So how do you calculate this? First you calculate your basal metabolic rate and multiply that by your activity level coefficient (these are standard values). From here you choose what your percentage ratio will be and determine the allotment of calories per macronutrient. Once you know the number of calories, you convert to grams: (Carbs 4cal/g; Fat 9cal/g; Pro 4cal/g) and voila!
Finally, why it’s important to know a bit about nutrition to properly utilize this diet. While it’s great to have the freedom to eat what you want with mild restriction, you must remember to try to get a balanced diet. Our bodies are well oiled machines and the better you feed it, the better it runs. God tells us that our bodies are temples and we should treat them as just that, so being conscious of what we are putting into our bodies and making sure that we are getting the proper nutrients in addition to our macros is still very important!
If you have any questions or are curious as to how to calculate your daily macros, feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment! Hope this helps!
Until next time,
Peace, Love, and Strength,
Jayme