Macros

There are three main types of macros: proteins, carbs, and fats. They are called “macros,” which is short for macromolecules, because unlike water or oxygen, which are really small molecules, macromolecules are huge molecules made up of many atoms. Let’s talk about proteins. What is a protein? Proteins are large molecules made up of the atoms carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. These atoms come together with instructions from your DNA in a really cool process called protein synthesis to make amino acids. We have 20 different amino acids. I used to be able to draw all 20, now I can barely name them! Don’t get old, guys. Some amino acids we can synthesize on our own, but some we need to get from the foods we eat, which are called essential amino acids. Proteins are the workers of the body. They are the ones that get sh** done! Enzymes that digest the food you eat are proteins. Antibodies that help fight infections are proteins. And of course, proteins help build muscle. Foods high in protein are red meat, poultry, fish, pork, tofu, cheese, Greek yogurt, & eggs. There are lots of other foods that have protein, but they have more of one of the other types of molecules like carbohydrates or fats, which we’ll talk about later!