CHAPTER 1

Nutrition and Macronutrients 101

I wanted to start out by giving you a solid foundation to buildon. Let's start at the beginning with the simple basics of nutrition soyou'll better understand the whys behind my process.

Nutrition is based on the process of eating and converting food intostructural and functional body compounds to be used for the following:

* energy

* growth

* tissue repair

* bodily functions

* performance

* maintenance

* health

What is nutrition actually made up of? Nutrition is made up of fivemain macronutrients. Most experts will talk about three—proteins,carbohydrates, and fats—but I add two other components to my listbecause they are essential to your weight loss, health, and survival. Fiber,as a component of a carbohydrate, is so vital to one's overall optimalhealth as well as weight loss that I include it in my list. Also, the mostoverlooked macronutrient of all is water, without which survival wouldbe impossible.

Here are the five macronutrients, not arranged in any significantorder:

1. Proteins

2. Carbohydrates

3. Fiber

4. Fats

5. Water

All our micronutrients or essential nutrients are derived from these fivemain macronutrients. Essential nutrients are nutrients that can't beproduced by the body but are needed to sustain life and maintain properbody functions and optimal health. All vitamins, minerals, antioxidants,enzymes, and phytochemicals are derived from our macronutrients.

Why is good nutrition so important? It is the foundation for managingproper weight as well as preventing and even reversing many chronicdiseases. It is the basis for higher energy levels, better performance, andbetter mental focus, as well as many psychological effects like bettermood, higher self-esteem, better self-image, and a higher self-worth.Five of the six leading causes of death in America all relate to the typicalAmerican diet or what I refer to as poor nutritional choices. The leadingcauses of death, in order, are the following:

1. Heart disease

2. Cancer

3. Stroke

4. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

5. Accidents

6. Diabetes

Diet and physical inactivity kill more Americans every year thantobacco, alcohol, and firearms put together. Yes, we have an epidemicthat's growing.

Let's take a look into a typical American diet and where we're goingwrong. American diets are too high in:

* sugar;

* processed foods;

* empty calories (foods that have little to no nutritional value);

* refined flours;

* total calories;

* saturated fat;

* cholesterol; and

* sodium.

American diets are too low in:

* protein;

* heart-healthy fats;

* fiber;

* antioxidants;

* fluids;

* potassium;

* calcium; and

* magnesium.

I am here to tell you that there is a solution.

Over many years I'd conducted studies with a wide variety of men and womenaccording to height, weight, gender, and age to come up with the perfectcalorie range and perfect macronutrient division to maximize metabolicstimulation for optimal weight loss while revamping blood chemistry.

The process I developed not only maximizes healthy weight loss whilelowering body fat levels, but it also prevents—and in many casesreverses—many chronic diseases related to poor nutritional choices.My process has helped numerous individuals eliminate the need formedications to treat cholesterol, blood pressure, acid reflux, type-twodiabetes, and other ailments tied to being overweight or obese.

Now let's take a look at each of our five macronutrients and the rolesthey play in our nutritional needs, weight, and optimal health.

Protein 101—Our Thermogenic Friend

Protein, the main component of muscle tissue, is needed for growth,maintenance, enzyme production, hormone production, and DNAproduction.

Protein is one of the five macronutrients our bodies need for proper bodilyfunctions and optimal health and to sustain life. Protein is essential formany of the body's processes, including building and repairing tissueand making enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. It is animportant building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.In my world, we refer to protein as the building blocks of life.

Protein contains four calories per gram and is the hardest macronutrientfor our bodies to disassemble and process. This makes it the mostthermogenic macronutrient, meaning the most stimulating to yourmetabolism.

What exactly is protein made up of, and where can we find it? Protein ismade of smaller compounds called amino acids, which are divided intotwo categories, essential and nonessential, ten of which are manufacturedby the body. The amino acids manufactured by your body are callednonessential. Another ten are called essential amino acids, meaning theyneed to be taken into your body by an outside source, namely food.

A complete protein is a protein that contains all of the essential aminoacids.

All animal proteins are complete, including red meat, poultry, seafood,eggs, and dairy products. For vegetarians, complete proteins can alsobe obtained through certain plants, such as soy, quinoa, buckwheat,spirulina, and amaranth.

Foods can also be combined to make complete proteins like pairingbeans and rice, beans and seeds, beans and nuts, and beans and grains.When you eat hummus and pita bread, nut butter on whole-grain bread,pasta with beans, veggie burgers on whole-wheat bread, split-pea soupwith whole-grain bread, or tortillas with refried beans, you are eatingcomplete proteins. These combinations don't necessarily even have to beeaten within the same meal, so if you eat beans for lunch and rice withdinner, you've given yourself a complete protein.

Carbohydrates 101—Energy inProportionate...