If you haven't read the first post about calories and its relationship to carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, then I suggest you read that before reading this. Alright, let's talk about the different types of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Let's start with dietary fats.
People seem to be fearful of consuming dietary fats. This probably has to do with the fact that people associate dietary fats with body fats. They, however, are not the same. It would be much less confusing and libelous if body fat was always referred to as adipose tissue. On the other hand, fats also get a bad rap because there are bad types of fats. Nevertheless, dietary fats are important, and there are good ones. Now I will talk about the different types of fats.
Let's start with the harmful fats:
Saturated fats:
While this fat is bad, it is necessary to have a small amount in your diet. Saturated fats are a main factor for contributing to high LDL (low-density lipid) levels in your body. These fats are solid at room temperature because their structure allows for them to pack closely together, thus creating a solid. Too much intake of saturated fats is thought to increase the risk of heart-related problems such as atherosclerosis (clogging of arteries.) The main reason for the necessity of saturated fats is hormone production. A lack of saturated fats could cause some hormone-related problem.
Types of saturated fats:
There are many types of saturated fats. A full list is available on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_saturated_fatty_acids
The main ones that are important for consumption are 12-carbon lauric acid, 14-carbon myristic acid, and 16-carbon palmitic acid.
Trans fats:
These are absolutely the worst fats. These not only raise LDL levels, but lower HDL (high-density lipid) levels (the good type of cholesterol.) These fats are created through the process of hydrogenation. They are used often in foods to improve shelf life. The worst part: anything that has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat (or carbs, sugars, etc.) can be said to have 0 grams on the label. This means that many foods you thought have 0 grams of trans fats actually probably contain nearly 0.5 grams. Scary? Well, it is if you don't know how to spot it. Anything that has the word hydrogenated (partially counts) has trans fats. So make sure to always check the ingredients of foods you eat. Why is trans fat so bad? The process of hydrogenation is adding hydrogen atoms to an unsaturated fats to eliminate their double bond and make them more saturated. (We already know the effects of saturated fats.) In addition, trans fats are non-essential, so they should be avoided as much as possible.
Unsaturated fats:
These are the "good" type of fats. They are completely essential to the human body and under no circumstances should be eliminated. An unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats contain one or more double bonds. Thus, a monounsaturated fat contains one double bond, and a polyunsaturated fat contains two or more double bonds. Lastly, omega fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6, and omega- 9) are a form of unsaturated fat.
Monounsaturated fats:
These are widely considered the best fats for cholesterol levels. These fats will lower LDL, and "protect" HDL levels. It is still debated whether these fats will actually raised your HDL levels or not. However, these fats are quite important for a diet and are found in a variety of oils. Oils that include this fat are olive, peanut, and canola oils. While this is a wonderful type of fat to intake, it is imperative to intake polyunsaturated fats as well.
Polyunsaturated fats:
These fats are good because the lower LDL levels, but unforunately, they lower HDL levels as well. However, these fats are important because of essential omega fatty acids that they contain.
Omega-3 (polyunsatured fat):
An essential fatty acid that is often found in fish and supplements such as fish oil. Omega-3 is said to be a possible protectant against cancer, promote better heart health and cholesterol, and improve brain health. However, there are some negative effects it can have on people with certain conditions. Talk to your doctor before supplementing your diet with fish oil.
Omega-6 (polyunsaturated fat):
While this is an essential fatty acid that has positive effects, the Western diet is plagued with an abnormally high omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Generally around 10-15:1 and sometimes higher. This inbalance is quite unhealthy and can have many negative side effects.
Omega-9 (monounsaturated fat):
This type of fat is non-essential because it can be created within the body from other unsaturated fats. This fatty acid is found in oleic acid, a component in sunflower and canola oil. While this is non-essential, this fatty acid is not bad for intake since it is a form of monounsaturated fat. However, when trying to construct a better diet, focus more on limiting intake of omega-6 and focus on taking in more omega-3.
Phew, so this is just the basics of these fats. The key is to have a good balance of all fats since saturated and unsaturated fats are important for any diet. Remember that trans fats are the only fats that you always avoid. Now onto carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates:
Simply put, there are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex.
In detail, there are three different classifications: Monosaccharides (simple), Disaccharides (simple), and polysaccharides (complex).
Monosaccharides:
Monosaccharides are the simplest form of a carbohydrate. They cannot be broken down any further as they contain one simple sugar (hence, mono.) Monosaccharides are great if used correctly. They provide quick energy boosts since there is no breaking down of the molecule required. This is great for quick energy or an after workout recovery. However, these are also the most likely to cause weight gain. When your body cannot use the energy, the extra sugars can turn into fat since the body cannot use them right away. Some examples of monosaccharides are glucose (dextrose), fructose, xylose, ribose, and galactose. Look for glucose, dextrose, and fructose on labels, and watch out for "high fructose corn syrup." That is the worst in terms of health.
Disaccharides:
These are created when two monosaccharides join together by the removal of a molecule of water. Since disaccharides are basically two monosaccharides, disaccharides have a similar effect to monosaccharides; these provide quick energy. The two most common examples of a disaccharide are sucrose, a.k.a. table/cane sugar (glucose and fructose) and lactose (glucose and galactose.) Lactose is found in milk, which is notorious for weight gain because it is not as healthy as it is made out to be.
Polysaccharides:
These are the complex form of carbohydrates. They are formed from the combination of multiple mono and disaccharides. These are great for long term energy as the body has to break down the bond in order for the body to use the energy. Two common forms of polysachharides are glycogen and startch. Some examples of foods that contain complex carbohydrates are cereal, rice, pasta, potatoes, and carrots. However, you should note that these foods can also contain some simple carbohydrates based on how they are processed. Try looking for whole grain in order to get the most complex carbohydrates.
That is basically all you need to know about carbohydrates. It's quite simple. Limit your simple sugars and take most of them in before, during, and after workouts. Eat complex carbohydrates for the main source of your calories from carbohydates. While the FDA recommends a significant amount more intake of carbohydrates, I believe that they are a contributing factor to obesity. People take in too many carbohydrates. Try taking in 20 percent of calories from fats, 40 percent of calories from carbohydrates, and 40 percent from protein. Speaking of protein, that's our final topic.
Protein:
This is by far the most underrated source for calories, and I believe it is the most important source (I'm biased, of course, since I am a bodybuilder.) However, regardless of that fact, this is a VERY important source of calories. If you have a lack of protein (some vegetarians) then your body will be weak, and you will probably be sick often. Proteins contain amino acids. Amino acids are referred to as the "building blocks." Amino acids are absolutely essential to intake. These are what feed your muscles. In fact, there are NINE essential amino acids: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionin, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine. These are obtained from food, but there are also amino acid supplements in case you are not receiving enough of these in foods (chances are, you probably are not.) The other 11 (20 total amino acids) are non-essential because the body can produce them naturally. Along with these amino acids there are different types of protein. However, the types of protein really are how fast it gets released into the body. The three big types of protein are whey, casein, and egg. Whey is the fastest releasing protein, and because of this, it is used most commonly by bodybuilders before and especially after workouts. Casein is a slow releasing protein. This is often taken by bodybuilders before going to bed to prevent the body from starving overnight and eating muscle. The last, egg, is a medium-speed releasing protein. While there is a lot more technical information on protein, I believe I covered everything necessary. Basically, you need protein because of the nine essential amino acids obtained by them. The dietary guidelines state that a person on a 2000 calorie diet should eat 50 grams a day. I say, double that. And if you are a bodybuilder, eat at least 1 gram per a pound of body weight, daily. People are scared of protein for whatever reason just because the dietary guidelines call for such a small amount. People then come up with BS excuses such as, "it taxes your kidneys." Don't listen to that. You probably aren't getting enough protein in your diet in the first place, (25 grams of protein is in 4 oz of chicken) especially if you don't eat meat daily. Get some more protein in your diet and see the results. Thanks for taking time to read this whole article. I am sure you learned something.
Sources:
Wikipedia (Various articles on dietary fats, carbohydrates, and proteins)
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/import_sat_fat.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=532
http://www.womensheart.org/content/Nutrition/fats_&_cholesterol.asp
http://www.cocoonnutrition.org/catalog/page_aminoacids.php
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