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Macronutrients also known as Macros

image of food on table, vegetables, avocado, egg.

Key Macronutrients – energy yielding nutrients.

Below are some food choices that have been divided up into Complex Carbs, Good Fats and Protein. These are essential foods that give your body a lot of what it needs for energy, repair and growth.

Carbohydrates (Carbs)

  • Oats
  • Sweet potato
  • Brown rice
  • Quinoa
  • Green vegetables
  • Wholemeal pasta
  • Fibre rich fruits such as apples, berries and bananas
  • Beans

Essential Lipids (Good fats)

  • Avocados
  • Coconut oil
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salmon
  • Nuts
  • Whole eggs
  • Chia seeds
  • Dark chocolate

Protein

  • Eggs
  • Almonds
  • Chicken breast
  • Cottege cheese
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Milk
  • Lean beef
  • Tuna
  • Quinoa
  • Whey protein supplements
  • Lentils
  • Turkey
  • Fish
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Peanuts
  • Tofu

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, in the form of simple or complex, are the body’s main source of energy providing 4 calories per gram.

Simple carbohydrates are those that cannot be broken down into simple sugars. These include various forms of sugar such as glucose and fructose.

Complex carbohydrates are larger and consist of sucrose, lactose, maltose, starch, amylose, and amylopectin.

The human body uses carbohydrates in the form of glucose and can convert both simple and complex carbohydrates into energy very quickly. The liver and muscles store glycogen, a complex carbohydrate that the body can rapidly convert to energy. Muscles use glycogen during periods of intense physical activity.

Carbohydrates have two major roles: they are the primary energy source for the brain and they are a source of calories to maintain body weight. If muscle and liver glycogen stores are full, excess carbohydrate will be converted and stored as fat.

Proteins

Proteins, also provide 4 calories per gram, are broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks that we use to grow, repair and replace tissue.

Protein is not generally stored if consumed in excess; however, a large excess of protein can be converted and stored as fat in the body.

Protein is spared for muscle growth and maintenance and other essential functions and is not usually broken down and used for energy. When carbohydrate and fat are depleted, protein can be used for energy. This is not desirable as it causes muscle atrophy.

Sources of protein include meat, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy products, seeds, nuts, beans, and lentils.

Fats

Fats, the most energy rich source of food providing 9 calories per gram, play vital roles in hormone production, nerve conduction, organ protection and energy storage.

Fats are stored as adipose tissue, which is fat tissue. This can be under the skin, surrounding organs, or can be stored between muscle cells as free fatty acids. As fats are such an energy rich macronutrient it makes it a very effective fuel source. However, fats take longer to break down into a usable form than carbohydrates so exercise needs to be of lower intensity for fat to be used as fuel.

Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. However, some fats are better than others. Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol, whereas mono-unsaturated fats lower blood cholesterol. Trans-fatty acids are potentially harmful and are used to make baked products, pies, cakes, biscuits and buns. Omega -6 and omega-33 are oils found in fish and can benefit health.

Low intensity, long duration, aerobic activities are usually fuelled by fat where there is enough time to convert fat into fuel. Most food we eat contains a mixture of all three macronutrients. Due to their different roles as well as their different chemical compositions we require different percentages of each in an overall healthy diet.

A very general recommendation is that 45-65% of your daily caloric intake comes from Carbohydrates, up to 10-20% comes from fats and the 20-30%from protein.

 

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Restart a Heart Day at PARC this Saturday ❤️💙

Join us this weekend, on Saturday 18 October, for Restart a Heart Day, a vital community event that raises awareness about cardiac arrest and empowers people with lifesaving CPR skills. 

Hosted by Monash University Paramedicine, this educational pop up in PARC's foyer will help build a safer, more prepared community.

Did you know that only 1 in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest? Most cardiac arrests happen in the home, so learning how to act fast could save the life of someone you love. Restart a Heart day will teach you how to respond in just three simple steps: CALL, PUSH, SHOCK.

Drop by PARC on Saturday morning between 9am – 12pm to learn from paramedics and paramedic students, who will be on hand to guide you through these critical steps and boost your confidence in delivering CPR. 

Every minute counts when restarting a heart – let’s work together to improve survival rates!

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You're invited to participate in our PARC Customer Satisfaction Survey. 🗣️ 

By participating in the survey, you will help us to improve our services, facilities and programs here at PARC. 

This survey should take around 10 minutes to complete and is open until Sunday 26 October. 

COMPLETE OUR SURVEY: Link in bio

All completed surveys go into the draw to win 1 of 3 $100 Rebel Sport Vouchers. 
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✨ Member Spotlight - Anca Anderson ✨

Meet Anca - a passionate runner with the ambitious goal of completing all 7 major world marathons. She has already completed London and Sydney and now her eyes are set on her next major marathon! Anca has been a member at PARC for 10 years and credits her PARC fit run club peers for all their encouragement and support.

When Anca isn't conquering the world she promotes health and wellbeing as the founder of her own supplement brand and believes its important to be proactive with your health.

Well done Anca! 

Check out our blog to learn a bit more about Anca’s journey - https://peninsulaleisure.com.au/news/member-spotlight-anca/

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Meet Aaron 👋 

Aaron has more than 17 years of Physio experience across a wide variety of clinical settings, including private practice and elite sports, spending 6 seasons at the Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club. 
 
Aaron also works part-time as a local distance running coach and loves to assist people in achieving their long-term functional goals. 

You can learn more about Aaron and the Davenport Physiotherapy team, located at PARC Allied Health Suites, through our website - Link in bio
 

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Daylight Savings Reminder ☀️⏰

Daylight savings start tomorrow!

Remember to set your clocks forward and to plan ahead if you've booked a class or plan on attending our centre tomorrow.

We hope to see you in centre soon.

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🚨 Waterslide closure 🚨

Please note that both Raft Waterslides will be closed for important structural works from Thursday 9 October until early December. 

The works will be completed on both waterslides, as well as the waterslide tower. 

We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. 

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