Deja de contar tus macros: Consejo de un cirujano

Oh, macros: where mealtime meets math. You might calculate your macronutrients (those three main nutrients for a healthy diet: carbs, proteins, and fats) based on your daily calorie intake. Often, meal plans suggest various percentage ratios—like in the Mediterranean or keto diets—to track your specific macro goals.

Many experts believe counting macros can help you create a balanced, healthy plate. But for bariatric surgeon Garth Davis, M.D.? "I can't stand macronutrients," he says on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. Quite a controversial statement from a weight loss surgeon, don't you think?

Actually, Davis says, obsessively tracking your macros isn't necessary—in fact, a top-down perspective on food is probably better in the long run.

According to Davis, macros don't offer a big picture view of food. "Food isn't macronutrients. Food has everything in it," he says. Basically: It's time to stop calculating numbers and measurements and enjoy food for its simplicity. "Let's say you're eating beans," Davis adds. "What is that? Is it a carb? Is it protein?" The answer, he says, is much simpler: It's food. And it's good for you!

If you look at the Blue Zones (areas where people live the longest, healthiest lives), "Whether it's Okinawa, where they're eating soybeans; or Icaria, where it's a cannellini white bean; or Sardinia, where it's lentils; or Costa Rica, where it's black beans, it's all these different kinds of beans." The Blue Zones aren't meticulously counting their macros or making sure they're getting the right nutrients. They're just eating, and they're living—longer, we might add. As Davis says, "The Blue Zones aren't concentrating on living longer." Meaning, they're not focusing too much on the specific macros themselves.

Now, that's not to say macros themselves aren't important. It's still a good idea to have a balance of protein, fat, and whole carbs on your plate. However, Davis notes that it's not too difficult to get those nutrients in your diet, even without tracking the numbers specifically. Our society especially emphasizes protein, when Davis notes we already get enough: "The good thing is that [protein is] in just about everything that we eat, and it is very difficult to not get enough protein in the diet," he says. That's why he doesn't talk about protein with his weight loss patients: "I never mentioned the word protein. We don't talk about protein."

As long as you're eating whole, nutritious foods, he notes, you should be fine on the macronutrient front—even with protein. No need to track your entire plate! Of course, if your diet is filled with ultra-processed foods, that's a different story. "Food with zero nutritional benefit and, at the same time, zero satiety—you eat these foods, and you're hungry again a few hours later," he notes. If your diet consists of these blood-sugar-spiking selections, perhaps you might fare well with some specific measurements.

Otra advertencia, señala, es con la fibra: "No estamos consumiendo suficiente fibra y estamos consumiendo demasiada proteína". Ese es el único nutriente que él dice que es beneficioso rastrear porque es crucial obtener suficiente fibra en su dieta. "Va a ser muy difícil para alguien obtener fibra solo de frutas y verduras. Simplemente no hay suficiente". Es por eso que enfatiza las fuentes de proteínas de origen vegetal, que a menudo están llenas de fibra también: piense en legumbres, frijoles y granos integrales.

Si bien los macronutrientes son importantes para tener en su plato, medir meticulosamente cada comida no es tan necesario, dice Davis. Mientras coma alimentos integrales, nutritivos y diversos, debería estar bien.

Disfrute de este episodio patrocinado por CVS! Y no olvides suscribirte a nuestro podcast en iTunes, Google Podcasts, o Spotify!