Whether you’re counting your macros, counting your micros, or googling what those are, we’ve got the answers. Let’s break this down.

MACROS

Macros are short for macronutrients. There are three and they are all equally important for optimum health: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Eliminating any one for an extended period of time will lead to craving, crashing, and the creation of a vicious cycle of deprivation, depletion, and overcorrection.

It’s human nature to categorize things as good and bad and then oscillate between extremes, but oftentimes the answer lies right in the middle. This is the approach we take when it comes to nutrition.

MICROS

Micronutrients are simply the vitamins, minerals, and other complexes and compounds we need to function at our optimum level. Since we can’t make many of these micronutrients, we must get them from the food we eat and beverages we drink.

These micros are abundant in fresh plants but are quickly lost through modern food processing techniques. Technology has found a way to create synthetic vitamins and minerals to add them back into refined food (as is the case with “fortified” flours and cereals), but you simply can’t manufacture health. Whole food forms of micronutrients are way more bioavailable than their synthetic counterparts - period!

Here’s Why it Matters

Oftentimes, it's very hard to get all the micronutrients we need from food alone. We just learned that modern farming and food processing techniques strip away many of these small but mighty compounds.

But on top of that, our stress response system GOBBLES these micronutrients up when we find ourselves in cycles of little sleep and overwork (which many of us do!).

This is why we love working with herbs, particularly adaptogens, and adding them into our daily routine whenever we can. You can think of these herbs—whether consumed in an energy bar or sipped in your tea—like superfoods packed with micronutrients. At ILA, we strive to provide you with the knowledge (and foods!) to create balanced macros and micros.

Remember:

• MACRO = a balanced blend of fats, proteins, and carbs
• MICRO = nutrient-dense herbs, vitamins, and minerals to support regulatory body systems that handle stress