As stated earlier, the three main macronutrients are fats, carbohydrates, and protein. All three are vitally important in ingesting enough. Why? Each macronutrient has important roles in metabolism, aka cell functioning. Some functions include transporting materials into cells, digestion, repairing damaged cells, and tissue formation. There are countless more, as each have a variety of functions of their own. One of the most important role that these play is providing energy. Each nutrient has different levels of energy to be stored and eventually used by the body, especially carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the quickest form of energy, as they can be broken down at a fast rate for easy, quick energy. Fats are the "middle man": they are broken down at a slower rate than carbohydrates, but still provide energy. Proteins are the last source of energy for the body. Although proteins can be used as energy, they are more important for other functions, such as assisting in rebuilding muscle after exercise. When your body begins to break down protein, it does so at your skeletal, or voluntarily movable, muscles, as well as at proteins in cells. This seriously threatens the functioning of your body. Protein use, therefore, should be the last, worst case scenario in energy use.

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Different foods have differing levels of fats, as well as the different kinds of fats. The most important fats to be aware of in your diets are Omega 3 and Omega 6. These two are fatty acids, the basic "structure" that build up to make fats. In fact, these two fatty acids are special kinds of fats in that they are called Essential Fatty Acids. Essential fatty acids are those that the body cannot produce on its own. Your body does not possess the necessary physiology to construct such fatty acids, yet these fatty acids are important in proper cell functioning. The only way to get these fatty acids, therefore, is through what you eat. Some foods high in fatty acids are certain seeds and nuts, fish, and certain vegetables. 

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Seeds and nuts high in Omega 3 are Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds, Pecans, and Black Walnuts. Personally, I consume mostly chia seeds from this list. Chia Seeds are very versatile because they are small and practically tasteless. You can put chia seeds on top of many foods, like yogurt, salads, bread, like a seasoning and not find any differences in taste of the food. Walnuts are also a favorite option of mine because you can simply grab one and eat like a piece of bread. 

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Also, be sure of which type of fats you ingest. There are three types: unsaturated, saturated, and trans. The level of saturation in fats refers to the specific chemical structure of the fat molecule. As a fat becomes more saturated, the harder and longer it takes to break down the molecule for energy. Trans fat, however, are almost at the level of non-digestibility, or it cannot be digested. Trans fats are slowly becoming outlawed because of their dangerous nature. Trans fats can cause heart attacks, as well as other dangerous responses. Due to the difficulty in digesting them, they can instead clog up arteries and cause other conditions. 

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Carbohydrates, in the simplest terms, are sugars. They are quick forms of energy for the body to use, therefore they are the first to be used in physical activity. Not all carbohydrates are created equal, however. You will find two main kinds of carbohydrates on nutrition labels, sugars and fiber. Sugars are carbohydrates to be digested and used as energy for the body. Fiber, however, does not provide energy to the body. Fiber cannot be digested, but it provides a tremendous benefit to the body. Fiber, instead of digested and broken down, stays within the digestive tract, acting as a sponge of sorts. While traveling through the digestive track, mainly through the intestines, fiber collects other wastes to help clear the track for digestible material to enter the body. Fiber, in smaller quantities, can also pass through arteries and veins to help clear the tubes of plaque buildup, which can cause high blood pressure, or even a heart attack. 

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Both sugar and fiber play an important role to the body, but there is a limit to how much each should be consumed in your diet.