Download Carbs

Not sure what to think about
carbohydrates these days?
 Carbohydrates
are a necessary part of a
healthy diet.
 They are rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals,
including antioxidants, which we now know
play an important role in the prevention of
heart disease and cancer.
 Carbohydrates are also the primary source
of energy for our bodies. They are found in
grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans)
and dairy products.
 Your
body uses carbohydrates (carbs) to
make glucose which is the fuel that gives
you energy and helps keep everything
going.
 Your body can use glucose immediately
or store it in your liver and muscles for
when it is needed.
 You can find carbohydrates in the following:
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Breads, cereals, and other grains
• Milk and milk productssugar-sweetened
• Foods containing added sugars (e.g., cakes, cookies,
and beverages).
 Healthier
foods higher in carbohydrates
include ones that provide dietary fiber and
whole grains as well as those without added
sugars.

Some diet books use "bad" carbs to talk about
foods with refined carbohydrates (i.e., meaning
they're made from white flour and added sugars).
Examples include white bread, cakes, and
cookies.

"Good" carbs is used to describe foods that have
more fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that
take longer to break down into glucose; such as
vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.
What are the types of carbohydrates?
There are two main types of carbohydrates:
Complex carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates

Complex Carbohydrates
• Starch and dietary fiber are the two types of complex
carbohydrates.
Starch must be broken down through digestion before your
body can use it as a glucose source.
• Quite a few foods contain starch and dietary fiber such as
breads, cereals, and vegetables:
• Starch is in certain vegetables (i.e., potatoes, dry beans, peas,
and corn).
• Starch is also found in breads, cereals, and grains.
• Dietary fiber is in vegetables, fruits, and whole grain foods.
 You
may have seen dietary fibre on the
label listed as soluble fibre or insoluble
fiber.
 Soluble fibre is found in the following:
Oatmeal
Oat bran
Nuts and seeds
Most fruits (e.g., strawberries, blueberries,
pears, and apples)
• Dry beans and peas
•
•
•
•
 Insoluble fiber found in the
• Whole wheat bread
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Couscous
• Bulgur or whole grain cereals
• Wheat bran
• Seeds
• Most vegetables
• Fruits
following:


Soluble fibres slow the rate at which your body absorbs
food, and so they're important for helping to regulate your
blood sugar level. (Good news for anyone with diabetes.)
Examples of foods rich in soluble fibre include legumes,
barley, fruits such as apples and oranges, and vegetables
like carrots and leafy greens.
Insoluble fibres pass through your intestines almost
completely intact, absorbing water along the way. This helps
remove waste products from your body more quickly,
reducing constipation. Examples of foods rich in insoluble
fibre include whole grains, wild rice, corn, wheat bran, oat
bran, fruits like pears and strawberries, and vegetables like
broccoli and the skins of potatoes.
 Simple
carbs are sugars that are rapidly
absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a
quick but short-term energy burst.
 They're often referred to as "empty
calories" because they usually don't
provide any vitamins, minerals or fibre.
Examples include table sugar, honey,
jam, syrup and candies.
 Here
is how carbs work:
• when you eat an orange or a bagel, your body
digests the carbohydrates in the food and turns them
into glucose, which provides you with energy.
• The glucose dissolves in your bloodstream and then
travels to the parts of your body that use energy,
such as your muscles and brain.
• So carbs are critical to everyone’s health.
• When managing weight, however, it is important to
realize that not all carbs are created equal.
 Sugar
(also known as "simple
carbohydrates") comes in two forms:
•
Naturally occurring sugars that include
lactose (sugar in milk) and fructose
(sugar in fruit and honey).
• Added sugars which include sucrose,
otherwise known as table sugar.



Most health professionals recommend getting 50% to
60% of your total calories from carbohydrates. This
works out to about 200 to 300 g a day.
The recommended fibre intake is 25 g a day, however
most Canadians are only getting 14 g of fibre a day.
Individuals with diabetes, hypoglycemia, high
triglycerides or other health problems may benefit
from lower carbohydrate intakes. Consult with your
doctor or dietitian to determine your individual
needs.

• When buying bread, ensure that the label lists
"whole wheat" or "cracked wheat" as the first
ingredient.
• Choose whole grain versions of breads, rice and
pastas over plain white varieties.
• Choose bran or whole grain cereals with at least 2.5
g fibre and no more than 3 g fat in each serving.
• When cooking, add legumes to soups, casseroles
and salads. • Stir fresh fruit into yogourt.
• Substitute at least 25% of the white flour in baking
with whole wheat flour, oat bran or wheat bran.
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every
day - and remember to eat the skin on apples, pears
and potatoes.




When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into simple sugars,
which are absorbed into the bloodstream. As the sugar level rises in your
body, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin is needed to
move sugar from the blood into the cells, where the sugar can be used as
a source of energy.
When this process goes fast — as with simple sugars — you're more likely
to feel hungry again soon. When it occurs more slowly, as with a wholegrain food, you'll be satisfied longer. These types of complex
carbohydrates give you energy over a longer period of time.
The carbs in some foods (mostly those that contain a lot of simple sugars)
cause the blood sugar level to rise more quickly than others. Scientists
have been studying whether eating foods that cause big jumps in blood
sugar may be related to health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
You're probably already on the right track if you are limiting simple
sugars (such as candy) and eating more complex carbohydrates (like
vegetables, oatmeal, and whole-grain wheat bread).
Food Item
Serving Size
Total Fibre (g)
Total Sugar (g)
1 medium
3
14
1/2 cup
2
7
5
3
26
1 medium
4
15
Raspberries
1/2 cup
4
3
Broccoli, cooked
1/2 cup
2.5
1
Carrot, raw
1 medium
2
3
Celery, raw
1 stalk
0.5
0.5
Green peas, cooked
1/2 cup
4.5
5
Kidney beans,
cooked
1/2 cup
6.5
0.3
Bread, white
1 slice
0.5
1
Bread, whole wheat
1 slice
2
1.5
Rice, white, cooked
1/2 cup
0.5
0
Rice, brown, cooked
1/2 cup
2
0.5
Oatmeal, cooked
1/2 cup
2
0.3
Licorice stick
1 stick
0
28
Hard candy
3 pieces
0
10
Orange juice
1/2 cup
0.2
10
Apple juice
1/2 cup
0
13
Apple or orange
Blueberries
Dates, dried or
prunes
Pear







When there is a severe deficit of carbohydrates, the body has several immediate
reactions:
With no glucose available for energy, the body starts using protein from food for energy.
Therefore this protein is no longer available for more important functions, such as
making new cells, tissues, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies and the regulation of fluid
balance.
When carbohydrates are lacking, the body cannot burn fat in the correct way. Normally
carbs combine with fat fragments to be used as energy. When carbs are not available,
there is an incomplete breakdown of fat that produces a by-product called ketones.
These ketones accumulate in the blood and in the urine causing ketosis, which is an
abnormal state. Ketosis does cause a decrease in appetite because it's one of the body's
protection mechanisms. It's an advantage to someone in a famine (which the body thinks
it's experiencing) to lack an appetite because the search for food would be a waste of
time and additional energy.
Due to the lack of energy and the accumulation of ketones, low-carb diets are often
accompanied by nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, bad breath, and dehydration.
Because of dehydration and a lack of fiber, constipation can result.
Exercise and fitness performance is reduced on a low-carb diet. Do not be surprised if
your energy level is so low that you cannot make it through your normal workout routine.
 Following
an extremely lowcarbohydrate diet is disastrous,
dangerous, and above all—boring!
 Carbohydrates are NOT the enemy.
Including the appropriate amounts and
types of carbohydrate-rich foods in your
diet is essential for long-term health and
weight loss/maintenance.
 http://www.hourglassodyssey.com/240/t
op-10-facts-about-carbohydrates/