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Carbs: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
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Carbs are often labelled as 'bad'. Whilst it is true that the average 'western' diet is too high in carbohydrates, it is overconsumption that is a problem more so than carbohydrates being 'bad'.
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Carbohydrates: Why do you need them? Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose molecules and also into glycogen, which can only be stored in limited quantities in your muscles and liver to be used as energy. carbohydrates are what provide your body with the energy for every activity you do, from quick actions like scratching your nose and sneezing through to longer actions such as going on a 10km hike. carbohydrates are also the only macronutrient your brain can convert into energy to function.
Carbohydrates can be split into two categories: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates, also known as simple sugars, are generally all of your sweet tasting foods such as sugar, soft drinks, dried fruit, fruit drinks, sweets, cakes, etc. Sugars are often hidden in food labels with other fancy names, but generally speaking, anything ending with 'ose', (e.g. dextrose) will be a sugar derivative.
Simple sugars are mostly found in processed foods and are void of any nutritional goodness. Simple sugars are digested very quickly by the body; in fact, they need almost no digesting and can enter the blood stream immediately. This is why diabetics who are having a hypoglycaemic episode (low blood glucose levels) can quickly be stabilised by having boiled sweets or sugar.
When simple sugars are available in the blood stream they can cause what is known as an 'insulin spike'. This basically means that the simple sugars will be used by the body for any immediate energy required instead of using your fat stores.
The other downside of having an insulin spike is that if your glycogen stores are already full then any excess energy will be converted and stored in your fat cells (see What happens when you eat too many carbohydrates? on the next page). This is not what you want to happen when you are trying to lose body fat.
Milk products and some fruit and vegetables also contain simple sugars in the form of lactose and fructose; however, the sugars in these foods are not absorbed as quickly because there are other substances present that assist to slow down their absorption rate. For example, the sugar in fruit (fructose) is part of the fruit cell wall and is released slowly when it is digested.
Complex carbohydrates This group of carbohydrates is made up of starchy and fibrous vegetables and grain products. Complex carbohydrates generally take longer to digest and release their energy at a slower rate than simple carbohydrates. They can also be broken into starchy complex carbohydrates and fibrous complex carbohydrates.
Starchy complex carbohydrates (such as bread, oats, pasta, cereals, potatoes, beans, lentils, noodles and rice) are the body's preferred source of fuel. This is because starch provides most of the glucose your body requires in order to provide energy to your muscles, tissues, organs and brain.
Fibrous complex carbohydrates (such as fruits, plant foods and whole grain products) are important as they provide your body with fibre, which is the indigestible portion of the plant. Fibre passes through the intestinal tract intact (which means that not all of the caloric energy is being absorbed). It adds bulk to the intestinal contents (making you feel fuller), aids in healthy digestion and assists in the elimination of waste.
Diets high in fibre have also been shown to decrease the risks of heart disease and obesity as well as helping to lower cholesterol - yet another reason to ensure you get enough fruit and veggies in your diet.
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Continued on Next Page..
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Keywords:
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carbs, carbohydrates, weight loss, nutrition, food, diet, results, health, healthy eating tips,
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