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 following: Whole wheat bread Barley Brown rice Couscous Bulgur or whole grain cereals Wheat bran Seeds Most vegetables Fruits

 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.managing weight

 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.hormone  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 whole- grain 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.diabetesheart 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 ItemServing SizeTotal Fibre (g)Total Sugar (g) Apple or orange1 medium314 Blueberries1/2 cup27 Dates, dried or prunes 5326 Pear1 medium415 Raspberries1/2 cup43 Broccoli, cooked1/2 cup2.51 Carrot, raw1 medium23 Celery, raw1 stalk0.5 Green peas, cooked1/2 cup4.55 Kidney beans, cooked 1/2 cup Bread, white1 slice0.51 Bread, whole wheat1 slice21.5 Rice, white, cooked1/2 cup0.50 Rice, brown, cooked1/2 cup20.5 Oatmeal, cooked1/2 cup20.3 Licorice stick1 stick028 Hard candy3 pieces010 Orange juice1/2 cup0.210 Apple juice1/2 cup013

 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 low- carbohydrate 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.

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