What is all the fuss about carbohydrates ?

Carbohydrates, also referred to as “energy foods,” are one of three calorie-containing nutrients found in foods. The other two nutrients are proteins and fats. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram and so does protein, but fat is more calorie-dense, containing 9 calories per gram. But that is all to difficult to work out in reality because often fat and protein are together in the same food – for instance – you carnivoires will get yours in a slab of meat, vegetarians/vegan will get theirs in nuts (although two different types of fat, see article on fats)

Carbohydrates are eventually metabolized by the body into blood glucose (see article on digestions). All cells of the body utilize glucose as the primary energy source, particularly in the brain, for which glucose provides the only source of fuel. If carbohydrates are eaten in excessive amounts the body converts the extra blood glucose into triglycerides for storage in adipose or fat cells, leading to weight gain.  So! sugar does make you fat !

Three specific types of carbohydrate are present in the foods we eat – starch, sugar and fibre, here is a brief rundown, further explanations in other associated articles.

Starch, also known as complex carbohydrate or polysaccharide, is present in foods such as cereals, whole grains, rice, pasta, potatoes, peas, corn and legumes (an incomplete list at this point)

Sugar has a simple chemical structure and is found naturally in many foods. Food sources of natural sugar include fruit, vegetables, milk and yoghurt. Foods containing natural sugars are generally very nutritious, providing many vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals) and antioxidants. These foods also tend to be good sources of fibre, such as that found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Sugar is also commonly added to many foods in the form of white table sugar (sucrose), honey, corn syrup or fructose. However, foods high in added sugars are often referred to as sources of “empty calories,” meaning they add calories to the diet but provide little benefit in terms of vitamins, minerals or fibre.

Fibre, also a carbohydrate, is found in foods of plant origin and is beneficial to the body in numerous ways. I will be brief in this article section but see the article on Why Choose a High Fibre Diet.

Fibre improves elimination by increasing stool bulk, thereby preventing constipation, and is associated with decreased risk of developing colon cancer and of course diverticulitis, haemorrhoids and fissures. Foods high in insoluble fibre include legumes, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Fruits, vegetables, oat bran, legumes, barley, nuts and seeds are all good sources of soluble fibre. A real bonus is that fibre-rich foods are processed by the body more slowly than lower-fibre foods, keeping hunger at bay for longer. This will help with overall calorie reduction and promote weight loss.

Here is a list of carbohydrates that include sugars, starches and fibre, you will note they are foods that I recommend on a daily basis, these should become the majority part of you eating programme.

Good Carbs or complex, slow release

• Starchy root vegetables such as pumpkin/squash, carrot, swede, beetroot, sweet potato, white potato, corn.
• Grains, rice (wholegrain of course), quinoa, buckwheat, millet, cornmeal, couscous, whole rye, whole wheat.
• Legumes, lentils, peas, chick peas, split peas.
• Beans, soya, pinto, borlotti, butter, kidney, flageolot, haricot, black eye, turtle.
• Other vegetables(although these do not have an impact on blood sugar levels) such as asparagus, aubergine/eggplant, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, courgette/zuchinni, cucumber, endive, fenel, garlic, kale, lettuce, mangetout/snowpeas, mushrooms, onions, peas, peppers, radish, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions/scalliions, tomatoes (technically a fruit), watercress and so on.

Bad Carbs

Pasta, table sugar, sweeteners, soda pop, chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes and many types of junk food, beer and alcohol!

Yes I know they say red wine is good for you and some types of chocolate but there is more on that in other articles.

Here is an exercise for you – maybe even this is typical of your supermarket trolly !

Sit at the end of most checkouts in the supermarket and look at the large trollies filled with loads of white bread, gallons of fizzy pop, ready made pizza, microwave dinners, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, sweets, crisps, bags of sugar to add to foods, sugar loaded cereal (even so called healthy cereal), white rice, pasta , tinned fruits, jams, jellies, ketchup and other sauces and pickles, ready made sauces in jars, tins and packets, gallons of concentrated juice just to name but a few items !

These, believe it or not are all carbohydrates ? but they are BAD (simple or refined) and should be eaten with a health warning on them, they are empty calories, will cause you to put on weight and feel sluggish and tired. Plus, in the long term heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and of course obesity.

You are probably thinking what is she talking about, orange juice is good for us, it is not a carbohydrate it is an orange ! fruits and vegetables are carbs as well as good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals but fruits in particular are also loaded with fructose which is natural sugar, that’s ok too but not when you have it in a concentrated form such as juice and then loaded together with all the other high sugar, simple sugars, junk sugars, junk food you are already eating, look back in that trolly !!

There may also be in that trolly a “token” vegetable/fruit section again, these are carbs/sugars, well done for spotting those but those will be the foods you leave in the fridge which will go moldy because you will be too tired to prepare it, cook it or eat it because by the time you have drunk all that fizz, eaten all the junk in the trolly your blood sugar levels will have risen and plummeted and your energy will be in serious decline.

In a nutshell

• Refined carbs, fast release or simple sugars (see above), cause your blood sugar to rise rapidly and unless you are running around and exercising there will be too much in the blood stream so the body will dump it as fat deposits. Your blood sugar levels then crash, you will experience, lethargy, poor concentration, palpitations and/or a feeling of anxiety and even sweating, you will crave more food, coffee and other stimulants.

• On the other hand, the slow release cards from the starchy vegetables, grains and pulses help to balance out the blood sugar levels and they release the sugars or glucose into the blood stream slowly, that is usually why porridge in the morning is far more sustaining than crunchy nut cornflakes.

The message here is ensure you get a good supply of the right type of carbohydrates to ensure a regular supply of energy and to keep you full of health and vitality.