Carbohydrates:

A Complex Story

Checking Out Carbs

• ”carbon plus water”• Sugar compounds

made by plants when the plants are exposed to light

Simple or Complex?

• Simple carbs ~ 1 unit of sugar is called a monosaccharide (ex. Frutose), 2 units ~ disaccharide (ex. Sucrose ~ table sugar)

• Complex carbs ~ more than 2 linked together, ex. Starch ~ found in potatoes, pasta

• Dietary Fiber ~ fiber in food (not fabrics!!), ex. Cellulose, cannot be broken down

Carbs and Energy:A biochemical love story

• Body runs on glucose• All digestible carbs are converted into

glucose- glucose is carried to cells by insulin

• Any glucose cell the body does not use is stored in liver and muscles (400 grams max)

• Excess is converted to fat…that is how pasta ends up on your hips!

Other ways the body uses carbs…

• Regulate the amount of sugar circulating in the blood

• Provide nutrients for the friendly bacteria in your intestinal tract that help digest food

• Assist in body’s absorption of calcium

• May help lower cholesterol levels & help regulate blood pressure

Consuming Carbs…

• 6-11 servings of grains• 2-4 servings of fruit• 3-5 servings of vegs• 1 gram of carbs = 4

calories• One bagel has 38 grams,

equal to 152 calories (38 x 4)

• There may be other calories if the product contains fat, protein, etc.

Fiber• Found in all plant foods…

absolutely no fiber found in foods from animals (meat, fish)

• Females need 15 grams a day…males need 38 grams

• If you eat more than enough fiber- your body will tell you…all the roughage may irritate your intestinal tract which will issue an unmistakable protest in the form of intestinal gas or diarrhea.

• If you do not drink enough liquids to carry the fiber then you could end up with an intestinal obstruction!

• Getting fiber from food

Bagel 2.1Bran bread 8.5White bread 1.9Bran cereal 35.3Cornflakes 2.0Brown rice 3.5White rice 1.0Baked beans 7.7Broccoli 2.8Corn 3.7Apples 2.8Prunes 7.2Tofu 1.2Almonds 11.2