Carbohydrates

So this week I will look into the other most commonly misunderstood nutritional element, Carbohydrates, also known as Carbs.

hhhhhmmmmm..... delicious carbs.

What is carbohydrates and what does my body use it for?

The main purpose of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body. This helps you keep going throughout the day. It does this by absorbing or producing glucose from the components in the food. The body then goes on to use the glucose straight away or store some for future usage.

There is three main types of carbohydrates

1. sugar
2. starch
3. cellulose

Sugar

Sugar can be broken down into several different kinds:

• glucose: found within the blood of animals, fruits and honey.
• fructose: found within fruits, honey and cane sugar.
• surcose: found in beet and cane sugar.
• lactose: found in milk
• maltose: produced naturally during the germination of grains.

Sugars are the simplest form of carbs and are the end products of the digestion of carbohydrates.  They are mainly used for energy and providing the body heat. 

Starch

Starch is the most common carbohydrate encountered in nutrition. Pure starch is white and used to help thicken sauces, it is tasteless and insoluble in liquid.   They are complex carbohydrates and so always need cooking to help with the digestion process, uncooked starch is not digestible. Most of the staple foods that we eat contain starch; potatoes, grains, vegetables, pastas, rice, pulses and certain fruits. 

Cellulose

Cellulose is more commonly referred to as dietary fibre. It isn't digested but the body uses it for roughage in the intestine. It is recommended that a person eats 14 grams of fibre for every 1,000 calories. Dietary fibre is helpful in preventing constipation, reducing risk of colon cancer, help with weight management, reduction in certain heart problems and help with insulin and glucose control. 

You will find dietary fibre in all the same places as starch.

Carbs and Healthy Diet

It is recommended that for a healthy diet that you aim to get around 55%-75% of your calories from carbs, with only 10% of them coming from sugars. So the best way to get a healthy diet whilst maintaining a good balance of carb intake is by focusing on stables like potatoe, rice, and pastas and bulking them out with vegetables, fruits and pulses. Try and limit your intake of simple sugars but don't eliminate them all together, just be careful.