The Basic Nutrients

[Guest guest]

The Basic Nutrients

 

Carbohydrates

 

Carbohydrates supply the body with the energy it needs to function. They are

found almost exclusively in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, and

beans. Milk and milk products are the only foods derived from animals that

contain a significant amount of carbohydrates.

 

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups-simple carbohydrates and complex

carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, sometimes called simple sugars, include

fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (milk sugar), as well

as several other sugars.

Fruits are one of the richest natural sources of carbohydrates.

 

Complex carbohydrates are also made up of sugars, but the sugar molecules are

strung together to form longer, more complex chains. Complex carbohydrates

include fiber and starches. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates include

vegetables, whole grains, peas, and beans.

 

Carbohydrates are the main source of blood glucose, which is a major fuel for

all of the body's cells and the only source of energy for the brain and red

blood cells. Except for fiber, which cannot be digested, both simple and complex

carbohydrates are converted into glucose. The glucose is then either used

directly to provide energy for the body, or stored in the liver for future use.

When a person consumes more calories than the body is using, a portion of the

carbohydrates consumed may also be stored in the body as fat.

 

When choosing carbohydrate-rich foods for your diet, always select unrefined

foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and organic whole-grain products,

as opposed to refined, processed foods such as soft drinks, desserts, candy, and

sugar. Refined foods offer few, if any, of the vitamins and minerals that are

important to your health. In addition, if eaten in excess, especially over a

period of many years, the large amounts of simple carbohydrates found in refined

foods can lead to a number of disorders, including diabetes and hypoglycemia

(low blood sugar). Yet another problem is that foods high in refined simple

sugars often are also high in fats, which should be limited in a healthy diet.

This is why such foods-which include most cookies and cakes, as well as many

snack foods-are usually loaded with calories.

 

Dietary fiber is the part of a plant that is resistant to the body's digestive

enzymes.

Only a relatively small amount of fiber is digested or metabolized in the

stomach or intestines. Most of it moves through the gastrointestinal tract and

ends up in the stool.

 

Although most fiber is not digested, it delivers several important health

benefits. First, fiber retains water, resulting in softer and bulkier stools

that prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.

 

A high-fiber diet also reduces the risk of colon cancer, perhaps by speeding the

rate at which stool passes through the intestine and by keeping the digestive

tract clean. In addition, fiber binds with certain substances that would

normally result in the production of cholesterol, and eliminates these

substances from the body. In this way, a high-fiber diet helps lower blood

cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.

 

It is recommended that about 60 percent of your total daily calories come from

carbohydrates. If much of your diet consists of healthy complex carbohydrates,

you should easily fulfill the recommended daily minimum of 25 grams of fiber.

 

http://1stholistic.com/Nutrition/hol_nutr_carbohydrates.htm

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

We have made every effort to ensure that the information included in these pages

is accurate. However, we make no guarantees nor can we assume any responsibility

for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, or

process discussed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get better spam protection with Mail