Glycemic Index Food Is Low Carbohydrates- Healthy Energy- Fiber Nutrition!

What gives your body energy?  Carbohydrates supply your body, with the energy that it needs to function!  Where do we find them?  Carbohydrates are found in foods, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, grains, and beans.  Looking at animal products, the only foods derived from animals that contain a large amount of carbohydrates are milk and milk products.

Let’s divide carbohydrates into two groups:

1. Simple carbohydrates are made of sugars that include fruit sugar (fructose), table sugar (sucrose) and lactose (milk sugar), as well as other sugars.  One of the richest sources of simple carbohydrates is fruits.
2. Complex carbohydrates are made of sugars, too. But the difference is the sugar molecules are strung together to form longer, more complex chains.  Complex carbohydrates are fiber and starches.  The richest sources of complex carbohydrates are vegetables, whole grains, peas and beans.

How are carbohydrates a major fuel?  Carbohydrates are the main source of blood glucose, which is a major fuel for all the body’s cells!  Blood glucose is the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells.  That makes it pretty vital!

Here’s how carbohydrates work!  Except for fiber that cannot be digested, both simple and complex carbohydrates are converted into glucose.  This glucose is then either used directly to provide energy to the body or stored in the liver for future use.  But if you eat more calories than your body can use, a portion of those carbohydrates consumed, may be stored in the body as fat.  That is why eating the correct nutrients in proper balance is important!

This is why choosing unrefined carbohydrates is best! Yes, you can choose a great number of carbohydrate-rich foods for your diet. But choosing the correct nutrient, in its healthiest form is important. You can select from unrefined foods, such as fruits, vegetables, peas and whole grain products. Or you can select from refined, processed foods such as soft drinks, desserts, candy and sugar. This is where the quality of your food does matter! Eating too many refined foods can lead to a number of disorders, including diabetes and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Another problem is that refined foods are high in simple sugars and often, high in fats. These foods include cookies, cakes, ice cream and many snack foods that are usually filled with vitamin-depleted calories.

• Carbohydrates provide blood glucose that is the only source of energy, for the brain & red blood cells
• Too many calories mean too much glucose that must be stored as fat
• Eating unrefined carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains) are best
• Eating refined carbohydrates (cookies, cakes, ice cream) can cause diabetes & hypoglycemia
• Refined carbohydrates are high in simple sugars and often, high in fats

Indeed, fiber is a very important form of carbohydrate! What is fiber and how is it important in your body? The part of the plant that resists the body’s digestive enzymes is dietary fiber! That’s why only a small amount of fiber is digested or metabolized, in your stomach or intestines. Most of the dietary fiber moves through your gastrointestinal tract and ends up in the stool.

Even though fiber isn’t digested, this visitor delivers several important health benefits, as it passes through!

• Fiber retains water, resulting in softer and bulkier stools that prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.
• A high-fiber diet can reduce the risk of colon cancer, by speeding the rate at which stools pass through the intestine and by keeping the digestive tract clean.
• Fiber binds with certain substances that would normally result in the production of cholesterol and instead, eliminates these substances from the body. So a high-fiber diet can help to lower blood cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.

How much of your calories should come from carbohydrates? About 60% of your total daily calories should come from carbohydrates, according to most nutritionists! Plus, if you are choosing complex carbohydrates as part of your healthy diet, you can easily fulfill the recommended daily minimum of twenty-five grams of fiber. With unrefined carbohydrates and plenty of fiber, your body can enjoy a great, smooth flow of energy, along with you!

• 60% of carbohydrates are required, in your daily total calories
• 25 grams of fiber are required, in your daily total calories