Carbohydrates And Weight Reduction |
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Carbohydrates primarily include sugars and starches that come from plant sources, along with the natural sugar found in milk. These foods include simple sugars like sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (milk sugar), and maltose (malt sugar), and complex carbohydrates often referred to as starches. Starches are the carbohydrates of choice, as they contribute vitamins and minerals and are often lower in fat, lower in calories, and higher in fiber. Additionally, these complex carbohydrates help the body to maintain normal blood sugar (glucose) levels by promoting a slower, healthier digestion of foods in that starches take longer to digest than sugars. (This is one reason why competitive athletes are encouraged to eat a diet high in complex carbohydrate prior to competition and why individuals choosing to lose weight should also eat an abundance of these types of foods.)If your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to use for energy, it will use protein (muscles, body tissues, and so on) for the energy that it needs. How Carbohydrates Are Used in the BodyAll carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and converted to glucose (blood sugar), where they are then carried to body cells to be used for energy that the body needs. The pancreas then releases insulin to help move the glucose to the cells, where it is burned for energy. If there is more glucose than what the cells need, the remainder is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen and reserved for later use. If the glycogen stores are full and there is still more glucose, it is then stored as fat. Any amount over and above what the body needs is converted to body fat. Carbohydrates And Weight ReductionMany people believe that carbohydrates are taboo when it comes to weight reducing. This is a total myth. Carbohydrates only become a problem with weight gain when too many are consumed, when the wrong type is consumed, or when preparation methods add excess amounts of fats, like covering pasta (a healthy complex carbohydrate choice) with excess amounts of cream sauce (a not-so-healthy higher-fat choice). Rice with butter, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a bagel with cream cheese are also similar examples of adding fat to a healthy complex carbohydrate food. Carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates, are actually the food of choice when seeking to reduce body weight. These foods are highly nutritious, low in fat, and high in fiber. Carbohydrates should contribute at least 55 percent of the total calories in the diet. For a person consuming a 2,000-calorie diet, that would equate to 1,100 total calories from carbohydrates. Vegetables, fruits, and grains, like breads, pasta, rice, and cereals, are high in carbohydrates. Legumes (dried beans and peas) are excellent sources as well. |
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