All Carbohydrates are not created equal:
Carbohydrates: Energy From The Sun!
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-Preferred source of energy
-Feeds human brain and nervous system, #1 fuel for this
-Helps keep body lean
-Keeps digestive track in order (fiber)
-Lots of false propaganda about carbs, if all carbs turn to glucose, why is sugar bad?
-Complex can be better than simple, but both necessary to good health
-Simple carbs are plain sugar, devoid of other nutrients and fiber, empty calories
-When turning to fat, takes lots of energy for body to do so, burning off even more carb cal.
Complex Carbs:
Starch, Fiber, Glycogen
“Polysaccarides”
plant storage of glucose: starch
human storage of glucose: glycogen
-Green plants make carb thru photosynthesis. Plants compbine carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, all held
together by energy containing bonds from the sun, makes glucose: “ose” - sugar
-Plants don’t utilize all the glucose, so it’s stored in the plants, and when we eat the plants, we are eating the plants stored glucose.
Starch: long strands of glucose
-plants storage form of glucose, provides
food for the seeds to come, packs starch
granules along with seed, seed feeds off
starch granules. ie, corn, potatoes, grains
Glycogen: the storage form of glucose in
animals, including humans, stored in the liver
and muscle tissues. Too much glucose in
body? Muscles and liver take it up and store
it, after those reserves are filled, the rest goes
to fat.
Fiber: forms the supporting structures of a
plants leaves, stems and seed
-chains of sugar held together by bonds that
human digestive enzymes cannot break
-most common: cellulose, hemicellulose,
pectin, aka: roughage
-can be broken down by bacterial enzymes in
large intestine
-25 to 30 grams daily
Simple Carbs:
Simple Sugars
“Monosaccarides & Disaccarides”
Monosaccarides:
glucose: most important, from green plants
fructose: from fruit sugars, honey
galactose: part of lactose, milk sugar
Disaccarides:
lactose: milk sugar
maltose: during starch breakdown
sucrose: table sugar
Benefits of fiber:
-moves feces along quickly, possibly decreasing the risk of colon cancer
-adds bulk and water to stool
-lowers cholesterol (chol. binds to fiber, excreted), lowers risk for heart disease, diabetes
too
-decreases risks of diverticulitis, hemorrhoids,
fissures, etc.
-makes you feel full
Nutrition
Carbohydrates
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-soluble and insoluble fiber., how dissolvable are they in water?
Soluble: -gums -mucilages -pectins -hemicellulosekl
From: -barley,-fruits & veggies -legumes
-oats and oat bran -rye & seeds
Effects:
-lower blood cholesterol, slow transit of food through
upper digestive tract, hold moisture in stools, softening them,
Insoluble: cellulose, lignin, some hemicellulose
From: brown rice, fruits, veggies, legumes, seeds, wheat, bran, whole grains
Effects: soften stools, regulate bowel movements, speed transit of material through small intestine, increase fecal weight and sppedk fecal passage, reduce colon cancer risk, diverticulosis,
hemorrhoids and appendicitis.
- carb digestion: see flow chart and overhead
- fiber gives you gas, you say? try small bits and bites at a time, get some bean-o, OTC, chew
foods thoroughly, try a variety, if gas continues, you may want to check to see if you are:
- Lactose intolerant: can’t do milk or milk by products. Why? The enzyme Lactase is not produced enough in the small intestine.
- 25% of US pop. is lactose intolerant, especially as they age, causing diarrhea, gas, cramping,
nausea, pain, very high in African American culture.
- intolerance varies
- can take pills or put drops in food with enzymes in it
- lactase splits lactose into glucose and galactose
Nutrition
Carbohydrates
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- This is why fasting and low protein diets are dangerous: no carbs, and body turns to protein,
will take it from muscles, organs, etc, and turn it into glucose, no good because body needs its
tissues, and it also takes away from the body’s immune defenses.
-Carbs should always be kept available, this is called the protein-sparing action of carbs.
-Carbs must combine with fat fragments before fat can be used as energy
- Using fat without the help of carbs causes body to go into ketosis, and unusual products of fat
breakdown (ketone bodies) accumulate in blood, screwing up normal acid base balance. Ketosis during pregnancy can cause brain damage to the fetus resulting in mental retardation after
birth.
-Recommended serving of carbs/day: 200 - 400 grams/day
- Eat carbs every four to six hours
-Glycemic effect of food: some foods shoot glucose levels up quick, like candy bars, pop, raw
sugar
- Abnormal carbohydrate metabolism in people experience extremes in blood glucose leverls.
(diabetes, hyper, hypoglycemia)
- Choose food with low glycemic effect: dried beans, pasta, barley, pumpernickel bread, or any
food with soluble fiber psyllium added. These foods produce a slow, sustained rise in blood
glucose, modulates appeitite, and produces a feeling of fullness longer.
- Glycemic effect differs depending on if food is eaten alone or with other foods. Page 110
- Working out? Glucose gets depleted in about 2 hours of heavy workout, including depletion
of liver and muscle glycogen. Eat complex carbs, like peanutbutter on whole wheat and cup of
skim milk before workouts, makes it easier, you’ll have more energy
- Sports drinks? Watch out! High in sugar, defeats purpose if workout is less than two hours.
Storing glucose as glycogen:
Blood sugar rises -- pancreas releases insulin -- tissues take up glucose --excess is stored in
muscles (takes up 1/3rd) and liver (takes up 2/3rds) as polysaccaride glycogen. Liver shares
better than muscles; will release glycogen to the brain readily
Blood sugar falls -- pancreas releases glucagon -- liver releases glycogen back into blood
stream
- Epinephrine, a stress hormone does the same thing during times of fight or flight
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Nutrition:
Carbohydrates
Diabetes Mellitus: elevated glucose levels caused by inadequate or ineffective insulin
- One of the top 10 leading causes of death
- Causes more new cases of blindness thatn any other cause.
- Complications include: heart and kidney disease, amputations, and death
- Half the people who have it now don’t know they have it
Type One Diabetes:
AKA: Juvenile Onset
- 10- to 20% of all cases
- childhood or early adulthood,
rarely in late adulthood but possible
- pancreas produces little or no insulin
- cause: genetics, viral infection, toxins,
disordered immune system
- insulin-dependant, must have daily
shots or pump
- NEW nasal spray, inhaler
- getting closer to vaccine
Type Two Diabetes:
AKA: Adult- Onset
- 90 of all cases
- occurs late in life and runs in families
- pancreas produces insulin, but cells are
resistant to it, or it takes up glucose more
slowly
- cause: obesity, aging
- many times can control with diet, some
may need insulin injections
- See page 113 for obesity-diabetes cycle
- Warning signs on page 112
- Normal blood glucose levels: 89 - 110
- Hypoglycemia: too low blood glucose, very rare disease (post prandial hypoglycemia),
most people just need to eat some carbs and the dizziness will go away! Brain food!