Rosalee Brown
THE NEWEST 'health trend' is to ditch 'carbs'. But why are 'carbs' getting such a bad rap?
Carbohydrates, your starches and sugars, provide the primary energy source to the body when metabolised. The resulting blood glucose is vital to life, providing fuel to keep us existing. Carbohydrates are widely available in foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and ground provisions.
The simplest forms are the sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose found mostly in fruits and vegetables, and to a lesser extent in cereals. Because these are simpler, the digestive process is faster than the more complex counterpart starch, which is abundant in our cereals, legumes and ground provisions.
Carbohydrates such as sugar alcohols are found naturally in fruits. They include sorbital with a similar energy and sweetness value as glucose and manitol with half the sweetness and energy of glucose. There is cellulose and hemicelluloses which are responsible for the framework of plants, and substances such as pectin, gum and mucilage and other carbs such as algal found in seaweed. These do not contribute to our energy source directly but can play a bulk-forming role in altering our energy intake.
DAILY FUNCTIONS
Carbohydrate's daily functions include maintaining organ systems and our daily movements. When energy is not used, it is stockpiled in storage containers called adipose (fat) tissue and for quick use, in another form of carbohydrate called glycogen, which is stored in the liver and muscles. Insulin, another scapegoat, assists in the uptake of glucose from the blood, transporting it to the liver and muscles where the decision is made for use or storage.
Most persons' daily intake includes breads, biscuits, buns, cakes, dumplings, yam, potatoes, macaroni, fruit juices and to a lesser extent vegetables. Many start the day with some form of cereal sweetened with table sugar, and some ready to eat cereals even have fructose added at source. We might have fresh fruit and/or fruit juice, ground provisions with some vegetables, we have some biscuit, pastry or fruit for snack and 50 per cent or more of our lunch is made up of starch and sugar and dinner is similar to lunch.
Physical activity is at most one hour of moderate activity (structured) with the rest of the day at a desk and driving. Others who are more active outdoors erode the advantage with even more sugary juice to deal with the thirst. What is wrong with this picture?
FUEL NEEDS
Well, because carbohydrates are mainly for fuel, we should try to match our fuel intake to our fuel needs. Some carbs pack a greater amount of fuel per portion than others, so we need to consume more of those with less fuel and less of those with more.
Foods, which are not processed, still contain the cellulose and water advantage, adding bulk and fullness without the excess energy. Those which are stripped of the cellulose and water are richer in energy. Most of us do not need the excess energy unless we are athletes, construction workers or are extremely active. This is the root of the problem, inactivity and incorrect choices, not carbs!
Examine the carbohydrate content of some popular foods below and make your choices based on your activity levels.
8 oz white flour 173 g
8 oz baked Irish potato 49 g
8 oz pumpkin 11 g
8 oz long grain rice 181 g
8 oz whole kernel corn 33 g
8 oz broccoli 12 g
8 oz cranberry juice 33 g
8 oz freshly squeezed orange juice 24 g
Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
