Fear Not The Dreaded Blue Monday!
In reviewing nutrition with patients, it is common to have patients ask about carbohydrates (carbs). Especially now with the Low Carb, No carb craze! Understanding what a carb is helps you make informed healthy choices when it is time to eat!
- Carbs are MACRONUTRIENTS! Macro means LARGE! LARGE NUTRIENTS! MACRONUTRIENTS such as Carbs, Fat and Protein are large nutrients that get broken down into smaller units to be utilised by the body.
Did you know… that fat has 9 calories/gm, while carbohydrates and protein give you 4 calories/gm.
- Large carb molecules are broken down into many sugar units.
Some carbs have only one sugar units, while others have many sugar units. These sugar units are used to make instant energy for brain, muscles and other bodily functions.
Monosacharride ( mono=single, sacchar= sugar) à single sugar unit àEx: glucose, fructose ( fruits), and galactose
Disaccharide (di=two, sacchar = sugar) à two sugar units joined à Ex. sucrose and lactose
Polysaccharides ( poly=many, sacchar=sugar) à Ex. cellulose, glycogen and starch ( potato).
Did you know… that 1 glass of skim milk has 12 grams of sugars. Yikes! Healthier options with less sugar and higher nutrients include coconut milk, almond milk and rice milk.
- Carbs further can be classified as fiber.
Fiber, such as starch, is made up of many sugar molecules bonded together. However fiber does not get broken down by the digestive system. Instead, fiber functions to slow down insulin release, improve satiety and help with regular healthy bowel movements.
- Carb sources and their sugar unit breakdown, which may surprise you!
| rice, pasta, breads, pastries, sugar, baked goods | starch, glucose molecules all linked together |
| vegetables | glucose, maltose |
| corn ( corn chips) | starch, fructose, maltose |
| milk ( yogurt) | lactose , galactose, sometimes fructose |
| fruit juice | fructose, glucose |
| legumes ( beans, lentils, chick peas) | starch, glucose |
| alcohol ( added sugars ) | glucose , fructose |
Hope you enjoyed these carbohydrate nutrition basics! The more you know and understand the healthier and happier you will be!
Sincerely,
Dr.Andreia
Reference: http//advances.nutrition.org/content/5/6/760.full; Duke University of Medical Center
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