Transcript Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate-Rich Foods








Breads
Pasta
Potatoes
Cakes
Cookies
Fruits
Vegetables
Dairy
What are Carbohydrates?


Simple carbohydrates - Sugars such as:
 Fruits and honey (fructose)
 Corn or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose)
 Table sugar (sucrose)
 High Fructose Corn Syrup some glucose in corn syrup is
changed to fructose
Complex carbohydrates – starches and fiber found in:
 Vegetables
 Fruits
 Whole Grains
 Legumes - dry beans, peas, lentils, peanuts
Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label

The number of
grams of “Sugars”
includes both
natural and added
sugars.

To find out if a food
contains added
sugar, look at the
ingredient list.
Function of Carbohydrates

The body's primary source of energy.

Aids in the functioning of your brain,
muscles, and nerves.

Complex carbohydrates also contain B
vitamins, minerals, and are a source of
fiber.
Food Sources of
Simple Carbohydrates
Table sugar
 Honey
 Candy
 Other saccharin substances


These are digested very quickly and
provide a surge in energy. The downside
to simple carbs is the crash you may feel
after the quick energy dissipates.
Refined Flour Products

Fiber is stripped and over 23 natural vitamins and minerals are
removed.

Five synthetic vitamins added

Label product "enriched“

Refined flour is then put through a bleaching process adding further
chemicals making the baked products physically appealing.

White flour has 50% less fiber than whole grain flours.

Refined grains associated with negative health affects such as
Cancer, Diabetes, and Weight gain
Food Sources of
Complex Carbohydrates

Whole grains, cereal, pasta, breads, rice, corn

Legumes

Fruits

Vegetables

Tubers – potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes

These foods are rich in starch and fiber. They digest
more slowly than do simple carbs and won't leave you
feeling as hungry soon after you've eaten them. Foods
high in starch include: potatoes, wheat, rice and corn.
What is a Whole Grain?

Bran
 Fiber
rich outer layer, contains B vitamins,
minerals, proteins, and phytochemicals (chemicals
produced by plants that may affect health)

Endosperm
 Middle
layer, contains carbohydrates, proteins, and
B vitamins

Germ
 Nutrient
packed, contains B vitamins, Vitamin E and
phytochemicals
Basic Composition of a Grain
Endosperm
•Starch
•Protein
Bran
•Fiber
•Minerals
Germ
•Oil
•B-Vitamins
•Minerals
10
Whole Grain Requirements
3+ servings of whole grains each day

Traditional Examples:







Whole wheat
Whole rye
Oatmeal
Whole oats
Whole hulled barley
Popcorn
Brown rice

New Examples:







Amaranth
Buckwheat
Hominy (whole corn)
Millet
Quinoa
Kamut
Spelt
Nutritional Benefits of
Whole Grains


Can decrease risk of
heart disease &
diabetes by 30%
Can aid in fighting
high blood pressure,
inflammation,
obesity & cancer








Vitamin E
Vitamin B6
Magnesium
Zinc
Potassium
Copper
Fiber
Phytochemicals
Whole Grains



Bran (fiber)
Endosperm (starch)
Germ (nutrients & fats)

REFINED GRAINS– the law
requires enrichment

ENRICHED GRAINS—B1, B2,
niacin, folate, iron

FORTIFIED GRAINS—extra
nutrients added
Legumes: Source of Complex Carbohydrates





High in fiber
Low in fat and cholesterol-free
Low in sodium
Good source of vitamins & minerals
Good source of protein
Complex Carbohydrate: Fibers
The body can’t digest or absorb fiber.
 Some fiber is digested by bacteria in
the large intestine
 Two types:



Soluble fiber
Insoluble fiber
Fiber as Food

Fiber naturally occurs in whole grains,
vegetables, fruits and legumes

High fiber foods are usually high in
vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and
low in fat

Highly recommend getting your fiber
through food and not supplements
Good rules about Carbohydrate
Consumption

Make at least half of your grains whole, consuming
5 – 8 oz. daily for good brain function.

Avoid getting too many carbohydrates from sugar or simple
carbohydrates.

1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup pasta and 1 slice of whole grain
bread will provide the minimum amount of carbohydrates
required.
Glycemic Index

System for classifying carbohydrates

Measures how fast and how far blood sugar rises after
you eat a food that contains carbohydrates

High glycemic index - white bread is converted
almost immediately to blood sugar, causing it to
spike rapidly

Low glycemic index - brown rice is digested more
slowly, causing a lower and slower change in
blood sugar
Factors in the Glycemic
Index
One of the most important factors that
determine a food's glycemic index is
how highly processed its carbohydrates
are.
 Processing carbohydrates removes the
fiber-rich outer bran and the vitamin
and mineral rich inner germ, leaving
mostly the starchy endosperm.

Healthy Carbohydrates
and Label Reading

Read the label!



Ingredient must begin with the word “whole”.
“Nutrition Facts” fiber content should be at least 3 grams
per serving
Read food labels carefully! True whole-grain
products list as the main ingredient whole wheat,
whole oats, whole rye, or some other whole grain
cereal. If the label says "made with wheat flour" it
may be an intact grain product or it may just be an
advertising gimmick, since even highly processed
cake flour is made with wheat flour.
Other factors influencing how quickly the
carbohydrates in food raise blood sugar
include:

Fiber content


Ripeness


Starch comes in many different configurations. Some are easier to break
into sugar molecules than others. The starch in potatoes, for example, is
digested and absorbed into the bloodstream relatively quickly.
Fat content and acid content


Ripe fruits and vegetables tend to have more sugar than unripe ones, and
so tend to have a higher glycemic index.
Type of starch


Fiber shields the starchy carbohydrates in food from immediate and rapid
attack by digestive enzymes. This slows the release of sugar molecules into
the bloodstream.
The more fat or acid a food contains, the slower its carbohydrates are
converted to sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream.
Physical form

Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested, and so has a higher glycemic
index, than more coarsely ground grain.
Carbohydrates and the
Glycemic Load
Low Glycemic Load
•
•
•
High-fiber fruits and
vegetables (not including
potatoes)
Bran cereals (1 oz)
Many legumes, including
chick peas, kidney beans,
black beans, lentils, pinto
beans (5 oz. cooked,
approx. 3/4 cup)
Medium Glycemic Load
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pearled barley:
1 cup cooked
Brown rice: 3/4 cup
cooked
Oatmeal: 1 cup cooked
Bulgur: 3/4 cup cooked
Rice cakes: 3 cakes
Whole grain breads: 1 slice
Whole-grain pasta: 1 ¼
cup cooked
No-sugar added fruit
juices, 8 oz
High Glycemic Load
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Baked potato
French fries
Refined cereal products: 1
oz
Sugar-sweetened
beverages: 12 oz
Jelly beans: 10 large or 30
small
Candy bars: 1 2-oz bar or
3 mini bars
Couscous: 1 cup cooked
Cranberry juice cocktail: 8
oz
White basmati rice: 1 cup
cooked
White flour pasta: 1 1/4
cup cooked
Adding Good Carbohydrates

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains


Carbohydrates from fresh sources of food should give you the bulk of your calories for each day.
Start the day with whole grains

Try old-fashioned or steel-cut oats. If you're a cold cereal person, look for one that lists whole
wheat, oats, barley, or other grain first on the ingredient list.

Use whole-grain breads for lunch or snacks


Read the label to make sure that whole wheat or other whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
Try a new grain

Add some new grains to your diet. Try brown rice or bulgur, wheat berries, millet, or hulled barley
with your dinner.

Try whole wheat pasta

If the whole-grain products are too chewy for you, add half and half to your dinner or look for
those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.
Calculating our Intake

1 teaspoon of sugar weighs 4 grams

If a product has 40 grams of sugar, 40
divided by 4 = 10 teaspoons of sugar

1 gram of carbohydrates/sugar = 4 calories

40 grams of sugar = 160 calories