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Carbohydrates and you

© Soumy Ana

Carbohydrates, or "carbs", are a macronutrient, which is the preferred source of your body's energy intake. Without carbs, we could not live and without carbs we would not be able to sustain physical exercise. If you have already felt like you are hitting the wall while exercising hard, it is probably because you have not eaten enough of quality carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are not fattening as thought at one time. If they were why would Asian people be so thin? They eat a lot of rice, don't they? What is fattening is what you eat carbohydrates with: butter, sauce, etc. What is fattening is an excess of carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are of two kinds: complex carbs and simple carbs. Complex carbohydrates are thought of as quality carbohydrates. They take longer to digest and gradually release glucose into your bloodstream. Why are they better? They are preferred because they help you sustain energy levels over a longer period of time. Complex carbs are potatoes, oats, rice, pasta, and vegetables. If your body does not get enough of complex carbs, it will search what it needs from an alternate source for energy: your muscles.

Simple carbohydrates are otherwise good boosters. They help you to get quick energy when you need it. These are foods high in simple sugars like candies, chocolate bars, etc. When you eat, watch your intake of simple carbs. Refined sugars that contain simple carbs (fructose), are to be found also in fruits, or fruit juices or in milk (lactose). Prefer them to candies.

And remember, every time you go through an intense workout, your body's muscles have been depleted of glycogen, which is the carbohydrate stored in your muscles. If you eat a small quantity of simple carbohydrates soon after the effort, this will help you to replenishment your body of glycogen. Besides, fruits are full of water and vitamins, which should help you further.

LINKS:

If you want to learn more about carbohydrates, there is a very complete and scientific site you should visit. The online book was written by the International Union of pure and Applied Chemistry and the International union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The title of the book is Nomenclature of Carbohydrates. http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/2carb/

Of course, if you want something easier to read, here are a few more links:

This site sums up rapidly and simply the different types of carbohydrates: http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/Biolog...

Another great article: Learning about protein, carbohydrates, calories and fat, at: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/f...

A simple guide to complex carbohydrates by Dale Blumenthal, at: http://www.hoptechno.com/book6.htm

Something about the excess of carbohydrates, Carbohydrates in Nutrition by Ron Kennedy, M.D., Santa Rosa, California: