Carbs Explained -- What Are Carbs?
Carbs Explained in Full
When dieting, most people follow the instructions of their diet manual without really knowing why they do what they do, or what effects their actions have on their bodies. Activities like counting carbs have become the norm, but do you even know what a carb is? Or why should you be counting it? Here, we have Carbs Explained, from the build-up to the break-down. With Carbs Explained, get to know what you're putting in--or for that matter keeping out--of your body. Carbs Explained will give you a working knowledge of carbs and may even inspire some great diet ideas.
So, what is acarbohydrate? Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the body, and they're the main source of calories in virtually every diet worldwide. They supply 4 calories per gram, the same as protein. Compare that to fat, which has more than twice as many calories (9 per gram--which is one reason for its bad reputation).
Most carbohydrates come from plant-based foods--fruits, vegetable, grains, and legumes (beans, peas and lentils). Dairy products are the only animal-derived foods with lots of carbs. There are two general types of carbohydrates:
Simple carbohydrates are sugars--glucose and fructose from fruits and some vegetable, lactose from milk, sucrose from cane sugar, and others. Table sugar is pure sucrose. Many of the simple carbs we eat are sugars added to processed foods like sodas, cookies, etc. These added sugars are the main reason why sugar now accounts for 16% of all calories consumed by Americans.
Complex carbohydrates, which are chains of simple sugars, consist primarily of starches as well as the fiber that occurs in all plant foods. Starch is the storage form of carbohydrates in plants. Foods rich in complex carbs include grains and grain products (such as bread and pasta), beans, potatoes, corn, and some other vegetables.
Carbs Explained can be your guide into the carb world and beyond. Use Carbs Explained when configuring your next diet plan.
All material copyright © 2006 Carbs Explained. All rights reserved.
About Us | Contact Us | Site Map | What's New | View as RSS | Related Resources
