Macronutrient: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients that our bodies need. We have to eat carbohydrate foods daily. They are our primary energy and fuel source. Eating carbohydrates are controversial and have gotten a bad name that they don’t deserve. Most of our calories should come from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are made up of three elements, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. To make up different kinds of carbs, they are arranged into single sugar units. Then these units are linked together. Sugars are made of one unit or a small number of units. Hence simple carbs. Starches and fiber (a carb but not a nutrient) are complex carbohydrates made of more chains of sugar units.

Monosaccharides are made of one sugar unit. Glucose, fructose and galactose are such. Glucose is used for energy in the body cells and circulate in the blood. Fructose is natural occurring in fruit, root vegetables and honey. Galactose is structurally similar to glucose but less sweet. It is found in milk.

Disaccharides are two sugar units linked together…Example: lactose=glucose+ galactose…Sucrose=glucose+ fructose. Oligosaccharides have three to ten sugars.

Carbs of starches and fiber are long branched chains of up to hundreds or thousands of sugar units. Starches come from plant based foods and are the staple in many cultures which helps to make a person feel full.

Glycogen is the form of carbohydrate that is stored in your liver and muscles. When we use our bodies to exercise, we use glycogen for energy.

Fiber is a general term referring to different polysaccharides and lignin. Fiber can’t be digested or broken down to enter the blood stream. IT passes through the small intestines into the large intestines undigested. Different fibers have different qualities and promote health in different and many ways. Fibers can bind to water and bulk to waste or they can be fermented by friendly bacteria in the gut to form gases and short chain fatty acids.

Complex carbs are powerhouses and full of nutrition, most have little fat and some have lots of protein. They are necessary for a healthy body. Simple carbs are what has given carbs a bad name. They are mostly sugar and processed foods. They are the ones you want to steer clear of. They have very little value to the body and contain empty calories.

If glucose is not immediately needed for energy, the body can store up to 2,000 calories of it in the liver and skeletal muscles in the form of glycogen. Once glycogen stores are full, carbs are stored as fat. If you have insufficient carbohydrate intake or stores, the body will consume protein for fuel. This is a problem because the body needs protein to make muscles. Using protein instead of carbohydrates also puts stress on the kidney. Always consider allergies but below are some great carbohydrate sources:

• vegetables
• fruits
• legumes
• nuts
• seeds
• grains

How much carbohydrates does a body need in a day? If you are eating a plant based diet, there is no limit to all carbs but nuts. Nuts are limited because they are mostly fat and too much fat can be a problem. Carbohydrates found in dairy are not recommended because they contain casein and juice isn’t recommended because its processed and contains too much sugar.

• The Starch Solution ( John McDougall)
• The China Study ( Colin Campbell)
• How Not to Die ( Micheal McGreger)