IT’S CARB TIME!!! Carbohydrates exist in multiple forms in the human diet, but when we think of carbs, most of us think SUGAR – this is where some of us make the mistake of thinking of carbs as “bad” or “fattening”, something to be restricted or avoided. In fact, the Eat For Health Guidelines suggest that carbs should make up the bulk of our diet – carbs are ESSENTIAL for human life, most foods contain a certain amount of carbohydrates and most of these carbs are NOT sugar…so let’s see what carbs are REALLY all about!
As discussed in MIGHTY MACROS, carbohydrates or CHO’s are organic chain molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonded in various ways – just 3 ingredients, seems pretty simple, huh?
In some cases it IS that simple – some varieties of CHO’s naturally exist in smaller molecules with a simpler structure, or are processed from more complex molecules and added to our diet as such…sound familiar? Yes, we’re talking about SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES, often known as “sugars” – these are a quick energy source and the naturally occurring type are useful in smaller amounts in the human diet.
The larger and more intricately bonded CHO molecules are, the more difficult they become to break down, making them a slower-release form of energy – this describes COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES perfectly, and these should make up a large part of our diets, along with their cousin DIETARY FIBRE, also a polysaccharide or “sugar chain” but rarely used as an energy source due to its ultra-tough structure!
So let’s be more specific about what these 3 super-molecules do when consumed!
SIMPLE CHO’s: FRUCTOSE, SUCROSE, LACTOSE & GLUCOSE are our SIMPLE CHO’s – the first 3 are broken down by enzymes or the liver into glucose, the simplest of them all! Once glucose hits the blood stream it triggers the release of INSULIN – a pancreatic hormone – which signals to the liver, muscle and fat cells to absorb the glucose or to convert it to GLYCOGEN, a form of sugar that can be stored for later use.
COMPLEX CHO’s: While Simple CHO’s are a great source of energy, many of the forms they are consumed in bring little other nutritional value to the table – this is where COMPLEX CHO’s take the cake! Foods containing Complex CHO’s also tend to contain a good dose of MICRONUTRIENTS – vitamins and minerals – as well as DIETARY FIBRE, the “roughage” from the cell walls of plants that helps us feel “full”, feeds our gut bacteria and absorbs water in the intestines to keep things moving south! Eventually even most Complex CHO’s will be broken down and converted to glycogen, making them money in the bank energy-wise!
These functions are all EXTREMELY important to our muscles, brain and other organs, but carbs do a lot more than fuel our cells, metabolism and digestive processes – the liver uses them to create a host of different substances that are VITAL to cell structure and function, including the lipids (a type of fat) that make up cell membranes, the glycolipids which help our cells to recognize invaders and glucose-6-P, a type of molecule that goes into the synthesis of Amino Acids!
So where is the best place to get our Simple and Complex CHO’s? For SIMPLE CHO’s, the best options are FRESH fruits and dairy foods – they can be obtained from dried fruits, syrups like maple or honey and processed grains and sugars but these should be kept to a minimum as they generally lack other nutritional value. To get your COMPLEX CHO’s (including DIETARY FIBRE), vegetables, grains and seeds, and to a lesser degree, fresh fruits are the go-to – want a fibre boost? Keep your veggies RAW and your grains WHOLE – you’ll also get more micronutrients this way! Serving sizes for this cornucopia of carbs is tricky to lay out in a short post, so check the Eat For Health website to get specific about serves!
Now we know the deal – CARBS ARE A MUST – and if you need to restrict your CHO intake, you know which ones to DEFINITELY keep! But while CHO’s have quite a few roles outside providing energy, they are not quite as many, varied and AMAZING as those filled by FATS! Catch my next post to learn how FATS take the wheel in Macronutrients Demystified Part 4: FAT FACTS!!!
Talk soon, Sally M J
Sally McMahon
MAC Fitness & Performance Coaching “Creating Effective Human Beings”
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Image: Sally McMahon