healthunder.com

Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate found only in plant foods that deserves special mention because of its health-promoting properties. Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds are all good sources of fiber. Adults need anywhere from 21 to 38 grams of fiber daily, depending on gender and calorie needs.
There are two types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Each type confers different health benefits. Soluble fiber forms a gel in water and is responsible for improving blood cholesterol levels. It may also be useful in controlling blood sugar levels— particularly important for people with diabetes. Insoluble fiber does not form a gel in water and can help keep your digestive system working properly and may help prevent colon cancer. Fiber-rich foods contain a combination of both types of fiber, but one often occurs in a higher proportion.

The popularity of low carbohydrate diets is causing quite a stir among health professionals, government organizations, and ordinary people trying to figure out the best way to lose weight. Unfortunately, these diets ignore some of the most fundamental issues regarding unhealthy body weight: an abundance of high-calorie, nutrient-sparse foods; lack of physical activity; unmanaged stress; and inadequate coping skills. Any diet that manipulates food choices to reduce total calorie intake has a good chance of producing weight loss, and cutting back on carbohydrate-rich foods is a pretty simple way of accomplishing just that. Most studies, however, show that the composition of those calories is not as important as the sheer number in determining weight loss. The bottom line is that diets of any kind promote distorted relationships with food, eating, and your body. You are taught that you can’t trust yourself with certain types of foods, that these foods are prohibited, and that if you “cheat,” you must pay a heavy price…hardly the kind of thought process conducive to overall mental, emotional, and physical health. Do yourself a favor and learn how to eat all foods, including those high in carbohydrates, in moderate amounts.

Carbohydrates are composed of units of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (commonly referred to as units of sugar) and are the body’s principle source of energy, providing about four calories per gram. Most carbohydrates are eventually converted to glucose or glycogen in your body. Your central nervous system, including your brain, relies almost exclusively on glucose for fuel, and your muscles are powered primarily by glycogen during activity—two compelling reasons to make carbohydrate-rich foods a staple of your diet! In fact, 45% to 65% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates (in general, the more active you are, the more carbohydrate calories you require). This macronutrient comes in two forms—simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are those that consist of just one or two units of sugar. They are found naturally in fruit, fruit juices, and milk—all of which contain other important nutrients—and are added to many foods in processing.

Table sugar, honey, syrups, candy, cookies, ice cream, fruit-flavored beverages, and colas are all examples of foods high in simple carbohydrates that provide calories but few additional nutrients. Complex carbohydrates consist of many units of sugar and are often referred to as starches. Grain and plant foods such as cereals, pastas, rice, bread, crackers, potatoes, corn, and beans are all rich in complex carbohydrates as well as vitamins, minerals, water, and dietary fiber. Most of these foods are also naturally low in fat. You can estimate your daily need for grams of carbohydrates by multiplying your total daily calorie needs by your desired percentage of calories from carbohydrates (45% to 65%—less if you’re sedentary; more if you’re active) and dividing that number by four (there are four calories per gram of carbohydrate):
Total daily calories X ____% = Calories from carbohydrate
Calories from carbohydrate ÷ 4 calories per gram = Grams of carbohydrate
needed per day
Example (continuing with Sandra from earlier example):
2,000 calories per day X 0.50 (50%) = 1,000 calories from carbohydrate
1,000 calories ÷ 4 calories per gram = 250 grams of carbohydrate per day

Three nutrients are responsible for providing your body with energy, or calories—carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Because you need relatively large amounts of these nutrients, they are called macronutrients. Each of the macronutrients has specific functions in your body, but in some cases, one can be interchanged with another. A perfect example of this takes place during exercise. Working muscles prefer to use carbohydrates for energy, but in a pinch (if you haven’t eaten enough carbohydraterich foods or if you’ve exhausted the supply in your muscles), fat can provide energy as well. Read on to discover how your body depends on each of these important nutrients!