Carbohydrates (Carbs)

Carbohydrates, which are present in most foods, are the main source of energy for the body.  The other main energy sources are protein and fats.

Carbs are manufactured by plants and are found in foods such as breads, fruits, vegetables, and rice.

Once consumed, the body uses enzymes in the saliva and intestines to break down the carbs into simple sugars, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream.  When the bodies sugar (glucose) level rises, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin.  Insulin distributes the glucose from the blood to the areas where it is needed for energy or stores it as glycogen, which is the storage form of carbs in the body. 

2 Major Types of Carbs

There are two major types of carbs: simple and complex.

• Simple carbs, which are also called simple sugars, contain one or two sugar units and are typically sweet in taste.  They are found in refined sugars such as white sugar, as well as in more nutritious foods like fruit and milk.  Thus some simple carbs are better food choices than others.  Two common types of simple carbs are glucose, fructose (found in fruits), and sucrose (common table sugar).

• Complex carbs, which are also known as starches, are comprised of long chains of simple sugars that are bonded together.  They are tasty, but not sweet.  Complex carbs are found in grain products such as bread, pasta, crackers and rice.  When making food choices, it is best to eat unrefined grain products because they contain more fiber, vitamins,and nutrients.  Refined grain products, such as white flour, bread and rice have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ.  This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also strips out the dietary fiber, iron and many B vitamins.  If you examine the ingredients listed on a product's Nutrition Facts you will see that most refined grains are enriched.  This means certain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) and iron are added back after processing.  However, fiber is not added back to enriched grains.

Benefits of Complex Carbs

One of the main benefits of complex carbs is that they are digested at a much slower rate than simple carbs.  Since simple carbs are simple sugars, they are converted very quickly into glucose and then absorbed into the bloodstream very soon after consumption.  Hence the term "sugar fix".  Complex carbs are converted to glucose at a much slower pace, and thus the blood sugar does not "spike and crash" like it does when digesting simple carbs.  As a result, complex carbs keep you feeling full longer and provide more sustained energy.

Recommended Daily Carbs

Most nutritionists recommend that, on average, you should try to limit your carbohydrate consumption to between 45 to 60 grams per meal, and 15 to 30 grams per snack.  For most people, if you take in less than 30 grams of carbs per meal, you will begin to feel fatigued and energy deprived.  The rule of thumb is that 1 serving of carbs = 15 grams.  A few examples of a serving of carbs include:

• 1 cup of milk = 15 grams carbs
• 1 cup raw vegetables or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables = 15 grams carbs.

Digestible carbs are converted into glucose by insulin.  This glucose is stored as glycogen, which is the storage form of carbs in the body.  The body can only store a limited amount of glycogen at any one time, and what doesn't fit into the glycogen storage tank is stored as fat.

Carbs and Weight Loss

During weight loss, carbohydrate needs are a minimum of 50 grams per day, and preferably higher.  A diet that includes less than 50-100 grams of carbohydrates is ketogenic and may lead to excessive protein breakdown to maintain blood glucose levels. ^[1] 

Dietary Fiber

The term dietary fiber, which is really cellulose or plant fiber, is defined as carbohydrates that cannot be digested by the human body.  Dietary fiber, which is found mainly in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, offers numerous health benefits.  Fiber, which is also known as roughage, is the part of grains, fruits, and vegetables that is not absorbed and digested by the body.  Unlike fat, protein, and carbohydrates, which the body breaks down and absorbs, the bodies enzymes are not able to breakdown fiber, so it simply passes in tact through the digestive tract.  Fiber does not convert to glucose and, therefore, does not raise the blood sugar the way that carbohydrates usually do.  Instead of being used for energy, fiber is just eliminated from our bodies. 

While fiber is best known to be a natural and effective treatment for constipation, it also offers numerous other health benefits which include the ability to

• lower blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar from the intestines, thereby reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes
• lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol by soaking up cholesterol to remove some of it from your body, therefore reducing the risk of heart disease
• keep the intestines working optimally by adding more bulk which results in less pressure in the colon, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and hemorrhoids
• promote wavelike contractions in the intestines that clean out the colon and remove toxic waste

Another key benefit of dietary fiber is that it can also facilitate weight loss.  Dietary fiber acts like a sponge in the digestive tract absorbing calories from carbohydrates, fats and sugars, thus preventing them from being stored in the body.  Fiber slows down the absorption of fat and sugars that are consumed. Dietary fiber also adds "bulk" to foods without adding all of the calories.  Eating foods that are high in fiber (foods that contain more than 5g of fiber per serving) results in more volume with fewer calories.  Thus, fiber fills you up more quickly and keeps you satiated for a longer period of time, which can help reduce the chances of overeating.  A good example is how oatmeal fills you up better than a sugary, low fiber cereal. It also keeps you feeling full longer.  Try substituting fiber-rich foods into your diet.  Instead of opting for the white bread, go with the whole wheat bread.  Instead of orange juice, opt for the orange.  You get the idea.

A high fiber diet can also provide the body with sustained  energy.  Since high fiber carbs slow the absorption of sugar and fats into your bloodstream, they work to steady the bodies blood sugar.  This helps to avoid low blood sugar spikes and crashes that can occur when you eat and digest low fiber foods. In addition, since the body processes high fiber foods over a long period of time, these foods provide a more continuous source of energy for the body.  Like fiber, protein also slows down the digestion process.  Consuming fiber with protein at mealtime can leave you feeling more energized all day long.

How Much Dietary Fiber Do We Need Each Day?

It is recommended that adults consume a minimum of 20-35 grams of dietary fiber each day, unless you have a medical condition that requires otherwise.  For example, if you have had weight loss surgery, some find that dietary fiber has to be severely restricted.  The average adult American consumes an estimated 9 to 14 grams of dietary fiber each day.  Generally speaking, if you consume 5 servings of vegetables and fruits and 5 servings of grain products on a daily basis, then most likely you are meeting the recommended daily fiber requirements.  You get the most benefit by consuming a wide variety of high fiber foods.  Dietary fiber is most effective when combined with water, so make sure that you drink plenty of water to optimize absorption and ward off constipation.

The recommended daily fiber requirements for children over age 2, is the child's age age plus five grams. So if you have a five year old child, their recommended daily fiber requirement is 10 (5+5) grams of dietary fiber.

Types of Fiber

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble.  These fiber types have one significant similarity in that they both cannot be digested by the human body.  This is a good thing, because eating fiber helps to clean out the digestive system.  Fiber acts like a broom and sweeps out the digestive system removing all toxins and free radicals.  The two types of fiber each play a distinct role in the bodies digestive health.

• Soluble fiber can be broken down by the body and partially dissolves in water to form a gel like consistency.  The benefit is that this process slows the digestion and absorption of glucose into the bloodstream.  It provides food for the good bacteria in the digestive system, and helps to lower blood  cholesterol and blood glucose levels.  Sources of soluble fiber include: oats, dried peas and beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, dark green vegetables, legumes, nuts (almonds and peanuts), rice bran, flaxseed, barley, and psyllium.

• Insoluble fiber is the string material that is found in plant foods.  It cannot be broken down by the body and does not dissolve in water.  Instead, insoluble fiber absorbs water and passes through the digestive system in mass.  The benefit is that it increases the movement of food through the intestine, helps to remove toxic waste, and controls and balances the acidity (pH) of the intestine to make sure that it runs smoothly.  Sources of insoluble fiber include: whole wheat products, whole grains, wheat bran, seeds, nuts, vegetables such as green beans, dark leafy plants, peels, and skins of both fruit and root vegetables.

Dietary Fiber Food Sources

Dietary fiber is found mainly in fruits (raw and cooked), vegetables (raw and cooked), whole grains and legumes.  Processed or refined foods such as white bread and fruit juices tend to have a much lower fiber content.  Removing the skin from fruits and vegetables decreases the amount of fiber.

The following provides a list of high fiber foods.

Grain Products:

• Whole grain breads products
• Bran Flakes, All Bran, Bran Buds, Corn Bran, 100% Bran and Fiber 11
• Cooked cereals such as Red River and Oat Bran
• Whole wheat pasta
• Whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice

Fruits:

• Dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes and raisins
• Berries  (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries)
• Oranges, apples with skin, avocado, kiwi, mango and pears

Vegetables:

• Broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas, and other dark leafy vegetables
• Dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, chick peas, lentils

Nuts and Seeds:

• Almonds, whole flaxseed and soynuts

Tips To Increase Dietary Fiber Intake

When increasing your dietary fiber intake, it is best to start out slowly.  It is recommended that you gradually build up the amount and type of daily fiber intake.  The symptoms of too much fiber can include: bloating, excessive gas, abdominal pain, and large and/or frequent bowel movements.  Please note that there are some medical conditions that do not benefit from a high fiber diet.  If you have any medical conditions that you are being treated for, it is best to check with your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Try the following suggestions to increase your daily fiber intake:

• Eat fruit (with skin) instead of opting for the fruit juice.  If you go with juice, try to drink juice with pulp.
• Eat fruit or vegetables at every meal.
• Substitute whole grain products for refined, processed products such as white bread and pasta. Whole wheat, whole grain , or whole wheat flour should be the first ingredient listed on the label. Look for products that provide at least 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
• Eat brown rice instead of white rice.
• Start your day with whole grain cereals or breakfast bars.  Opt for products that have 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.  You can also add a few tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran to your cereal.
• Snack on fruits, vegetables, or low-fat pop corn instead of chips and crackers.
• Include more beans, peas and lentils in your diet.  Add kidney beans or lentils to soup, salads, or chili.
• Drink plenty of water, at least 8 eight ounce glasses per day.
• Try to eat foods with fiber rather than relying on the use of fiber supplements.
• Choose spinach, romaine, green leaf, or red leaf lettuce over iceberg lettuce, which contains minimal fiber and nutrients.

Fiber Food Chart

ADD CHART

 References:

[1] Self-Help Approaches for Obesity and Eating Disorders Research and Practice, Edited by Janet D. Latner and G. Terence Wilson