Obesity
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Carbohydrates
136. The carbohydrate name is derived from the chemical elements in it i.e. carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. In fact the oxygen and hydrogen in carbohydrates are in the same proportion as found in water. Therefore, we get the name carbo (carbon) and hydrate (water).
137 Carbohydrates are one of the least expensive chief natural fuel for our body i.e. energy giving foods for the brain, mood, attitude and nervous system, which on absorption are converted into blood glucose in the body. These are starches, sugars and fibres that derive mainly from plants.
138. Carbohydrates, gram for gram, have less than half the calories of fat. Your body needs carbohydrates to burn the fat you eat. Carbohydrates speed up the metabolism enough to use most, if not all, of the calories you take in from the carbohydrates. But any extras you don’t burn, your body breaks down and stores as fat. 100 grams of excess carbohydrates translates into 30 grams of body fat. Fortunately, a fourth of their extra calories get used up in the fat storage process. On the other hand, you burn up almost no calories in storing excess fat calories than you do from an equal number of extra carbohydrate calories. Most nutritionists advise to aim for about 50-60% of your total daily calories intake from carbohydrates, (of which no more than 10% should come from simple sugars) mainly from plant-based foods and skimmed milk.
139. There are two kinds of carbohydrates, complex and simple – a healthy diet contains a lot more of the first kind than the second: –
(i) Complex Carbohydrates – These are also referred to as “slow” carbohydrates because they release sugars for metabolising into the blood slowly enough to keep the energy levels stable. You get these important starches and fibre from wholegrains, pulses, legumes, beans and vegetables.
(ii) Simple Carbohydrates – These are also referred to as “fast” carbohydrates because they boost the energy level fast and quickly. You get these in milk, fruits, juices, refined sugar and starches.
Glycemic Index
140. Another way to categorise foods is according to their glycemic index (G.I.) i.e. low glycemic index or high glycemic index, which roughly equates to complex or simple carbohydrates respectively. G.I. ranks foods based on the effect they have on blood sugar level. G.I. uses a scale from 0-100 and usually uses glucose with G.I. value of 100 as a reference point. Foods that have only a small effect on the rise of blood sugar have a “low G.I.” value, while those causing a rapid and massive rise in blood sugar followed by a dramatic fall have a “high G.I.” value.
