The Health Impact Of Foods With Carbohydrates On The Body

September 10, 2010 by: Curtis Lastings

If you’re trying to lose weight it’s important to keep a tab on how many carbohydrates, or carbs, you eat every day. Carbohydrates are foods such as cookies, breads, fruit, pasta and potatoes.

These foods are transformed into glucose once the starch and sugar they contain have been broken down inside your body. Glucose gives your brain and muscles the energy they need to function correctly.

If the glucose is not used by your body as energy, it’s converted into a substance called glycogen. Your liver and muscles are where the glycogen is then stored as an energy reserve.

In this way, your body can keep a stock of up to half the amount of glycogen it needs for one day. But if you’re taking too many carbohydrates on board, the remaining energy will be stored as fat. Of course, this is the last thing a weight watcher wants to happen!

Carbohydrates can be either ‘simple’ and ‘complex’ and it’s useful to know the difference.

Very sweet foods such as cookies, sugar, fruit, candy and honey are known as simple carbohydrates. This is because the energy they provide is passed almost instantly into the bloodstream to give our muscles their power.

Complex carbs come in the form of grains (rice or wheat, for example) and vegetables. As well as providing energy, these foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They give us energy over a longer period of time than simple carbohydrates do, too.

To avoid taking in too many carbohydrates at once, it’s advisable to eat several small meals in a day, rather than three large ones. That way you’ll provide your body with the energy it needs and cut down on the storage of fat.

Too few carbs in your diet will make you feel as if your energy levels are at rock bottom. To stay healthy and active you need to keep a certain amount of energy available in your body.

If you’re careful about how many carbohydrates you eat and how many times a day, while maintaining an active lifestyle, your body will start using its store of fat as energy. You’ll feel better and look better!

This writer also frequently shares knowledge regarding topics like youth soccer equipment and youth soccer jerseys.

Share

Add A Comment

*
Security Code: