Diet Nutrition Information
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Dietary Sources of CarbsCarbohydrates For Good Diet Nutrition and HealthIn very simple terms, there are three basic types of carbohydrate, and each has an important role to play in a healthy balanced diet. They provide instant-energy, satiety and a variety of health benefits. Carbohydrate Sugars for EnergyFound in foods like: table sugar, honey, fruits and dried fruit. This type of carbohydrate is easily converted into energy, and is an invaluable source of 'instant calories' when energy stores in the body are running low. Carbohydrate Starches for SatietyFound in foods like: potatoes, pasta, rice and beans. This type of carbohydrate helps to fill up our stomach and satisfy our appetite. Starchy foods with a lower glycemic index or lower glycemic load are healthier. Carbohydrate Fiber for HealthFound in foods like: beans, vegetables, fruits and seaweeds. Dietary fiber carbohydrate is non-nutritious because it cannot be digested, but it offers a range of digestive and general health benefits. A Healthy Diet Needs Nutritious Carb-Rich FoodsDespite the current diet fad of restricting carbohydrate-intake to very low levels, in order to force the body to burn extra body fat, it is difficult - if not impossible - to avoid high-carb foods like grains, beans, vegetables and fruits, without the risk of nutritional deficiency. Which is why ultra-low carb diets recommend supplements. Even so, some carbohydrate-rich foods when eaten to excess can cause blood-glucose problems and insulin insensitivity. Health and Nutrition Problems of Refined CarbsModern food-refining and processing techniques have gradually removed more and more of the natural fiber and other non-digestible parts of foods like wheat, rice and oats. For example, flour is now stripped of the fiber-containing shell, bleached and super-refined, in order to make lighter breads with a longer shelf-life. Result? These carbohydrate foods are now less natural, less filling, and far less healthy than the dense chewier breads we used to eat. Bad news for nutrition, eating habits and weight control. The same applies to many other carb-rich foods, like rice, and also potatoes which many of us now consume in the form of french fries! Unhealthy Carb Snack Foods and DrinksPotato chips, corn chips, some flavored popcorns and other wheat or corn-based snack foods are empty of most nutritional value, and high in refined-carbs as well as fat and sodium. Regular soft drinks are often nothing but sugar and water, with occasional added caffeine. While all of these refined snack foods may be eaten in small amounts, consuming them to excess provides little nutrition and may lead to appetite problems, impaired glucose metabolism, obesity and diabetes. Nutrition Resources About Carbohydrates Carbs:
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