CARBOHYDRATES

GOOD OR BAD?

Basic Nutrition for Everyday Series: Lesson 6

Information provided to you by: JFHQ Occupational Health Office

What are Carbohydrates? “Good” v. “Bad” Carbs What are the types of Carbohydrates? Dietary Fiber: How Much You Need. Tips for Adding More Fiber Tips for Avoiding Added Sugar How Many Carbohydrates, Do I Need

Daily?

Definition:a biological compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that is an important source of food and energy

Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose which is fuel that gives your body energy.

Glucose can be used immediately or stored.

Healthier foods high in carbohydrates are ones higher in dietary fiber without added sugar.

Carbohydrates can be found in the following:

Fruits Vegetables Breads, cereals, and other

grains Milk & milk products Foods containing added sugar

“Good” Carbohydrates have more fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Guidelines recommend choosing fiber-rich carbohydrate choices.

Fiber-rich foods include:fruits, vegetables, & whole grain breads & pastas.

“Bad” Carbohydrates are referring to foods with refined carbohydrates.

Refined Carbohydrates are items that are made from white flour or added sugar.

Examples: white bread, cakes, & cookies

Complex Carbohydrates: Starch & dietary fiber Starch is in certain vegetables like potatoes, dry beans, cereals,

and corn. Fiber is in vegetables, fruits, & whole grain foods. There are two different types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble.

Both are important for health, digestion, and preventing diseases.

Simple Carbohydrates: Can be found naturally or as added sugars Added sugars have fewer nutrients than foods with naturally-

occurring sugars Examples of ingredients as added sugar: brown sugar, corn

sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey.

It is recommended that you get 14 grams of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories that you consume each day.

If you need 2,000 calories each day, you should try to consume 28 grams of dietary fiber.

To find out how many calories you need each day visit mypyramid.gov and enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level in the My Pyramid Plan Tool.

Choose whole fruits Try to eat two

vegetables with your evening meal.

Keep a bowl of veggies already washed.

Choose whole grain foods more often.

Make a meal around dried beans or peas instead of meat.

Start your day with a whole grain breakfast cereal.

Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened sodas.

Choose 4 fluid oz of 100% fruit juice rather than a fruit drink.

Have a piece of fruit for dessert and skip desserts with added sugar.

Choose breakfast cereals that contain no or less added sugar.

High-Fructose corn syrup is a popular ingredient in sodas and flavored drinks.

High-Fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar.

Research has shown that large amounts of any type of added sugar is linked to health problems as weight gain, dental cavities, poor nutrition, and increased triglyceride levels.

There is insufficient evidence to say that high-fructose corn syrup is less healthy than other types of added sweeteners.

American Heart Association recommends that women should consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar from any source, and men should consume no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar.

Coca Cola 12 oz (355 ml) Can Sugars, total: 39g Calories, total: 140 Calories from sugar: 140

20 oz (590 ml) Bottle Sugars, total: 65g Calories, total: 240 Calories from sugar: 240

1 Liter (34 oz) Bottle Sugars, total: 108g Calories, total: 400 Calories from sugar: 400

1 pound of sugar equals approximately 3500 calories.

If you drink 2, 12 oz cans of regular soda a day that is about 280 calories.

280 calories x 7 days a week = 1960 calories/week

Two weeks = 3920 calories

You could lose over a pound in 2 weeks just by cutting out your consumption of regular soda!

Follow a meal plan that gives you 45%-65% of the calories you consume as carbohydrates.

My Pyramid.gov or DASH A diet plan that is based on no carbohydrates

is not the healthy approach to weight loss. Choose more complex carbohydrates and

avoid food items with added sugar.

Now that you’ve started….

Don’t Stop!

Make physical activity a lifetime habit

If you stop exercising you’ll rapidly lose the beneficial effects.

Maintaining good cardiovascular fitness is an ongoing process.

4 egg whites, slightly beaten 16 ounce can pumpkin (or the meat from 1-lb pumpkin) 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp molasses 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 12 oz can evaporated skim (fat free) milk 9" unbaked pie shell

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine ingredients in above order. Mix well. Pour

into pie shell (or into an au gratin dish for a fat-free dessert). Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Then reduce temperature to 350F, and bake for 45 more minutes. Makes 8 serving. Each piece of pumpkin pie has 240 Cal, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 7 mg cholesterol. Without the crust, each piece would have 130 Cal, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2 mg cholesterol. For a low sugar version, use Splenda™ instead of brown sugar, and increase molasses to 3 tablespoons.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/nutrition

My Pyramid www.mypyramid.gov

DASH www.dashdiet.org

Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup