CARBOHYDRATES .... CARBS

 You may have heard about how low-carb diets will cause weight loss, because carbs make you fat.  First off, carbs do not inherently make you fat, nor is there anything  intrinsically fattening about fat itself either.  Lack of exercise, stress, eating too much, endocrine functioning, hormone imbalances, drinking alcohol., taking certain pharmaceuticals, making poor food choices, etc. causes weight gain. Carbs are necessary for good health, as are quality proteins and healthy fats.  Restricting any macro-nutrient will result in negative health outcomes.  That said, there are foods that are high in carbs that are unhealthy like soda and refined sugars, but that does not mean that carbs are bad - just that junk food (food that is energy dense and nutrient void) are bad.  Some of you may have heard of people having a chemical imbalance, well improper nutrition is a chemical imbalance.  Start with high quality, whole foods to correct these issues not pills.
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A carbohydrate (AKA saccharide) is a biomolecule consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1. 

Less technically speaking, carbohydrates provide the body with glucose, which is converted to energy that is used to support physical activity and other bodily functions (including feeding your brain – neurons run on glucose and cannot burn fat, although your brain needs healthy fats as well). 

One gram of carbohydrate contains approximately 4 calories.

Carbohydrates serve other functions beyond providing energy, including: 
-  Providing dietary fiber that helps with regularity,
-  Feeding our gut flora,
-  Supporting immune system,
- Combining with fats (lipids) and/or chains of amino acids to serve in scores of bodily functions, like cell formation and cell binding. 

Carbohydrates can be categorized as sugars, starch, cellulose, etc.
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Simple Carbohydrates:  Sugars that consist of just one or two molecules (monosaccharides or disaccharides, respectively).  Simple carbs provide a rapid source of energy.  Simple Carbs: fruit juices, fruits, sugars, soda, honey, maple syrup, candies, many processed foods, etc.  Go with fresh fruits, maple syrup, & honey!

Complex Carbohydrates: Typically starches that consist of long chains of sugar molecules (poly- saccharides).  Complex carbs provide sustained energy and longer periods of feeling sated.  Complex Carbs: potatoes, yams, vegetables, legumes (pulses), and whole (unrefined) grains, shellfish, animal livers, etc.
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Carbohydrates are divided into four (chemical) groups:
1. Monosaccharides (sugars)
- One saccharide.
- Also called a simple sugar.
- Three dietary monosaccharides:

1. Glucose circulates in the blood as blood sugar.   Glucose is made during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using energy from sunlight.  essential source of energy for cellular respiration.   Glucose is stored as glycogen in our bodies.
2. Galactose is milk sugar. 
3. Fructose is absorbed directly into blood during digestion.   Fructose is found  in honey, tree and vine fruits, flowers, berries, and most root vegetables (e.g., carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, etc.).

2. Disaccharides (sugars)
- Formed by the joining of two saccharides (monosaccharides).
- Also called a double sugar or biose. 
- Examples:

1. Sucrose (common table sugar): glucose and fructose
2. Lactose:  galactose and glucose
3. Maltose (maltobiose or malt sugar): two units of glucose

3. Oligosaccharides
-  Fructo-oligosaccharides [FOS] AKA oligofructose
-  Saccharide polymer (substance with a a molecular structure consisting chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together, containing a small number (typically three to ten) of monosaccharides.
-   Aids in cell recognition and cell binding.
-  Bind with lipids (e.g., glycolipids are lipids with a carbohydrate attached) to serve other bodily functions like aiding in the immune response.
-  Binds with compatible amino acid side chains in proteins to serve other bodily functions. 

4. Polysaccharides
-   Starches
-   Glycogen
-   Dietary fibers

Dietary Fiber
Most dietary fibers are polysaccharides that our bodies do not digest. 

Fiber can be soluble or insoluble. Plant-based foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, in varying amounts of each type, so don’t get too bogged down in this … just eat a wide variety of real food!

Soluble Filers: Dissolves in water to form a gel-like material that can be very soothing to the digestive tract and helps to lower excess cholesterol and regulate glucose levels. Sources: oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, etc.

Insoluble Fibers: Promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk.  Sources: nuts, seeds, beans, (sprouted) whole grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.

An interesting type of soluble fiber ...
β-Glucans (beta-glucans):
- Type of insoluble fiber found oats, barley, seaweeds, and “medicinal” mushrooms, such as reishi, shiitake, chaga, and maitake.
- Source of soluble, fermentable fiber (aka prebiotic fiber) that “feeds” microbiota within the large intestine.
- Increases fecal bulk and producing short-chain fatty acids as byproducts with wide-ranging physiological activities, like boosting immune system.
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Glycemic Index (GI)
High glycemic index (GI) carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream as glucose, which is inherently neither good nor bad.