Which foods are considered carbohydrates?

Foods can be divided into general categories: fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Just as proteins are made up of amino acids, carbohydrates are made up of smaller units called saccharides or sugars (glucose).

Carbohydrate foods are broken down into sugars after being eaten and then converted into energy through biochemical processes to be used by the body's cells.

All cells in the body, including brain and muscle cells, need sugar as an energy source, and carbohydrates are a major source of glucose (sugar) in our diet.



Carbohydrates can be divided into two categories: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates

Simple Carbohydrates: Simple carbohydrates are also known as sugars, which are available both naturally and artificially, such as sugar, sugar, chocolate, jelly, dates, honey, and so on.

Complex carbohydrates, often known as starchy foods or starchy foods, such as potatoes, rice, legumes, whole grains, breads, and pasta.

What is the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates:

To better understand, let's start with the metabolism of carbohydrates and glucose and then move on to the differences between types of carbohydrates:

All carbohydrates are converted to sugar (glucose) after being digested and absorbed in the digestive tract. Glucose is transported through the blood throughout the body to enter cells for energy conversion.

The pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin, which collects sugar from the bloodstream and enters the body's cells. If a large amount of sugar enters the bloodstream that is not needed by the body's cells, it becomes a substance called glycogen and is stored in the liver or body fat so that it can be converted back into sugar when needed and used.

When your body needs energy and sugar and you are hungry but do not have access to food, a hormone called glucagon is released into the bloodstream by the pancreas, which converts glycogen to its previous form, glucose (sugar), which is used by cells. The body is placed as fuel.



Glucose metabolism in the body is a cycle between the production of the hormones insulin, glucagon and the conversion of glucose to glycogen and vice versa.

The slower the release of these sugars and hormones, the more stable the level of sugar and energy in the body, and the faster the amount of sugar in carbohydrates is released into the bloodstream, the more we see fluctuations in sugar and energy, in other words, food. Which quickly convert to sugar causes a sudden rise in blood sugar and energy, which in turn increases the secretion of insulin and glucagon, and in a short time we will see a drop in blood sugar and a feeling of fatigue.

Simple carbohydrates quickly raise blood sugar but can not hold blood sugar steady for long, and after a short time the blood sugar drops again, but in return releases the sugar and converts it into energy from carbohydrates. Complications happen slowly, and this stabilizes your blood sugar and energy. Simply put, by eating complex carbohydrates, your blood sugar slowly rises and falls, giving you energy for longer.

Amount of daily carbohydrate needs:

Current nutrition science recommends that we get 50% of our body's energy needs from complex carbohydrates and the rest from fats and proteins. Approximately adult women need 200 grams per day and men 275 grams per day.

Of course, physical activity, exercise, age and weight change the amount of carbohydrates we need.

The best sources of complex carbohydrates are rice, potatoes, barley, legumes, cereals, and breads and pasta.



Calories in carbohydrates and other nutrients:

Each gram of carbohydrate contains 3.75 calories, each gram of protein contains 4 calories, each gram of fat contains 9 calories and each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories.

If we get more calories from food than we need daily, it will turn into fat and cause weight gain, and vice versa.

Athletes and the amount of carbohydrates needed:

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for athletes. The amount, time and type of carbohydrates consumed depends on the amount and intensity of exercise.

2 to 3 hours before exercise: Eat a meal rich in complex carbohydrates, this meal can contain 65 to 130 grams of carbohydrates that release energy equivalent to 250 to 500 calories, the volume of this meal should be such that it does not cause hunger. You should be exercising and on the other hand it should not cause a heavy feeling. This meal should contain 8 to 15 grams of protein and some useful fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids.

For example, a plate of macaroni + 50 to 70 grams of chicken and a little olive oil or fish is a good meal.



If you are not overweight and at the same time you want to do heavy exercises, you can follow the following program:

1 hour before exercise: To prevent the feeling of hunger, you can use simple and liquid carbohydrates such as fruit juices such as apple juice, carrots or in combination.

 During exercise: If your training will be hard and more than 90 minutes, to maintain energy and muscle strength, you can consume 15 to 30 grams of simple carbohydrates in solid or liquid form every 30 minutes to avoid fatigue and weakness.

Liquid carbohydrates can be sports drinks, natural juices or other ingredients.

Tip: If you choose fruit juice as a source of carbohydrates, it is better to add a little salt to maintain a balance between sodium and potassium.

Eat some carbohydrates with protein no more than 30 to 45 minutes after exercise. It is recommended that this meal contain 10 to 20 grams of protein.

Getting enough protein and carbohydrates after exercise helps a lot in regeneration; Strengthens and grows muscles.

Carbohydrates and diabetes:

People with diabetes should limit or eliminate simple carbohydrates from their diet as much as possible, including sugar, sugar, fruit juices, honey, cakes, chocolate, and more.

Complex carbohydrates can also make up a maximum of 25 percent of your diet, and try to eat more whole grains and legumes.