Carbohydrates serve as an essential energy source, but processed versions can lead to inflammation and weight gain. Understanding the difference between complex carbs like oatmeal and simple sugars is key to metabolic health.
Simple sugars, also referred to as monosaccharides, are the basic unit of carbohydrates. Unlike sucrose, which is made of both a glucose and fructose sugar molecule, a simple sugar is either glucose or fructose respectively. Complex sugars, or polysaccharides, are present in foods like vegetables and whole grains.
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Kidney beans are often recommended as a protein source for vegetarians, but their other main benefit is as a source of healthy carbohydrate. When including kidney beans in your diet, it's important to know not only their carbohydrate content but also the type of carbohydrates they contain.
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Breakfast can easily turn into a carb fest if you enjoy pancakes, French toast, danishes and doughnuts. Even if you reach for fairly healthy choices, such as oatmeal, whole-grain toast and fruit smoothies, you'll take in a substantial number of carb grams.
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Whether your favorite is Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Cortland, Gala or another variety, apples are a long-standing staple of the American diet. Apples consist of approximately 85 percent water and 12 percent carbohydrates, including fruit sugars and fiber.
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Carbohydrates provide energy, but excess carbs can convert to fat. Understand the complex process and learn how to prevent carbohydrate-to-fat conversion for a healthier lifestyle.
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To succeed in a swim meet, you need training and good nutrition. Starting fast off the blocks and lasting through the race requires quick access to energy as well as endurance you gain from months of training. Eating too much before a meet or eating the wrong thing can harm your performance in the pool.
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With the popularity of almond milk on the rise, you may wonder about the beverage’s pros and cons. Some consumers find almond milk’s creamy texture and nutty taste more palatable than other plant-based milks for both drinking and as a cooking ingredient.
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Nuts are a good choice for a low-carb diet because most nuts are fairly low in carbohydrates, plus they're loaded with good stuff -- fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. If you're following a very-low-carb diet, you'll need to limit your daily servings of nuts because carbs can add up fast.
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For a carbohydrate to be considered a good carb, it needs to provide vitamins and minerals in addition to the carbohydrate. Most importantly, a good carbohydrate needs to contain fiber. Fiber is helpful in managing blood sugar levels, lowering blood cholesterol levels and creating a feeling of fullness.
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Carbohydrates come in three different forms: sugars, starches and fibers. When a food label lists total carbohydrates, it includes all of these three. Starch is a type of carbohydrate -- primarily found in starchy vegetables like potatoes and winter squash, grain products and dried beans and legumes.
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Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients, besides protein and fat, that you need in fairly large quantities to maintain your life and important body functions. They are revered for their ability to energize you quickly but also blamed for thickening waistlines in the rise of so-called low-carb diets.
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Liquid glucose, sometimes called glucose syrup, is a liquid sweetener used to keep icings and baked goods moist and soft. A number of other liquid sweeteners can be used in a 1-to-1 replacement if you don't have liquid glucose, although the end product may taste somewhat different depending on which sweetener you use.
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Onions probably aren’t the first food you think about when you’re planning your daily carbs, but they are a source of natural sugar, complex carbs and fiber. Onions give you a healthy carbohydrate option because, along with the carbs, they supply beneficial phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that promote health.
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If you notice a few extra pounds shortly after eating carbohydrates, some of those carbs may have been used to refill your body's stores of glycogen. Carbs can also contribute to weight gain if they cause your levels of blood sugar to cycle up and down.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that healthy adult men and women should consume 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit every day. Eating 1 cup of sliced fresh or frozen strawberries helps you fulfill up to half of this requirement.
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Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are so nutrient-dense, that Dr. Nicholas Perricone told Oprah.com he considers them to be necessary for anyone seeking an anti-aging diet food. Garbanzo beans are high in protein, loaded with vitamins and contain phytochemicals, which are plant properties that stave off chronic disease.
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Most food allergies are related to the proteins found in specific foods, such as gluten, whey or casein. Recent studies reported by ABC News state that certain uncommon allergies, such as an allergy to meat, found that the reaction was to certain carbohydrates found in foods, and not proteins.
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You need at least a certain amount of carbohydrates to provide fuel for your brain and body. Some carbohydrate sources are healthier than others, however, and knowing the good from the bad can help you make better food choices.
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Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that involves pain throughout the body, especially in the back, shoulders and joints. The Mayo Clinic states that sleeping difficulties and depression are also common with fibromyalgia.
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When you're watching your waistline, look for snacks high in protein and low in fat. Women who consume high-protein snacks, as compared to high-fat snacks, feel more satisfied, less hungry and eat fewer calories all day long, reported a 2014 study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
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