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Often frowned upon by people trying to diet, carbohydrates remain essential to our body. They are also considered one of the best fuels for the body. Concretely, among the different sources of energy for your body are carbohydrates and lipids. It therefore remains important to take into account the sources of carbohydrates and their famous GI “glycemic index”. To be healthy and according to your goals, you will therefore have to make sure to favor certain carbohydrates.
- What are the main sources of carbs?
- What are 3 good sources of carbohydrates?
- What are 4 good sources of carbohydrates?
- What are the food high in carbohydrates?
- Is egg rich in carbohydrates?
- Is rice a carbohydrate?
What are the best sources of carbohydrates for a beneficial diet?
In order to help you choose the right sources of carbohydrates, you will find in this article valuable information that we wanted to bring you.
Carbohydrates, what are they?
The term carbohydrate is used to define a fundamental component of living matter that plays an energetic role in our organisms. It is made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. In everyday language, the term carbohydrate will tend to be replaced by the word “sugar” or “carbohydrate”. Carbohydrates are supplied through our diet. Once the digestive enzymes are in charge of transforming food into nutrients, the carbohydrates are absorbed in the intestine.
Once this absorption is done, the carbohydrates can play two roles: Either they are used directly by our body, or they are stored in the muscles and in the liver in a form that will be called "glycogen". If left unused, glycogen can also be stored and turned into body fat, hence the often-heard recommendation to eat low carbs in the evening.
What is the role of carbohydrates in the body?
oatmealThe main role of carbohydrates is to supply the body with energy. To be effective, the various cells of the human body are supplied with glucose. Although some can use fatty acids to compensate, others do not have this ability. Indeed, our brain can only feed on glucose. If there is not this supply, the cells are then damaged and will experience rapid death. A lack of sugar in the body can be seen by physical symptoms such as a feeling of hunger, fatigue or that of having an empty mind.
In addition to providing the body with energy, carbohydrates have other functions. Their main role is to make people feel a sense of satiety, so they are said to be “satietogenic”. This feeling is essential and forms the basis of a balanced diet. Concretely, if the feeling of satiety does not appear, you will never stop eating. Also, as we said, carbohydrates are essential for the brain. In order to have optimal brain activity, it will therefore be necessary to consume enough of it within varied and balanced meals, also composed of proteins and “good lipids”. Studies have shown that the consumption of "good carbohydrates" leads to better intellectual performance in children and plays a beneficial role in memory.
The risk of carbohydrate deficiencies
Consuming large amounts of carbohydrates is not necessarily beneficial for the body. However, too low carbohydrate intake could have harmful consequences on the body such as increased production of ketones, loss of bone density, poor functioning of the nervous system, etc. If you're fighting carbohydrates, don't be surprised to feel tired and unwell either, unless it's part of a ketogenic diet.
However, it is important to emphasize that an excessive intake of carbohydrates can cause certain problems, especially if it is refined sugar. This excess may, for example, lead to dental caries, cancers and overweight problems.
The importance of carbohydrates for athletes
protein and sport If you do sport at a high level or in an intense way, especially if it is endurance sport, you definitely cannot ignore carbohydrates. These will be essential for the proper functioning of your muscle energy. In addition, the glycogen that will have been stored in your muscles and in your liver will be of great help to you because it will allow you to have energy available during your effort. Many athletes also consume carbohydrates during exercise to prevent possible drops in blood sugar, to provide fuel and to save the body's glycogen stores.
The different types of carbohydrates
When we talk about carbohydrates, you should know that there are two main families called “simple carbohydrates” and “complex carbohydrates”. Simple carbohydrates include glucose, sucrose and fructose. In the family of complex carbohydrates we find starch, maltodextrin and glycogen.
For example, an athlete will be advised to consume fructose before exercise in order to prevent possible hypoglycemia. Fructose does not cause the synthesis of insulin, unlike glucose, which makes it optimal.
What are the best sources of carbohydrates for athletes?
If you are preparing for a major race, it is important to have the correct carbohydrate intake. For this, some sources are simply optimal. Outside of your workouts, it will be important that you favor low glycemic index carbohydrates.
Before your workouts or during your training phases, different foods are ideal. You can eat, for example, bananas, brown rice, energy bars, yogurts, bais, energy drinks, whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta. These elements will be excellent allies for all athletes looking to be at the top of their performance.
What are the best sources of carbohydrates for weight loss?
If you want to lose weight, know that it is not mandatory to remove all carbohydrates from your diet and opt for a ketogenic or “paleo” type diet. To have effective results on your diet, however, you will need to carefully choose the carbohydrates that you will include in your meals.
To begin with, it is very beneficial to consume fruits that offer you a perfect mixture of carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins and minerals. Then, be sure to limit cereals, flour and bread or opt for whole wheat flour which will be better for preparing different dishes and desserts. Quinoa can also be an ally in terms of carbohydrate and protein intake, just like energy bars and fruit purees. If you are looking for a food rich in iron, you can look at dried fruits such as goji berries, figs or apricots for example. In addition to being tasty, they will be easy to carry everywhere.
To sublimate your plate and awaken your taste buds, you can also try wild rice as well as sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes. We end this list with a very famous slimming ally: oats. The latter is reputed to be an all-purpose ingredient. You can mix it in your smoothies as well as in your yogurts or even in your muffins.
For optimal weight loss, you should try to reduce your consumption of so-called "processed" carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, bread, sodas, industrial fruit juices (make your own juices!), sweets, appetizer biscuits and breakfast biscuits (opt for a healthy breakfast instead)
In addition:
The most interesting source of carbohydrates for everyone remains vegetables. Thanks to their fiber composition, they slow down digestion while offering a low glycemic index. We also find quinoa, sweet potato, buckwheat or even bulgur. Fruits also allow you to experience an optimal feeling of satiety and to enjoy a good dose of energy.
Indeed, even if simple carbohydrates can give you a good boost, they are not a good source of nutrients. Opt for complex carbohydrates. The problem with simple carbs is that once the invigorating feeling wears off, you'll quickly tend to experience hunger pangs mixed with fatigue.
Credit: Natureaforce
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