How Do you Choose Healthy Carbohydrates?

How Do you Choose Healthy Carbohydrates?

How Do you Choose Healthy Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are always associated in our minds with obesity, and many of us believe that all that carbohydrates represent for the body is weight gain, although carbohydrates have many benefits and functions within the body. But there are types that have more benefits than other types.

Tell us about carbohydrates, their types, their importance and what types you should choose in your diet.
What Are Carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are nutrients with large molecules that are found mainly and naturally in vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, milk and nuts. Its chemical composition is a fraction of sugar with hydrogen, carbon and oxygen, which is the basic structure of most carbohydrates. Carbohydrates may exist in processed products where they are added to give flavor to food.

What are the types of carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates 3 types namely:



Sugar: It is the simplest form of carbohydrates and is found in fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products. Fructose is called fructose, a milk sugar called lactose and table sugar called sucrose.



Starch: It is more complex in its composition than sugar, and is found in vegetables, grains and pulses.



Dietary fiber: Consists of several molecules of sugar linked to chemical bonds and are found in vegetables, fruits and legumes.

What is the amount of carbohydrates to be eaten daily?
Health organizations recommend that the total carbohydrate in your daily diet should not exceed 45 to 65% of the total food. You can always read labels that contain nutritional information for canned foods to see the percentage of carbohydrates in the product.

What are the benefits of carbohydrates for the body?
Energy saving for the body: Carbohydrates inside the body into simple sugars by breaking them during digestion, then absorb these sugars and reach the blood stream in the form of glucose, which is used by cells with the help of insulin to obtain the energy necessary for all biological processes. The surplus is stored in the liver, muscles and other cells of the body for consumption at the time of need or converted into fat stored in the body.



Disease prevention: Whole grains and fiber-rich foods protect the body from many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, fight obesity and play a key role in regulating digestion.



Maintaining body weight: Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help you control your weight. Fibers help you feel full and contain a few calories.

How do you choose healthy carbohydrates?
Focus on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables: Always choose fruits and vegetables in their natural form without any additives such as sugar. Fresh and frozen fruits are better than juices and dried fruits which have a higher sugar concentration.



Choose Whole Grain: Whole grains are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals such as selenium, magnesium and potassium. It is better than refined grains, whose outer skin is removed and most of its nutritional value is lost.



Choose low-fat dairy products: yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products are a good source of calcium and protein but prefer low-fat products that do not contain additives such as sugar.



Lentils, peas, beans and all kinds of legumes are usually low in fat, high in folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, and fiber are soluble and insoluble. They are also a good source of protein, It can represent a healthy alternative to meat as it does not contain cholesterol.



Reduce your consumption of table sugar: Use sugar at reasonable, harmless rates, but large amounts can cause many health problems such as tooth decay and obesity as well as having no nutritional benefit.



Carbohydrates are not an enemy of health. As some imagine, it takes only a little scrutiny of our choices among different types of carbohydrates while reducing the consumption of high-calorie artificial sugars with almost no nutritional benefit.