D-Carbs
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are defined as sugars and their derivatives. The simplest carbohydrates are the monosaccharides. The most common monosaccharide is glucose. and this is the most important one for living organisms. Keeping your blood sugar levels on track means watching what you eat, plus taking medicines like insulin if you need to. Your doctor may also have mentioned that you should keep track of how many carbohydrates (carbs) you eat. But what exactly are carbohydrates and how do they affect your blood sugar?
The foods we eat contain nutrients that provide energy and other things the body needs, and one of these is carbohydrates(pronounced: kar-bo-hi-drates). The two main forms of carbohydrates are:
- sugars such as fructose, glucose, and lactose
- starches, which are found in foods such as starchy vegetables, grains, rice, breads, and cereals
The body breaks down or converts most carbohydrates into the sugar glucose . Glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream, and with the help of a hormone called insulin it travels into the cells of the body where it can be used for energy.
But people with diabetes have problems with insulin that can cause blood sugar levels to rise. For people with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin, and for people with type 2 diabetes, the body can’t respond normally to the insulin that is made. Our bodies were designed to digest whole, natural foods and work at getting sugar and other nutrients out. Humans have not always lived with the frequent, regular, abundant food available in our society, thus our bodies were designed to very efficiently store any “excess” sugar beyond immediate requirements. Within reason, naturally occurring sugars can be handled by most people, and eating whole foods helps.
Because the body turns carbohydrates into glucose, eating carbohydrates makes blood sugar levels rise. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid carbohydrates if you have diabetes. Carbohydrates are a healthy and important part of a nutritious diet. Fiber is important because it helps you feel full and keeps your digestive system working properly. In fact, eating lots of fiber can even help to slow the body’s absorption of sugar when eaten together with sugar in the same foodSugary foods, like soda and candy, don’t usually have fiber and typically contain “empty calories.” That means they have calories but little nutritional value, and eating too many of them might leave little room for healthy foods. Eating too many empty-calorie foods can also make a person more likely to be overweight or obese. These foods can also cause tooth decay. If you’re not sure how many carbohydrates a food contains, check the label or ask your doctor or nutritionist. Also, check the labels of diet foods before you chow down because these products may be low in fat, but could contain extra sugar. for more info about carbohydrates (carbs) click here.
