Free-Reprint Article Written by: Laura Turner
See Terms of Reprint Below.


*****************************************************************
*
* This email is being delivered directly to members of the group:
*
* health-articles@yahoogroups.com
*
*****************************************************************



Article Title: Carbohydrates; Why Size Matters
Article Author: Laura Turner
Article Copyright: 2004

Article URL:

http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/t/carbohydrates-why-size-matters.sht\
ml

Article Autoresponder:
mailto:carbohydrates-why-size-matters@...

Author Contact Email:
mailto:VioletProsePubs@...

Formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Word Count: 978 words

-----------------------------------------------------------------

This article was written by Laura Turner.

The only role of http://thePhantomWriters.com and
http://Article-Distribution.com is in the actual
distribution of this article to you.

At TPW, we are providing an additional free tool for
webmasters who reprint the articles we distribute. If your
software does not automatically hyperlink the URL's in your
site copy, please use our Text-to-Hyperlink Conversion Tool
to convert all URL's and Mailto addresses to the required
hyperlinked format:

http://thephantomwriters.com/link-builder.pl

-----------------------------------------------------------------

TERMS OF REPRINT - Publication Rules

This is a Free-Reprint article. The only requirements for
publishing this article are:

* You must leave the article and resource box unedited. You are
not allowed to change our recommendations, nor are you allowed
to change the context of the article.

* You may not use this article in UCE (Unsolicited Commercial Email).
Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only.

* We ask that you forward a copy of the ezine or newsletter
that contains the article inside to the author at:
mailto:VioletProsePubs@...

* If you post this article on a website, you MUST set any URL's
or Mailto addresses in the body of the article and most
especially in the Author's Resource Box as hyperlinks. We
request that you also send us a copy of the URL where you
have posted this article.

We are providing free Text-to-Hyperlink Conversion Tool for
webmasters who need an easy way to convert the plain text in
this article to hyperlinks where required, for the purpose of
meeting our hyperlink requirements:

http://thephantomwriters.com/link-builder.pl


If you find any of the rules to be unsavory or unacceptable, please
do not publish this article. While we are happy to make the content
available to you for your own use, we must insist on having our rules
and *Terms of Reprint* honored in full.


-----------------------------------------------------------------

Carbohydrates; Why Size Matters
Copyright © 2004 Laura Turner
The New Body News and Wellness Letter
http://www.new-body-news.com



If I collected a dime for each time I’ve seen or heard the
word “carbohydrate” - or picked up a book on the subject,
for that matter - I’d be a wealthy woman. And of course
we’ve all heard the buzzwords: simple carb; complex carb;
high carb; low carb; no carb.

But do we really know what a carbohydrate is? And are carbs
really as bad and fattening as we’re told they are?

In this article, I’ll make my best attempt to unveil the
mystery of the carbohydrate - and why it’s gotten such a
bad rap. After all, it’s the molecule both scientists and
nutritionists know is the main source of the body’s energy.

BASIC CHEMISTRY:
First the boring stuff. The basic chemistry of a carbohydrate.
I’ll keep it brief: Carbohydrates contain a carbon atom attached
to water molecules. This is important because it’s the structure
and size of a carbohydrate which influences the speed by which
it’s converted into glucose (sugar) and then into energy.

WHY ARE CARBS USEFUL?
Before we take a look at the different “sizes” of carbohydrates,
let’s look at why they are useful to us. Aside from supplying
the body’s energy, carbs are also useful for the proper
functioning of internal organs, as well as proper function of
the muscles and nervous system.

The most exciting feature of a carbohydrate, in this writer’s
opinion, however, is it’s ability to aid in protein and fat
metabolism.So as it turns out, when used wisely, carbohydrates
are actually useful in burning fat.

THE THREE PRINCIPAL CARBS FOUND IN FOODS:
Next let’s take a look at the three basic carbohydrates found
in foods (Still boring but stay with me). They are: simple
sugars, starches and fiber.

Simple Sugars come in two varieties. The monosaccharide (meaning
one sugar) are quickly digested and almost immediately utilized
by the body due to their “simple” structure (think fruits, fruit
juices and honey).

The second, disaccharides, act in almost the same way and are
one molecule larger. The disaccharides, however, tend to be more
of the refined sugars are very sweet to taste (think white sugar,
candy etc.)

The second basic type of carb is the starches or what we would
consider complex carbs (the polysaccharides): foods such as
potatoes, wheat, rice, corn. These carbs are slow to break down
and take some time to be converted into energy.

Finally, there’s the fibers (think bran). Fibers don’t have a
lot of energetic value, however, they do lend some support to
the body. Because they don’t add much sugar to the system, they
make it further through the pipeline to help with intestinal
function and elimination. Moreover, they reduce cholesterol
and slow fat absorption.

WHY SIZE MATTERS
The theory behind low carbohydrate diets is, when the body
consumes too many carbohydrates the excess will become stored
by the body as fat. This is true.

When the body ingests a carbohydrate, it aims to convert it to
glucose as soon as it can, so that it can be utilized by the
body. If there is some excess, no problem, it will get stored
as glycogen in the limited space of the muscles. The trouble
arises, when the stores exceeded capacity: the remaining molecules
are stored as fat in fat cells that can infinitely expand (horrors!).

Yet, what if there was a way to outsmart this system by using
the different “sizes” of carbohydrate molecules to your
advantage? What if you could keep the body burning carbs at a
steady rate according to the speed of your metabolism and your
activity level?

Enter the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a scale which
tells you (on a food-by-food basis) the rate at which a
carbohydrate is converted into glucose. The scale is calibrated
by glucose itself (which is rated at 100). The higher the
number the faster the conversion.

First used by diabetics to prevent flux in blood sugar, the
glycemic index (GI) has become a popular way to get all the
benefits of carbohydrates without the threat of fat storage.

Here’s what the scale looks like:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more
To see a chart with samples of some favorite foods visit:
http://thecompounder.com/GlycemicIndex.html

HOW IS THE GI HELPFUL?
If weight loss or weight maintenance is your goal (isn’t it
everyone’s?), creating a diet around lower GI foods will decrease
peaks in glucose levels. It’s as simple as that.

You can implement this eating pattern by scanning the low
glycemic foods and aiming to consume a serving at each meal
(Be sure to see the article on food combining in this issue).
This will also help you avoid both the “highs and lows” of the
refined sugar rush.

Higher glycemic foods can be useful, too, and are considered the
“recovery” foods. Medium and high GI foods should be consumed
for up to two hours after exercise to recover lost carbohydrates
and maintain steady blood-sugar levels.

Because metabolism varies from person to person, it would be
well worth your time and effort to continue a personal study of
the glycemic index. Enjoy your carbs by checking in on your
favorite foods and decide when it’s best to consume them.

Where to get this information:
You can get the skinny on the glycemic indexes of all your
favorite carbohydrate foods. Check out the searchable data base
at: www.glycemicindex.com

In closing, here’s a few guidelines to help you put your carbs
to good use:

Aim to eat several small meals during the day. Choose one
serving of carbs for each, preferably low GI.

When in doubt choose carbohydrates that are naturally occurring
such as vegetables and fruits.

Minimize refined sugars whenever possible.

When consuming breads aim for wheat instead of white.

Try to substitute white potatoes with sweet and substitute brown
rice for white.



Resource Box:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Laura Turner is the Sr. Editor of The New Body News and Wellness
Letter: The premier online eZine dedicated to giving you the
"Insight and Inspiration to Build a Better You." Raise your
healthy I.Q. Subscribe today for F.r.e.e. visit:
http://www.new-body-news.com or send any email to:
mailto:newbodynews@...
-----------------------------------------------------------------


Posted: Fri Oct 22 02:05:55 EDT 2004


For more articles by this author, please visit:

http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Laura_Turner