This document discusses carbohydrates and the difference between complex and simple carbs. Complex carbs are made of thousands of sugar units and break down slowly, providing steady energy and fewer insulin spikes. They include foods like whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fruits. Simple carbs have few sugar units and break down quickly, causing more rapid rises and falls in blood sugar. The document recommends focusing one's diet on complex carbs for health benefits while still allowing for occasional simple carb foods in moderation.
2. Introduction Goal To understand the place of carbs in the diet Determine the ideal type of carbs Guiding Question What are carbs? What are complex carbs? Benefits of complex carbs? The exceptions to the”rule”? Where to get complex carbs?
3. What are Carbs? Carbohydrates (aka carbs) fuel the body There are three kinds of carbs Simple Complex Dietary fiber
4. Complex VS Simple. Difference? Carbs are a bunch of sugar molecules attached together Simple carbs are made of few sugar “pieces” or “units” Complex carbs are made of thousands of sugar pieces
5. Your body can only use sugar pieces Hence, you digest the carbs into pieces, or glucose The bigger the carb, the harder it is to extract the glucose 1000 pieces > 2 pieces
7. Are simple carbs good too? Apples are sweet. They have lots of simple sugars. An apple a day keeps the doctor away How?
8. Glycemic Index Glycemic Index: measure of how fast carbs are absorbed from food 80 = Fast 20 = Slow Created for the exceptions
9. 1 slice White bread 1 apple 13 grams of carbs 11 grams are complex Glycemic Index: 64 – 87 More complex Unhealthy 17 grams of carbs 1 gram from complex Glycemic Index 38 Less complex Very healthy
10. Where to get it? Look for the words starch and sugars under carbohydrates Or calculate it Starches = Total carbs – fiber – sugars
11. Finally The complex and simple strategy is the easiest “rule” we can follow Of the 2000 – 3000 calories we need a day, 45 – 65 % of it comes from carbs Might as well make it healthy carbs, eh?
12. Next Turn to Support 1.1 Take notes in Summary Notes Review and complete questions Go onto Lesson 1.2: Fiber
Editor's Notes
It takes a longer time to extract all the energy from the carb
Steady energy: no mid afternoon crashes. Fewer insluin spikes:Body responds to sugar with insulin. Too much sugar in the blood at one time (such as after eating), causes insluin spikes.Too many spikes is bad (type 2 diabetes)
In science, when plants make their food, they actually make glucose.Glucose is the simpliest sugar.
