Diet and nutrition

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. They are organic substances. Sugars exist as simple sugars, called monosaccharides, and double sugars, called disaccharides. The simple sugars are glucose, a simple sugar found in blood, and fructose, found in most fruits and vegetables. The double sugars are sucrose, a commercial sugar or table sugar, lactose or milk sugar, and maltose, found in breads and cereals. Starches are multiple sugars chemically bonded in long chains. They are responsible for the maintenance of energy. Cellulose is the final type of carbohydrate. It is a fibrous substance found in fruits, vegetables, and the bran of grains. It cannot be digested by the body and therefore, serves to clean the intestinal tract and to provide bulk to the diet.

Food sources of carbohydrates are grain products, potatoes, table sugar, syrups, and fruits.

Carbohydrates serve to provide the body with quick sources of energy. Insufficient amounts of carbohydrates may result in weight loss, fatigue and general lack of energy. A severe deficiency will result in marasmus.

Articles on carbohydrates

The Carb Conundrum
We have mixed feelings about carbohydrates. On the one hand, we blindly jump on the low-carb bandwagon and follow unhealthy, low-carb or no-carb diets in our pursuit to lose weight quickly. On the other, we love our white bread, enriched pasta and potatoes in any form. Our expanding waistlines witness our confusion.

Low-carbohydrate shouldn't mean low fibre
With the growing popularity of "low-carbohydrate" and "carbohydrate-conscious" diets in Canada, people need to ensure that they are still getting all of the essential components in their diet. For health experts, a particular concern is the significantly reduced amount of fibre in low-carbohydrate meal plans.

Canadians need more education about low-carb diets
There are many conflicting messages about whether low-carb diets are a healthy or harmful approach to weight loss. The majority of Canadians believe following a low-carb diet may be harmful however, many people are still cutting out carbs.

Sweet Secret to Cutting Carbs
tarting a low-carb diet? Just keep in mind a few guidelines that will help you stick to your low carb resolution.

Resolution Revival: Following through with your low carb holiday promises
Making New Year's resolutions is easy. It's keeping them that's hard. As January comes to a close, it's time to assess the staying power of your resolutions. If you're having some difficulty keeping on track, Chinese New Year on February 9 is a good opportunity to re-motivate yourself.

Sweeten Up the Low-Carb Lifestyle
One of the biggest complaints of people who've jumped on the low-carb bandwagon is that they miss good-tasting food. They've had to eliminate many of their favorite treats in the interest of keeping their waistline trim. Anything containing refined sugar and starch is off limits. So no more cookies, cakes, bagels, bread, jam or mashed potatoes.

Peek a boo! Finding hidden carbs in your diet: Cutting carbs? Make sure you know what you're looking for
Although more than 60 per cent of Canadians are trying to limit their daily carbohydrate intake, recent studies have shown that a high percentage of people don't have a good sense of where carbs may be lurking in their diets. In particular, many don't know that sugar is a carb.

All carbs are not created equal:
Making sense of the carbohydrate confusion
While the majority of Canadians say they are aware of the terms "good carbs" and "bad carbs", very few can say they actually understand the differences between the two.