Nutrition Blog 2

(Source: https://diabetesmealplans.com/13831/carbs-vs-sugar/)

Carbohydrates and Added Sugars

What is carbohydrate? 

According to Gisslen, (2016) carbohydrates are the most important source of energy. Carbohydrates are made up of carbons atoms with hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They are in various foods likes breads, milk, popcorn, cookies, potatoes etc. They main form of carbohydrates are Fibers, Sugars and Straches. They can be found in both healthy and unhealthy food. A healthy human body gets their 45 to 65% of their calories from Carbohydrates, 20 to 35% from Fats and about 10 to 35% from Fats. Natural foods which are high carbohydrate include potato, bread, whole grains etc.

(Source:https://mindfulketo.com/food-label-keto/)

Gisslen, W., (2016)
Drummond, K., (2017)

What are added sugars? 

Sugars are of many types natural sugars which are found in fruits, milk etc are not added sugars. Added sugars are sugars and syrups which are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. Few names of added sugars specially which are found in process foods can be found on labels under brown sugar, corn syrup, lactose, malt syrup, sucrose, corn sweeteners etc. Candy, cakes, cookies, sugar sweeten drinks etc are some exams of added sugar products.

(Source:https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/05/20/478837157/the-added-sugar-label-is-coming-to-a-packaged-food-near-you)

cdc.gov (2021)

Ill Effects of Added Sugars according to Nutritionist


According to Dr. Frank Hu, the professor of nutrition at the Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health excess sugar's not only impacts on obesity and diabetics but has a strong connection has been shown how added sugars have serious impact on cardiovascular diseases. According to him some easy ways to control added sugars are by subtracting added sugars. Some of the products which come from added sugars are:

Where does your added sugar come from?

Rank

Food group

Proportion of average intake

1

Soda/energy/sports drinks

42.2%

2

Grain-based desserts

11.9%

3

Fruit drinks

8.5%

4

Dairy desserts

5.5%

5

Candy

5.0%

6

Ready-to-eat cereals

2.9%

7

Sugars/honey

4.1%

8

Tea

3.8%

9

Yeast breads

2.3%

10

Syrups/toppings

1.4%

Source: CDC, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–06.

(Source: Harvard.edu, (2017) https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar)

Human brain uses the most energy in the body and glucose is the main source to fuel the brain. According to John Fuhrmanan, expert of natural healing and nutrition, excess sugar is harmful for brain health. According to him every single elevation in glucose in the bloodstream can be harmful to the brain. It also decreases cognitive function and has shown to cause deficits in memory and attention. There have been some research that suggests that high sugar consumption can result in inflammation in the brain which may lead to difficulties in memory. Added sugars also have been known to impact mood. According to brain imaging study, young adults who have elevated blood glucose have a compromised ability to process emotions. There also have been published study which shows that people with type 2 diabetes have increased feeling of sadness, anxiety etc.

What is Whole Grain?

Any grain or cereal which contains the endosperm, germ and bran in contrast to refined grains are known as whole grain. Whole grain foods have important nutrients such as:

  • fibre
  • vitamins
  • minerals
Some of the food which are examples of whole grains are quinoa, whole grain pasta, whole grain breads, whole oatmeal, whole grain rice or wild rice.

(Source:https://www.womensrunning.com/health/whole-grains-runners-eating/)

Benefits of Whole Grains


Whole grains are known to have many benefits some ways in which they impact our bodies are as below: Fiber and bran of the grain helps in lowering the cholesterol, they also assist in moving the waste through the digestive track. It also aids in maintaining a steady blood sugar rather than causing sharp spikes.Other ingredients in whole grain contain phytochemical which include essential minerals such as magnesium, copper etc which aid in maintaining healthy lifestyle and also against some cancers.

Some of the other documented benefits of consuming whole grains are 

  • reduced risk of stroke 
  • reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
  • reduced risk of heart disease
  • better weight maintenance
  • less inflammation
  • lower risk of colorectal cancer
Example of food with added sugars 


A choco chip cookie is a great example of added sugar. this is one of the most common and favourite snack of many people including myself.

Example of food which are whole grain





Wild rice and quinoa are one of the best and tasty examples of whole grain food.


 RECIPE OF QUINOA SALAD (WHOLE GRAIN)

FOR THE SALAD

  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (or pre-washed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 4 red raddish
  • 1 carrot, peeled and grated
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from 3-4 limes
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
 
I unfortunately did not get an opportunity to make this salad, however I have made it in the past and it always its very refreshing.

Quinoa is a very flexible grain which can be paired with almost anything. I am looking forward to adding it in my diet on a regular basis and try and cultivate a sweet dish of it as well.



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