KATHLEEN JANE C.

OCAY,BSN,RN
 CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are an ideal
source of energy for the body.
This is because they can be
converted more readily into
glucose, the form of sugar
that's transported and used by
the body, than can proteins or
fats.
Function
 
 The primary function of
carbohydrates is to provide
energy for the body, especially
the brain and the nervous system.
Your liver breaks down
carbohydrates into glucose (blood
sugar), which is used for energy
by the body.
 
How Carbohydrates Are
Formed?
Carbohydrates are formed by green plants
in the process of photosynthesis. In
photosynthesis, plant chlorophyll, plant
enzymes, sunlight, carbon dioxide from
the air, and mineralized water from the
soil combine and, in a complicated
process, synthesize carbohydrates. Humans
obtain their carbohydrate needs most
efficiently from the plant world.
 Importance of
Carbohydrates
 


A diet containing an optimum level of
carbohydrates may help prevent body fat
accumulation;
 
 

Starch and sugars provide readily accessible
fuel for physical performance;
 
 

Dietary fiber, which is a carbohydrate, helps
keep the bowel functioning correctly.
 
Two types of
carbohydrates:
Complex carbohydrates are made up of
sugar molecules that are strung together
in long, complex chains. Complex
carbohydrates are found in foods such as
peas, beans, whole grains, and
vegetables. Both simple and complex
carbohydrates are turned to glucose
(blood sugar) in the body and are used as
energy. Glucose is used in the cells of
the body and in the brain. Any unused
glucose is stored in the liver and
muscles as glycogen for use later.
Complex carbohydrate foods provide
vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are
important to the health of an individual.
The majority of carbohydrates should come
from complex carbohydrates (starches) and
naturally occurring sugars, rather than
processed or refined sugars, which do not
have the vitamins, minerals, and fiber
found in complex and natural
carbohydrates. Refined sugars are often
called "empty calories" because they have
little to no nutritional value.
 
Simple carbohydrates are also
known as simple sugars and can
occur naturally in a food, such
as in fruit or they can be broken
down and then reformed in an
unnatural and manufactured way to
produce a product that is high in
sugar and usually high in fat.
How much do I
need?
 we should get half our energy needs from
carbohydrates.

 According to the British Nutrition

Foundation, the average adult's daily diet
meets this target with women getting 47.7 per
cent of their daily energy from carbs (203g)
and men 48.5 per cent (275g).
 Disease Conditions Related
To Carbohydrate Consumption

Lactose Intolerance

Galactosemia 

Diabetes Mellitus

Hypoglycemia

Dental Caries
Tips for healthy living

 Your daily diet should be a balance of carbohydrate

and protein. As a guide, your plate should contain
twice as many carbs as protein.

 Base each of your meals on a complex carbohydrate such

as potato, whole meal bread or brown rice, and include
vegetables. Finish the meal with fruit, and this should
ensure you get a balance of complex and simple
carbohydrates.
 

 Use high fiber wholegrain cereals as part of your

breakfast, and use whole meal bread for your toast.
 
For lunch, choose lean protein such as fish or
chicken with only a small amount of carbohydrate
to get you through the afternoon.

 
Large carbohydrate meals will make you slow and
sleepy so save your big pasta meal for the
evening.

 
Cut down on the amount of refined white flour
products in your diet such as white bread, pizza
and white pasta and rice. The refining process
produces simple carbohydrates and many vitamins
and minerals are lost.
 FATS
Fats are organic compounds that are
made up of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. They are a source of energy in
foods. Fats belong to a group of
substances called lipids, and come in
liquid or solid form. All fats are
combinations of saturated and
unsaturated fatty acids.
Why you need Fats?
 
Fats provide energy.
Fats build healthy cells.
Fats build brains.
Fats help the body use
vitamins.
Fats make hormones.
Fat provides healthier skin.
Fat forms a protective
cushion for your organs.
Fats are pleasurable.
 Food Sources
SATURATED FATS
 These are the biggest dietary cause of high LDL
levels ("bad cholesterol"). When looking at a
food label, pay very close attention to the
percentage of saturated fat and avoid or limit
any foods that are high. Saturated fat should be
limited to 10% of calories. Saturated fats are
found in animal products such as butter, cheese,
whole milk, ice cream, cream, and fatty meats.
They are also found in some vegetable oils --
coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils.
UNSATURATED FATS

 Fats that help to lower blood

cholesterol if used in place of
saturated fats. However, unsaturated
fats have a lot of calories, so you
still need to limit them. Most (but
not all) liquid vegetable oils are
unsaturated. (The exceptions include
coconut, palm, and palm kernel
oils.)
There are two types of
unsaturated fats:

Monounsaturated fats

Polyunsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fat molecules are not saturated
with hydrogen atoms - each fat molecule has only
the space for one hydrogen atom. Health experts
say the impact on health of monounsaturated fats
is neutral - they are neither good nor bad for
you. Many health professionals, however, do say
that they reduce a person's risk of developing
heart disease. The Mediterranean diet is full of
monounsaturated fats.
Where are monounsaturated fats
found?

Olives, ground nut oil, and avocados

 Polyunsaturated fats
There are a number of spaces around each
polyunsaturated fat molecule - they are not
saturated with hydrogen atoms. Nutritionists say
polyunsaturated fat is good for our health,
especially those from fish, known as the Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids protect us from heart
disease as they lower blood cholesterol levels.
Health care professionals say Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids may also help reduce
the symptoms experienced by people who suffer from
arthritis, joint problems in general, and some skin
diseases.
Where are polyunsaturated fats found?

 Oily fish (sardines, mackerel, trout,

salmon and herring), safflower oil,
grape seed oil, and sunflower oil.
TRANS FATTY ACIDS
 These fats form when vegetable oil
hardens (a process called
hydrogenation) and can raise LDL
levels. They can also lower HDL levels
("good cholesterol").

Where are Trans fatty acids are found?

  Fried foods, commercial baked goods (donuts, cookies, and

crackers), processed foods, and margarines.
 
How much fat should I
eat?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for
American 2005, the following percentages
are recommended:
Children aged 2 to 3 - total fat limited
to 30%-35% of total calorie intake
 
Children aged 4 to 18 - total fat limited to
25%-35% of total calorie intake
 
Adults aged 19 and older - total fat limited to
20%-35% of total calorie intake
 Side Effects of Fats
Eating too much saturated fat is one of the
major risk factors for heart disease. A diet high
in saturated fat causes a soft, waxy substance
called cholesterol to build up in the arteries.
Too much fat also increases the risk of heart
disease because of its high calorie content,
which increases the chance of becoming obese
(another risk factor for heart disease and some
types of cancer).

A large intake of polyunsaturated fat may

increase the risk for some types of cancer.
Reducing daily fat intake is not a guarantee
against developing cancer or heart disease, but
it does help reduce the risk factors.
Tips for healthy
living

We tend to eat a lot of fat, so

aim to include some essential
fatty acids in your daily diet
and reduce your intake of
saturated fats.
 
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

Essential fatty acids, also

known as polyunsaturated fats,
serve a number of purposes in
the body. The body doesn't
manufacture essential fatty
acids, so dietary intake is
essential.
Types of essential fatty
acids

Alpha-Linolenic Acid

Linoleic Acid
Foods with Essential
Fatty Acids

Sea foods
Fresh Fruits
Vegetables
Oils
Seeds and Nuts
Legumes
Benefits of Essential
Fatty Acids

Improved Cholesterol Levels

Reduced Blood Pressure

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Increased Bone Density

How much do you need?

There is no recommended daily

Allowance (RDAs) for essential
fatty acids. Each person
requires different amounts.
 FIBER
Fiber is a virtually indigestible
substance that is found mainly in the
outer layers of plants. Fiber is a
special type of carbohydrate that passes
through the human digestive system
virtually unchanged, without being broken
down into nutrients. Carbohydrates
constitute the main source of energy for
all body functions.
There are two main types of fiber,
and they have different effects on
the body:

Insoluble fiber is mainly made up of plant

cell walls, and it cannot be dissolved in
water. It has a good laxative action.
 
Soluble fiber is made up of polysaccharides
(carbohydrates that contain three or more
molecules of simple carbohydrates), and it does
dissolve in water. It has a beneficial effect
on body chemistry, such as lowering blood
cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
 
Facts about fiber

Fiber keeps stool soft and keeps the

contents of the intestines moving.

 
Americans consume only about 10% of the
fiber that they did 100 years ago.
 

A good diet should contain approximately 25

to 30 grams of fiber a day. The average
American eats less than half of that.
The change in the way wheat was processed
into flour at the turn of the century-from a
crushing to a finer rolling process -
accounts substantially for the depletion in
dietary fiber.
 
Bran has the highest fiber content - about
25% to 45%.
 
What Are The Best
Sources Of Fiber?
Whole grains (bran has the highest
fiber content); this includes breads
and cereals, whole-grain pastas, and
brown rice
 
Nuts and seeds
 
Legumes (such as dried peas, beans,
lentils)
Fruits
 
Vegetables
 
A dietary supplement of fiber
products such as Citrucel or
Metamucil, which are mixed with
water and provide about 4 to 6
grams of fiber in each 8-ounce
glass
How Does The Body
Use Fiber?
Fiber has numerous effects in the large
intestine:

 
 
Fiber is attacked and broken
down by the huge population of
bacteria that live in the colon.

The breakdown products are acids

and gases. This process is called
fermentation. Dietary fiber is
only partly fermented, because
some plant cell walls resist
bacterial attack.

The simple organic acids produced by
fermentation are mostly absorbed, and in doing
so they nourish the lining of the colon. They
also provide fuel for the rest of the body,
especially the liver. This may have important
consequences for metabolism; half the calories
in fiber are made available to the body.

 

The gases arising from fermentation
soften and enlarge the stool. They are
also passed as wind (flatus) and can
contribute to bloated feelings in some
people.
What Are The Health
Benefits Of Fiber?

Fiber is helpful to the body in many ways:

Relieving constipation and hemorrhoids

 
Preventing certain diseases
 
Keeping weight under control
 
Putting It All Together
Fiber is a special type of carbohydrate
that passes through the human digestive
system virtually unchanged, without being
broken down into nutrients.
 
Fiber has a positive influence on the
digestion process from start to finish.
 
Fiber is found only in food that come from
plants, including all-natural cereals,
whole-grain breads, beans, fruits,
vegetables, and nuts.
A good diet should contain approximately 25 to 30
grams of fiber a day, but the average American eats
less than half of that.
 

When incorporating more fiber in your diet, it's best

to start slowly and to eat a wide variety of fiber-rich
foods, since different types of fiber do different jobs in
the body.
Fiber helps relieve constipation and
hemorrhoids, can help keep weight
under control, and can help prevent
certain diseases such as heart
disease, cancer, diabetes,
diverticular disease, gallstones, and
kidney stones.
 
END