W3 - L1: Carbohydrates Flashcards
Why are Carbohydrates Inportant for the diet?
- Widely available & relatively inexpensive source of energy
- The brain requires approx. 120g of glucose/day to function
- Rich source of fibre, vitamins, minerals
- Provide an excellent fuel source for high intensity exercise
Brain can also function off ketones to an extent
How many kcals are in Carbs?
How does that compare to the other Macronutrients?
- Carbohydrate = 4 kcals per gram
- Same as Protein
- Fats = 9kcal/gram
What are the 3 Classifications of Carbs?
What are the 2 Types of Sugars?
What are examples of Polysaccharides (> 10)?
What is the difference b/w Starch and Fiber?
- Starch: digestible by human digestive enzymes.
- Fiber: not digested by human digestive enzymes
- Classified as soluble (gel e.g. oats, barley) or insoluble (e.g. bran & flaxseed)
Starch does not have to be included on Food Labels
What are the main functions of Fiber?
Different fibers have varying impacts on gastric emptying, post meal blood glucose levels, and the relative absorption of dietary fat and cholesterol from the gut
When is Food considered High-quality?
- minimally processed
- contains all nutrients and fiber
- made of the whole grain (bran, endosperm and germ)
When is Food considered Low-quality?
- extensively processed to remove bran and germ
- much less fiber and fewer naturally occurring vitamins and minerals than high-quality carbohydrate
Bran is Fiber Rich, Germ is Nutrient Rich
What are the Health Benefits of Fiber?
- Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer - binding of toxins in the colon & facilitating their elimination from the body
- Increases stool bulk, and with adequate fluid intake, keeps stool smooth & easy to eliminate
- May play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing serum cholesterol levels
What is the recommended daily allowance of Fiber?
RDA Fibre: Male 38g fibre/d female 25g/d
IN US its 14g per 1000 cal
Examples of Foods high in Fibre:
How can you increase your fiber intake?
1.Eat whole grains - rolled oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa , wholegrain bread, breakfast cereals and pasta
2. Check nutrition labels for grams of fibre (High-fibre foods ≥ 15% of DV)
3. Add 15-30 mL (1-2 Tbsp) of bran or ground flax seed to cereal, smoothies yogurt
4. Eat 5 - 7 servings of vegetables and fruit every day with the skin on where possible
Extra Tips:
5. Add barley, beans, peas/lentils to soups, stews & casseroles
6. Snack on roast chickpeas, steamed edamame and hummus
7. Add toasted nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower/pumpkin seeds to salads & cereals
8. Replace white flour with whole-wheat flour, oat flour when cooking
What is a Serving of Fruit or Vegetable?
How does the Mouth play a role in the digestion and absorption of Carbs? (HINT: think of the enzymes used)
Both mechanical and chemical digestion occur here.
- Mechanical digestion involves chewing,
- salivary amylase begins the chemical breakdown of polysaccharides into shorter chains.
