How to control carb intake

How to control your carb intake

Starchy foods provide the energy that you need and are essential as a part of a balanced diet. But to control your weight, it is essential to consume starchy foods in moderate quantities. Excessive consumption of starchy foods quickly leads to increased weight.

 
A bit of theory about carbohydrates
Carbohydrates (also known as saccharides or sugars) are an important source of energy for our bodies.
About 55% of our daily diet should consist of carbohydrates.
 
From a chemical point of view, there are three main groups:
  • Monosaccharides, which are composed of a single molecule (e.g. glucose or fructose).
  • Disaccharides, which are composed of two molecules(e.g. sucrose = ordinary sugar, lactose = milk sugar).
  • Polysaccharides, which are long chains of monosaccharides linked together. The best known example is starch.
Mono-and disaccharides are rapidly absorbed into the blood and thus provide readily available energy. Which is why they are also called fast sugars.
Polysaccharides are absorbed much more slowly and cause a much slower increase of sugar in the blood. Hence their name of slow sugars.
 
When following a weight-loss programme, it is important to eat everything in moderation. This rule also applies to carbohydrates. 

 
Products that are high in fast sugars are often sweet and bad for your health.
It is best to reduce their consumption as much as possible. Fast sugars are present in large quantities in sweets, biscuits, chocolate, jam, pastries, puddings, prepared products, chocolate bars, etc.
These fast sugars are also found in considerable quantities in fruit and fruit juices. However, not many people know that dairy products also contain natural sugars in the form of lactose, so these too should be eaten in moderation.
 
 
Slow sugars are found in bread, potatoes, pasta,rice, wheat, couscous, etc.. Even if it takes a while for our body to draw energy from them, they form the basis of our energy supply. Note however that, like other sugars, they can also cause weight gain if you eat more than you burn  in terms of energy.