Over the last few months I have been covering the macronutrients in great detail. I have discussed what each of them do, the health benefits they provide, the possible drawbacks of consuming too much and some of the top food sources for each. Today I am going to bring all this information together and tell you everything you need to know about macronturients. WHAT ARE THE MACRONUTRIENTS? The macronutrients are the three main nutrients your body needs need to survive. Your body needs each macronutrient in relatively large quantities to function properly. So what are the three … [Read more...]
7 Healthy Carbohydrates That You Should Be Eating Regularly
In my last few articles I have been discussing carbohydrates in detail. I have covered the benefits of consuming the right amount, the disadvantages of consuming too many and the methods to follow when choosing carbohydrates. Today I want to make this advice a little more practical and supply you with seven healthy carbohydrates that you should be eating on a regular basis. 1) APPLES:- Apples are tasty and come in a variety of flavours. They are also small and portable meaning that they can be eaten any time and anywhere. On top of this apples are rich in a number of healthy nutrients … [Read more...]
The Disadvantages Of Consuming Too Many Carbohydrates
My recent series of articles have focussed on carbohydrates. Over the course of these articles I have come to the conclusion that carbohydrates have a number of benefits as long as you choose wisely. However, even if you do choose the right carbohydrates you can still overindulge. Today I am going to be discussing some of the potential drawbacks associated with consuming too many carbohydrates. 1) WEIGHT GAIN:- Carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source. When you eat any type of carbohydrates your body breaks them down into glucose in the digestive tract. This glucose is then … [Read more...]
The Benefits Of Carbohydrates
In my last few articles I have been focussing on carbohydrates. I started by explaining exactly what they are and then covered a number of related topics including the glycemic index and the steps you should take when choosing your carbohydrates. In this article I am going to cover the benefits that carbohydrates can provide. 1) THEY ARE AN EXCELLENT ENERGY SOURCE:- The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide your body with energy. When you ingest any form of carbohydrate (whether it be pure sugar, whole grain bread or a piece of fruit) it is broken down into glucose in the … [Read more...]
5 Top Tips To Consider When Choosing Carbohydrates
In my last couple of articles I discussed carbohydrates and the glycemic index (GI). In my article on carbohydrates I discussed the different types and came to the conclusion that you should choose slow digesting, nutritionally dense carbohydrates where possible. In the following article I looked at the glycemic index as a potential tool for selecting carbohydrates and came to the conclusion that whilst it is a useful starting point, it is flawed and is not something you should fully base your diet around. In this article I will be bringing this information together and providing you with … [Read more...]
The Glycemic Index Explained
In my last article I discussed the different types of carbohydrates and the way that your body uses them. At the end of that article I mentioned that you should choose slow digesting, nutritionally dense carbohydrates where possible. However, sometimes it can be quite difficult to determine which carbohydrates these are. That is why today I am going to be writing about one of the methods you can use to choose the best carbohydrates – the glycemic index (GI). WHAT IS THE GLYCEMIC INDEX? The glycemic index is a system which ranks foods based on how they affect blood glucose levels. It … [Read more...]
What are Carbohydrates?
In a number of my previous articles I have stated that you should go for complex carbohydrates where possible and minimise your consumption of simple carbohydrates. After thinking about this for some time I realised that I had never fully understood or explained the difference between the two. That's why today I am going to be discussing carbohydrates in greater detail. WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES? Carbohydrates are one of three macronutrients with fats and protein being the other two. They are made from a combination of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen hence the name 'carbo' (meaning carbon) … [Read more...]