DISCOVERING THE WORLD OF CARBOHYDRATES
Many people think that it is necessary to eliminate carbohydrates from the diet in a weight loss diet plan. But do we really know the nature of these compounds? In this article we present this group of molecules with such a bad reputation.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates, also called carbohydrates, saccharides, sugars or carbohydrates, are, chemically speaking, organic molecules composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and that is why they receive their name. Carbohydrates form one of the 3 large groups of macronutrients that make up our usual diet: carbohydrates, proteins and lipids and are the most abundant biomolecules on Earth.
Types of carbohydrates according to their size
Depending on the size and complexity of their molecular structure, we can divide carbohydrates into the following categories: monosaccharides (formed by one molecule), disaccharides (formed by two molecules) and polysaccharides (formed by a chain of 2 or more molecules).
Simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates
As we have seen before, the molecular structure of carbohydrates determines their complexity, so the division of simple and complex carbohydrates lies in that structure: simple sugars are those formed by 1 or 2 molecules (monosaccharides and disaccharides), and complex ones are those formed by 3 or more molecules, polysaccharides.
Simple carbohydrates are much easier to digest than complex carbohydrates, so they will reach the bloodstream more quickly than complex carbohydrates. Thus, simple ones quickly raise blood glucose levels and give us that “shot” of energy that we feel when we eat a piece of fruit or juice. In cases of hypoglycemia, or needing to raise sugar levels quickly, simple carbohydrates can be very useful.
Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, do not reach the bloodstream as quickly as simple carbohydrates, so they offer us a more gradual supply of energy and with less elevation in blood sugar levels. This makes them a very convenient option in all types of diet plans, especially those whose objective is weight loss.
What functions do they have in the body?
Carbohydrates have two main functions in the body:
Energy – carbohydrates are the main energy source of cells, especially those dependent on glucose: red blood cells, renal medulla, ocular retina and the BRAIN. When your entire body has received enough carbohydrates for its functioning, the liver and muscle store the surplus for when it is needed.
Structural – some carbohydrates are part of the molecular structures of our body: in DNA, as metabolic intermediates and as part of connective tissue.
How to control them so as not to gain weight
As we have seen, excess carbohydrates are stored by the liver and muscle. These store it in the form of glycogen, an energy reserve polysaccharide. But what happens when we eat more than is necessary to cover the body's energy requirements and fill glycogen stores? That the body stores it in the form of fat. Hence comes the accurate belief that an excess of carbohydrates makes you fat.
Therefore, we must consume them sensibly and knowing our needs, which can vary greatly from one person to another. At O3 Termal we offer you a simple anthropometric study for free that will allow you to know how many carbohydrates your body needs so that there is no excess in the form of fat, as well as a study of your complete body composition so that you know your percentage of fat mass, muscle and water, in addition to your metabolic age and so on.
However, it is a fact that we generally consume excess carbohydrates. One way to control them is to have a single source of carbohydrates for each meal: instead of pasta as the first and meat and potatoes as the second, it is better to prepare a good plate of salad as the first and pasta as the second.
Be careful with the dessert!
Eating desserts such as custard, sweetened yogurt or fruit can considerably increase the amount of carbohydrates in a meal. Therefore, try to avoid them or consume them occasionally and not as a rule.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't eat fruit! Only in some cases it will be more interesting to take it after hours, as a snack or snack accompanied by yogurt or nuts.
When to eat them?
If we are following a weight loss diet plan we will have to take into account, more especially, the amount of sugar consumed. The intake of carbohydrates must be linked to the physical activity that we maintain, so it will be more interesting to consume them in the morning, when we have a whole day full of activities and movement, than at night, when the physical activity that we are going to do is much smaller.
This does not mean that we should restrict the consumption of carbohydrates at night as a rule, but rather that we will do so in a smaller quantity, in accordance with the requirements of that moment.
But... what if we restrict them completely?
What happens when your body is faced with a lack of carbohydrate intake, as happens when we are fasting, is that it mobilizes the liver glycogen deposits that it has been storing. This reserve, however, does not last long and after 24 hours without ingesting sugar the body begins to use other metabolic pathways to obtain energy, such as ketosis, the conversion of fat into energy, which although it sounds good in principle, we must take some precautions. . A ketogenic state can cause bad breath, dizziness, and lack of mental clarity among other symptoms.
What foods to combine them with?
As we have explained before, to control carbohydrate intake it is a good method to reduce them to a single source per meal. Therefore, it is not a good strategy to have rice with vegetables first, broth with chickpeas for the second and some custard for dessert. But do they make you more fattening when we combine them with meat? Do they lose weight when we combine them with vegetables? If we want to take care of our digestion, it is a better option to combine carbohydrates with vegetables instead of meat, but it does not influence whether they gain more or less weight.
