Monday, October 11, 2010

Article Review

The article I chose to cover was from Life Clinic http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/nutrition/carbohydrate.asp?printpage=trueover which covered carbohydrates and how they effect our bodies, how many to consume, and what they do.  Carbohydrates or carbs as they otherwise known give the body energy to break down.  There are two types of carbohydrates one consists of sugars and starches.  Sugars are easy for the body to break down where as starches are more complex and take longer.  Many foods are rich in Carbohydrates, nutrients, and vitamins like A and C (in fruits and veggies).  Some Carbohydrates however, aren't as rich in nutrients mainly sugary things like honey and molasses.  If these are eaten without proper exercise, the body will retain excess fat.    We discussed this in class as well.  Most athletes are fine with "carb loading" because they will quickly use them as energy.  If someone is to carb load but not exercise afterward the carbs will not be broken down as energy thus the carbs will be turned into fat.  According to the article doctors say that 60% of our calories should be come from carbohydrates.  In order to do this we should try to eat foods that provide our body with more nutrients and less fat and sugar.  Fiber should be a main focus.  Fiber comes from plant based foods and helps with digestion.