Know your Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a friendly fuel and the principal source of energy for the body.

Types of carbohydrates

Your food contains two types of carbohydrates – Natural & Refined:

The natural carbohydrates include whole grains, vegetables, beans and fruits and are rich in water and fiber content. In addition to this, natural carbohydrates are rich in essential nutrients. They are more filling and provide you with lots of energy without adding to your calories. Thus, they should be an integral part of your diet

Refined carbohydrates include sugar, white flour, sweets, chocolates, cakes and are poor in fiber content. If taken in excess, these convert to fat.

Dangers of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

On a low carbohydrate diet, you may develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Because of a lump of drop-in blood sugar, your brain will not be properly nourished. Your retina will also be affected. People with hypoglycemia suffer from dizziness, mental fatigue, irritability and in advanced cases even loss of sight.

Know Your Food and Nutrients

What are the three basic things that you require to sustain life?

AIR, WATER, and FOOD.

You need AIR to breathe and WATER to drink, But what about FOOD?

Food refers to the material taken into your system that serves to sustain normal bodily functions. You are what you eat may be an old proverb, but it couldn’t be closer to the truth. Your food habits nourish your body and can influence your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and one of the modern world’s leading epidemic, obesity.

Food is a prerequisite for nutrition. in simple language, Nutrition is food at work in your body. It includes everything that happens to the food from the time you swallow it, to its digestion and till the time it is used by your body for various functions. The process of nutrition determines what nutrients your body needs, in what amounts and from which foods you could obtain these.