What should a Carbohydrate mean to me?

We've all heard the rumors.  They've lasted for as long as I can remember.  Carbs are bad for you, right?  If you want to lose weight, stop eating carbs.  I'm sure you may even know someone who has tried a low-carb diet. Maybe it worked for a while, maybe it didn't.  So, what's the real deal with carbs?  Carbs are surrounded by a cloud of mystery as far as the media knows, but I'm here to tell you that science has them all figured out.  No more wondering.  If you want to know the truth, read on.

The truth is plain and simple: If you want to live, your body NEEDS carbs.  Why, you might ask?  It has to do with energy.  Carbs, when broken down in your body, provide energy. Maybe you've never thought of it this way, but what you put in your stomach feeds the rest of the cells in your body.  Those cells are all different, and some of them are picky dieters.  The pickest of all are the cells that make up your brain, eyes, and liver.  These cells will ONLY eat sugar.  Remember, sugar comes from carbs!  (If you are lost, view the previous post titled What's in the food I eat?)  When you eat a piece of bread, your body digests it into single sugar molecules (if you are interested, these molecules are called glucose. Ring a bell?). Then, the sugar floats in your blood until it is absorbed by cells that need it.  If there are no sugar molecules in your blood, your brain, eyes, and liver are going to STARVE!

I hope that explanation was easy enough to follow.  Without getting too complicated, the fact is that our bodies function in a certain way.  To be healthy, like I know most of us want to be, we need to allow our body to function the way it should, and aid it, rather then hinder it, by the choices we make in our diet. 

SOOO.... What does that mean for me and my relationship with carbs?  Here are a few helpful facts and tips:

• There are LOTS of different types of carbohydrates. Basically, anything that grows from the ground is a carb.  That includes fruits, vegetables, grains, and anything made with flour.  So, if you don't like one, try another. 

Fruit: Recommended 2 cups/day

Vegetables: 2-3 cups/day

Grains: 6-8 oz/day

• Carbohydrates should make up between 45-65% of the calories you eat everyday (this statistic is part of the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range set by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, the same board responsible for setting Daily Values found on product nutrition labels). This is because carbohydrates are the healthiest way for your body to get all the energy it needs.  So eat up, and don't feel guilty.
• There is a hierarchy as far as carbs are concerned. Some of them are healthier than others.  For example, whole grains are healthier than refined gains (for many reasons that we can discuss in another post) and fruits and vegetables are healthier than cookies and candy. Choose most of your carbs from the healthier options, and fill in the rest with your favorite goodies. 
• A general tip for choosing grains: Make half of your grains whole.  How do you know if they are whole?  Read the nutrition label.  Words like whole wheat, grain, or oats are good indicators.  But be careful, not all wheat breads are really whole grain.  If you DESPISE wheat bread, go for the whole grain white bread.  You won't be able to tell a difference from your typical white bread.

 Well, that's your basic run down on carbohydrates.  If you still have questions, please comment and I will find an answer.

Now for the fun part! Here's a yummy recipe for yogurt wheat bread from Taste of Home's 2009 Annual Healthy Cooking cookbook. Enjoy!

PREP: 30 min. + rising BAKE: 35 min.  YIELD: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 pkg. or 1/4 oz. active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 and 2/3 to 2 cups bread flour

1.  Let yogurt stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, sugar, oil, salt, and yogurt. Stir in enough bread flour to form a firm dough.
2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning one to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a loaf. Place in a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. 
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.
5. Eat up! Each slice is 92 calories, 2 g of fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 152 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, and 4 g protein.

Facts from Wardlaw's Perspectives in Nutrition, 8th Edition (a college textbook) and from Dr. Rhees, a physiology professor at BYU. Image of Peppers from http://www.freeimages.co.uk/galleries/food/fruitveg/index.htm. Also visit http://www.arfamilies.org/health_nutrition/nutrition/mypyramid/grains.pdf for more information on grains.