Carbohydrates - What Are They?

 Having looked at the information on happiness someone asked me “what are carbohydrates?” So I though I had better explain

Our bodies need energy and glucose is the type of sugar found circulating in the blood. It provides all of the cells of the body with energy. Every organ in the body is made up of cells and every cell needs energy.

Where does glucose come from?

Glucose is produced by carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice, table sugar, sweets, cakes and potatoes being broken down in the process of digestion into glucose, which is then absorbed into the blood.

Understanding carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches – bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, cereals and sugar. They provide the energy our bodies need for all its various activities.

Different types of carbohydrate

Not all carbohydrates are the same!

Sugars and Sugary carbohydrates

¨      Sugary carbohydrates are a more concentrated source of carbohydrate. Examples are white and brown sugar, which are virtually pure carbohydrate and contain no other nutrients.  They are sometimes called “empty calories” as they only provide energy and no other nutrients

¨      Sugary foods, such as cakes, soft drinks and biscuits contain a significant amount of sugar.

¨      It is easy to eat large amounts of carbohydrates as sugars and sugary foods.

Starchy carbohydrates

¨      Starchy carbohydrate, those such as cereals and bread, have other nutrients in them alongside the carbohydrate.

¨      Because the starchy carbohydrates contain other nutrients as well they are often more satisfying

¨      Depending on the type some take longer to be digested and absorbed and therefore tend to give more even blood glucose levels.

 Glycaemic Index GI

The rate at which carbohydrates are digested and absorbed is called the glycaemic index (GI) of a food.  These measurements of how carbohydrates affect blood glucose levels are performed on human volunteers who are given glucose or other carbohydrates and the blood glucose measured.

Foods with a lower GI help to maintain blood glucose levels at a more steady level without any peaks and troughs so they assist with better  blood glucose control. Additionally, due to this blood glucose control they make you feel full for longer which helps to stave off hunger pangs so can help with weight loss. They can also make sure your brain has that constant energy supply it needs so it can make people feel less irritable and also concentrate better.

Sports people find that such lower GI foods help them to exercise for longer and often refer to them as “slow burning carbs.”

Glucose or items containing it are absorbed rapidly –indeed this is why it is used in hypo situations for people with diabetes. As it raised the blood glucose levels rapidly it is said to have a GI of 100.

The GI of different foods can be influenced by

·        The way food is prepared such as the more processed it is the higher the GI for example fruit juice has a higher GI

·        The amount of soluble fibre reduced the GI so oats and lentils have a lower GI

·        The actual chemical structure of the carbohydrates in the starch molecules so for example basmati rice (a different variety ) has a lower GI than ordinary white rice

·        If foods have been cooked than cooled the GI reduces so potatoes in a potato salad will have a lower GI than those freshly cooked

·        Tough coatings like are found in seeds will reduce the GI so grain breads have a lower GI than wholemeal bread

 Levels of GI

•  Carbohydrates which produce a GI of over 70 are said to have a high GI—These foods obviously include glucose plus white and wholemeal breads and mashed potatoes
• Carbohydrates which produce a GI of between 56-69 are said to have a medium GI. These foods include sultanas, canned apricots, ice cream and egg noodles
• Carbohydrates which produce a GI of below 55 are said to have a low GI. These foods include chickpeas, lentils, green vegetables, sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, plums, apples and pears 

 Glycaemic Load (GL)

 This is a consideration of both the GI plus the amount of carbohydrate in a food. It is calculated by multiplying the amount of carbohydrate in a normal portion of a food by the GI and then dividing by 100.

 GL levels are

• Low below 0-10
• Medium 11-19
• High 20 plus

There are various books with tables in to help with this This includes some I have written.

 

Food And Happiness

Food and Happiness

With it being such a miserable summer, for a lot of people as regards the weather plus economic issues I though I would update something I researched a while ago.

Richard Laynard described hapiness as “feeling good and enjoying life”. A study in 2001 showed that those who experienced more positive emotions lived longer than those who did not.

Our diet in the UK has changed dramaticaly over the last 3 decades with a greater consumption of processed foods, more sugar and salt, less fibre, less vegetables and less omega 3 fatty acids. Some researchers believe that this change in diet may have contributed to a rise in depression.

Depression and stress can alter food consumption with some sufferers avoiding food and others over eating.

So what did I find linked with happiness? The key factors seem to be relatively simple ones;-

1. Eat regular meals –so breakfast, lunch and dinner
2. Eat meals with companions –eat with family and friends –socialising makes us happier
3. Shop for foods and cook food –how lovely to see that cooking comes out as so important
4. Take adequate fluid –that all important 2 litres per day. A lack of fluid can lead to feelings of tiredness and a lack of mental alertness
5. Include some caffeine –so coffees, chocolate, teas and colas can be useful but only small amounts. Chocolate is associated with pleasure and happiness. It contains substances such as the stimulants thoebromine and caffeine.
6. Include a small amount of alcohol However when taken in excess alcohol has the reverse effect.
7. Take adequate carbohydrate especially those with a low GI. Carbohydrates stimulate the production of serotonin one of the mood enhancing hormones. Low GI foods also help to keep the all important blood glucose level 
8. Ensure that the diet contains enough iron, magnesium and selenium. A lack of iron is well known to be associated with iron deficiency anaemia which results in symptoms such as tiredness and apathy, which are hardly likely to precipitate a happy state of mind. A lack of the trace element selenium is thought to have a negative effect on mood 
9. Take foods containing omega 3 fatty acids. Lack of omega 3 fatty acids has been associated with irritability, depression and low moods
10. Take foods containing B vitamins and vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D is associated with a low mood and depression and B vitamins are regarded as being essential for mental health.
11. Try to be a healthy weight but not over slim –size 14 was found to be the happiest size for women.

The information contained in this blog contains extracts from a full food and happiness paper I wrote for Nutrition and Food Science.

Malnutrition - A Serious Problem

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is sadly a serious problem in the country.  Malnutrition and particularly under-nutrition where people do not take enough calories or protein has a major effect on health and well-being.

This year a report from the annual Nutrition Screening Week showed that malnutrition affected;-

• 1 in 4 adults admitted to hospital
• 1 in 3 adults admitted to care homes

Malnutrition is not a trivial problem as it affects how people recover from operations and treatments.

Continual malnutrition over a long period contributes to

• pressure sores
• muscle weakness
• apathy and depression
• impaired immunity
• poor wound healing
• increased risk of fractures
• anaemia
• constipation
• impaired temperature control –feelings of being cold

People who are malnourished visit their GP more regularly plus have longer hospital stays. The costs of treating malnutrition are over £7.3 billion per year.

Malnutrition is more likely in older people but the survey found it was also found in 26% of those admitted to hospital in the 20-29 year age group.

People in hospital, in residential care plus at risk in the community are recommended to be screened for malnutrition and one of the ways of doing this is to use the MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) which was produced by BAPEN. This is very easy to use and is found at.

http://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/must/must_full.pdf

If malnutrition is detected it is then imperative to do something about it.


Image kindly provided under the creative commons licence by http://www.flickr.com/photos/adrian_s/

Gluten

This Sunday on Kevins Kitchen Garden Show from 10-11am I hope to cover gluten and Coeliac Disease and related topics

If you have any queries or comments please do phone in 01604 234455

Milk

On Sunday on radio Northampton on Kevin’s Kitchen Garden show we talked about milk.

Mainly raw milk as Vanessa had been to a farm in the South, which produces it.

Milk is a really useful item in the diet as it is a source of calcium and protein and milk comes as full cream, skimmed and semi-skimmed. Nowadays the most popular milk is the semi-skimmed type. Also most milk is pasteurised or UHT milk, which means that it is heated to destroy harmful bacteria.

The raw milk discussed was full cream and there were a number of callers with adverse tales about it, which was really interesting. Obviously raw milk can contain harmful bacteria.

While raw milk is banned in Scotland while in England it can be sold from the farm or at  on site farm shops. If it is sold in farmers markets then it should be by the farmer.

The Food Standards Agency has excellent information on raw milk. It is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, elderly people, young children or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Milk

 On Sunday on radio Northampton on Kevin’s Kitchen Garden show we talked about milk.

Mainly raw milk as Vanessa had been to a farm in the South, which produces it.

Milk is a really useful item as it is a source of calcium and protein and milk comes as full cream, skimmed and semi-skimmed. Nowadays the most popular milk is the semi-skimmed type. Also most milk is pasteurised or UHT milk, which means that it is heated to destroy harmful bacteria.

The raw milk discussed was full cream and there were a number of callers with adverse tales about it, which was really interesting. Obviously raw milk can contain harmful bacteria.

While raw milk is banned in Scotland  in England it can be sold from the farm or at  on site farm shops. If it is sold in farmers markets then it should be by the farmer.

The Food Standards Agency has excellent information on raw milk. It is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing mothers, elderly people, young children or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Milk and related topics

Tomorrow morning on Kevin’s Kitchen Garden 10-11am BBC Radio Northampton milk is being discussed.

 If you have any queries please phone in to the studio 01604 234455 and we will do our best to answer.

So as a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist I am hoping to cover some of the nutritional bits including;-

• Benefits of milk
• Types
• Feeding infants and young children
• Intolerances and allergies
• Lactose
• GORD
• Sport
• Alternatives

cinnamon

Cinnamon

Last night I was asked about cinnamon and its effect with diabetes.

It is a lovely flavour and superb with porridge, stewed apples and also milk puddings. I have seen information about it being helpful in diabetes as there is some work to suggest it does help.

This is what I found on the Diabetes UK website.

"The theory that cinnamon can be beneficial in treating or preventing diabetes has been around for a while, and there has been some evidence to suggest that it is true in mice. Recent research has suggested that cinnamon may improve blood glucose levels and blood fats in people with Type 2 diabetes. The research is interesting but Diabetes UK is not recommending that people start taking large amounts."
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Treatments/Complementary_therapies/Cinnamon/

Radio Northampton

I have been delighted over the last few weeks to be taking part in the Kitchen Garden Progamme on BBC Radio Northampton.

It is 9-11 am on a Sunday morning and Keving Saddington is the presenter --I have managed to cover various pieces on diet and nutrition inter-twined with gardening and cookery advice.

So do listen in next Sunday or even call the studio with queries or comments.

NUTRITION IN CARE SETTINGS

I find writing about myself quite difficult as it always seems boastful,, and my aim of writing this was to provide snippets of information on various aspects of nutrition plus where people can look for information.

One of the things I am really keen to promote is good nutrition in older people and I was pleased to have an article on "care home catering--are your residents getting what they need" published in Care Management Matters.



http://www.caremanagementmatters.co.uk/