Carbohydrates in foods and their importance for the body

In pursuit of a slender, toned body, both women and men are ready to take radical measures. To achieve a beautiful figure, they not only exhaust the body with training, but also try all kinds of diets.

Many of them involve extreme nutritional options, which is why the phrase “fast carbohydrates” is terrifying. It seems that these products are immediately stored in fat on the sides and other parts of the body. But is this really so, let's figure it out together.

What are simple (fast) carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the “fuel” for all processes occurring in our body. They are found mainly in products of plant origin. Fast carbohydrates are simple compounds that require minimal energy to process, and their special formula allows them to be easily broken down and quickly absorbed.

Fast carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream, causing a sharp increase in glucose levels. It begins to be actively processed into energy, and if it cannot be completely used up (one cake is equivalent to an hour of physical activity), the calories are stored in fatty tissue.

But this is not the only reason for excess weight. After sugar levels drop, insulin continues to actively circulate, causing the body's need for nutrients to increase significantly. Therefore, often after eating foods high in simple carbohydrates, after 30-40 minutes the feeling of acute hunger occurs again.

To feel cheerful and full of energy, to maintain youth and beauty, you need to eat a balanced diet. Your daily diet should include proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The latter cannot be excluded from the menu, but do not forget about the interchangeability of many products. Honey and fructose are considered healthy sugar substitutes. If foods contain the same amount of carbohydrates, the choice is made in favor of the food that will have a beneficial effect on the body.

It is recommended to consume foods rich in easily digestible carbohydrates in the first half of the day, preferably in the morning. It is believed that it is during this period that the body is able to quickly and easily process glucose into energy.

Even fruits and berries contain a large amount of simple sugars, so it is advisable to eat them before 6 pm, otherwise they will contribute to excess weight gain. And people who want to follow the rules of a healthy diet reduce their intake of foods containing fast carbohydrates to a minimum.

How to identify high-carbohydrate foods without delving into the chemical composition:

• rich taste and strong aroma;
• before reaching the final form for the consumer, many stages of processing go through, which negatively affects the quality;
• made using confectionery or bread flour;
• high sugar content (this can be both products with natural sugars and those that are artificially sweetened in production);
• Although the feeling of fullness comes quickly, it also quickly goes away, and the joy of eating is replaced by regret.

Nutritionists do not recommend outright abstinence from eating foods containing simple carbohydrates. On the contrary, they even advise including it in the diet, but only if 75-85% comes from food that is beneficial. Then “harmful” foods will not harm your health.

Fast carbohydrates and sports

As already mentioned, there are hard-to-digest and easily-digested carbohydrates, which get their names based on the speed of processing by the body. The field of sports nutrition has its own rules regarding how and when to consume these types of products during physical activity of varying intensity.

Slow carbohydrates are recommended to be consumed two to three hours before training. They will provide a stable, uniform flow of energy that will last until the end of the session in the gym.

It is recommended to consume fast carbohydrates within half an hour after training, while the so-called “carbohydrate window” lasts. What is it for? The thing is that after intense exercise, the body needs strength to restore and replenish the amount of glycogen in muscle tissue, which is destroyed during the training process.

The serving size should be small, about 100 grams. It is not necessary to eat conventionally “bad”, “harmful” foods, such as fast food or confectionery. A few dried fruits, a small banana or other sweet fruit, a serving of white rice or pasta - that's what will really do you good.

Glycemic index

The glycemic index (hereinafter GI) is a value that evaluates the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down by the body and how this affects blood sugar levels.

In nutrition, this term appeared thanks to a doctor from Canada, David Jenkins. At first, the doctor’s goal was to create a diet suitable for people with diabetes. He conducted research looking at how sugar levels changed after eating different foods.

Based on this, he proved that a person’s well-being directly depends on the amount of carbohydrates in the food he consumes. If the blood sugar level does not exceed the established norm, then a surge of energy and strength is felt, and attention and performance increase. When the glucose level deviates from the norm (to a lesser or greater extent), a loss of strength appears. To maintain normal well-being, it is simply necessary to control and maintain this indicator within established limits.

Scientists have developed a GI scale, in which all food is divided into three groups:

• high GI (> 70 units);
• average GI (55-70 units);
• low GI (

To ensure that excess carbohydrates do not go into fat reserves and that your mood is good, preference is given to foods with low GI. They take a long time to digest, so the feeling of fullness is maintained for several hours.

A few words about the glycemic index

The glycemic index displays information about how quickly consumed carbohydrates are absorbed and penetrate into the blood. The higher the indicator, the faster this process takes place, leading to weight gain. In addition, GI shows the rate of increase in blood glucose after eating. Glucose is used as the GI standard, the index of which is 100 units.

Today the following classification is used:

• GI is low (less than 50);
• GI is average if the indicator is between 50 and 70 units;
• GI is high if the indicator is more than 70.

The lower the glycemic index parameter, the more benefits the human body receives from the consumed product.

The importance of fast carbohydrates in nutrition

Do not rush to give up fast carbohydrates with high GI. If consumed in moderation and with strict portion control, they can be beneficial to the body. Although foods with a glycemic index value of 70 or higher provide only short-term benefits, they can be useful because:

• activate brain activity;
• restore the reserve of carbohydrates, which is primarily used up during active exercise;
• fight depression by increasing the level of “happiness” hormones;
• perform a protective function, not allowing harmful substances to enter the body from the external environment.

Fast carbohydrates are a source of energy for athletes, as well as for people engaged in mental activity. They increase endurance, improve brain function, and stimulate concentration.

What are simple (fast) carbohydrates? Table and list of products

By “fast” we mean simple carbohydrates that are easily processed by the body.
They only need a few minutes to decompose into simple molecules, enter the bloodstream, and supply the body with a charge of strength and energy. The speed of such processes is determined by the glycemic index: the higher it is, the less time the body spends on processing. You can find the value of the glycemic index in the corresponding tables, on the basis of which a daily diet for losing weight or maintaining your current weight can also be compiled. But before moving on to analyzing specific products, it is important to sort out questions about what the glycemic index is, what effect fast carbohydrates have, and whether it is worth adding them to the diet in principle.

The benefits and harms of carbohydrates

Many women, and men too, know firsthand that low-carb diets lead not only to the loss of hated kilograms, but also take away strength and worsen well-being. Preference should be given to slow carbohydrates. Products that contain them are often rich in vitamins and other beneficial substances. Why carbohydrates are the basis of the body’s vital functions:

• participate in the construction of protective skin cells, as well as in the formation of cartilage, ligaments, and the formation of enzymes;
• play an important role in the functioning of the central nervous system;
• help in the development of muscle mass, protect muscles from destruction;
• this is the main source of energy that quickly and effectively replenishes the energy reserves stored inside the muscles and liver;
• support the functioning of vital systems, including regulating the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, helping to cleanse the intestines, restoring and maintaining the balance of its microflora.

If you consume too many carbohydrates, they will not have time to be converted into energy, so they will accumulate in the body in the form of fat deposits. Problems such as the development of caries, swelling, changes in blood pressure, dermatitis, etc. may also arise.

The role of simple carbohydrates in weight loss and healthy eating

A healthy nutritious diet should consist of slow-acting substances, especially on those days when increased concentration at work and a mood for activity are required.

In the process of losing weight, it is better to give up fast-type substances. But if it is difficult to imagine life without sweets, complete refusal is almost impossible. That is why simple components found in food are best consumed in the first half of the day, and in small quantities. At the same time, it is important to give up unhealthy foods and replace them with the most healthy ones. For example, sugar for honey, or fruits or dried fruits. By studying the list of products with fast carbohydrates, you can easily determine whether there is a need to replace the product or not.

For dinner, it is better to give preference to a protein “table”. If you are struggling with excess weight, you should not consume fats and carbohydrates at the same time.

Fast substances, the table of which is presented on our resource, will come to the rescue in cases where training is carried out. If there is a drop in blood glucose after exercise, the mentioned substances contained in a number of products will be very helpful. By consuming them, you can replenish lost energy and prevent the process of muscle breakdown.

How many carbohydrates do we need?

The amount of carbohydrates in the daily diet depends on many characteristics of a person: gender, age, lifestyle, etc.

So healthy people who are not on a weight loss diet, with an average level of activity, need to consume 4.5-5.0 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of their weight.

Those who engage in heavy physical labor or intense training require more carbohydrates, so this figure is increased to 8 g per kilogram of weight. For people leading a sedentary lifestyle, it will be enough to consume 3.5-4.5 g of carbohydrates/kg of weight.

To lose weight, the amount of carbohydrates is determined by calculating the daily calorie content of proteins and fats:

• proteins and fats in grams are multiplied by 4 and 9, respectively;
• summarize the resulting numbers;
• the result is subtracted from the daily calorie intake;
• the resulting number is divided by 4 - this is the norm of necessary carbohydrates.

In any case, the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day should not be less than 100 grams (slow ones account for 70-80%, fast ones - 20-30%).

What foods are classified as fast carbohydrates: list of foods

To prevent the development of obesity, it is better to introduce easily digestible carbohydrates into the diet in small quantities. Focus on the list of products that contain fast carbohydrates:

• sweets from the store (marmalade, chocolate, carbonated drinks, ice cream, waffles, etc.);
• bee products;
• fruits;
• sugar (especially refined);
• sausages;
• zucchini caviar;
• canned fruits (apricots, peaches, pineapples);
• alcohol;
• potatoes in any form;
• condensed milk;
• starch;
• fast food;
• baked goods made from white flour;
• pasta;
• vegetables that are steamed or amenable to short-term scalding (as easily digestible starch appears in them);
• dried fruits;
• jam and confitures;
• instant and semi-finished products;
• cereals, etc.

The fast carbohydrates listed in the list can be consumed after physical activity, then the body will recover faster and the person will feel a surge of strength and energy. But when creating a menu, nutritionists recommend focusing not only on this list, but also on the glycemic index.

Many products that we are accustomed to consider healthy for our figure (muesli, yogurt, breakfast cereals, energy bars, etc.) contain prohibitive amounts of sugar, as they are designed to quickly satisfy the feeling of hunger.

Vegetables can also contribute to gaining extra pounds, so people on a diet are advised to remove sweet carrots, beans, pumpkin, etc. from their diet.

Distinctive characteristics of foods high in fast carbohydrates

If you don’t delve into the essence of the chemical composition, you can identify a high-carbohydrate food by simple signs:

• It has a pronounced, often not entirely natural taste;
• Made using baking or confectionery flour;
• Before reaching the consumer’s table, it undergoes significant processing at the enterprise;
• The composition contains an increased amount of sugar (it does not matter whether this sugar was added at the enterprise or whether the product in its original form contains a lot of glucose);
• The satiety from such food quickly comes and goes;
• The joy of eating such food quickly gives way to regret.

Among the products that we are accustomed to consider useful for the figure, there are a lot of those whose fast carbohydrate content is prohibitively high:

Muesli and cereals, breakfast cereals, yogurts with fillings, fruit bars, store-bought juices, low-calorie soda. All these products are designed to quickly satisfy hunger and thirst, but they contain too much excess sugar, which leads to sharp spikes in insulin in the blood.

Vegetables, which occupy the main place in the diet of those losing weight, can also lead to a set of extra pounds due to their high carbohydrate content. Therefore, overweight people should avoid excessive consumption of sweet carrots, rutabaga, beans and pumpkin.

According to scientific research, vegetables in red and yellow shades contain more fast carbohydrates than green ones.

Table of fast carbohydrates in foods with a high glycemic index (above 70 units)

Let's consider which foods are classified as fast carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.

Remember that these products do not provide the body with useful substances, and they satisfy hunger only for a short time. Their excessive consumption negatively affects overall health.

List of foods high in fast carbohydrates

Harmful not only to the figure, but also to the entire body as a whole:

• Sweet juices and cola;
• Baking (with a lot of sugar and fat);
• Sugar and milk chocolate;
• Bars and chocolates;
• Beer and other alcohol;
• Chips.

You can treat yourself to unhealthy foods containing fast carbohydrates only occasionally.
You should try to minimize the consumption of such products. In addition, even completely abandoning them will not cause harm.

You should include in your diet:

• Squash caviar;
• Sweet vegetables;
• Sweet fruits;
• Compote;
• Watermelon;
• Starch;
• Potatoes in any form;
• Sticky rice;
• Honey;
• Dried fruits.

A moderate amount of foods high in fast carbohydrates should be included in your diet.
These products are quickly absorbed by the body and can provoke weight gain, but they must be included in your diet in reasonable quantities. After training, many athletes use special mixtures from sports nutrition stores - gainers. They contain fast carbohydrates. They are necessary for the body to recover from increased strength loads and, when added to the diet, promote active muscle growth. And the faster the process of recovery of the body and muscles, the more intense the next workout can be.

Table of fast carbohydrates in foods with an average glycemic index (55 - 70 units)

In the table below, you will see which foods are fast carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

Low GI foods promote weight loss, guarantee a good mood and a feeling of lightness throughout the day.

Now you know what fast carbohydrates are and what foods belong to them. Don’t forget that everything is good in moderation; when creating an individual nutrition plan, try to maintain a balance. Combine simple carbohydrates with complex ones - add a handful of dried fruits or a spoonful of aromatic honey to oatmeal. Eat right and be healthy!

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