Balanced Food
Balanced food is the food that contains all the nutrients necessary for the body are: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals. It is important to know what quantities should be taken to be completely healthy meals, and can identify the quantities recommended through the pyramid food; where the idea of food pyramid on the order of foods in the form of a pyramid, so that the types of healthy food at the bottom of the rule, to indicate that those foods Should form the basis of the diet, in addition to placing unhealthy foods at the top of the pyramid, to indicate the importance of eating in small quantities only.
At the base of the pyramid are placed fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods (complex carbohydrates), vegetable oils (good fats). Next come nuts, seeds, legumes, fish, poultry, and eggs, followed by dairy products. Foods that should be consumed in very small amounts are: refined starches, desserts (simple carbohydrates), red meats, and harmful fats, including saturated fats from animal products such as butter and unsaturated fats found in many processed foods.
Carbohydrates and starches
There are two basic types of carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates, and complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates, consist of long chains of glucose molecules. When digested, they are converted into glucose and provide the body with the energy needed to carry out vital processes. the body. All types of carbohydrates turn to glucose and elevate the level of sugar in the blood in the human body, but the digestion of complex carbohydrates are less quickly than simple carbohydrates.
Sources of carbohydrates
A person needs to eat foods that contain enough calories, 50-60 percent of which are carbohydrates, most of them must be whole grains and other starches, but the fibers in vegetables and fruits make them an acceptable option, even though they are carbohydrates S. To get carbohydrates and carbohydrates, you must take care to eat the rich sources:
- Whole grains such as barley, bulgur, buckwheat, quinoa, and oats.
- Bread made from grain and whole wheat.
- Brown rice.
- Pasta prepared from whole wheat.
- fruits and vegetables.
- Beans, lentils, and dried peas.
- Sweet white potatoes.
- Walnut.
- Winter Pumpkin.
Tips when eating carbohydrates and sugars
You should distinguish between complex carbohydrates useful for the body (carbohydrates), and care to provide the body, and carbohydrates (sugars), which should be handled in small quantities, by following the following tips:
- Read the components of the products before they buy: The added and refined sugars often end with the ose, the chemical name of table sugar is sucrose, fructose, dextrose, and maltose; Contain such ingredients as they will be rich in unhealthy sugars. Milk and dairy products that are important for health naturally contain milk sugar (lactose).
- Eat bread made from whole grains such as barley, rye, oatmeal and whole wheat instead of white bread.
- Although the fruit contains simple carbohydrates, it is rich in fiber, which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates into sugar, and most of them contain vitamin C and potassium.
- Avoid soft drinks because they are rich in fruit sugar.
- Many autumn foods that are often rich in complex carbohydrates such as starchy vegetables, including sweet potatoes, squash, and pumpkin.
- Use healthy sweeteners such as brown sugar, maple syrup, honey and molasses.
- Bochars are complex carbohydrates, so it is best to prepare them without fat or salt; you can add dried herbs or seasonings to give it a pleasant flavor.
- Eat brown rice instead of white rice; white rice is refined rice, meaning it has lost some essential nutrients during treatment, such as fiber, but brown rice is whole grains, a good source of complex carbohydrates.
Benefits of starches
- The carbohydrates provide the body with proper levels and control of energy and gives it fullness.
- The body supplies essential vitamins, minerals and fibers to the health of the individual. In contrast, processed or refined sugars are called “empty calories” because their nutritional value is low.
- Eating starch stimulates the body to release the hormone insulin, which transmits glucose, the basic energy unit, and proteins to the muscles, which leads to its strength and growth.
- Very low carbohydrate consumption leads to excessive release of insulin, which inhibits the conversion of excess fat to energy, so it is recommended to eat starches until the release of a monitoring of insulin to the blood, which helps to balance levels of fat in the body.
- Starches are important to maintain mood, reduce head pain, strengthen concentration and memory, in addition to helping to sleep quietly during the night hours, and inhibit the feeling of awe and depression.
- Carbohydrate intake provides the body with fiber, and the benefits of fiber:
- Prevention of heart disease, colon cancer, promote weight control.
- Fiber slows down the absorption of other nutrients that are eaten in a single meal; this slowdown leads to steady blood sugar level, which reduces the risk of Type II diabetes.
- Fiber helps reduce cholesterol in the blood.
- Fiber increases the mass of stool, preventing constipation.
- Fiber increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract and strengthens the immune system
Starches resistant to digestion
The digestion starch is a starch that is not digested in the small intestine. It passes through the small intestine to the large intestine without being absorbed by the body, so it is similar to fiber. About 10% of the carbohydrates we eat are resistant to digestion. Sources of carbohydrates resistant to digestion:
- Legumes such as: beans, lentils, dried peas, and dried beans.
- Whole grains, such as oatmeal, wheat, barley, brown rice, maize, rye grains.
- Green bananas.
- Flax seeds or flaxseed oil.
- Cold potato (potato salad), noodles, and cold rice (such as sushi rice); because digestible starches become more digestible if heated.
Antioxidants contain fewer calories than normal starches. The body is supplied with 2-3 calories per gram, while regular carbohydrates contain 4 calories.
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Benefits of starch resistant to digestion
When digestion-resistant starches reach the colon, they are fermented by bacteria and transformed into short-chain fatty acids; short-chain fatty acids are thought to play a role in health, including:
- Promote colon health.
- Prevention of colon cancer.
- Reduce blood sugar levels.
- Lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
- Enhance the immune system.
- Reduce appetite.
- Increase the amount of fat used as an energy source.
- Helps to lose weight