In a nutshell,there are two kinds of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Some refer tothem as bad and good carbs, fast and slow digestion carbs and otherpossibly confusing lingo. Here’s the scoop.

Foods withsimple or refined carbohydrates most often have a low nutrient contentand a high-glycemic index. They are quick to digest and can cause bloodsugar to soar then fall dramatically within a short span of time. Inorder to keep the body running more healthy and stable, health advisorsrecommend that these type foods be limited.

Examples ofthese simple carbs are white bread, potatoes, bananas, and sugarytreats like cookies, candy, cupcakes and cakes, and soda beverages likepopular cola products.

Foods withcomplex carbohydrates contain many nutrients and have a low- tomoderate-glycemic index. Higher fiber content in these foods meansslower digestion, which is healthier for the body. And these foods areconsidered good choices by health advisors.

Examples ofthese complex carbs are whole grains, most fruits and vegetables.Legumes, plants of the pea or bean family, are also in this category.

While studieslike one from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences inJanuary of 2004 show that low-carb diets can help with weight loss; thecarbs need to be of the complex, low-glycemic type. Notable is that atotal avoidance of the simple carbs is not necessary, either. in otherwords a treat now and then, in moderation (and approved per yourdietary advisor or in accordance with your health practitioner), shouldbe fine.

As a side note,your teeth will also be healthier without the build up of sugar decayfrom simple carb foods. So healthier smiles will shine with healthierbodies.

Here are someother terms to help explain the science and health issues behindlow-carbohydrate dietary planning solutions. Note these are only basicdefinitions and can be explored at your leisure through other resourcesto further define their roles in the body’s health system.

A calorie is ameasure of heat. Calorie also refers to a measure of the amount ofenergy a body gets from food. in a nutshell, the more calories in food,the more energy is required for the body to use up the nutrients.

A carbohydrateis one of three major nutrients that provide the body with energy.Carbohydrates are made up of either single sugars or bound strings ofsugar. Examples of single sugars (simple carbohydrates) are sucrose ortable sugar, fructose or fruit sugar and lactose or dairy sugar. Boundstrings of sugar or complex carbohydrates that are found in plants areoften called starches. Examples of digestible kinds of complex carbsare wheat flour or potato starch. a non-digestible example is cellulosefrom celery. Carbs are converted by the body into sugar and used forenergy. Unused carbs are stored in the body as fat.

A fat is one ofthe three major nutrient groups that provide energy to the body. fat isderived from animal or plant oil sources. It is broken down by the bodyinto simpler fats and are burned or stored in the body.

Fructose issugar derived from plants, especially corn, that is used to sweetencommercial food products like sodas and other prepared foods. Firstgained widespread popularity in the 1970s and is usually listed iningredients as “high-fructose corn syrup”.

Glucose isreferred to as blood sugar. All carbohydrates whether simple or complexare converted by the body into sugar and the sugar within thebody’s bloodstream is of this form. the level of glucose inthe blood is the main stimulus for insulin secretion.

Glucagon is ahormone produced by the pancreas that encourages fat cells to converttheir stores to glucose and release them for energy use. Glucagon mustbe released for the body to release and break down body fat. Thepancreas cannot efficiently release both glucagon and insulin and willnot release glucagon if blood sugar and insulin levels are high.

Glycogen is themain form of carbohydrate storage in animals and occurs primarily inthe liver and muscle tissue. It is readily converted to glucose asneeded by the body to satisfy its energy needs. also called animalstarch.

The glycemicindex is a measure of how quickly individual foods will raise yourbody’s blood sugar level.

Insulin is oneof two main hormones produced by the pancreas and the body’smajor metabolic hormone. When the blood’s glucose increases,insulin is released by the pancreas to help transfer glucose into thecells for energy. Insulin also helps convert extra glucose to storagein fatty tissue, and helps promote amino acids which are turned intoprotein and stored in muscle. in the liver, it aids in extra glucosebeing stored as glycogen. Insulin can raise cholesterol levels andcause retention of fluids and salt and it gets in the way of breakingdown stored fat. a lack of adequate insulin or lack of sufficientsensitivity to insulin’s effects in the body can lead todiabetes.

Insulinresistance is a state reached when the body does not properly respondto and process the insulin it releases. Insulin resistance causes thepancreas to overproduce insulin. According to Drs. Michael and MaryEades of Protein Power, insulin resistance causes high blood pressure,elevated cholesterol levels, coronary artery disease (heart disease),obesity, Type II diabetes and a host of other diseases and disorders.

When the bodybreaks down fat for energy due to the lack of sufficient glucose forenergy needs combined with the liver’s depletion of glycogen,ketones is a type of chemical result. Excess ketones cause bad breathand show up in urine during strip testing.

Ketosis is thebody’s process of burning stored fat for energy when glucoseis not readily available. a survival mechanism used during times offamine. Generally thought not to be a good long-term state for the bodyto operate in. When ketosis takes place in someone who is the victim offamine, or who is not eating food for whatever reason, it can causeserious illness and eventually death.

Protein is oneof the three major nutrient groups that provide energy to the body.Protein is derived from animal and soy products and from some plantproducts like legumes (beans, peanuts and peas). Converted to aminoacids by the body during digestion and stored in muscle cells asprotein.

Another namefor sucrose is table sugar; it is derived from sugar cane plants.

Starch is atype of sugar found in potatoes, white rice, breads, bagels and otherfoods.

Trans fat is atype of processed fat that does not occur in nature (also calledhydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat/oil). used in baked goodslike doughnuts, breads, crackers, potato chips, cookies and many otherprocessed food products like margarine and salad dressings.