Nutrition and Your Body: Your Body on Carbohydrates
CHAPTER ONE 4
WHAT ARE CARBOHYDRATES many kids love sugary sweets and salty snacks In the United States 34 percent of adolescents eat junk food every day These treats include cookies and potato chips They have few nutrients but many calories They have an unhealthy effect on the body But other foods such as leafy greens and whole grains are healthy They give the body fuel Imagine the following scene A ten year old girl named Lucy is participating in a track and field meet at school She is competing in the 60 meter dash She wants to get the fastest time That morning Lucy woke Foods give the body the energy it needs to work
up tired But she ate a bagel with peanut butter and a banana and kale smoothie for breakfast She headed to her race knowing she had eaten just how her coach taught her In the moments before the starting whistle blows Lucy's mind is focused Her body feels energized When Lucy crosses the finish line she is in first place The changes in Lucy's body happened because of the carbohydrates in her breakfast Carbohydrates commonly called carbs are nutrients found in certain foods Carbs provide the body with energy The body's central nervous system kidneys brain and muscles need carbs to function HOW CARBS WORK There are two main types of carbs simple and complex Simple carbs are sugars Complex carbs can be grouped into starches and fibers The body breaks down carbs into sugar during digestion This type of sugar is called glucose First the glucose travels to the small intestine Then it is 6
Bread is a common source of carbs absorbed into the bloodstream When people eat carbs glucose levels in the blood rise As glucose levels rise the pancreas makes a hormone called insulin Insulin tells cells in the muscles liver tissues and fat to absorb the glucose These cells 7
