Everything you ever wanted to know about carbs.

     Carbohydrates are the epitome of Irony. Cutting back on carbs for weight loss is usually the go to, however cutting back on carbs for athletes or extremely active individuals can lead to decreased performance. Carbs in itself are not that bad. It is consuming too much. Moderation and type of carbs play more of a factor than carbs itself. Now, carbs are not necessarily needed by the body to function hence why the keto and paleo diet work (that and increased protein and less calories). More about Protein can be found here, The body can process fats and proteins for energy in a phenomenon called gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is simply the creation of glucose. Carbs can be broken down into three categories: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides and polysaccharides. 

    Monosaccharides building blocks to form other sugars. Monosaccharides are like Lego's. in itself they are useful but putting them together can form larger more impressive structures. There are three categories of monosaccharides: glucose, fructose and galactose. Glucose is your bodies primary source of energy that is essentially circulating sugar. Fructose is found naturally in fruit and honey and has a sweet taste. galactose is used with glucose to form lactose (milk).

    Disaccharides is two simple sugars joined together. The prefix Di meaning two. Sucrose (combination of glucose and fructose) or table sugar is the most common disaccharide. lactose (glucose and galactose) is found in milk products. Lactose intolerance is a common phrase that simply means milk intolerant. galactose (two glucose molecules) is more commonly found in the fermentation process of beer and is the primary carb.

    Polysaccharides or complex carbs are thousands of glucose molecules. Some categories of polysaccharides are starch, fiber and glycogen. Starch can be found in grains, legumes and certain veggies. Fiber can have varying degrees of effects on the body. Some delay gastric emptying meaning it has the effect of feeling full, others are an aid for constipation relief, prebiotic fibers stimulate gut health by increasing the growth of bacteria in the gut. Another effect of fiber is decreasing the absorption of cholesterol and helps reduce cholesterol levels. Glycogen is the bodies main energy source and can be found in the skeletal muscle and liver. Three quarters of glycogen can is found in skeletal muscle and a quarter can be found in the liver. Typically, you have 15g of glycogen per kilogram of body weight. a 190 pound person (86 kg) will have 1,250 g of glycogen in the body at one time.