what is the importance of carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and provide the ideal fuel (glucose) for your body to function optimally, as well as many essential vitamins and minerals. They are also the only form of energy used by the brain. Complex carbohydrates provide long-term energy and help jump-start your metabolism. As your metabolism speeds up, your body burns calories more efficiently and this may make you get hungry between meals. This is often mistaken for carbohydrate cravings. Studies show, however, that fueling up with several small meals throughout the day is better for your metabolism than three big meals. If your body is hungry, you are metabolizing fuel - in order to continue this process, you need to honor that hunger appropriately. Maintaining a steady flow of glucose through your blood stream will ensure optimal fat burning efficiency, peak performance, long-term appetite control, and minimal food cravings.

Despite the claims of diets that promote cutting back on carbohydrates, these macronutrients are one of the most important components of the foods you eat. This category of foods includes sugars, starches and fiber. You can get carbohydrates from grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy. Carbohydrates should make up about 45 to 65 percent of your caloric intake. Getting too few carbohydrates can lead to unpleasant side effects and even to major complications if carbohydrate restriction lasts a long

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The most important benefit of carbohydrates is that they provide instant energy to the body in form of glucose. When we intake food rich in carbohydrate the digestive enzymes of the mouth, stomach and intestine quickly break them into simple sugars. These sugars are ultimately converted into glucose. This glucose is absorbed through the intestinal walls and flows into the bloodstream. Then it is either distributed to body cells and muscles for immediate use, or is retained as reserve energy as glycogen in the liver and the muscles. Excessive amount of carbohydrates are also stored as fat.

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