Virtual Interview - Part 1, Carbohydrates

Motivation:

From Patrick Reusse article in Star Tribune.

Asked about his chunky 5-8 frame, [Kirby] Puckett said he often thought how great it would have been to be transformed into the perfect athletic body.
"I would be 6-2 and all muscle, and I would have Lou Brock's speed and Roberto Clemente's arm and Hank Aaron's power," Puckett said. "But personality? I get to have my personality."

Of course, a huge baseball fan and a Twins fan, I would have a Puck quote for today's motivation.

Diary:

S: yesterday afternoon, I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich,
D: ham and cheese pita sandwiches
--------------------------
B: eggs and sausage
S: protien bar
L: lean cuisine, xs, vitamins
S: mixed greens and chicken cubes

Notes:

After several days of blabber, it is time to get back to weight loss basics.

Today I will publish the first part of my virtual (fake-fake-fake) interview with Chester J. Zelasko, Ph.D.

Chazz Vader: Dr. Zelasko, please take a seat and discuss for me about Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats.

Dr. Zelasko: Thanks Chazz. This is a great blog you have and I am honored to speak with your readers. The foods we eat contain nutrients. Carbohydrate, protein, and fat are considered macronutrients because we need a substantial amount of all three everyday to keep our bodies operating smoothly. They provide us with energy but they also have other important functions in our bodies you may not realize.

CV: That is great. Can you discuss further these macronutrients? How are nutrients stored in our body? What foods contain the energy nutrient? What happens if we eat too much of it?

Dr. Z: Woah, Woah, Chazz. Let's slow down and discuss them one by one. Each macronutrient is used and stored a different way. We can start with Carbohydrates, if you wish.

CV: Ok, tell me about Carbohydrates.

Dr. Z: Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy for most activities. Carbohydrates are found in simple forms, such as fruit or table sugar, or complex forms, like whole wheat breads, rice, or potatoes -- but in all cases they're made up of smaller units. These smaller units are mostly glucose and fructose. The sugar lactose is primarily found in dairy products like milk. All are combinations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a perfect balance for use in the body. There are other minor sugars found in foods that are important for cellular communication.

CV: What are the uses of Carbs in our body?

Dr. Z: Carbohydrates have one prime directive: provide your body's cells with energy to carry on cell functions. Glucose is the preferred source of energy for the brain -- real brain food -- and for muscles during physical activity. Carbohydrates contain about 4 calories per gram.

CV: Huh? What does the calorie have to do with Carbs usage?

Dr. Z: A Calorie is a unit of energy used to tell us how much potential energy is stored within food. Technically, it is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 liter of water, 1 degree centigrade. If you can’t relate to that (as many of us cannot) just know that the more of those you take in, the more energy you have to use -- or store!

CV: Thanks. Please talk some more about the storage part. How does the body store these extra calories?

Dr. Z: Glucose and fructose are stored in limited quantities in the body in the form of glycogen. The liver has the highest concentration of glycogen, but the muscular system stores a greater quantity of glycogen overall -- there is more muscle mass in an individual than liver mass. Your body attempts to keep a 24-hour supply (about ½ lb.) of glycogen so you always have a ready supply of glucose available under normal food-intake conditions.

CV: Wow, you are smart. What happens to you if you take in an excess of Carbs? Does your body store it all?

Dr. Z: Carbohydrate intake is converted to fat by the liver and stored in fat cells. Some fat is made this way every day and is necessary to stretch the energy we get from our food. Only when we chronically overeat does the excess fat that's made begin to show up in our favorite fat depositories

CV: Great! I think I understand how the body uses this nutrient. Please tell where we find Carbohydrates.

Dr. Z: Carbohydrates are found chiefly in vegetables, fruits, and grains, and are available in several forms classified under two basic categories:

Simple carbohydrates are sugar molecules, primarily glucose and fructose, that make up short chain-molecules. The primary source of simple carbohydrates in American diets are refined sugars such as table sugar, honey, and the corn syrup found in soft drinks. Also, most fruits are made up of simple sugars. What's the difference between the two? There is no difference in the way your body uses them -- glucose is glucose. The difference is in the concentration of sugar and the additional nutrients that may be supplied. For example, table sugar is made up of sucrose, a disaccharide made up of a glucose and a fructose, but nothing else. An apple contains sucrose but it also contains water, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The energy received from one apple and 5 teaspoons of table sugar are the same, but you get more nutritional benefits from the apple.

Complex carbohydrates are polysaccharides consisting of long chains of glucose molecules. What the chains make depends on the arrangement of the glucose molecules -- wheat is arranged differently from potatoes, etc. Complex carbohydrates are found in wheat, rice, oats, corn, beans and legumes. Starches are found in plants such as potatoes and other tubers or roots. During digestion, your body "chops" the long chains into glucose units and that's the form absorbed into your bloodstream, ready for your body to use. Most complex carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables as well, contain dietary fiber which is good for keeping your digestive system functioning properly and keeping you healthy.

CV: So, it sounds like we need Carbohydrates, but not in excess. How much Carbohydrate should we eat?

Dr. Z: Total carbohydrate intake varies by how active you are. A sedentary person requires much less than a competitive athlete. In general, 40-70% of the Daily Intake should be from carbohydrates with an emphasis on whole grains, low-fat dairy, vegetables, and fruit; limit refined carbohydrates like soft drinks and sweets to no more than 10% of calories. In addition, adults should strive to eat 25-35 grams of fiber every day.

CV: Dr Zelasko, can I call you Chester? Thanks for taking time today to speak with us about Carbohydrates. Do you have any other suggestions or notes?

Dr. Z: Chazz, it is my pleasure. I can see that you are doing a great job with your "Challenge". Keep up the good work.

We are in the midst of a “low-carb” obsession. People are counting carbohydrates in the hopes that it will contribute to weight loss. When viewing product labels, be sure to pay attention to the “Total Carbohydrate” section of the Nutrition Facts. While they may not effect blood sugar—and thus will not be claimed as carbs on the front of the product—they do contain calories. Read the product Ingredients carefully. Ingredients such as glycerin, maltitol and all sugar alcohols, and polydextrose contain calories and you will absorb them!

Alcohol or ethanol is made when enzymes in yeast’s transform carbohydrates into sugar. Depending on the type of carbohydrate used, the product will vary. If you use fruit, you get wine; if you use barley as the carbohydrate, you get beer. In order to make hard liquor, you need to further distill the initial product. The amount of ethanol found in wine, beer, or hard liquor varies. But the bottom line is this: for every gram of alcohol you drink, you take in 7 calories. It can be used for energy, but it must by metabolized to fat by the liver -- and you know where that fat ends up!



Part II of the interview tommorow - we will discuss Protiens.


more later..

Chazz