Nutrients in Carbohydrates

Recap

In my post Calories in Carbohydrates, I looked at level, types and quality of the energy that our bodies could get from the various complex carb sources (eg potato, pasta, bread, rice) - always with half an eye on weight management.  This time I'm looking at these essential food sources from the point of view of what kind of nutrients do they have.

So What Have We Got?

Once again there's a table below with all the key complex carbs, this time the table isn't sorted because there isn't any clear way of organizing into a single view.

So I'll start with a fairly well known story about rice and the disease Beriberi (see Wikipedia Beriberi), caused by a deficit of Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) - as the story goes a Dutch doctor in Java found that prisoners eating white rice developed the disease, whereas those fed brown rice did not ... ironically, the table below doesn't bear that out - the reason being that white rice is very often fortified in developed countries to combat that very problem!

Fiber

From the grid, you can pretty easily see that brown/wholegrain foods deliver better on the fiber front than their refined alternatives.  Fiber is primarily used to help digestion, without being digestible itself: it gives the body something to push against and the bacteria in the gut something to feed on.  Getting an adequate quantity of fiber has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of many cancers and heart conditions.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is necessary for healthy eyes, skin and linings of things like the digestive tracts (among other things); you'll find it as beta-carotene in brightly coloured fruit and veg ... too much can cause horrible things like birth defects, liver disorders and can increase the bone breakdown!  Note that sweet potatoes deliver a massive kick of Vitamin A!

B Vitamins

These are associated with energy production - converting stored sugars, fat and protein into energy to move, think and exist.  they are involved in all the processes that get you moving (eg nervous system, healthy heart, blood production) and the most commonly added to enrich food.  In the table you can see a fairly even distribution of B Vitamins throughout the carb sources, until you get to Folate (Folic Acid); in developed countries Folate is routinely added to grain products (especially flour) as a guard against birth defects.

Vitamin C

Potatoes deliver a healthy punch of Vitamin C, but that's one vitamin that anyone who eats plenty of fruit and veg will get enough of anyway.

Vitamin D

Wasn't measured in the sources I was using, so I can't report of it's quantities.

Vitamin E

Is an important antioxidant and has a key role in nourishing cells; it's rarely added to food, and is naturally higher in the brown and wholegrain foods below.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting (see Discovery of Vitamin K at Wikipedia), but its levels are pretty low in the sources listed below (one mg = 1000 mcg).

Minerals

Generally, unrefined carbohydrate sources have a much higher level of minerals than their refined equivalents (ie wholegrain/brown is better for you than white), but potatoes (both types) deliver one hell of a big punch in the potassium department: it has a key role, along with reduced sodium intake, in reducing and managing blood pressure.  Then compare potatoes' Sodium content with the other sources: it's much, much lower - potatoes, when prepared in a healthy manner (ie not fried, roasted, mashed with butter or made to actually taste like anything) could have a major roll in managing blood pressure!

before I write off other complex carb sources, just take a look at wholegrain bread's phosphorus, magnesium and calcium content.  These three minerals are crucial for bone and teeth development, as well as energy, the nervous system and healthy brain functioning.

Food	RDA - 35 year old 65kg male * approx - no RDA exists	Wholegrain Bread	White Bread	Potato	Sweet Potato	Brown Rice	White Rice	Brown Pasta	White Pasta	Egg Noodles	Brown Bread
Fibre	24* g	7 g	3 g	4 g	7 g	2 g	1 g	4.5 g	1.2g	3 g	6 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A	900.0 mcg	0.0 IU	0.0 IU	10.0 IU	38433 IU	0.0 IU	0.0 IU	4.0 IU	0.0 mg	62.0 IU	3 IU
Thiamin	1.2 mg	0.3 mg	0.4 mcg	0.1 mg	0.2 mg	0.1 mg	0.3 mg	0.2 mg	0.0 mg	0.2 mg	0.3 mg
Riboflavin	1.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.2 mg	0.0 mg	0..0 mg	0.1 mg	0.0 mg	0.1 mg	0.2 mg
Niacin	16.0 mg	4.0 mg	3.9 mg	3.1 mg	3.0 mg	1.5 mg	2.3 mg	1.0 mg	0.4 mg	2.1 mg	4.0 mg
Vitamin B6	1.3 mg	0.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.6 mg	0.6 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg	0.0 mg	0.2 mg	0.2 mg
Folate	400 mcg	75.0 mcg	104 mcg	22.0 mcg	12.0 mcg	4.0 mcg	91.6 mcg	7.0 mcg	7.0 mcg	29.0 mcg	65.0 mg
Vitamin B12	2.4 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	~	0.0 mcg	0.3 mcg	0.0 mcg
Pantothenic Acid	5.0* mg	0.3 mg	0.3 mg	0.9 mg	1.8 mg	0.3 mg	0.6 mg	0.6 mg	0.1 mg	0.9 mg	0.5 mg
Vitamin C	90.0 mg	0.1 mg	0.0 mg	13.5 mg	39.2 mg	0.0 mg	0.0 mg	0.0 mg	0.0 mg	0.0 mg	0 mg
Vitamin D	5.0* mcg	~	~	~	~	~	~	~	~	~	~
Vitamin E	15.0 mg	0.4 mcg	0.2 mg	0.0 mg	1.4 mg	0.0 mg	0.1 mg	0.4 mg	0.1 mg	0.4 mg	0.8 mg
Vitamin K	120.0* mg	1.4 mcg	3.4 mg	1.7 mcg	4.6 mcg	0.6 mcg	0.0 mcg	1.0 mcg	0.0 mcg	0.5 mcg	9.4 mcg
Minerals
Calcium	1,000.0 mg	103 mg	119 mg	34.0 mg	76.0 mg	10.0 mg	15.8 mg	21.0 mg	7.0 mg	35.0 mg	33.0 mg
Iron	8.0 mg	2.5 mg	3.3 mg	7.0 mg	1.4 mg	0.4 mg	1.9 mg	1.5 mg	1.3 mg	1.9 mg	3.1 mg
Magnesium	420.0 mg	78.0 mg	26.0 mg	43.0 mg	54.0 mg	43.0 mg	19.0 mg	42.0 mg	18.0 mg	58.0 mg	81.0 mg
Phosphorus	700.0 mg	228.0 mg	103 mg	101 mg	108.0 mg	83.0 mg	68.0 mg	125.0 mg	58.0 mg	241.0 mg	187.0 mg
Potassium	4.7* mg	230.0 mg	131 mg	573 mg	950.0 mg	43.0 mg	55.3 mg	62.0 mg	44.0 mg	244.0 mg	314.0 mg
Sodium	1.5* mg	420.0 mg	592 mg	21.0 mg	72.0 mg	5.0 mg	1.6 mg	4.0 mg	1.0 mg	21.0 mg	346.0 mg
Zinc	11.0 mg	1.7 mg	0.7 mg	0.5 mg	0.6 mg	0.6 mg	0.8 mg	1.1 mg	0.5 mg	1.9 mg	1.5 mg
Copper	900.0 mcg	0.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.8 mg	0.3 mg	0.1 mg	0.1 mg	0.2 mg	0.1 mg	0.3 mg	0.3 mg
Manganese	2.3* mg	2.0 mg	0.4 mg	0.6 mg	1.0 mg	0.9 mg	0.7 mg	1.9 mg	0.3 mg	0.9 mg	1.9 mg
Selenium	55.0 mcg	32.9 mcg	31.0 mcg	0.7 mcg	0.4 mcg	9.8 mcg	11.9 mcg	36.3 mcg	26.4 mcg	78.8 mcg	38.6 mcg

Calories in Carbohydrates

Calories in Carbohydrates

In my post exploring-carbohydrates, I explained a bit about what they were, how they related to other energy sources and how they are used by the body.  In this post I'll compare some common complex carbohydrates  against each other to see how they measure up!

Take a look at the table below; I've highlighted in red the highest values for calorie content and green the lowest values - with two exceptions - potato has one of the lowest calorie counts of the carb food sources that I've identified, but I've highlighted its protein value with amber because good quality protein is essential not only for a variety of structural and enzymatic purposes with in the body, but its also a key weapon for fighting off hunger!  I have highlighted the protein content for Egg Noodles for the same reason.

Surprises (for me at least)
I'm not surprised that egg noodles score so very highly in the calorie table: eggs are high in calories; after all, they have to contain all the ingredients for building chicks!

I've got to say, bread is my hero: I love a good wholemeal roll, but I am disappointed by the amount of fat and sugar in it!  If you're after weight gain (for example, because you want to build muscle or are recovering from illness), then bread is a good food.  Bread does have its place in a calorie controlled diet - because of its higher protein and fat content it will probably help you feel full for longer - and I'll cover off the other benefits of bread in later posts.  I'd say that fat has a good mix of energy sources in it: a little sugar to give you an immediate boost, some fat and more complex carbs for longer term energy provision and protein for building and repair.

If you're after weight-loss, then its going to have to be a plain old baked potato ... as that's mostly made up of water!  Sweet potato may be a problem if you're after weight loss - they contain a lot of sugar which can increase feelings of hunger!  I'll cover this when I get onto glycemic indexes in a subsequent post.

Next Time

I'm going to have a look at the nutrients in the carbohydrate sources listed in the table below - after all, there's more to food and nutrition than calories!

Calorie Table

One word of warning about the table below; its all by weight (100 grams) rather than by portion size.

Its also worth noting that the bread has its crusts on and the potato is baked.  How you cook potato (and rice) enormously changes the calorie composition: roasting or frying your potato of egg-frying your rice will greatly increase the fat content of these two foods.  Bread is usually served "as is" (albeit with butter, cheese or what have you on it) and pasta pretty much has to be boiled - anything you add to these foods has to be taken into account separately.

Food	Total Calories	Calories from Protein	Calories from Carbs (Less Sugar)	Calories from Sugar	Calories from Fat
RDA - 35 year old 65kg male * approx - no RDA exists	2400	360	1320	NA	720
Egg Noodles	376	56	276	8	36
White Bread	293	36	196	20	45
Brown Bread	281	32	188	16	45
Wholegrain Bread	260	52	148	24	36
White Rice	196	16	180	0	0
Sweet Potato	180	16	112	52	0
White Pasta	148	24	120	4	9
Brown Pasta	133	22	103	3	5
Potato	116	8	104	4	0
Brown Rice	113	12	92	0	9

Exploring Carbohydrates

Introduction

I'm going to do a series of blog posts about carbohydrates; what they are and why they are important, how they relate to other sources of energy, their effects on diet and body sculpting and the relative nutritional values of various kinds of carbohydrates.  By which I mean: what are they and which ones are "best"?

What Are Carbohydrates?

The "science": carbs are organic compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (elements they have in common with protein and fat; protein has an added element of nitrogen and fat has a much higher proportion of carbon to its makeup).


Almost every meal with have some carbohydrate element, but the most accessible form of carbohydrate for us to see are sugars.  There are plenty of other examples of carbohydrates, the more complex types are most commonly found in foods derived from grains (eg flour and rice) and potatoes.  

As part of the digestive process, all carbohydrates are converted to glucose in order to be absorbed by the blood - how quickly we feel hungry is can be related to how quickly our body can convert carbs to glucose, absorb and store the glucose.

Incidentally, dietary fiber is actually an indigestible for of carbohydrate - the bacteria in our gut use them for energy.  Therefore, the energy content of fiber is never included in calorie calculations.

In later posts I'll compare the nutritional values of food sources such as potatoes, rice, bread and pasta.

How Are Carbohydrates Used?

Critically, carbs are the body's preferred source of energy, generally more accessible than fat, being stored in in the muscle that's working and requiring only a short time to be prepared for use as fuel.

Carbs are the brain's only source of energy, although the brain stores its carb reserve in the liver - which the muscles can raid if they need to.  When blood sugar levels get low we get feelings of dizziness and nausea.

Energy Content of Carbohydrates

The nutritional professionals use a few rough and ready numbers for calculating the energy content of food:

• Protein - 4KCals
• Fat - 9KCals
• Alcohol - 7KCal
• Carbohydrate - 4KCal

Next Time...

I'll compare the energy content of various common kinds of "complex" carbohydrates

Handstand on Clevedon Pier

Only a small update on Project Handstand: EVIDENCE!

Here's a photo of me doing a handstand on a very windy Clevedon Pier. It was too windy for the best shot, where I'd be handstanding on the main deck.

It was slightly sheltered here, so I managed something between 5 and 10 seconds before the overbalance occurred and I collapsed in an undignified heap.

I think learning to exit form a handstand when over balancing is the next thing to learn: it'll encourage me to do them EVERYWHERE if there isn't a resounding THUNK! afterwards.

What to Expect from Personal Training

Initial Consultation

I offer a free face-to-face consultation that allows us to get to know each other.  You have an opportunity to ask questions, say what you want to achieve through your training and tell me what your likes and dislikes are, and I find out whether I can help you and in what ways.  Personal Training is a partnership and requires commitment and trust between the trainer and client: we must feel comfortable with each other!

During this meeting, if you've not already completed them, you may be asked to complete a couple of questionnaires designed to help me plan your fitness program and determine whether there are any Health risks.

What to wear: just be comfortable - there'll be nothing strenuous during this meeting, it's just "getting to know you" time!

Assessment Session

This is a short session I will get a good understanding of what your current level of fitness is, which will provide a benchmark for designing your personal training plan and measuring progress; it will also confirm that you are healthy enough to exercise.  I may ask you to see your doctor for confirmation that you’re fit to exercise and for any specific guidance.

During this session you will have a number of assessments.  Some will be static (ie you don't have to do much), such as taking your weight, height and blood pressure.  Others will be active (you may get sweaty!).  Tests will be selected based on what your goals are and what you would like to achieve.  They are personal to you and some of the tests may be incorporated into your training program.

You should wear clothes suitable for an exercise for the Assessment Session; trainers, shorts/jogging bottoms, t-shirt or a vest.  I may advise you on additional kit that might be suitable to you based on feedback from the session.

As part of this session, you will be taught your warm up and cool down routines.

Personal Training Sessions

In the first session I will teach you a routine that you can do on your own.  I will advise on intensity and duration by selecting the correct resistance, incline, duration and speed of activities for your goals.

In order to see the benefits of exercise, most people need to do something at least 2 or 3 times per week.  If you're training for a specific physical goal (eg half-marathon, trek etc), you will need to train more frequently – this will be outlined in your exercise plan and goal setting.

I will also explain your training plan and what you are expected to do in each training session.  Sticking to the plan is essential; so the plan has to be realistic – it will need to take holidays, sickness and the occasional unforeseen event into account.  Taking these things into account up-front can help me advise you on how likely you are to meet your goals and how changes to the plan might affect your ability to achieve your goals.

The plan will have assessments built in and review points where we can make adjustments.  You will be given a copy of the plan: if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.

Subsequently, some sessions will be teaching sessions of lower intensity where you will learn new exercises and routines.  Other sessions will be "cheerleading" where the intensity will be increased and my role will be to encourage you to push yourself!  Sometimes I will rein you in: over-training can be very detrimental to health and can severely affect progress.

Any equipment you have access to can be worked into sessions (where appropriate).

During sessions you will need to be dressed appropriately: trainers, shorts or jogging bottoms and a vest of t-shirt.  Where we train outside, I will carry water, a phone, a first aid kit and any other equipment that's required.

Between Personal Training Sessions

The plan will include sessions for you to do on your own.  The closer you manage to stick to the plan, the greater the chance that you will achieve your goals.

In the Assessment Session there will be a discussion about how I can keep you motivated and engaged; you will have the opportunity to specify how I can contact you and when  (eg text, email or phone).  Keeping notes on how your own sessions go and sharing them with me when we meet or catch up will also prove helpful in assessing how effective the plan is and working any changes that you might need into it.