http://www.carbcommando.com/carbohydrates/ Carbohydrates are something that we've all heard of- but what exactly are carbohydrates ? en-us Wed, 06 Jul 2005 15:50:19 EDT Wed, 06 Jul 2005 15:50:19 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 Carbohydrates in the body In explaining carbohydrates, things can get very technical indeed. But for our purposes we need not go into grave detail, let's try and keep carbohydrates as simple as possible. If you are thinking about or are already on a diet low in carbohydrates then you should have at least a basic understanding of what role carbs play in the body. Carbs are actually good things Carbohydrates structures in the body composed of sugars, they are the main source of energy for the body and serve other vital purposes. Some of the most important functions that they serve are the regulation of blood glucose and the provision of energy for the body. There are many different types of carbohydrates formed by one or more sugars linking together. The most complex of the carbohydrates can have thousands of repeating sugar units and are the major part of starch. The carbohydrate can be broken down into five major classifications: Monosaccharides- including glucose, fructose, and galactose Disaccharides- commonly found in nature as sucrose, lactose, and maltose Oligosaccharides- responsible for the storage of glucose and other sugars in plants and animals Polysaccharides- shares responsibility with the oligosaccharides Nucleotides- found in both DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) All types of carbs are essential to the proper functioning of the body so one should be especially careful when embarking on a diet that professes to help you lose weight by reducing the intake of this vital resource. Don't get too caught up in counting carbohydrates and forget about the health of your body. Although you can loose weight with any of the low-carb diets, and quickly, it will be mainly in water weight and muscle tissue, neither of which are things that you really want to do without. And you will, we're sorry to report, most likely gain all of that weight back. Wed, 06 Jul 2005 15:50:19 EDT http://www.carbcommando.com/carbohydrates/counting-carbohydrates/ Counting carbohydrates and keeping track. What do you need when you're counting carbohydrates? en-us Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:52:38 EDT Wed, 06 Jul 2005 14:52:38 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carbcommando.com/carbohydrates/types-of-carbohydrates/ Types of carbohydrates: Knowing the difference in the two types of carbohydrates can help you lose weight and be healthier. en-us Wed, 06 Jul 2005 12:29:18 EDT Wed, 06 Jul 2005 12:29:18 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0