1. GOOD OR BAD? Basic Nutrition for Everyday Series: Lesson 6 Information provided to you by: JFHQ Occupational Health Office

2.  What are Carbohydrates?  “Good” v. “Bad” Carbs  What are the types of Carbohydrates?  Dietary Fiber: How Much You Need.  Tips for Adding More Fiber  Tips for Avoiding Added Sugar  How Many Carbohydrates, Do I Need Daily?

3.  Definition: a biological compound containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that is an important source of food and energy  Your body uses carbohydrates to make glucose which is fuel that gives your body energy.  Glucose can be used immediately or stored.  Healthier foods high in carbohydrates are ones higher in dietary fiber without added sugar.  Carbohydrates can be found in the following:  Fruits  Vegetables  Breads, cereals, and other grains  Milk & milk products  Foods containing added sugar

4.  “Good” Carbohydrates have more fiber and complex carbohydrates.  Guidelines recommend choosing fiber-rich carbohydrate choices.  Fiber-rich foods include: fruits, vegetables, & whole grain breads & pastas.  “Bad” Carbohydrates are referring to foods with refined carbohydrates.  Refined Carbohydrates are items that are made from white flour or added sugar.  Examples: white bread, cakes, & cookies

5.  Complex Carbohydrates:  Starch & dietary fiber  Starch is in certain vegetables like potatoes, dry beans, cereals, and corn.  Fiber is in vegetables, fruits, & whole grain foods.  There are two different types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble. Both are important for health, digestion, and preventing diseases.  Simple Carbohydrates:  Can be found naturally or as added sugars  Added sugars have fewer nutrients than foods with naturally- occurring sugars  Examples of ingredients as added sugar: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey.

6.  It is recommended that you get 14 grams of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories that you consume each day.  If you need 2,000 calories each day, you should try to consume 28 grams of dietary fiber.  To find out how many calories you need each day visit mypyramid.gov and enter your age, sex, height, weight, and activity level in the My Pyramid Plan Tool.

7.  Choose whole fruits  Try to eat two vegetables with your evening meal.  Keep a bowl of veggies already washed.  Choose whole grain foods more often.  Make a meal around dried beans or peas instead of meat.  Start your day with a whole grain breakfast cereal.

8.  Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened sodas.  Choose 4 fluid oz of 100% fruit juice rather than a fruit drink.  Have a piece of fruit for dessert and skip desserts with added sugar.  Choose breakfast cereals that contain no or less added sugar.

9.  High-Fructose corn syrup is a popular ingredient in sodas and flavored drinks.  High-Fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar.  Research has shown that large amounts of any type of added sugar is linked to health problems as weight gain, dental cavities, poor nutrition, and increased triglyceride levels.  There is insufficient evidence to say that high-fructose corn syrup is less healthy than other types of added sweeteners.  American Heart Association recommends that women should consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar from any source, and men should consume no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar.

10.  Coca Cola 12 oz (355 ml) Can Sugars, total: 39g Calories, total: 140 Calories from sugar: 140  20 oz (590 ml) Bottle Sugars, total: 65g Calories, total: 240 Calories from sugar: 240  1 Liter (34 oz) Bottle Sugars, total: 108g Calories, total: 400 Calories from sugar: 400

11.  1 pound of sugar equals approximately 3500 calories.  If you drink 2, 12 oz cans of regular soda a day that is about 280 calories.  280 calories x 7 days a week = 1960 calories/week  Two weeks = 3920 calories  You could lose over a pound in 2 weeks just by cutting out your consumption of regular soda!

12.  Follow a meal plan that gives you 45%-65% of the calories you consume as carbohydrates.  My Pyramid.gov or DASH  A diet plan that is based on no carbohydrates is not the healthy approach to weight loss.  Choose more complex carbohydrates and avoid food items with added sugar.

13.  Now that you’ve started….  Don’t Stop!  Make physical activity a lifetime habit  If you stop exercising you’ll rapidly lose the beneficial effects.  Maintaining good cardiovascular fitness is an ongoing process.

14.  4 egg whites, slightly beaten  16 ounce can pumpkin (or the meat from 1-lb pumpkin)  1/2 cup brown sugar  2 Tbsp molasses  1/2 tsp salt  1/2 tsp cinnamon  1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice  12 oz can evaporated skim (fat free) milk  9" unbaked pie shell Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine ingredients in above order. Mix well. Pour into pie shell (or into an au gratin dish for a fat-free dessert). Bake for 15 minutes at 425F. Then reduce temperature to 350F, and bake for 45 more minutes. Makes 8 serving. Each piece of pumpkin pie has 240 Cal, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, and 7 mg cholesterol. Without the crust, each piece would have 130 Cal, 0 fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2 mg cholesterol. For a low sugar version, use Splenda™ instead of brown sugar, and increase molasses to 3 tablespoons.

15.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  www.cdc.gov/nutrition www.cdc.gov/nutrition  My Pyramid  www.mypyramid.gov www.mypyramid.gov  DASH  www.dashdiet.org www.dashdiet.org  Mayo Clinic  www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup