majority of what most people eat (usually fifty to sixty percent of calories) is carbohydrate, a macronutrient used primarily for energy (glucose). Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are very sweet because they are composed of only one or two units of sugar like sucrose (white table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), and lactose (milk sugar), so they are easy to absorb. Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of sugars that typically aren't as sweet because they need to first be broken down into smaller units; some of them (fibers) cannot be fully digested and absorbed, while others (starches) can.
Since carbohydrates, for the most part, readily break down into the simple fuel the body needs, there is a tendency for people to use them to feel energized. One of the best strategies for maintaining energy throughout the day is to ensure that your blood-sugar levels stay constant by eating sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates, or foods/supplements high in fiber. Ideally, it is favorable to eat high-fiber foods like legumes (good examples include lentils, black beans, edamame), vegetables, whole grains (think brown rice instead of white rice!), and some fruits regularly throughout the day. However, there are some individuals who may feel that they need more fiber, whether due to issues they may have with their gut, blood sugar or cholesterol control, or with their bowel movements. For these and perhaps other reasons, it may make sense to use a concentrated fiber supplement (for example, psyllium, flaxseed meal, inulin). It is important to remember, however, to drink adequate water when taking fiber supplements. If you are not used to taking fiber, make sure that you start slow and ramp up to the recommended dose over the course of several days. Without taking these precautions, you may be subject to effects like gastrointestinal bloating, gas, and constipation.
If we are not getting enough complex carbohydrates and eating too many simple ones, we are apt to deplete our energy reserves quickly. Simple carbohydrates like those found in table sugar or fruit juice are rescuer nutrients—like mini life preservers, they come into the body and keep it afloat with a quick burst of energy. The problem is that we can't live our entire lives in short, intense, and repeated energy bursts. Instead, we need long-term, sustained energy to live fully. Fortunately, there is a way to harness and direct our energy with the help of carbohydrates without feeling stressed or depleted. Making the switch from a diet heavy in simple sugars to one that is primarily complex carbohydrates can put us on the path to successfully being able to wield our inner reserves. Once we make this transition, we will encounter less intense cravings for carbohydrates, whether in the form of cookies, pastries, candies, bread, or pasta.
Note that just because dietary supplements have an aura of health doesn't mean that they are perfect in every way. There are some, typically those in liquid or powder form (less in the form of a tablet or soft gel), that may contain significant sources of sugar. A popular one to pay attention to is liquid multi-vitamins, which are often loaded with sugar to mask the off taste of vitamins and minerals. Even children's chewable multivitamins have sugar to make them taste good, supplying another source of sugar in the typically already-high-sugar diet of kids.
Here are some hidden names of sugar to be on the lookout for: sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice (commonly found in “healthy” products), honey, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, maltose. Artificial sweeteners have questionable effects because they are not “natural.” Although there have been studies to show they are safe in animals, I do not believe that significant research has been done to support their use in humans. We simply do not know what the potential consequences are for consuming these artificial sweeteners over a lifetime.
There have been a plethora of anecdotes from people claiming to experience side effects like headaches, skin rashes, nausea, or behavior changes like not being able to concentrate and feeling more agitated. I have observed that people who consistently eat artificial sweeteners tend to be prone to more sugar cravings. Because of all the unknowns of how these synthetic ingredients can affect your health, I would recommend avoiding or limiting your intake of all of them: aspartame, Equal®, NutraSweet®, sucralose (Splenda®), and acesulfame potassium. See how much better you feel when you omit them!
MICRONUTRIENTS
Micronutrients are the opposite of macronutrients: they are required in relatively small (micro) amounts compared with the macronutrients. Instead of grams, only 1/1000th of a gram (known as a microgram) of micronutrients is required to meet our bodily needs. Vitamins and minerals fall into this category of nutrients. They can serve as the helpers for the macronutrients and as catalysts for a number of processes. For example, protein provides amino acids like tryptophan, which can be transformed into the neurotransmitter serotonin if vitamin B6 is present in adequate quantities. Similarly, zinc is needed for certain enzymes to convert small-chain essential fats into longchain fats needed for the brain and eyes.
Historically, vitamin and mineral deficiencies tended to be more common under times of stress, war, or impoverishment. Ironically, even though nowadays in the Western world people eat plenty of food, they are starving for adequate amounts of quality nutrients, particularly micronutrients—indeed, we are paradoxically overfed and undernourished. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established recommendations for intakes of micronutrients to prevent deficiencies, and these recommendations are tailored for a person's gender and age. Bear in mind that these recommendations do not take into account those who have special needs, such as those on limited diets, on prescription medications, or who smoke or drink alcohol.
Supplements containing vitamins and minerals are easy to locate in a number of stores. They can come in the form of a single ingredient, like calcium tablets with nothing else added, or a nutrient at a high dose, as in a high-potency vitamin C tablet, or as a combination of nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D for bone health. It is important to recognize that high doses of a single vitamin or mineral may offset levels of another vitamin or mineral and could potentially create an imbalance or relative deficiency. For example, taking too much supplementary zinc can offset copper levels in the body. Along similar lines, some micronutrients work better as a team, such as the family of B vitamins, which act together in the process of extracting energy from macronutrients like carbohydrates.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are required in small amounts to assist overall body processes, like helping the body to digest and metabolize macronutrients. Vitamins are divided into two classes: fat soluble and water soluble. For the most part, in order for the body to optimally take in fat-soluble vitamins, the vitamins need to be accompanied by a source of fat. So, if you are taking a vitamin E supplement, you would improve its absorption if you took it with a meal containing even a small amount of fat, like a salad with some olive oil dressing. Due to their ability to sink into the fat tissue after ingestion, fat-soluble vitamins are retained in the body for a longer period of time compared with water-soluble vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins include the following:
Vitamin A (ready-made vitamin A is known as retinol; carotenoids like beta-carotene convert to retinol in the body once ingested)
Vitamin D (plant-derived, vitamin D2 [ergocalciferol], or the form commonly found in animal foods, vitamin D3 [cholecalciferol])
Vitamin E (refers to a whole family of eight compounds, [alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol and alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocotrienol] but dietary recommendations focus on alpha-tocopherol, which comes in natural [d-alpha-tocopherol] and synthetic [dl-alpha-tocopherol] forms).
Vitamin K (common supplement forms include vitamin K1 [phylloquinone], vitamin K2 [menaquinone])
On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins are absorbed readily, without fat, but also leave
