What are simple carbohydrates?
Some simple carbohydrates, such as glucose, are made up of a single sugar molecule. Others consist of two sugar molecules joined together. For example sucrose, which you may add to your tea and coffee, is a combination of glucose and fructose. The simpler a carbohydrate is, the quicker it’s absorbed into your blood stream. That’s why athletes sometimes have a glucose drink when they need a rapid burst of energy. The problem with these rapid rises in blood sugar is that they tend to be followed by a rapid drop, which can leave you feeling dizzy, weak and hungry. Many simple carbohydrates (also known as sugars) are bad for your teeth. The foods they are found in, such as cakes and biscuits, often contain a lot of fat as well, which can contribute to obesity. You can choose foods that are low in sugars by looking at food labels. Low sugar foods contain 5 grams (g) of sugars or less per 100g, high sugar foods contain 15g of sugars or more per 100g. Foods between these two amounts are of me
