All About Energy

Carbohydrates (1g=16kJ)

Simple carbohydrates: are small molecules, so they can be broken down and absorbed by the body rapidly and are the quickest source of energy.

Eg: Fruits, soft drink, honey, white sugar etc.

Complex carbohydrates: are composed of long strings of simple carbohydrates. Because complex carbohydrates are larger they need to be broken down into simple carbohydrates before they are able to be absorbed which means they are slower to provide energy to the body but are still faster than protein or fat.

Eg: wheat products (breads and pastas), other grains (rye and corn), beans, and root vegetables (potatoes) etc.

Proteins (1g = 17kJ)

Proteins consists of units called amino acids which are arranged in complex formations. Because they are so complex, the body takes longer to break them down which means, they are a much slower and longer-lasting source of energy than carbohydrates but have a very similar kilojoule content. So increasing good sources of protein in your diet will keep you fuller for longer.

Eg: nuts, lean meats, eggs, beans, lentils, seafood etc.

Fats(1g = 37kJ)

Fats are complex molecules comprised of fatty acids and glycerol. Fats are the slowest source of energy but the highest kilojoule form of food and contain more than twice than that supplied by proteins or carbohydrates. Because fats are such an efficient form of energy, the body stores any excess energy as fat.

The foods with good fats that you want to increase in your diet are:

- Avocado, olive oil, sunflower seeds, flaxseed,  salmon, herring, tuna, walnuts, vegetable oils etc.

The fats you want to decrease in your diet are:

- Coconut and palm oils, artificially hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine and meats, chips and fried foods, cookies, doughnuts, potato chips etc.

B Vitamin Containing foods for your energy cycle:

B1: asparagus, romaine lettuce, mushrooms, spinach, sunflower seeds, tuna, green peas, tomatoes, eggplant and Brussels sprouts

B2: mushroom, spinach, asparagus, chard mustard greens, broccoli, collard greens venison, turnip greens, chicken eggs, yogurt and cow's milk

B3: Mushrooms,tuna, beef liver, halibut, asparagus, sea vegetables, venison, chicken, and salmon

B5: mushroom, cauliflour, broccoli, calf's liver, turnip greens, sunflower seeds, tomato, strawberries, yogurt, eggs, winter squash, collard greens, chard and corn

Other energy pathway cofactors food sources:

Magnesium: spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds and peppermint,  cucumber, green beans, celery, kale and a variety of seeds, including sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds.

Lipoic acid: broccoli, spinach,

Manganese: raspberries, pineapple,, spinach, kale, , garlic, grapes, strawberries, oats, spelt, green beans, brown rice, , cinnamon, thyme, peppermint, and turmeric, leeks, tofu, bananas.