Dreamfields Glossary of Terms
We have compiled a list of terms and definitions related
to a healthful eating plan and Dreamfields Pasta. Here you can learn about
calories and how they are measured, our special fiber Inulin, the glycemic
index, and about what digestible carbs are and much more...
Calories
Carbohydrates
Diabetes
Dietary Fiber
Digestion
Digestible Carbohydrates
Durum Wheat Semolina
Glucose
Glycemic Index (GI)
Glycemic Load (GL)
Insulin
Inulin
Net Carbs
Pasta
Prebiotic
Pre-Diabetes
Protected Carbohydrates
Resistant Starch
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Calories: Calories are units of energy. The scientific definition is: one calorie is the amount of energy used to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Nutritionally and physiologically speaking, "calories" refer to the energy in food and to the energy the body uses for all its functions and for movement. In food, calories are energy that comes from three groups of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These nutrients are released from food during digestion, then absorbed into the bloodstream and at some point converted to blood glucose, or blood sugar, where they can then become an energy source. (Adapted from the
American Dietetic Association Complete Food & Nutrition Guide 4th edition by Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS)
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Carbohydrates: One of three categories
of macronutrients along with proteins and fats. Carbohydrates are composed
of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are classified as sugars, starches,
and dietary fibers, based on the complexity of their chemical structure. When digested and processed by the body, they are the primary source of
energy for physical activity, growth and body functions.
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Diabetes: A physiological condition in which the body
cannot control blood glucose properly. This condition affects how the food
uses energy from starch, sugar, and some other substances in food. Insulin,
a hormone produced by the pancreas, isn’t produced at all or in enough
amount. As a result, the energy
producing nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats – are
not used normally.
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Dietary Fiber: A form of complex carbohydrate that cannot
be broken down by digestive enzymes. These non-digestible carbohydrates include
those that make up plant cell walls such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin,
inulin, and a variety of gums and storage carbohydrates.
Dietary fiber has
several roles in health promotion. Dietary fiber provides a source
of food for microorganisms (friendly bacteria) in the large intestine (colon).
The by-products of fermentation from bacteria support health by helping to
control blood glucose, and may help lower blood cholesterol levels by promoting
healthy immune function and proper digestion of food. Dietary fiber also helps encourage
good stool habits and reduces the risk of certain bowel diseases, such as
colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disorders.
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Digestion: The process by which
foods are broken down into smaller sub-units or components, which can be
absorbed into the body through the gastrointestinal tract.
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Digestible Carbohydrates: These
carbohydrates can be broken down in the gastrointestinal tract (prior to
reaching the colon) by acids and digestive enzymes. This results in
small nutritional components that can be absorbed into the blood stream and
taken to where they can be further processed and used as an energy source
by the body.
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Durum Wheat Semolina: An
amber-colored, high protein hard wheat, which is grown only for pasta products
because it produces the best flavor, color and al dente texture. "Durum" is
the Latin word for "hard". Semolina is the coarsely ground endosperm
of durum wheat. High in protein, 100 percent semolina is used by pasta manufacturers
to make high quality pasta products. The word "semolina" is Latin
in origin, and is the diminutive form of the word "simila" which
means "finest wheat flour." Semolina, golden in color and very
granular in texture, is mixed with water to produce pasta.
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Glucose: The scientific name for
one type of simple sugar. Foods contain simple sugars, as well as complex,
or long chain, carbohydrates, which are made of many simple sugars. Starch
is a complex carbohydrate. The digestion of complex carbohydrates produces
glucose which is absorbed into the blood stream, where it is commonly referred
to as blood glucose (blood sugar). Glucose acts as the body's primary, short-term energy
source. Other simple sugars that also convert to glucose, include
dextrose, maltose, galactose, fructose, lactose, and sucrose.
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Glycemic Index (GI): A measure of
the effect of the consumption of food on blood glucose levels. It ranks the
blood glucose response of a food on a scale of 0-100. Typically high glycemic
foods are those that are 70+, while low glycemic foods have a GI of less
than 55.
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Glycemic Load (GL): A measure of
the quality and the quantity of digestible carbohydrate in a product serving
or in a specified amount of product. It is calculated by multiplying
the glycemic index (GI) times the carbohydrate content of the food in grams
and then dividing by 100.
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Insulin: A
hormone (protein) made by the pancreas, which promotes the use of blood sugar,
or glucose, by the body. Insulin is required to help move blood glucose from
the blood to the cells to be used for energy.
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Inulin: Different from insulin,
inulin is a naturally-occurring, non-digestible carbohydrate (a dietary fiber)
found in over 36,000 plants worldwide. A soluble fiber, inulin naturally
occurs in cereal grains, onions, asparagus, bananas, raisins, garlic and
many other commonly consumed plants. Unlike starch (another complex carbohydrate),
it is not digested by the body.
Instead it is a preferred food for
health-promoting bacteria, called lactic-acid producing bacteria (bifidobacteria
and lactobacilli). These are the same bacteria as those found as active
cultures in many yogurts and fermented dairy products. These bacteria grow
and produce fermentation products to help support a healthy immune system,
modulate blood glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver, perhaps help improve
calcium absorption, and help keep the colon functioning properly for recycling
of water and electrolytes.
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Net Carbs: Typically calculated
by subtracting fiber (grams) from total carbohydrates (grams). Sometimes
sugar alcohols, which deliver fewer calories than starch and sugars, are
factored in. There is no consensus definition or FDA regulated method for
calculating or labeling net carbs.
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Pasta: A general term for a shaped
and dried dough made from flour and water. Most American dry pasta is made
with semolina, which is produced from finely ground kernels of durum wheat.
Dreamfields Pasta is made from only the highest quality wheat semolina. For
more helpful information on pasta, such as history, manufacturing, shapes,
recipes, etc., follow the link to the National Pasta Association website
at
www.ilovepasta.org.
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Prebiotic: A non-digestible substance,
such as inulin, in food that promotes the growth of normal healthful bacteria
(also called probiotics) in the colon.
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Pre-Diabetes: A condition where
a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high
enough to be considered as diabetes. Pre-diabetes can develop into type 2
diabetes if not controlled.
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Protected Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates that normally would
be digested but are not digested due to a physical limitation. The added
fiber and protein blend in Dreamfields creates a protective barrier to reduce
the starch digestion in the small intestine. When the unabsorbed or protected
starch reaches the colon and is fermented it provides many of the same benefits
as fiber.
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Resistant Starch: Carbohydrates that resist being digested
particularly in the small intestine. When they cannot be digested in the
small intestine, they pass to the colon where they perform as dietary fiber.
They may occur: 1) naturally; 2) be created by chemically modifying
carbohydrates in food processing; or 3) become resistant as they are processed
by the body. Resistant starches occur naturally in various amounts in many
foods, such as cooked then cooled potatoes, un-milled grains, seeds, legumes,
bananas, and high-amylase starches. Most resistant starches are produced
by concentrating naturally resistant starches and/or by chemically modifying
carbohydrates to produce a starch with low digestibility.
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