Carbohydrates can serve as energy for the brain, storing energyfor the muscles, and digestive aids. However, unlike proteins,carbohydrates continue to be perceived as “bad food” in the diet.Individuals may go to great length to “avoid” carbohydrates but eata “healthy diet.”
While some consumers may take a more moderate approach and usereplacement or substitute sweeteners (alternative sweeteners) toreplace sucrose, use of a variety of foods should be the preferredroute to a healthy diet. Discuss the fallacies in thinking thatalternative sweeteners can replace sugar and discuss the role ofalternative sweeteners in a dietary plan for a healthy adult.

In the following scenario, what advice would you recommend tothe individuals and why?
You are visiting overnight with family relatives that you have notseen for some time. The mother of the family (your distant aunt) isquite overweight and the two children, 12 y/o and 16 y/o, are“heavy” but you would not classify them as obese. The father of thefamily recently had a heart attack and while in the hospital wasput on a low-fat diet. He is not overweight by observation.
Your aunt is trying to follow the diet “faithfully” for her husbandand believes that having everyone in the household follow the dietwould be best (children included). The diet includes lean meats andlow-fat dairy products. Your aunt decided that the family shouldalso cut out carbohydrates as well given that “they can cause youto become fat” and is making sure that everyone is consuming plentyof liquids to wash away the plaque in the arteries.
What do you think of this diet and what recommendations would yougive to your aunt and her family?