As a low carb dieter, you have probably been bombarded with all sorts of new food terminology. One of the phrases you've probably heard time and time again is "net carbs." Net carbs is the new term food producers are using to describe the amount of carbohydrates in food that have a significant impact on blood sugar levels.
Food producers use a relatively simple formula to determine net carbs. They take the total amount of carbohydrates and then subtract the amount of carbohydrates that have a "negligible" effect on blood sugar.
For instance, let's say a food producer makes a candy bar that contains 20 grams of carbohydrates. Two grams of those carbohydrates are in the form of fiber. Fifteen grams are in the form of various sugar alcohols. That makes a total of 17 grams of carbohydrates that have a "negligible" effect on blood sugar. Subtract 17 from 20 and you have your total amount of "net carbs"--three.
While the advent of "net carb" labels may seem like a godsend as a low carb dieter, it is important to realize that these labels are somewhat deceptive.
To begin with, different types of "negligible" carbohydrates have different effects on blood sugar levels.
Whereas fiber may have a truly negligible effect on blood sugar levels, sugar alcohols are an entirely different story.
According to experts, sugar alcohols affect blood sugar levels at a slower and less complete rate than normal sugars do-- and also in a different manner from person to person. Some diabetics claim that they feel an immediate sugar rush after consuming small amounts of sugar alcohol while others report no change whatsoever.
Whatever the case is for you, it is probably better to ignore the "net carb" labels on products--and instead go straight to the nutritional information panel. Figure out exactly why the product is "low carb."
If there are no sugar alcohols, you can eat the product without thinking twice; if the product has a significant amount of sugar alcohol, you should either skip it entirely or count each gram of the sugar alcohol as 1/4 to 1/3 of a gram of carbohydrates. If you follow this approach to assessing "net carbs," you will avoid unnecessary cravings and seemingly inexplicable weight-loss stalls.
Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.
Culver prom limo ..In a global television commercial just launched (10 June 2005),... Read More
Why Walking Could Be the Solution to Your Fitness Dilemma.Walk,... Read More
You've decided it's time to lose some weight. A lot... Read More
Whether coming from a close friend, the nightly news or... Read More
Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives... Read More
Food manufacturers can easily manipulate a whole population by the... Read More
The very first thing you want to do before you... Read More
Following recent reports of a South Dakota man weighing half... Read More
Any food that we take into our bodies is composed... Read More
The right diet pill should be carefully considered when deciding... Read More
How's this for a diet: Take in fewer calories than... Read More
In the battle to look good, there's a cosmetic treatment... Read More
Metabolism is essentially the speed at which our body's motor... Read More
As I was saying in my past articles, others have... Read More
It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following... Read More
With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of... Read More
What is cellulite? Ask a doctor and he will probably... Read More
Have you ever wondered where destiny would lead you? Have... Read More
The revolution is here. Weight Loss as we know it... Read More
I recently received the following email:Q. Five weeks ago, I... Read More
When it comes to the matter of weight loss, peoples... Read More
So many people are talking about how slow their metabolism... Read More
The words I read made me furious. There it was,... Read More
Of all the possible exercises there are to help you... Read More
5 Easy Steps to A Healthier WeightAlthough different people have... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..Losing fat in my opinion is not all that difficult.... Read More
Zero Calorie Diet Sodas: Good Or Bad For Weight Loss?Calorie-free... Read More
When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight... Read More
Speculating on the scientifically proven memory unreliability, the memory specialist... Read More
Are you a hopeless carbohydrate addict? Let's conquer these cravings... Read More
The average American eats about twice as much protein than... Read More
The act of taking the first step is what separates... Read More
Are you ready to lose some weight? Perhaps you're surfing... Read More
Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is often viewed as a quick... Read More
If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More
Plan to eat two to three hours and pack health... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
The South Beach Diet was not created by your typical... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
I would like to introduce you to an incredible new... Read More
A startling fact is that carbohydrates are not responsible for... Read More
My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the... Read More
How many calories you consume has a big impact on... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
There has been a recent surge in the experts weighing... Read More
Abdominal liposuction refers to liposuction, or lipoplasty, that is performed... Read More
What a great world we live in. You want something,... Read More
IntroductionObesity is the most common health problem facing children today.... Read More
Exercise Physiologists who study the effects of exercise on weight... Read More
Finding Mad Cow in Oregon puts a new wrinkle in... Read More
Weight Loss |