Understanding Carbs

What Are Carbs?

Carbohydrates, usually referred to as carbs, are one of the nutrients used by the body for energy, with 1 gram equal to 4 calories. The body quickly converts carbs to glucose, except for fiber-dense carbs, which are broken down at a slower rate. Carbs are important because they:

• Are the main source of fuel for the body
• Are quickly and easily used by the body for energy
• Can be stored in the muscles for when you exercise
• Provide lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber
• Help your body function properly without fatigue (if you don't overindulge).

The trick is to choose the good kinds and the right amountsThe trick is to choose the good kinds and the right amounts. Unused carbs (those not burned as energy) can be stored as fat. Carbohydrates are also one of the main factors that determine how much insulin – the hormone that enables glucose to enter the cells – the body will produce.

Simple and Complex Carbs

Simple carbs such as candy, honey, soda and juice – and even many vegetables, fruits and grains – are quickly digested and can be used immediately for energy. However, they also spike blood glucose levels. Healthy simple carbs can be an ideal choice just before an intense cardio workout like aerobics, but they're not a great choice for snacks or meals, since they can leave you hungry and tired after the initial boost tapers off.

Complex carbs take longer to digest and come from foods such as whole grain products, and certain vegetables and fruits. Unlike simple carbs, they are often released into the bloodstream slowly, which is easier on the system. To help avoid the extremes produced by simple carbs, it can be a good idea to combine good carbs with some protein and/or healthy fat, which will slow down digestion, make a person's energy last longer and keep him from going hungry too quickly. Many find that a meal based on protein, with lots of vegetables and with low-glycemic good carbs in specific amounts (to be determined together with one's health-care provider), leaves them feeling much more energetic than they do after eating a lot of fast-working carbs.

Regardless of the type of carbs you eat, all of them are treated the same way by your body – they are all broken down and converted into glucose after digestion. Nevertheless, complex carbs are almost always the best choice, in moderation, because they are naturally low in fat and high in fiber, and they provide an abundance of vitamins and minerals.

A Word on Low, Good Carbs

Insulin can cause weight gainLow, good-carb regimens are based on the biological fact that for every gram of carbs digested, a certain amount of insulin is secreted or needs to be taken in order to enable the converted glucose to enter the cells and be used for energy. Eating a higher carbohydrate meal stimulates or calls for more insulin. We now know that, aside from enabling sugar to enter the cells and be converted into energy, insulin can cause weight gain and stimulate the brain to produce hunger signals. A person then eats more carbohydrates and the cycle repeats itself... leading to more weight gain, as well as the overproduction and/or need for more insulin.

Many experts believe that eating the low, good-carb way can help produce and sustain weight loss, stabilize blood sugar levels, lower insulin levels, lower "bad" cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and increase energy.

So How Low Is "Low Carb"?

Let's take a look at what the experts are saying, based on a regimen of 1500 calories per day:

• The American Diabetes/Dietetic Associations recommends a daily allowance (RDA) of 150-240 grams of carbs (about 60 percent of total calories).
• The National Academy of Sciences recommends no less than 120 grams of carbs per day.
• Atkins initially recommends 20 grams per day (less than 5 percent of total calories) for the first phase of his program.
• Protein Power recommends that about 12-15 percent of a person's calories should be carbs, based on different stages throughout, reaching a total of 30-45 grams of carbs per day (based on 1000-1200 calories per day).
• The Zone advises keeping carbs at 40 percent of total calories.
• Dr. Richard Bernstein (author of Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution) recommends 7-10 grams of carbs per sitting.
• The South Beach Diet allows different amounts of carbs for different phases.
• Even Weight Watchers has become more carb conscious, allowing you to substitute some carbs with more protein and adding additional points.

A high-carb diet is one that includes the consumption of 150-300 grams of active carbs (after deducting fiber) per day. Medium-carb is the consumption of 60-150 grams of active carbs per day, and low-carb is generally a diet in which 30-60 grams of carbs are consumed per day.

Anyone following a regimen of 30 grams of carbs per day would try to limit his or her carb intake to about 10 grams per meal, or have a very low-carb breakfast, such as eggs and a salad, leaving room for a low or medium-carb lunch and dinner.

It is generally accepted that, per serving, 0-10 grams of carbs is considered low carb, 15-20 grams is considered medium carb, and anything above 20 grams of carbs is in the high range.

While we are not making any specific recommendations here, it is quite clear that people with diabetes, elevated blood sugars, and/or insulin resistance need to be more aware of the types and amounts of carbs they are eating. Recent studies in The New England Journal of Medicine report that participants who successfully followed low-carb plans for six months lost more weight than those who followed low-fat plans, without curbing carbs.

Also, those on the Atkins diet raised their levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. But like any other regimen, it should be implemented under guidance.

One needs guidance both during weight loss and certainly once his ideal weight is reachedAnother important point about low-carb plans for the weight conscious: One tends to take the pounds off fast. However, once off the regimen, the person can gain them back equally as fast. One needs guidance both during weight loss and certainly once his ideal weight is reached. It is very important to learn how to start reintroducing carbs, slowly and correctly, in order to avoid a drastic and quick weight gain. And although there is now a greater awareness of the advantages of lowering carbs in the diet, it has become just as apparent that adding too much fat and protein in their place can be equally detrimental, certainly as far as weight loss goes. This is where professional nutrition guidance comes in.

Preventing Deficiencies

Some low-carb regimens can be deficient in calcium, magnesium, iron and dietary fiber, among other nutrients. There are low or reduced-carb alternatives that can help ensure that you meet your daily requirements.

Good, low or reduced-carb sources of calcium include low-fat or nonfat dairy products, broccoli, dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens, fortified soy milk (check the label for grams of carbs), sardines, soybeans, black-eyed peas, black beans, and fortified vegetable juices. Tehina is very rich in calcium, but watch the fat and use it only in small amounts.

For low or reduced-carb foods rich in magnesium, try avocado, wheat germ, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, spinach, bran, soybeans, peanuts, lentils, and humus (ground cooked chickpeas).

Iron-rich and carb-friendly foods include avocado, broccoli, kidney, pinto and navy beans, lean beef, lentils, lima beans, liver and all organ meats, sardines, spinach, split green peas, and tuna. For low-fat regimens, however, liver and organ meats should be kept to small portions due to their high fat/cholesterol content. It has been recommended to limit one's consumption of tuna, due to its high mercury content. Pregnant women should check with their doctors.

Most vegetables contain dietary fiber, especially when eaten with the peel many are naturally low in carbs.

Calculating Carbs

Carb counting can be funThis explanation is for those of you who would like to learn how to calculate the exact amount of carbs in any given food or meal. Carb counting can be fun and has proven to be a very beneficial tool in any program. The way we once used to count calories is now the way we look at grams of carbs. To find out how many grams of carbohydrates there are in a particular food, we need to first find the food's carb factor.

(The list below contains the carb factors for many common foods. More extensive lists can be obtained in many computer programs and books.) This number is then multiplied by the weight of the food, giving us the total grams of carbohydrates in that food. For instance, the carb factor for tangerines is 0.12. This tells us that 12 percent of a tangerine's total weight is carbohydrate. If the tangerine weighs 60 grams (this is small enough to fit in the palm of an average woman's hand), we multiply this by .12. We now know that this tangerine has 7.2 grams of carbs.

Using this method, you can easily calculate the amount of carbs in various combinations of homemade foods, e.g. potato casserole (kugel). All you have to do is add up all the carbs in a given recipe (using the formula in the previous paragraph), and then divide this figure by the number of portions. The beauty of calculating carbs, as opposed to the old way of counting exchanges, is that with this method, the exact size of the portion is taken into account, thereby allowing for greater precision in the final result.

It might surprise you to compare the carb factors of some fruits and their dried versions. For instance, an apricot has a carb factor of .13 (13 percent of the fruit is carbs). However, when dried, it jumps to a carb factor of .60 (now 60 percent of the fruit is carbs)!

Please note: The carb factor discussed above is not to be confused with the nutrition facts that are based on 100-gram portions. To determine the carb factor with these weights, simply divide by 100. For example, if a food label states that a 100-gram portion of the product contains 55 grams of carbohydrates, then the carb factor for that food is 0.55.

Portion Sizes for Selected Low-Carb Snacks

Fruits (equal to 10 grams net carbs):
Apple = 1/2 large
Cherries =11
Grapefruit = 1/2 medium
Orange = 1 small
Peach = 1 medium
Pear = 1/2 medium
Plum = 2 small
Tangerine = 1 medium

Berries (equal to 5 grams net carbs):
Blackberries =1/2 cup fresh or ⅓ cup frozen
Blueberries = ⅓ cup
Raspberries = 3/4 cup fresh or 1/2 cup frozen
Strawberries 3/4 cup whole fresh or1/2 cup frozen

Nuts (equal to 3 grams net carbs):
Macadamias = 11
Walnuts = 14 halves
Almonds = 14
Pecans = 14 halves
Dry roasted peanuts = 26
Cashews = 2 tablespoons
Filberts = 14
Pine nuts = 3 tablespoons
Shelled pistachios = 14

Olives 10 large = 1 gram net carbs
Avocados 1 California = 3.5 grams net carbs