Monday, 19 September 2011
-
Carb-o-licious: Keeping Your Carbs in Check
Oh, America. We love our carbs. Pasta with a side of bread, cake following dinner, or, my favorite: a nighttime bath with a slice of pizza. But here's the deal--we weren't designed to eat that much. The Institute of Medicine recommends 130 grams a day... while the average American benches 250-300 grams of carbs a day.So what's a carb-happy eater like myself to do?
Well, first: chill out. Like most things with our bodies and science and numbers--it all depends:
"'What people can tolerate varies widely based on age, metabolism, activity level, body size and gender,' says Dr. Stephen Phinney, nutritional biochemist and an emeritus professor of UC Davis."
Even genetic disposition plays a role in carb consumption and processing.
So... choose wisely. The idea is to lower carb count, but also to make better carb choices. If Dorothy's tornado planted her house in a grocery store, she would come out in the bakery aisle asking: "Are you a good carb, or a bad carb?"
"A good carb is one that doesn't raise your blood sugar quickly. (Some people call these complex carbs.) Examples are whole grains, brown rice and legumes. Bad, or simple, carbs trigger a fast rise in blood sugar. Some examples are white bread, refined pasta, processed cereals, cookies, candy and sugary sodas."
Even tricker! Use this tip when buying bread: The 6 to 1 Ratio. There should be 6 gm of carbs to 1 gm of fiber. Stick to this to know if a package that claims to be whole grain is truly whole grain.
You also want to count the number that counts: net carbs. Keep this number low.
"First find the total grams of carbohydrates per serving, then subtract grams of fiber and sugar alcohols. For example, if one serving of canned beans has 18 grams of carbohydrates and 6 grams of fiber, net carbs equal 12 grams."
Thanks to the LA Times for carb tips.
How much do you love carbs? Do you try to count them or don't bother with considering them in your diet? What's your favorite carb?
RecommendRelated Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to healthkicker's Healthkicker Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in healthkicker's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
About the Author
-
- From: funnygirlblues
- About Me: I am a 6'1" girl trying to put my life together in New York City. I love to write, read, cafe hop, and swim when I have the chance. I believe good health has its foundations in good mental health, and do my best to keep that in order as well. Everything's a work in progress.
Stats: This Week All Time Posts: 0 67 Views: 0 123197 Comments: 0 957 View all posts by funnygirlblues
Comments (5)
Most of my calories come from carbs. The good carbs. Organic fruits, veggies, and grains.
There's no need to sweat over what I'm putting into my mouth, as long as I know it's a whole food.
Cheers! :)
@MyLonelySister@xanga - Salo is a russian food consisting of pure pig or other animal fat. This
is a whole food. This food is food you should sweat about.
@jigglysnake@xanga - You're right, I would sweat over that if someone forced me to eat it. That sounds really disgusting. Thank God I'm a vegan.
@jigglysnake@xanga - My god, that sounds delicious. I'm salivating over the thought of that. I gotta see if they serve that anywhere.
I think it is so important to keep up with your carbs. You should only eat only a certain amount of cards. Carbs will definitely add up and put weight on you. You have to be very careful with it.
Aikido in Toronto