How to calculate net carbs and other carbs that come from the foods you eat is a question a lot of people ask. When you look at how much you weigh and the nutrition facts on the back of a package of food, you might see that there are a lot of things that contribute to how many carbs or fiber you have in the food. There are two main categories of carbohydrates – simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates consist of glucose, fructose, dextrose, glucose and reconstituted cane sugar. Complex carbohydrates include oats, breads, cereals, rice, potatoes and pasta.
So, how to calculate net carbs for these two categories? Simple carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals and are low in calories. This category of carbohydrates is included in low carb diets. They are complex carbohydrates because they contain one or more sugar molecules. The problem with using net carbs as an idea for your daily intake is that it doesn’t include all the different types of carbohydrates and some of these can turn into sugar when they are digested.
Fruits and vegetables contain fiber. Fiber contains a large number of nutrients that our bodies need. Most importantly to dieters, fiber provides water which helps us lose weight. It also reduces our hunger and keeps us satisfied longer. If you use net carbs and other carbs based on how much fiber they contain, you might be getting enough fiber but not the other important nutrients that are not included in the package.
The second group of carbohydrates – simple carbs – are a very important part of any weight loss diet. These include refined and simple sugars which are not part of the natural structure of most carbs. These are part of the reason why people who try to use ultra low carb diets, often experience failure and do not lose much weight. Using the concept of calculating total carbs and finding a way to exclude them from your diet is important if you want to succeed.
Most low carb diets include a lot of protein, which comes from animal sources like meats, milk and cheese. You can get all the protein that you need from plant sources. Instead of eating meat or eating a lot of red meat and other processed foods, you can eat whole grain foods like brown rice, oats and whole grain bread. Oatmeal is especially beneficial if you have a problem with digesting starchy carbs.
Some experts believe that refined and simple sugars are also bad for your health. They say that these refined and simple carbs are absorbed too quickly into the system and do not provide the amount of energy we need. This means that we can get easily tired and crave for something to lift us up. If you want to know how to calculate net carbs, you should also keep in mind that there are other factors that also influence the amount of carbohydrates that you intake.
For instance, fiber contributes to how to calculate net carbs because fiber provides an easy way for the digested carbohydrate to be released from the body. High fiber foods are fruits and vegetables, whereas low-fiber food choices are grains and starchy foods like pasta, white bread and rice. If you are trying to lose weight, you might find it a bit hard at first because your calorie intake would be less than usual. But as you go along, you will feel fuller and eat fewer calories because your body will have a way of getting the nutrients it needs from the food you eat. This is also one of the reasons why people find that losing weight can take place even when they are eating healthy. In fact, the trick is to maintain healthy eating while adding more physical activity.
There are many things you need to know about how to calculate net carbs. Aside from counting how many net carbs you consume, you should also look into what your carbohydrate intake is per day and try to make adjustments where needed. As always, consult a dietician or a registered nutritionist before you decide on any dietary plan. In addition to this, remember to choose products that are high in fiber, as this helps you feel full and does not lead to binge eating. You can also check out some ultra low carb diets if you want to go that route.