Confused about carbs

[sparkyrich]

Hi all, it's a while since I last headed down this road and, reading some posts today, I'm getting a bit confused. I'm almost certain that the mantra used to be "don't worry about total carbs, it's the carbs as sugars that matter".
Today though I've read posts that suggest carbs are carbs are sugars. So, good folks of the forum, which is right? If I'm trying to low(ish) carb, do I need to count every gram of carb, whether they're "as sugars" or not?

 

[Guzzler]

In the UK you take note of the total carbs, you can ignore the "of which sugars" bit. And good luck!

 

[bulkbiker]

All carbs turn into sugar once ingested so look at the total carbs.. and try to avoid anything over 10% (personally i go for under 5%).

 

[Freema]

all carbs count in

 

[miahara]

Yes, as per the above it's the carbs you need to consider and forget the bit about sugars as carbs are sugars as far as your digestive system and blood glucose levels are concerned. The only difference is that the 'sugars' element will elevate your bg a bit faster.
The simple solution is just to look for low carb/100gm foods. However if you want to get really picky you could start looking at the glycaemic index and glycaemic loads (GI & GL) and these give an indication as to how much a carby food is likely to affect blood glucose. Another factor to bear in mind is the quantity of a carby food that you are likely to eat as you could possibly get away with consuming a smidgin of a highish carb food. I can't think of a specific example at present, but I know than when shopping and I've seen something that takes my fancy and is rated high carb but I buy as I'll only eat a very small quantity.
A very good book that will help you understand the various factors involved in a diabetic diet is Reverse your Diabetes by Dr David Cavin, it's a comprehensive but easily read and assimilated book.

 

[Resurgam]

In the UK we count net carbs - without fibre included, but in the US there is fibre in the total.
I find there is no need to count the fibre, though some do.
The combined starch and sugar content of a food are the carbs, and they become glucose in the blood. Starch cannot be disregarded, it would be dangerous to do.

 

[Rianne]

Hi Sparkyrich,

I've been confused too. I started about 3,5 weeks ago on going keto. I do not know what your goal for going low carb or maybe keto is. That, I think, is important for your choice in how you want to handle carbs. For me the goal is not weight loss (although a few kgs off would be nice) but better control of blood glucose. I'm a type 1 and use an insulin pump. For me, as a former rawfoodist, I especially find the carbs in vegetables important. I found the following very helpful:

https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2014/11/30/Total-Carbs-or-Net-Carbs-What-Really-Counts

and the video's of dr. Berg, f.e. this one:

Maybe it is of help to you. Of course it will always be a personal interpretation and especially a personal choice or preference.
Good luck!

Greetings,

Rianne