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ARRGGH this net carb thingy giving me a headache!

lovinglife

lovinglife

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Type of diabetes
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! could someone explain to me in words of one syllable about this net carbs thing - I know I am not stupid I have a bit of paper that says so :wink: but I have a mental blockage about this and just can't get my head around the labeling and what we add or subtract - :? :oops:

I want to get some dreamfields pasta - the info on the site says 40g of carbs per portion but net carbs which are digestible carbs 5g - which figure should I be looking at????

Thank you to anyone who can give me the answer so I can understand it and I bow to your incredible brain capacity 8)
 
Hi - havent posted for a while been rather busy.

The problem arises because the americans include fibre in the total carbs and we do not in the UK. Dreamfields pasta must be american - I am guessing here.

They label nutrients slightly differently too.

So for UK foods the total carb is the figure you need to use! For that reason I do not recommend the collins book as I cannot work out who put it together - probably was not a dietitian ( I am by the way!).

in the Uk we have food tables known as Mcance and Widdowson - the composition of foods. They are based on foods analysed in the UK so we should use these. I know that they are on the food standards agency website - phoenix has a link ! It is being updated - dont know when it will be published but it is very expensive. I have copies so if you get stuck for a food mail me. I also have it as an analysis package on my laptop.

This is whu you can never be sure about analysis data on websites.

If you want to get a carb counter get the fat and carb bible - it is bigger but much more accurate than that collins book. It is updated every year - who knows when or by who the collins book is !
 
Americans include fiber, sugar alcohol and other elements as part of total carbohydrates. By net carbs, they mean: total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohol, if any. Since their labels are required to present the carbs this way, total carbs are overstated if you don't subtract fiber.

Now, there is also some controversy whether sugar alcohol should be subtracted to arrive at net carbs. Many people agree that fiber should, however. Most diet books (Atkins, etc.), when they refer to 30 carbs per day, for example, means 30 carbs net of fiber. So if you eat a lot of fiber, like 30g, you can eat up to 60g total carbs and stay at your 30 carbs per day diet.
 
Thanks guys - I think I get it - I can't believe that I can't get my head around it - I know its simple but it just won't stick in there :lol:

Have ordered some anyway and will go from there - maybe staring it it for long periods will help it sink in :lol:

meant to ask if anyone else has used it and what they thought?
 
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