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'Net' Carbs Question From Confused Newbie

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Dreamer_Tink

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My GP ;o)
Hello :D

I've introduced myself on the 'Greetings' board so won't bore y'all with my waffle and will just jump straight to it :lol:

I'm newly diagnosed with Type 2 - currently on Metformin 2000mg pd and according to the specialist likely to stay on it for life even if I do become a new svelte version of myself :roll: :lol:

As advised (and suprisingly so from reading some of the posts on here) by both the nurse at the hospital and at my GP's I'm on a low carb diet - max of 60g pd.

It's not particulary been a bother cutting out the carbs - I miss bread and am weaning myself off milk :( but cutting out the 'obvious' carbs has been easy. The 'hidden' carbs - well, we're getting there :D

anyway (after promising no waffle I'm finally reaching my point :oops: ) my lovely hubby ordered me a 'cheer-up' food parcel from a low-carb website and was very excited about it (even more than I was :D ) but now it has arrived and I've had a good look at the goodies I am really confused.

I'll give you an example: Tortilla wraps are advertised as 3g per wrap - but looking at the pack it says 7g per wrap BUT 3g NET Carbs :? :?

So do I just count the NET carbs (3g) or the total carbs (7g) ....... like I said... really confused

Thanks in advance for any help :D

Sarah x
 
Net carbs is without the fibre.In the UK we use the total carb amount so you would use the 7 carbs as total when calculating your carb intake.
 
If foods have American style labels, the "carbs" inclue fibre, which is indigestible and you have to subtract the value given for fibre. to get to net carbs.
However, there are some foods which are chemically in the category carbohydrate, but not biologically available for another reason( perhaps made with inulin, which isn't metabolically active)
The endpoint of this is Yes!
just count Net carbs. and thank whichever version of Providence you believe in, that you have a doctor and nurse who are on the ball
Hana
Sorry Sue,
but you wouldn't count indigestible fibre in your carb consumption. :?
 
That's a new one on me,Hana.I have always included total carbs in my calculations and so I believe ,do most on the forum!!Net carbs is only what affects your blood glucose level.If you are on 60 gm carbs per day and you had say 3 of these wraps that would give you 21 grams of carbs in total.Counting net carbs that would only be a total of 9 carbs.Therefore if you go with just net carbs you could be eating much more carbs than you think especially in processed foods.
 
Quote from one of Phoenix posts,

Unless things have quietly changed (??) with European labels this is not the case. Carbs and fibre are listed separately, our carbs are 'net' carbs, fibre is not included. In the US (and possibly Canada) fibre is listed as part of the total carb content so to get net carbs you quite validly subtract the fibre. If you do this with figures from a UK source, as far as I can see you get a falsely low figure.
(for more explanation) http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/news/net-carbs.htm I spent ages looking for an official source but couldn't find one .....this site agrees with what I've always understood.
Click to expand...

So as I understand it,our labelling in the UK,total carb is the carb without the fibre anyway.
The US system is different listing net carb and fibre as separate.Is the packaging you received UK or US?

(Now going to lie down in darkened room!)
 
wow! Thanks for all the fast answers :D I'm not sure it's any clearer :? :D

I've had another look and all the labels are American - so that means I go with the NET carbs .... right :?

and as for the Tortila wraps - I've just had one for my tea and 3g or 7g I don't think I'll be eating them too often :shock: :lol:

S xx
 
Hi Sarah.

Sue asked not to be disturbed :roll:

If as you say it is an American product label, then go with the NET carbs.

If it's UK then the total carbs shown are without the fibre and ARE NET carbs. Hope that makes things a little clearer. :?

Support our UK producers !!! Buy British. :D
 
Right Ken

Our UK labels refer to how the body uses the food. American labels refer to Biochemical categories. They are correct and so are we. We just have to know which labels we are reading.
 
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