A beginners guide to carbohydrate counting

Carbohydrate counting can be achieved in a number of ways. You can measure everything on a gram scale and multiply the correct carbohydrates you will be eating or you can use a free carbohydrate counter. There are many websites that offer help and guidance towards a no carbohydrate or a low carbohydrate diet.

How to count carbohydrates

Counting carbohydrates is easy if you can read labels, have access to a computer or have a handy pocket reference book. Many companies have published carbohydrate counter books for a minimal price. You simply have to look up the food you want to eat and write down the carbohydrates. As a beginner, you will want to decide how many carbohydrates you can eat in a day. Most low carbohydrate diets allow 50g to 150g. Divide this figure by the number of meals that you will be eating. You will need a small scale, measuring cups and a calculator to count your carbohydrates accurately. Read labels, measure exactly and plan your meals according to your allowed carbohydrates.

Good foods for diabetics

If you are diabetic, then counting carbohydrates is necessary to control your sugar levels. The healthy diet for a diabetic is one with little or no carbohydrates, such as the Atkins Diet or the low carbohydrate diet followed by Drew Carey. He lost 80 pounds by giving up carbohydrates. The Atkins revolution states that you can eat all the meat you want on their diet cooked in butter. This is not a healthy diet for diabetics. Butter will clog your arteries and red meat is a known cancer-causing food. Eat a sensible diet with low fat proteins and count your carbohydrates, either with Dr. Atkins gram counter book or a carbohydrate counter.

Online free carbohydrate counter

Free is always best and this free online carbohydrate calculator will take the guess work out of your hands. You simply click on the type of food you are searching for, such as dairy, and then select the food you want to search for. Everything is measured in 100 gram portions, but you can change the portion to what you like, such as one cup of brie cheese. You will be given the breakdown of carbohydrates and fibre. You must then figure out the net carbohydrates. To do this, simply subtract the fibre from the carbohydrate total and you will have your net carbohydrates. Some foods will not have any fibre, so the amount of carbohydrates given is sufficient. Here is the web address for the carbohydrate counter : Lowcarb.ca (Carbohydrate counter) Learning to read labels is imperative. You can get all this information on the package and then, just measure out according to your needs. Source: Diabetesnet.com