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Question:
Carbs are confusing. Can you help me understand what's more
important - the amount of carbs or the ingredients? Also,
is going low on carbs good even though the product is full
of junk?
Answer:
First of all, carbohydrates (carbs) are the body's number
one source of energy and we need them to survive. I personally
eat 200 to 250 grams of carbs everyday!
To
clarify your question, let me first ask you this: What kind
of carbs are we talking about? The real key is to look at
the fiber and sugar content. For example: Optimum Power Breakfast
cereal has 41 grams of carbs. However, this is a whole grain
product, and 10 of these grams are from fiber. Fiber cannot
be digested or absorbed so these grams don't count! That leaves
31 grams of carbs, where 16 of these grams are from sugar.
While anything over 12 grams of sugar is a little high, with
the 10 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein, this combination
helps slow the digestion so you won't get a sugar spike or
an influx of insulin into the bloodstream like you would with
a cereal that is lower in fiber and protein.
For
example, if this cereal had only 2 grams of fiber and 1 to
2 grams of protein this would tell me that it had some white
or enriched wheat flour in it. White flour plus the 16 grams
of sugar would cause a blood sugar spike. If this were the
case, this would be considered an unhealthy carb. When it
comes to carbs, choose fibrous - anything over 4 to 5 grams
of fiber per serving. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables
over those foods containing white or enriched wheat flour
and sugar.
I
would never recommend choosing a product full of junk just
because it is low in carbs. Putting your health first helps
you to choose with logic. Good luck!
E-mail
your questions to [email protected]
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