Carb Facts

First, a bit of news from me! This is the first of two posts I've made for today. I'll be at my daughter's wedding this weekend so after today I'll be off until next week. So I hope these articles inspire and motivate and hold you until I get back! Now, without further ado, there's been so much talk about low carb diets these days--and there are many of them. I will testify that these DO work. Like any diet, you just need to stick with it. But knowing what a carb is and how it affects you is paramount. Now, I've found these two articles from Laura Dolson at about.com. They're short and full of info. The first one is "7 Facts to Know about Carbohydrates" (click on the link to get the full article). The second, in the next post is about the 10 most common mistakes Laura sees that people make when they 'low-carb' diet. Now, since education is key, let's start with the carb facts:

Summary of "7 Facts to Know about Carbohydrates":

1. Carbs = Sugar: Except for fiber, all carbs end up as sugar. Starches or complex carbs are only long strings of sugar. The question remains, then, how quickly do these convert into sugar. [Author note: As you may know, the complex carbs--if in pure form as you can read in the next bullet--break down more slowly and thus don't spike your glucose levels as high as simple sugars BUT this is only true if it isn't processed.]
2. Misconception: Starches (complex carbs) break down slowly in the body: Not true. Most carbs from the grocers break down rapidly because the food manufacturers have already begun to process it--ground flour, refining, puffing, etc. Whole wheat flour is almost as glycemic as white, but it is more nutritious.
3. Best Bets: Non-starchy vegetables, low sugar fruits and legumes: Best sources of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, etc. And legumes (such as pinto beans, etc.) are great because they break down slowly and have resistant starch [fiber] in them. Experiment with the legumes and see what fits for you.
4. Eat Whole Intact Grains: If you can tolerate more sugar, then add whole grains such as rice, barley, quinoa, etc. These are broken down more slowly and have some resistant starch in them. [I think Flax Seed is also a good choice. It is low in calories and adds good Omega 3's into your diet!]
   
5. Misconception: By the time food reaches our colon, the story is over: Nope. Digestion of fermentable carbs are going on here and there's the friendly bacteria that makes stuff good for our health.
6. Eat Lots of Fiber: Eat both insoluble and fermentable fiber (soluble, resistant starch, oligosaccarides)
7. You May have to put some extra effort in to get sources of resistant starch.
   

There you go. Now, read onto the next post to see what some pitfalls of low carb dieting can be!

Take care and ya'll have a great week!

~ Lise

How much danger would you face for the perfect romance?

Lise Fuller, www.lisefuller.com, www.myspace.com/lisefuller, ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINEE, 2006; Pikes Peak Romance Writers 2006 Author of the Year

~On Danger's Edge, print-03/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com, 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times
~Intimate Deceptions, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com, RECOMMENDED READS from Coffee Time Romance and Joyfully Reviewed
~Cutting Loose, print-04/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com