Low Carb Crib

Carbs

In recent years, the carb couting diets have been dominating the billion dollar dieting industry. In a constant effort to shed those stubborn pounds people are very conscious of their carbs intake. However, when trying to count carbs and distinguish good carbs from bad carbs we are faced the with the challenge of trying to interpret misleading food labels. here in the United States food companies are allowed to round number values down. So how can we be sure of what we are eating? After all the diet will not be succesful unless you know exactly what is going into your body and in what amounts.

Beware of Hidden Carbs

There are many products that contain fair amounts of fillers. These include such things as artificial sweeteners as well as a lot of products that come as dry powders that need to be mixed for preparation, like sugar-free gelatin mixes and the like. Most of the time they will use things like corn syrup solids or dextrose which contain carbs and must be counted if you are on a low carb diet. These types of fillers are made from the starch in corn. The fillers used have the same level of carbs as glucose, and dextrose is the chemical equivalent of glucose. If you are serious about counting carbs make sure you account for such fillers.

Sugar alcohols are another potential diet-breaker. Some experts say that they are fine for a low carb diet, while others say they should be avoided. Many low carb foods have sugar alcohols listed in their ingredients. But, even though they are not technically carbs, they are usually listed as such on food labels. It is probably better to err on the side of caution though and help to ensure that you know for certain that your diet does remain low carbs.

There are many pitfalls in dieting as research has shown. Most people who take some weight off eventually gain it back plus some. So if you are committed to the weight loss system that you have chosen, it is the best idea to stick to it more strictly than more loosely. That way you will not be disappointed.