http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/carbs.html Carbs have become the talk of the dietary world in the last few years. People who are on low carb or no carb diets seem to have a lot of success in a short amount of time, so more and more people are counting carbs--for better or worse. en-us Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 Considering cutting carbs from your diet? It helps to know the difference between the good and the bad, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of a low carb diet before starting one. Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs If you want to lose weight, cutting back on carbs is a good thing. In fact, you can start by replacing the bad carbs you eat with good ones. Examples of good carbs include: Whole grain or whole wheat foods like whole grain or whole wheat breads, whole wheat pasta and brown or long grain rice. Low-fat or non-fat milk and cheeses Fresh fruits and vegetables Carbs to avoid (a.k.a. bad carbs) are: White breads, regular pasta and white rice Fruit juice and sodas Sweets and desserts Good carbs are harder for the body to break down than bad carbs, so it takes them longer to digest, which means you'll feel full longer and your blood sugar levels remain stable. Bad carbs are easy for the body to break down, which takes your blood sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride and causes you to eat more. Benefits and Drawbacks of a Low Carb Diet Low carb diets are popular because people who follow them tend to lose weight quickly--but this only on the highly restrictive low carb diets. They are practically no carb diets. When you lower your carb intake to 20-40 grams of carbs a day, your body starts burning fat and protein for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Staying on a diet that restricts carbs so much in the long term can cause kidney damage and possible heart problems. In addition, when your body is burning fat, ketones are released in your system and expelled through urine. This is a state called ketosis, and it can leave you with breath that smells like nail polish. Also, the absence of carbs can make you grumpy because when you eat carbs, your brain produces serotonin, which is a "feel good" chemical. A lack of carbs leads to a lack of serotonin which leads to grumpiness. Many people opt to go on a low carb diet because it doesn't require exercise to be effective. This is good news for people who can't exercise due to physical problems or who just don't have time. Low carb diets typically don't leave you with enough energy to exercise, but if you do, it just makes your body burn even more fat. The first 20 minutes of exercise typically burns carbs, and the rest of the time spent burns fat. If you don't have the carbs to burn, you burn fat much sooner. But carbs are a better source of fuel for your body. They give you the energy to get out and exercise in the first place. Ultimately, the decision about whether or not to go on a low carb diet is up to you. But get the facts before you decide on anything. Tue, 06 Dec 2005 23:24:26 EST http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/food-low-in-carbs.html Food low in carbs isn't hard to find. You just have to do research to learn about food low in carbs before you go to the store. en-us Wed, 07 Dec 2005 12:57:47 EST Wed, 07 Dec 2005 12:57:47 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/low-carbs.html Low carbs or low fat? There are good and bad points to both types of diets, and doctors are back and forth. This page won't tell you if a diet that emphasizes low carbs is better than a low fat diet, but it presents information that will get you thinking. en-us Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:22:32 EST Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:22:32 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/good-carbs.html Good carbs aren't bad for you. Do you know what good carbs are? en-us Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:02:43 EST Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:02:43 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/bad-carbs.html Bad carbs start you out on a vicious cycle of eating. Try to limit your intake of bad carbs for good health. en-us Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:13:31 EST Wed, 16 Nov 2005 10:13:31 EST Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.carveoutcarbs.com/counting-carbs.html Counting carbs is a popular way for people to lose weight. But is counting carbs the best way? en-us Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:33:13 EST Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:33:13 EST Weblog Editor 2.0