carbs

what is too much carbs and how much should we not have in a day .. got protein thingy down and calories but this carb stuff is driving me crazy what foods are best and lower in carbs .Seems like everything i touch has carbs 9,11, 12 , 14, sometimes more .

Hi Rachel, This is what I've learned about carbs... While doctors vary on how many carb grams are permissable, most agree that we should be avoiding the low nutrition, low fiber carbs such as sugar, white bread, white flour. Pasta, rice, corn and potatoes should be kept very moderated, if eaten at all because they mess with your insulin mechanism (blood sugar) and you could find yourself much hungrier. The higher the fiber in the carbs, the less it is absorbed calorically and also the less impact on your blood sugars. So whole wheat bread, beans, whole grains are better choices in carbs, but still should be limited. Vegetables are carbs, and most of the non starchy ones (greens) are good for you and should be a part of your diet if you are tolerating them post op. Starchy vegetables are good for you too, but should be more limited in portions and frequency. Fruits are carbs, high in natural sugars, but very good for you and a healthy "treat" in limited quantities. Juices tend to carry too many calories to be useful to anyone with a weight problem. Eat the fruit instead of the juice. Exceptions to this would be some of the new juice blends with splenda, some of which aren't too bad. Hope this helps! Carbs aren't evil, but they definitely can be a danger zone if you aren't careful. ~Sue

Rachel, One of my many, many diets was the diabetic diet. I was allowed 2 carb 'units' per meal and each unit was 15 grams. That is about 6 times the amount that I try to limit myself to now...unless it has alot of protein (like my protein bars has 27 g, but 20 g of protein. I consider this a fair trade). I'll send a note to my dietician tonight and see what she says and get back to you. Sherri

I saved this from a site some time back. I don't have the link but here is the article: Are You a Carbohydrate Junkie? What tastes delightful, makes us happy and is literally something we can't live without? Carbohydrates. Even newborn babies prefer them. In the popular diet-book arena, carbohydrates are getting a bad reputation. All health professionals would agree that empty calorie, sugar-laden foods and drinks do not offer nutritional value, and unfortunately replace healthier foods. Yet, is it fair to berate ourselves when we enjoy a chocolate dessert at a friend's birthday party, or to feel guilty for sneaking sweets in a late night kitchen raid? Can we be addicted to sweets? Since we must eat food, and our bodies convert 50 percent to 60 percent of our food to sugar, it is biologically normal to want and to eat carbohydrates. Biological Basis for Cravings Babies are born to prefer sweets. A classic study of newborn infants by J. E. Steiner in "Taste and Development," showed that infants preferred diluted sugar water more than plain water, sal****er or quinine water. Breastmilk tastes sweet and is 44 percent carbohydrate. The infant survives with the instinctual "craving" for mother's milk. And children prefer sweets -- just talk to a mother who knows how difficult it is to get her baby to eat mashed green beans down if she first offered him or her pureed peaches. Yet, in our "refined" society, we quickly introduce children to concentrated sweets, which heighten a child's eating pleasure. As young children, we soon learn that sweets are a treat and reward, and we learn to look forward to dessert after dinner, or sweet cereal at breakfast. Craving sweets is also a learned behavior. If you have a bad day, a dish of ice cream might make you feel better. Repeating the sweet-reward behavior can establish a habit, which could escalate into a craving. The Mind-Mood-Food Connection A strong desire for sweets may very well be in our heads. Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel relaxed, less anxious and stressed; reduces pain; improves your mood; calms you; and even makes you sleepy. It is suspected that people who crave carbohydrates have lower serotonin levels, whi*****reases cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. As serotonin levels increase, the cravings decrease. Endorphins may also play a role in our need for carbohydrates. Sugar affects the release of these powerful chemicals, which ease stress and discomfort. Sarah Leibowitz, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at Rockefeller University in New York City, suspects that endorphins imbalances underlie obesity and eating disorders. Obese people seem to be more sensitive to endorphins' appetite-stimulating effects than lean people. Sugar and Hypoglycemia Sugar and other carbohydrate foods stimulate the insulin response so that glucose, the end result of sugar and carbohydrate metabolism, can be transported from the blood to every cell in the body. Insulin lowers the blood sugar level and this drop in blood sugar eventually triggers hunger. An unbalanced diet that is high in simple sugars and low in protein may cause a roller coaster effect on blood sugar levels, increasing the need to nibble on convenient foods, usually carbohydrates. An abnormal response to sugar intake is hyperinsulinemia, commonly referred to as hypoglycemia. In people with hypoglycemia, a surge of insulin occurs in response to high-sugar and high-carbohydrate intake. The person's blood sugar level plunges below normal and he or she feels light-headed, dizzy and sweaty, and may even pass out. A diet without simple sugars that is higher in protein and fat reduces the symptoms. Muscles Need Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are the body's main, preferred source of energy; they are critical nutrients for the athlete who has high energy demands during physical activity. Stamina, power and endurance are dependent on adequate carbohydrate intake. High-carbohydrate foods include complex starches, such as cereals, grains, rice, bread, legumes, oats and vegetables, as well as simple sugars, such as fruits, fruits juices, milk and sweets. The body stores carbohydrates in limited amounts. This is why carbohydrate-containing foods should be about 60 percent of the daily diet. For example, when you eat pasta, the starch is quickly converted into the simple sugar glucose, which circulates in your blood either to provide every cell with immediate energy, or to be stored by the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use. As you move, the stored glycogen in your muscles is ready to be burned as fuel. How to Manage Cravings Food-mood researchers agree that carbohydrate cravers cannot "will" away their need for carbohydrates. Abstinence may actually increase the cravings and lead to binge eating, since the body is biologically designed to keep its brain chemicals, hormones and peptides in balance. Elizabeth Somers, author of "Food and Mood," suggests some guidelines for controlling carbohydrate cravings and feeling good. Eat small meals and snacks that include carbohydrates, such as whole grain starches, vegetables and legumes, throughout the day to keep neuropeptides and serotonin within the normal range. Don't skip breakfast, since it will increase cravings mid-morning. Include a whole grain, a fruit and a protein at breakfast. Plan snacks that have limited calories but some carbohydrate. Exercise to reduce your appetite and naturally increase endorphins. Learn to eat in response to hunger, not emotions. Don't "diet," but gradually get control over your cravings by eating sensible food on a regular schedule. Satisfy chocolate cravings with a small amount of chocolate. If you find it hard to "just say no" to a milk shake or a toasted bagel, even when you are not hungry, your brain chemistry may need an adjustment. Put the guilt aside and take a closer look at your emotional state and your diet. By paying more attention to your self-comforting habits, you may be able to escape the hold that sweets and carbohydrates have on you. Sharon Howard, R.D., M.S., C.D.E. FADA Date Published: March 15, 2000 Date Reviewed: March 15, 2000