40 carbs a day......

Ok I have a VSG and get 40 carbs a day.....Does the type of carb it is impact me differently ....like pollenta vs an orange ...or a corn tortilla vs a square of chocolate??  I watch my carbs and try to always stay under the 40 i get for the day.....but sometimes I want a taco or an orange or a bit of toast with my poached egg......What im asking is will the type of carb that it is will affect me differently like in a negative or positive way ...or are carbs just carbs.... please advise. Thankyou

Great question! And the answer is --- we don't really know. Sure, we all have our theories, but really, the verdict is still out. What you are describing is called "The Glycemic Index" of food. Some doctors and dietitians believe that a carb is a carb -- it doesn't matter if it comes from candy or a fruit or a slice of bread. A carb is a carb. Some doctors and dietitians believe that not all carbs are created equal ( I happen to be on this side, so I'll explain my point): When you eat foods like potato, rice, white bread, pasta, and sugar (high glycemic index), they need more insulin for digestion. Any food that is a carbohydrate needs to have insulin to be digested. The problem is not necessarily the carbohydrate, it's seems to be the insulin. Foods that are WHITE - potato, rice, white bread, pasta, and all cookies, candies and sweets - are easy to break down - easily digested. When digestion begins, the carbohydrate is broken down and your blood sugar rises. The rise in blood sugar sends a signal to your pancreas (the organ that produces insulin) to pump out some insulin to help digestion. The pancreas responds and sends a surge of insulin. The more carbohydrate food you eat, the more insulin is required. When insulin is pumped out in large quantities, it also sends a signal to your liver. Your liver responds by storing Triglycerides and cholesterol. So, it's not really the carbohydrate that is the problem, the problem is the type of carbohydrate. You want to avoid those carbohydrates that will promote that surge of insulin. Preventing the surge of insulin will help you store less Triglycerides and cholesterol. How do you prevent the surge of insulin? This is also where the theory of "sugar addiction" comes from. The higher the rise in blood sugar, the more insulin that is needed - creating greater variances in blood sugar - that variance can stimulate sugar cravings. So, what do I recommend: Eating carbohydrate foods that are high in fiber. You want to eat a least 25 g of fiber per day. Eat whole grains, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables. Avoid cookies, candy, sweets, white rice, white bread, white pasta ....