http://www.superlowcarb.com/carbs/ Carbs have gotten a bad rap in recent years, but not all carbs are bad. en-us Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:39:41 EDT Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:39:41 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 Carbs in and of themselves do not cause weight gain. In fact, carbs provide fewer calories than fat or alcohol. (For example, carbs have 4 calories per gram, but fat has 9 calories per gram.) It's what you put on the carbs that makes them unhealthy. Facts About Carbs Carbs are easily converted to energy by our bodies, but some digest slower than others, and those are the ones you should try to include in your diet. They're called complex carbohydrates. Because they digest slowly, they keep you feeling full longer. Here's a short list of complex carbohydrates (also known as good carbs): Whole grain or whole wheat bread Whole grain or high fiber breakfast cereals Oats Whole wheat pasta Long grain or brown rice Potatoes (in limited amounts--sweet potatoes are best) Beans/Lentils and most other vegetables Fiber-rich foods like apples, oranges and pears Complex carbohydrates generally have more fiber, which prevents constipation. Many people on a low carb diet report constipation as one of the side effects of their diet. The carbs you should avoid are called simple carbs (also known as bad carbs). Here's a short list of them: White bread Sugary breakfast cereals Regular pasta White rice Most desserts Before you go on a low carb diet, know that you can have success with cutting carbs to only 130 a day. Most of us eat way more than that, but most low carb diets take counting carbs to unhealthy extremes. Cutting the bad carbs in your diet is a good weight loss strategy, but going to a diet that's practically a no carb diet isn't a good idea. First of all, just as with any diet, you need to be able to do it the rest of your life to have long-term success with it. Most people can't do that. If you can, more power to you! But do some research to learn about possible side effects, both long- and short-term. Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:39:41 EDT http://www.superlowcarb.com/carbs/counting/ Counting carbs is smart if you want to keep your carb count around what our bodies need to function daily--130 grams. But many people are counting carbs because they're on a low carb diet. Try this method instead. en-us Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:50:55 EDT Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:50:55 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 http://www.superlowcarb.com/carbs/good/ Good carbs are better for you than bad carbs. In fact, good carbs are better for you than no carbs at all! en-us Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:35:24 EDT Wed, 19 Oct 2005 11:35:24 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0