What the hell is the difference between a “net-carb”, an” effective carb”, an “impact carb” and just the good old-fashioned “regular carb”?

Paraphrasing Shakespeare, “Whats in a name? Would a (carb) by any other name still be as (fattening)?”

Evidently, yes. Net carbs, also known as impact or effective carbs, are the total carbohydrates in a serving size MINUS the fiber. The “Net Carbs” are the carbs that we need to pay attention to as they are the ones that can make or break you in the I LOVE FOOD DIET.

According to the Mayo Clinic (no relation to the yummy, creamy, condiment), diets high in fiber are very beneficial to your health. In addition to facilitating your plumbing down there, it can “help lower blood cholesterol, lower blood sugar, lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease” and (most importantly to the I LOVE FOOD DIET) “aid in weight loss.”

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that because high fiber food generally require more chewing time, your body has more time to register to your brain that you are no longer hungry, ultimately lowering the amount of food you take in. Further, a high fiber diet tends to make a meal feel larger and linger longer in your tummy so that you feel full  – longer.

What’s great about fiber is that although it is a carbohydrate, it is a very,very, complex carbohydrate. It’s so complex that our bodies don’t really know what to do with them, or how to break them down. So, basically our bodies just “poop them out”. What goes in one end, soon comes out the other.

This is good news to the I LOVE FOOD DIET as the total “net carb” you are consuming may very well be less than what is reflected on the label. Sheila Buff, the author of the book,  Net Carb Counter, wrote that “Generally speaking, the more natural and unprocessed a carb-containing food is, the more fiber it will contain as well. Once you process the food however, most of the fiber disappears.” She goes on to say that “A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains will tend to be a diet that’s lower in net carbs. That’s one of the reasons why a “low carb” diet can be so good for you.”

Ok, so now that we know what a “net carb” is, we can start focusing on how we can adapt them to the I LOVE FOOD DIET. Instead of counting carbs, just count the “net carbs”. The I LOVE FOOD DIET is not a diet that only advocates the consumption of  fatty foods, cheese and proteins. Au contraire, the I LOVE FOOD DIET strongly encourages eating plenty of green salads, lean proteins,  lots of veggies and even up to 1 cup of unprocessed beans, berries or whole fruit a day.

Warning! Don’t go overboard on the fiber intake. Again, paraphrasing Shakespeare “Too much of a good thing” can backfire.  Start slowly and remember to drink PLENTY of water to keep things “moving smoothly”

Just a side note. I started the “5 day challenge”, 3 days ago and am happy to report that I have successfully lost 3 pounds so far without starving myself nor paying a visit  to the gym. I will report the final outcome on Friday.

Chow for now!