Although we can find the carb counts of just about anything (admittedly many books give very different carb counts for the same foods!), why do the carbs from different foods seem to be so different.

For example: why does the same number of carbs from one thing (such as nuts), affect us differently from the same number from something else (such as cream)?

Are we being too simplistic by just counting the carbs we eat to one decimal point and missing something else about what low-carb dieting is about.

Opinions please!

Yours aye, Scotsman

Hi! I'm no expert, but here's my understanding of it.

It has to do with the rate at which glucose hits your bloodstream. All carbs turn to glucose but those aren't all absorbed at the same rate. If you eat sugar, it pretty much all absorbs at once. If you eat a lentil, all that fiber gets in the way of immediate absorbsion.

If it's all hitting your bloodstream at the same time, your liver (I think) responds with a big increase in insulin so that some of that sugar gets stored, in order to protect your brain from blood sugar levels that are too high. If the glucose is getting absorbed at a more even rate, slowly, no big surge of insulin is necessary.

The glycemic index is an attempt to rate foods according to the rate at which they hit your bloodstream. Sugar is 100; lentils are about 14. Read more here:

http://www.mendosa.com/gi.htm

Why are nuts a problem? Beats me!

Allison

I think they're a problem because of snacky, compulsive behaviour. Your body anticipates the carbs it thinks it's getting due to previous conditioning. It doesn't get what it expects, but insulin is already at work.

Karen