Are you Eating More Carbs than you Think?

I hear more often than not – “I’m not eating any carbohydrates.  How is my body going to function?”

Just cutting out obvious sources of carbohydrate may be adding up to more carbs than you think.  How many carbohydrates does one need per day?

The answer to that question is very individual.  If you are a healthy active person who moderately exercises and wants to lose weight you may only need 150 grams of carbohydrate per day.  If you exercise more vigorously you may need more.  If you are diabetic and/or insulin resistant you may need a little less.

What types of foods contain carbohydrates?  I usually measure carbohydrates in terms of a slice of bread which contains 15 grams.  The obvious ones are potatoes, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.  A cup of rice has 45 grams of carbohydrate.  A half cup of grape nuts contains 47 grams of carbohydrate and a bagel has 60 grams!  

Fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, and dairy products contain carbohydrates as well.  One serving of fruit has 15 grams of carbohydrate.  A cup of non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli contains about 10 grams of carbohydrate.

One ounce of nuts which is about 20 almonds has about 6 grams of carbohydrate.  A cup of plain yogurt has about 15 grams.

Eating your carbohydrates mostly from fruits, veggies, nuts and plain dairy adds up to about 130-150 grams per day depending on the volume of food you eat.  If you add just 1 cup of rice and 2 slices of bread you bump up the total to a little over 200 grams.  Add a few pretzels or chips and you’re up to over 250 grams.

Condiments can also contain large amounts of carbohydrate.  Ketchup and barbecue sauce register at 10 grams for just 2 tablespoons.

Just cutting out the obvious carbs starchy or processed carbs may mean you may be following a balanced diet.  Moderation in terms of carbohydrate is the healthiest way to prevent inflammation and disease.  The body needs at least 70-80 grams of carbohydrate per day to function.  

True low carb diets of the past recommended 20 grams per day which is not in your best health interest.  Try adding up the carbohydrates you eat during the course of the day – you might be surprised at the number – and that the low carb diet is truly a thing of the past.

Lactose Intolerance or just Carbohydrate Sensitivity?

Wonder why one day you just stopped tolerating milk, cheese or ice-cream?  Often a new client will state they are lactose intolerance and add a sentence such as “I used to tolerate milk products just fine until the last few months or maybe even a year.  Then something happened.”

Those with true lactose intolerance have usually had it for quite some time and know how to gauge how much dairy their body is able to tolerate.  However, many individuals who think they are lactose intolerant are actually carbohydrate sensitive.

When someone with insulin resistance continues to eat a large percentage of their calories as carbohydrate, their body becomes more intolerant of all types of carbohydrate.  If they consume a lot of starches made up of strings of glucose molecules such as rice, pasta, potatoes, cereal, etc. the sugar does not readily get into their cells.

As a result, they have various symptoms such as gas, bloating, reflux, fatigue, etc. that go along with insulin resistance.  Add a sugar in the mix such as lactose and these symptoms become more of a problem.

Limiting starches and consuming carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds can easily calm down the symptoms of insulin resistance and allow one to consume dairy products without a problem.

If you find yourself with symptoms of lactose intolerance try cutting out starches and desserts for a week or two and see what happens.  I think you might be surprised at the results.

What About those Snacks?

In this morning's LA Times Family Circus cartoon Billy asked his Mom "how much of a snack do I get to eat before it becomes a meal?" This question comes up frequently with clients. Is snacking okay? How many calories constitutes a snack before it becomes a meal? Is it okay to snack, or am I supposed to wait till the next meal?

Snacking is an important part of eating. If you go more than 5 to 6 hours between meals it is essential to have a snack to prevent a drop in your blood sugar or overeating at the next meal. The size of snacks depends on your activity level, weight, and age. In general, snacks fall in the 200-350 calorie range while meals are over 500 calories.

Examples of healthy snacks are:

1. 1 ounce of raw or unsalted dry roasted nuts (about 15-20) with a medium piece of fruit


2. 1-2 slices of cheese with and medium piece of fruit


3. 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter with fruit or celery


4. 1/4 cup of guacamole with cut up vegetables


5. 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or cottage cheese with nuts or nut mix (below)

My upcoming nutrition book with recipes has a healthy delicious nut mix that is a flavorable topper for plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and works well by itself for a snack.

Healthy Nut Mix

Serves: 10 ¼ cup servings

¼ cup raw steel cut oats
½ cup of raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup of raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup of unsweetened dried coconut
½ cup of coarsely chopped raw cashews
¼ cup of sliced raw almonds
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon of honey

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees till golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring once through the cooking process. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for a month.

So thank you Billy for posing the question for our blog today and no need to feel guilty about snacking. It is important to health, vitality throughout the day, and reasonable eating!