Wellness Pathway #216
Net Calories, Not Net Carbs
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Perhaps you've seen the latest marketing gimmick to hit the food-store shelves. "Net carbs" are all
the rage as people continue to search for the elusive promise of eating more and weighing less. But
guess what? "Net carbs" don't add up when it comes maintaining optimum weight.
The theory behind "net carbs" is derived from the glycemic index, which I discussed briefly in
Wellness Pathway #142 (Click).
Coined decades ago by University of Toronto researcher David Jenkins, the glycemic index is a
helpful measure of how rapidly a food is converted to glucose in your blood stream. High-glycemic
foods -- such as white flour, white sugar, white rice, white bread, and white potatoes -- provoke a
glucose (or sugar) flash that contributes to a wide variety of problems including obesity, diabetes,
and cardiovascular disease.
It's best to avoid or minimize high-glycemic foods and, when you choose to eat them anyway, to
mitigate their glycemic effect by eating small quantities along with high-fiber complements.
Enter the "net carb" marketers. Because some carbohydrates (fiber, in particular) tend to offset the
glycemic effect, and because other carbohydrates (such as sugar alcohols and glycerin) are allegedly
glycemic-neutral, the food industry has started to subtract those carbohydrates from the total
carbohydrates in order to post a low "net carb" figure on the package, in keeping with many
high-protein diets.
The danger here is multifaceted. Many people may think that a low "net carb" figure equals a low
calorie figure. Not true! Just as you can get fat from eating too many low-fat foods, so can you get
fat from eating too many low-net-carb foods. And that message is clearly not printed on the labels.
In addition, not everyone reacts to carbohydrates in the same way. Although calories are calories,
and Weight Watcher points are points, carbs are not necessarily carbs when it comes to the glycemic
index. An OK low-net carb food for one person may cause another person problems when it comes to
their sugar levels.
So what's a person to do? I like to stay focused on eating a low-calorie, heart-healthy diet.
Watching calories or points is important when food abounds, since we are all made to be on a
see-food diet (when we see food, we eat it). I also like to avoid high-glycemic foods. Eating slowly
and eating raw or lightly cooked foods also contribute to a more even glycemic profile. Avoiding
packaged foods altogether, whether low "net carb" or not, is the best wellness strategy I know.
Coaching Inquiries: Are you tempted by the "low net carb" marketing? Do you tend to eat
packaged foods? What changes could you make and sustain that would support a low-calorie,
heart-healthy diet?
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May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.
Bob Tschannen-Moran
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.
Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
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