Quinoa & the Glycemic Index
Quinoa is good for your health because it’s a whole grain, and quinoa's glycemic index means it won’t spike your blood sugar.
Read more →Carbohydrates Guide: Complex Carbs vs. Processed Sugars
Carbohydrates serve as an essential energy source, but processed versions can lead to inflammation and weight gain. Understanding the difference between complex carbs like oatmeal and simple sugars is key to metabolic health.
What Are the 3 Types of Carbohydrates?
The three types of carbs — sugar, starch and fiber — all have a place in your diet. Even sugar is a good carb as long as the type of food from which you obtain it is healthy.
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What Is the Difference Between Carbohydrates and Gluten?
Carbohydrates and gluten often go hand in hand. Wheat-based flours are one of the most common ingredients used to make breads, cereals and other carb-rich foods, and gluten is a natural component of wheat. You'll also get gluten from foods made using rye and barley.
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Low-Sugar Fruits
It’s always a good idea to keep track of the sugar in your diet, but when you decide to cut down on the amount you eat, don’t start by eliminating fruit. First purge added sugar you might get from baked goods, candy and sodas. Then, if necessary, you can choose fruits with less sugar.
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Normal Carbohydrate Intake per Day
There's no one-size-fits all approach to the amount of carbs you need daily, and the recommended dietary guidelines allow some leeway so you can find a carb intake that works for you. People need a minimal amount of carbs every day, however, to provide the brain with the glucose it needs to function.
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Types of Starch
Plants produce starch and use it to store carbohydrates for energy. When you consume foods that contain starch, it becomes an important source of energy for your body. Starches, or complex carbs, consist of two molecules -- amylose and amylopectin -- that connect together to form starch granules.
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Is Hummus High in Carbohydrates?
Hummus makes a healthy addition to a low-carb diet because it’s packed with fiber and vitamins that contribute to your overall well-being. It's a moderate source of carbohydrates, so you may struggle to fit hummus into a very low-carb diet. But, if you follow a more relaxed low-carb diet, you can likely make it work.
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How to Count the Carbohydrates in Pasta
Tracking carbohydrates helps people with diabetes keep their blood sugar balanced. It’s also a good way for anyone who wants to watch his carb intake, whether to lose weight, consume the right amount or even to carbohydrate load before an endurance activity.
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Disadvantages of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet
For all the potential weight-loss benefits you stand to gain from a low-carb diet, there are some pitfalls to know about before you begin. Like any type of diet that restricts calories and foods, low-carb diets must be well-planned to avoid nutrient shortages.
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High-Fiber, Low-Carb Foods
You can reap the health advantages of cutting down on carbs -- like losing weight and balancing blood sugar -- and still keep up with your daily fiber. Getting plenty of dietary fiber is not optional if you want optimal health.
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Low-Carb Diet vs. Calorie Counting
A low-carb diet and calorie counting share two qualities -- they’ll both help you lose weight and keep it off, as long as you stick with the plan. Otherwise, they’re very different. One counts carbs but not calories, while the other counts calories but not carbs.
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Is Cream of Wheat a Slow Carb or a Fast Carb?
Slow carbs are absorbed at a gradual pace, which keeps your blood sugar at a steady level. The more rapidly digested fast carbs cause an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. But cream of wheat does not fit into one neat category.
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How Many Carbs Should I Eat to Prevent Ketosis?
When you’re on a low-carb diet, your body kicks into action, breaking down fats into ketone bodies to use for energy. This increase in ketones -- called ketosis -- is a normal adaptation to cutting carbs. In fact, the switch to ketosis is why low-carb diets work.
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Low-Carb Diet & Tofu
There’s no doubt tofu belongs in a low-carb diet. For starters, most types of tofu are very low in net carbs. Beyond that key point, tofu works as a protein alternative to meat and poultry, is low in calories and provides heart-healthy unsaturated fats for energy.
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The "Do Not Eat" List for Low-Carb Diets
Following a low-carb diet can help you lose weight, keep blood sugar balanced and lower the amount of triglycerides in the bloodstream. The tricky part is deciding how many carbs you’ll consume and being careful not to go too low unless you’re under the supervision of a registered dietitian or your physician.
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How Many Grams of Carbs per Day to Lose Weight?
You have some flexibility when planning your daily grams of carbs to lose weight. While there’s general agreement about the maximum number of carb grams you can consume for a low-carb diet, the experts haven’t established a precise number for weight loss, but there are some basic guidelines.
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How to Keep Weight Off After a Low-Carb Diet
One of the easiest ways to keep weight off after a low-carb diet is to stay on a carb-restricted maintenance plan. But you can also go with any healthy eating plan and keep pounds away the old-fashioned way -- by eating just enough calories to maintain your weight.
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The Best Nuts for a Low-Carb Diet
Nuts are a good choice for a low-carb diet because most nuts are fairly low in carbohydrates, plus they're loaded with good stuff -- fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. If you're following a very-low-carb diet, you'll need to limit your daily servings of nuts because carbs can add up fast.
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What is the Carb Count in Onions?
Onions probably aren’t the first food you think about when you’re planning your daily carbs, but they are a source of natural sugar, complex carbs and fiber. Onions give you a healthy carbohydrate option because, along with the carbs, they supply beneficial phytonutrients, which are plant compounds that promote health.
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Why Do Carbohydrates Make You Gain Weight?
If you notice a few extra pounds shortly after eating carbohydrates, some of those carbs may have been used to refill your body's stores of glycogen. Carbs can also contribute to weight gain if they cause your levels of blood sugar to cycle up and down.
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