What is a Net Carb Anyway?

What are net carbs and why are they so much better than regular carbs?

If you sit and listen to people talk about some of these terms and principles it sounds like mad scientists arguing over rocket fuel mixtures.  If you're not someone that has worked in the medical field, you might have to search and study the facts just to get a basic understanding.

Let me help you out.

Here is the basic idea in simple English:

Net carbs are all the carbohydrates in a food minus the fiber, glycerin, and other alcohol sugars.

OK ... why?

Fiber, glycerin, and alcohol sugars are subtracted because they don't affect your blood sugar the way the average carb does.

What does blood sugar have to do with dropping pounds?

That is really the million dollar question isn't it?

Again, here is a simplified version of this scenario.

*******************  Eating carbs = increased blood sugar

*******************  blood sugar = how energetic we feel and how hungry we feel

*******************  increased blood sugar = increased insulin to regulate blood sugar

*******************   increased insulin = low energy, hungry for more sugar, and no fat burning

There are other parts to this equation that explain things in nauseating detail, but this is the main idea.  Fiber, alcohol sugars, and other low glycemic foods don't spike our blood sugar.
No spike in blood sugar = no spike in insulin.  This allows us to keep a good mood (high energy and NOT hungry) while burning up fat throughout the day. 

If you add activity to a diet lower in high glycemic carbs, then you have a quick and permanent way to change your body and life.  All you need is to be pointed in the right direction and have enough self-discipline to change.