Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient found in foods. In fact, according to the University of Vermont College of Medicine, you can label all foods you consume as either fats, proteins or carbohydrates. But carbohydrates can be further divided up into either starches or sugars. These can both raise your blood glucose levels and are key sources of energy for the body.
Purpose
Counting carbs works to benefit people in two ways. For everyone, it can help keep track of the calories and carbohydrates consumed in a day. Some diet plans subscribe to carb counting as a means of controlling what you eat each day and eliminating excessive consumption of starches and sugars. But carb counting can be useful, and sometimes essential, for individuals with diabetes.
Diabetes Application
Many individuals with diabetes can benefit from counting carbohydrates, and in a lot of cases it can be a necessity. Diabetics lack the production of a compound called insulin, which helps process starches and sugars that raise glucose levels in the blood. Most diabetics use insulin pumps or injections to regulate their insulin production, but this also requires them to keep track of their carb consumption. Individuals with type 1 diabetes often count carbs to make needed adjustments to their insulin doses, according to the University of Vermont Medical Center. If you have type 2 diabetes, counting carbs can help you eat using the least amount of medication possible, or it can help you track when injections are needed if you give yourself multiple doses each day.
Carbs Outline
About 60 to 65 percent of the foods we eat should feature carbohydrates. The carbohydrate content of foods can be found on the nutrition labels of foods. The density of carbohydrates found in these foods can vary from one to the next; soft drinks, bagels, rice and potatoes are all very high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are often measured in foods in terms of grams, and a serving of carbohydrates -- another measurement used to track carbs -- is equivalent to 15 g.
Grams vs. Servings
Depending on your doctor, dietitian or other expert advice leading you to count carbs, you may quantify your consumption in terms of grams or servings. Either is fine, and both aim for the same result. While grams require less computation to track, since this is how carbs are listed on nutritional labels, simply dividing your carb consumption in grams by 15 will tell you how many servings you have consumed. It is important that you don't mistake a food serving, which may not be equal to one serving of carbs, for the same unit of measurement used when counting carbohydrates.
Carb Goals
If you are a healthy adult without any medical conditions, you should typically aim to consume 60 to 75 g carbohydrates each day, which equates to four to five servings of carbs. In a 2,000-calorie diet, this comprises about 60 percent of your food intake, right on target with what is recommended. However, if you are a diabetic or trying to lose weight, this goal number may need to be adjusted; talk to a doctor or dietitian for the best advice on how to target your carb consumption.
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