1. Why Count Carbs?
Carbs, short for carbohydrates, join fat and protein as the three categories of food we take in as energy. Many diets concentrate on one of these low-fat, high-carb, low-carb or high-protein diets. However, carbs are the substance that affects blood sugar the most. That makes the number of carbs of major interest to people with diabetes. Plus, since the introduction of the Atkins diet, limiting carbs has been a staple of many weight-loss diets. Counting carbohydrate grams is a way to maintain a low-carb diet, which is basically the same as a high-protein diet. Like most diets, health professionals stress the risks in overdoing it. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy.
2. Read Your Labels
One of the easiest ways of counting carbs is to check the nutrition label on the packaging of the food. The label provides calorie counts and nutrition information. It also breaks down the food according to the fat, protein and carbohydrate grams. You'll find meat labels show more protein and fewer carbohydrates. Bread products may only have a gram or two of protein, but have 34 carbs. If you're limited to 60 carbohydrate grams, you'll find that two pieces of bread can break your diet. What happens if you buy food fresh without a label? Weigh the food on a scale, and multiply the weight by the carb percentage. White sugar is 100 percent carbs, so its weight is the same as the number of carbohydrate grams.
3. Keep a Trusty Carb Counter
Look in the diet section of any bookstore, and you'll see carbohydrate gram counters sitting right alongside calorie-counter books. You'll find thick paperback tomes with comprehensive listings and pocket size books for your purse. It all depends on what you need, but take some time to look at the available books. If you eat out a lot, particularly at chain restaurants, choose a book that includes places like Olive Garden, Burger King and Pizza Hut. Some people keep a list of low-carb foods to make counting easier. Don't be surprised if you get to a point where you can eye a cupcake and recite the number of carbohydrate grams off the top of your head.
4. Techno Carb Counting
Use the technology already at your fingertips for counting carbs. Whether it's your desktop, laptop or Blackberry, the Internet contains several sites like CarbCounter (http://www.carbcounter.org/) that provide a list of low-carb foods. If you find a list you like, bookmark it. Can't find a specific food? Search for restaurants and brand-name food manufacturers, and look at the carb counts on their nutrition lists. Load carbohydrate gram-counter software into your Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for a quick reference.
5. Exchange Those Carbs
If counting carbs is too much of a headache, simplify your life with a diet program with exchange lists. The most well known, Weight Watchers, places food in categories. One serving from a bread/starch group typically contains between 12 and 15 grams of carbohydrates. Therefore, you know that two breads/starches provide you with 12 to 15 carbs. Some exchange-friendly food manufacturers list exchange information on the package as well.
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