Counting Carbohydrates

Regarding digestibility of insoluble fiber: If we examine our excrement, we can find a partial answer to your question. If we eat seeds such as sesame or flax, a large amount of them are excreted in our solid waste, undigested. Our digestion is not so powerful that it can tackle and all the carbohydrates found in nature. Examples of such things would be grass (timothy hay), cotton, tree bark, and chitin. All of those are made of carbohydrates.

Ruminants have multiple stomachs and regurgitate their foods to chew them multiple times to break down the nutrients locked within. They also have a specialized set of bacteria to help the process along. Humans would starve trying to extract enough nutrients or calories from insoluble fiber sources. If this answer is not satisfactory, I can scare up a biochemist friend that can give a more detailed reason why we don't need to fret about fiber calories.

I really appreciate this team. I always get a reply that is helpful. Thanks.

GOINGTODOTHIS2,
31 grams of carbs a day is still fantastic.

I'm going to look through all of the internet and find some information on Keto macros... OK, maybe not ALL of the internet, I do want to return.

My Keto Mojo is a device that I use to test my blood ketones. It will also test for glucose in my blood. I've been counting "net" carbs and I am still in the ketosis range. I'm reading The New Atkins for a new you now. There's a lot of conflicting information out there. But I'm beginning to understand that everybody is different. I hope that helps GOINGTODOTHIS2.

Could someone give me information about the machine you just talked about? Also, could you tell me where I can go read about macros and understanding them. I am having success with Keto (just diagnosed pre-diabetic). I have to go back and see my doctor in August to see if I have made progress. I definitely want to make progress. I started keto a little over a week ago. I am having a hard time getting my carbs down to 20. The lowest I have been is 31. I haven't started trying to keep things basic until I get a routine and managing the plan the way I should. I do feel like this is something I can and am willing to do for life. I don't fee deprived at all. I want to get the most out of it. Thank you.

Edited by: GOINGTODOTHIS2 at: 2/28/2019 (08:07)

I did some research on fiber. I'm back to subtracting it for now. Just look at the definition. At least we know that insoluble fiber can not be digested. I'm understanding that soluble fiber can not be either, The science community is still debating that one.

If I subtract the fiber, I can eat my veggies again. I need some green!!

My Keto Mojo ketone /glucose blood meter arrived yesterday. I'll find out whether counting net carbs is worth it for me. Ill let ya'll know what I found out in a few weeks.

Edited by: MAR_V3 at: 2/21/2019 (12:14)

I'm eating too many veggies. Who ever said that? Ha ha! I'm at 38 carbs today but my macros are perfect. This is quite the learning experience. I've stopped subtracting my fiber and it's making a huge difference for my final carb count. So grateful for the team!

Just a bit more on counting carbs. In the past I used to subtract fibre from total cabs and count "net carbs". This gave me a little more wiggle room. However I've come to think that fibre, which is just an arrangement of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms, so close that it is a carbohydrate, may still have some energy that humans can extract.

So now I count total carbs, and for a Keto diet this isn't many extra grams anyways.

Thank you, that was so helpful.

First of all, not picking a Keto source, but wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohy
drate
it says on that page:
"Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms; however, no single carbohydrate is an essential nutrient in humans."

So go as low as you want, and 20 grams a day is a great target. I often go a little above, but more than 30. You many find sources that say how much fibre you need per day too, like here:
www.webmd.com/diet/guide/fibe
r-how-muc
h-do-you-need#1
and you find number like 25 or more grams of fibre per day.

So we have a contradiction because fibre is a type of carbohydrate.

I leave it to you, but I personally don't give fibre a thought. But what about counting carbs to get to that 20 gram a day number, do you include fibre or not. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that has the same atoms, Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen, in the same ratios as other carbohydrates, but organized in a manner that in theory makes it indigestible to humans. Termites for example eat wood because they can extract calories from the fibre in wood, while humans can't.

But can't humans extract just a few calories from fibre? Just not as efficiently as termites? I'm not a biology expert, but I sort of have my doubts, maybe a few calories?

If you don't count the fibre in your carb count, that is you subtract it out, then your "net" carb number is lower and you can eat more carbs. But really, when you are eating 20 grams a day, and discount fibre, just how many more carbs can you get it and get to 20 net? Perhaps 5 more?

In other words it really doesn't matter how you count it when you are that low.

Edited by: -JAMES- at: 8/21/2018 (10:45)