We all have heard about Net and Effective Carbs. But what are they and what is all the fuss about?

These non-metabolized and non-digestible carbohydrates, often referred as “Net” or “Effective” carbs, but it is the same thing. Even thought fiber is counted and included on food labels as carbohydrate, it is not absorbed, and has no impact on your blood-sugar levels.

There are basically two types of carbs – those which your body can digest and those it cannot. The type it can’t digest is principally fiber.

In America, food labels include fiber in the total carb count which gives an inaccurate measure of the food’s effect on your waistline. So most-low carb diets ask that you count “net carbs” – the ones that are actually digested.

The total carbohydrate number is not important. It is NET carbs that really matter since those are the ones that are being digested.

Count your NET carbs, not your total carbs.

Non-fiber carbs = fattening
Fiber carbs = not fattening (and actually filling as well as beneficial for digestion and fat burning)

TRUST VEGETABLES, not low-carb candy.

To calculate the net, or effective, carbohydrate content of a food, subtract the number of grams of fiber from the number of grams of carbohydrate.

To calculate net carbs, simply subtract the dietary fiber content from the total carbs. In the picture to the right, the net carbs would be 15 – 5 = 10.

Carbs – Fiber = Net Carbs

Simple enough, right?

Well… not so fast. Here comes corporate trickery once again.

For example:

1 cup of blackberries has 14 grams of carbs, but almost 8 grams of it comes from fiber.

Total Carbs – Fiber = Net Carbohydrate or in our example, 14 grams – 8 grams = 6 grams of net carbs.

So, go eat some GOOD carbs, which have FIBER!