I'm confused about carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, and the difference between total carbs and net carbs can cause some confusion.

What is the difference between net carbs and total carbs?

Total carbs are the amount of carbs in a food, and it includes fibre.

Net carbs are the carbs in food without the fibre.

• Total Carbs = Net carbs + fibre
• Net Carbs = Total carbs - fibre

I don’t understand how to calculate net carbs, as we eat mainly fresh food? We have a table to help you, where you can find the net carbs in foods. You will find it here: https://dietwhisperer.com/macronutrients

Is my daily carb allowance in net carbs or total carbs?

The daily carb allowance shown on the Whisperer calculator page for the Whisperer Plan is net carbs. Net carbs are the carbs without the fibre. You count net carbs in the Diet Whisperer Plan.

Can you help me to understand what refined and super-refined carbohydrates are?

Refined carbs are also quickly digested carbs, but not as quickly digested as super-refined carbs, because they usually, some fibre accompanies the sugar. Examples are brown bread, pasta, rice potatoes, porridge. These are starchy carbs.

Super-refined carbs are quickly digested carbs, which raise your blood sugar and cause insulin resistance. Examples are cakes, cookies, white bread, fizzy drinks and sweets. They contain large amounts of sugar, which is glucose and fructose, the Voldemort of food and little if any fibre. Aliens would struggle to recognise super-refined carbs as food!

We have a section on carbohydrates, in chapter 4 of ‘The Diet Whisperer: 12-Week Reset Plan.’

Does the carbohydrate value on food labels include fibre?

This causes a lot of confusion as different countries have different rules.

In the US and Canada, the carb figure includes fibre, therefore the figure that you read on the packet is total carbs.

In the UK and the EU, the carb figure is net carbs, and the amount of fibre is given separately.