Counting Carbs
It seems like more and more people are counting carbs, or at least paying more attention to the amount and type of carbs they eat. Popular diets such as the Atkins Diet have convinced people that there are good carbs and bad carbs, and the bad carbs need to be avoided and the good carbs limited.

While it’s a good idea to keep your intake of “bad” carbs in check, many health experts recommend that carbohydrates should make up at least 55 percent of a person’s total caloric intake, while others say that number should be as high as 65 percent.

This is fairly high so you don’t want to discount carbs. At the same time, it’s clear these people aren’t talking about the carbs you’ll find in candy, cookies and other highly processed foods, so that’s where the idea of a list of good carbs and bad carbs comes from.

A List of Good Carbs and Bad Carbs
If you had to make a list of carbs that you should eat more of versus carbs you should avoid, it basically breaks down into simple carbs being “bad” and complex carbs being “good.”

Complex and simple are terms that have to do with how the food is broken down into energy (sugar) in the body. Simple carbs are broken down quickly, giving your blood sugar a spike and sending you running back to the kitchen or snack machine within hours of your last fix.

Complex carbs are the ones that give your body the best fuel. They are usually found in foods high in fiber, which break down more slowly, giving you a more steady blood sugar level through the day and making you feel less hungry and irritable when mid-afternoon rolls around.

It’s a great idea to get more of these carbs into your daily diet.

Here is a list of good carbohydrates :
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Whole grains and foods made from whole grains, such as bread and cereal
- Beans
- Nuts
- Legumes

Bad carbohydrates are :
- Refined grains like white bread and white rice
- Processed foods such as cake, cookies and chips
- Soft drinks
- Alcohol

Just because these foods have less desirable carbs does not mean you should kick them out of your life forever. A list of good carbs and bad carbs should not be seen as a strict rule. Yes, you should get most of your carbs each day from the “good” list, but you certainly don’t have to cut our alcohol or skip the birthday cake, as long as you don’t make it an every day or every meal thing.

Cutting carbs for Weight Loss
Cutting back on the bad carbs can help you lose weight, as well as give you a feeling of more energy and less irritability. Carbs are the fuel that makes your body run. Putting the right fuel in your engine makes a world of difference.

Because the good carb foods tend to have higher fiber and lower calories than many processed bad carb foods, you’ll find yourself feeling fuller while eating fewer calories though it’s possible you’ll be eating a bigger volume of food.

If you think about the kinds of foods you’re adding and the ones you’re giving up, then this makes sense.

It would take a lot more fruit to equal the same number of calories you’d eat in a candy bar, and you’ll probably feel satisfied after one piece or serving of fruit which is much lower in calories than the candy bar. Even better, you’ll feel satisfied for a long period of time and won’t feel the need for another unhealthy snack later in the day.

A list of diets

The Atkins Diet, conceived by Dr. Robert Atkins, is arguably one of the more popular diets in recent years. The Atkins diet considers carbohydrates and trans fats as the culprit for most cases of obesity. The diet rejects the established food pyramid and singles out the high-intake of carbohydrates as the cause of many metabolic disorders. The Atkins diet focuses on a lean protein diet, a careful intake of carbohydrates, and vitamin supplements.

The Beverly Hills Diet is a relatively questionable diet plan which emphasizes the correct combination of foods to aid in natural weight loss. It claims that specific reactions of food chemicals, such as enzymes, aid in burning fat in the body. Central to this plan is the abstinence from protein during the initial eleven days, during which time only fruit is allowed. Carbohydrates can be taken on the eleventh day while protein can be taken on the nineteenth. This diet is not based on any medical evidence though and nutritionists claim that it deprives people of essential nutrients.

The Body for Life Diet is a fitness and weight loss program that emphasizes correct eating habits as well as exercise, aerobics and weight-lifting. Meals are broken into six small meals a day. There is good variety in the meals, so nutrient deficiency is rare. The carbohydrates are usually taken earlier in the day, in order for them to be utilized the rest of the day. Weight-loss is not as dramatic as with other diets, but the plan is more balanced. Moreover, because of the emphasis on exercise, the plan is generally considered well-balanced. It usually lasts for only twelve weeks and so is not really a long-term diet program, although it could be with proper planning.

The Bodybuilding Diet focuses on producing muscle mass. This by itself can eliminate fat over time, but the emphasis is on supplementing a body workout regimen, rather than altering one’s dietary habit. This diet focuses on the high intake of protein and complex carbohydrates.

The High Protein Diet is quite similar to the Atkins Diet, but emphasizes on eating almost double the amount of protein intake. It’s quite controversial because many experts believe it to be harmful and unbalanced. Its ability to provide immediate weight loss to those who follow it, however, makes it extremely popular.

The Mediterranean Diet is not a strict diet but more of a lifestyle change. It is influenced by the observed healthy lifestyle of those living in the Mediterranean region. The diet consists of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, moderate intake of fish and low intake of meats and cheese. An active lifestyle is also required.

Considered the healthier alternative to the Atkins diet, the South Beach Diet discriminates against bad carbohydrates, but unlike Atkins, also warns against the consumption of saturated animal fats. The diet is made by Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist who was not satisfied with the high fat content of the Atkins diet.

The Zone Diet is a diet plan that focuses on the correct proportional intake of carbohydrates, protein and fat to induce the correct balance of hormones which affect hunger and metabolism. Experts perceive it as a well-rounded diet plan although they are doubtful if the diet works in the way that it says it does.