Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD

This article explores the relationship of weight loss, "low carbs" and the glycemic index. It will help you decide the best way to eat to lose weight.

Can You Eat Carbs and Still Lose Weight?

What about pasta? Surprisingly, the answer may be "yes."

Good quality pastas made from durum wheat are converted into glucose slowly, avoiding the blood sugar spikes that can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The perfect way to test foods you're eating is to check the glycemic index at wwww.glycemicindex.com.

You can search for a type of food in the GI database to find out if it's low GI (such as many fruits and vegetables that prompt a slow increase in blood sugar levels), or high GI (such as processed baked goods and starchy foods that produce a quick spike in blood sugar).

A GI of 55 or less is considered low. The database lists 16 pasta items made with durum wheat, and ten of them come in under 55. All of the rest land in the middle range, and none of them rate as high GI. In fact, boiled spaghetti made of white durum wheat rates a GI of only 34 for a serving of 180 grams (about 6.5 ounces). That's about the same GI as a raw apple.

This is a perfect example of how simply avoiding carbs is not quite the same as avoiding high GI foods, which are the real culprits that can lead to obesity. So even if you're scaling back on your carb intake, you can still enjoy some whole grain wheat pasta in fresh tomato sauce with grated Romano cheese and basil. And, don't forget a big green salad with lots of vegetables! (Vegetables are complex carbohydrates that help you regulate blood sugar.)

Sources:
"Pasta Fights Back Amid Low-Carb Trend" Tom Rachman, Associated Press, 2/18/04, ap.org
"Home of the Glycemic Index" University of Sydney, glycemicindex.com

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