Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, called “carbs” for short, are, chemically speaking, hydrated carbons, hence the name carbo- (carbon) hydrates (hydrated, meaning water). Carbon and water are the foundation of life on earth, including both our food and our bodies. Carbohydrates are the ideal source of food and energy for our bodies.

The basic unit of carbohydrates is glucose, which is a simple (one-molecule, or monosaccharide) sugar. There are other types of simple sugars, such as fructose, dextrose, and galactose, which all have slightly different forms but are still very similar to glucose, and which are converted into glucose in the body because glucose is the basic source of energy in the body. Blood glucose, also called blood sugar, the measurement of the amount of glucose in the blood, is an indicator of our ability to utilize glucose (insulin “sensitivity”).

Starches are complex carbohydrates, meaning they are made up of many glucose sugars stuck together in different ways. When we eat starch, in the form of whole plant foods (vegetables, fruits, and nuts), our bodies cleave (or cut) off the glucose units bit by bit to provide us with a continuous supply of energy, keeping a steady “blood sugar.” Another type of complex carbohydrate is fiber.

Fiber is also a complex carbohydrate, but it is unique in that we don’t actually digest or even absorb it. Fiber remains in our digestive tract, pulling toxins, nourishing our microbiome, and affecting how other nutrients are absorbed. Fiber slows absorption of glucose from other carbohydrates so we don’t absorb it all at once, thus helping us maintain steady blood glucose (Fiber). That’s just another reason why food must be eaten in the whole form, and not extracted and processed outside the body.