Got a problem to solve today? Thank sugar, glucose to be exact, to power your brain and bring resolution. Broken down from carbohydrates, it’s an essential fuel with a bad reputation. Gram for gram, carbohydrates equal protein in calories (4 cal. each) and come in less than half of fat (9 cal.), so calories aren’t the concern. What’s turned carbohydrates into modern-day villains are the way they interact with insulin. Popular diets such as Keto promote the elimination of all carbohydrates to control weight gain and fat-storing insulin release but hold on, the story is not so simple. There are different types of carbohydrates, and they are not created equal.

It’s smart to think about carbohydrates as quick or slow. Candy, cookies, chips, bagels, and white pizza crust are examples of carbohydrates that digest quickly. Glucose is immediately released into the blood after consumption, with a shot of insulin not far behind. Quick carbs skip a few steps during digestion, including the body not releasing an essential hormone that tells the brain, “Stop – I’ve had enough!”¹ Coupled with their irresistible quality, it’s hard to eat just one as the old saying goes. One might even describe quick carbohydrates as addicting, a vicious mind-mouth cycle that feed off each other and feels too good to end.

Conversely, more complex slow carbohydrates take time to digest, supplying a more even release of glucose and insulin into the bloodstream. Found in whole foods, such as whole grains, certain vegetables, legumes, and nuts, they supply lasting power without the spike in insulin. They fill us up without reeling us in for more and more. People don’t tend to overeat slow carbs.

Eaters need to carefully control and, yes, maybe even eliminate quick carbohydrates, not only for weight control but to prevent a host of metabolic diseases plaguing our nation, such as inflammation, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, prediabetes, belly fat, and obesity. Studies show only 12.2 percent of Americans are metabolically healthy². We all need to learn more ways to eat slow and avoid quick carbohydrates. For starters, try limiting sugar-sweetened sodas, snacks, and junk food to a few times a week at most.

Here are ways to replace quick carbohydrates with slower-to-digest, delicious options:

Tortillas: replace with lettuce or jicama wraps

Corn chips: try thin, crisp vegetables

White rice: Use a food processor to make cauliflower rice

Mashed potatoes: substitute a mix of cooked millet and mashed cauliflower

Cookies: use ground almond flour instead of white wheat flour

White flour pasta: spiralize zucchini into zoodles or try pasta made with bean flour

Lasagna: use thin slices of eggplant or zucchini instead