Figure 4.3: Top 20 Sources of Carbohydrates in the American Diet*Dr . Simin Liu, Harvard University School of Public Health
- This data represents the findings of the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study (2002) .
You can see in Figure 4.3 that the American diet is fraught with bad
carbohydrates. You’ve got to replace many of those bad carbs with more natural
fats. Eat avocados and eggs instead of cereal for breakfast, and olives or
avocados instead of cookies for snacks.
Which Are Better—Complex or Simple Carbs?
I’d rather you ask whether carbs contain fiber or not, since the classification of
complex and simple carbohydrates is incorrect. The science that resulted in the
classifications was based on the idea that the sugars in complex carbs break
down slowly in the body, while the sugar in simple carbs breaks down rapidly.
The glycemic index, a wonderful tool devised by Dr. David Jenkins, can help
you understand this more clearly.
The Glycemic Index (GI)
Dr. Jenkins illustrated that many of the so-called “complex” carbohydrates, such
as white bread, are more hostile than pure sugar inside the body. A diet based on
white bread, white rice, cereals, soda, and low-fat products is loaded with sugar.
Interestingly, some root vegetables that lack fiber, such as potatoes and
pumpkins, also raise glucose levels in the bloodstream faster than pure table