Part 2– Nutritional Myth Series: Carbohydrates — Misunderstood, Essential, and How to Use Them Right
Nutrition Myths Series — Part 2 | Following Part 1: “The 12 Elements of Complete and Healthy Nutrition”​

Carbohydrates — Misunderstood, Essential, and How to Use Them Right

Carbohydrates are the most argued-over macronutrient in modern nutrition. Some diets lump all carbs together as villains; others pretend “sugar is fine in moderation.” Both miss the point. Carbohydrates are not just what they are chemically—they’re where they live in the food matrix and how they shape your postprandial insulin profile.

Bomi’s Nutrition Rule on Carbohydrates:

For health, postprandial insulin secretion should be gradual, low, and have a long tail.

In this deep dive, we’ll define what carbohydrates are, map their types, explain why binding and form matter as much as type, show how carbs affect health (including the gut microbiome), and finish with best practices and practical food combinations that support the Rough It® approach.

Carbohydrates and postprandial insulin curves: a healthy curve that rises gently to a low peak and tapers with a long tail, and an unhealthy curve that spikes quickly and drops fast.
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What Carbohydrates Are

Carbohydrates are chains of simple sugar units (saccharides). At the smallest end are monosaccharides (glucose, fructose). Combine them and you get disaccharides (sucrose). Build long chains and you get polysaccharides: starches(energy polymers of glucose) and fibers (polymers humans can’t digest).

Their three big roles are:

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Energy

Glucose supplies energy to every cell and is stored as glycogen, which is a densely packed glucose structure.

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Structure

The cell walls of plants are made of carbohydrates. The more rigid types are called fiber.

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Metabolic modulation

Glucose or fructose appears in blood after digestion → then insulin responds. The pace and intensity of the insulin response affects health.

Two postprandial insulin curves: a healthy curve that rises gently to a low peak and tapers with a long tail, and an unhealthy curve that spikes quickly and drops fast.
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Types of Carbohydrates

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Simple Sugars (Monosaccharides in Nature)

  • Glucose — Blood sugar and universal fuel.
    • In nature: concentrated forms appear in raw honey alongside enzymes and other compounds. In practice, raw honey digests more slowly than refined syrups and tends to produce a more gradual, lower insulin profile than “free sugars.”
  • Fructose — Found naturally in whole fruit, bound within intact plant cell walls.
    • Matrix matters: fruit sugars come packaged with fiber and cell structures that slow digestion, yielding a gentler insulin response.

Critical distinction: The fructose in a whole apple is not the same as “free” high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods. Free sugars are unbound, rapidly absorbed, and provoke a sharp insulin spike. Fruit sugars are bound and buffered by fiber.

High-angle shot of uncooked white rice spilling from a ceramic cup onto a smooth surface.

Starch (Complex Glucose)

Starch is a long chain of glucose molecules. Amylase—beginning in saliva—starts disassembling starch into glucose quickly.

  • Insulin profile: often quiet for a few minutes, then climbs as more free glucose appears in circulation.
  • Form matters: intact starches (chewy beans, lentils, whole kernels) digest more slowly than flours and puffed/processed forms, which behave more like free sugars.
A vibrant close-up of a heap of fresh, juicy blueberries, showcasing their natural beauty and nutritional appeal.

Soluble Fiber (Gel-Forming)

  • What it is: non-starch polysaccharides (e.g., pectin, β-glucans) that dissolve in water to form a gel.
  • Where: oats, barley, beans, apples, carrots, many fruits/veg/legumes/nuts/seeds.
  • How it behaves: not digested by human enzymes; ferments in the large intestine to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)—including butyrate, propionate, acetate—that support gut lining integrity, colon pH, and metabolic signaling.
  • Benefits: slows digestion/absorption, steadies blood glucose, binds LDL, feeds beneficial microbes.
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Insoluble Fiber (Roughage)

  • What it is: structural plant material (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin) that doesn’t dissolve in water and stays intact through the gut.
  • Role: the “colon broom”—adds bulk, speeds transit, helps regularity, and supports colon cleanliness.
  • Why Rough It® loves it: roughage is the mechanical training your gut needs.
A close-up shot of new leaves growing from tree bark, capturing nature's fresh growth.

Lignin (Distinct but Important)

  • What it is: a non-carbohydrate structural polymer that stiffens plant cell walls.
  • In food: contributes insoluble dietary fiber in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
  • Behavior: non-toxic, largely non-digestible, supports transit as part of roughage.
  • Note: Lignans (related compounds) can be fermented by gut bacteria into beneficial antioxidants.
  • Caution: Industrial lignin ≠ food lignin; do not ingest industrial products.
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Beyond Type: Binding, Food Matrix & the Insulin Curve

Two apples and a soda can share similar grams of “carbs” but produce opposite insulin profiles. Why?

  • Bound vs. Free: In whole foods, sugars are bound inside intact cell walls and embedded in fiber. Processed foods present sugars free in solution or finely milled matrices.
  • Particle size & chewing: Intact kernels and chunky textures require work (Rough It®), slowing gastric emptying. Flours, juices, and syrups rush into the bloodstream.
  • Meal context: Pairing carbs with soluble fiber, protein, and natural fats blunts the rise, promoting the gradual, low, long-tail insulin curve we want.

Bottom line: It’s not just the kind of carb—it’s the form, the company it keeps, and the order you eat it.

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Carbohydrates, the Microbiome, and Health

  • Primary fuel: Soluble fibers are readily fermented by gut microbes, directly feeding beneficial genera (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium).
  • SCFA production: Fermentation yields butyrate (fuel for colon cells), helping maintain gut barrier integrity and a favorable colonic environment.
  • Glycemic benefits: The gel slows digestion and stabilizes post-meal glucose and insulin.

While insoluble fiber is not a major microbial food source, it still promotes a healthier microbiome by:

  • Adhesion & colonization: The large surface area of cellulose/hemicellulose provides a physical scaffold for beneficial bacteria (e.g., Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium) to adhere and persist in a competitive environment.
  • Altering gut conditions: By adding bulk and speeding transit, insoluble fiber helps create conditions more favorable to beneficial microbes and less hospitable to opportunistic species.
  • Encouraging diversity: Diets rich in mixed fibers (both soluble and insoluble) are associated with higher microbial diversity and increases in helpful groups (e.g., Bacteroidetes).
  • Butyrate producers: Some plant-derived insoluble polysaccharides can stimulate butyrate-producing bacteria, indirectly supporting colon health.

Key point: Both soluble and insoluble fiber matter—soluble feeds, insoluble structures. Together they train the gut (Rough It®), sustain beneficial microbes, and improve metabolic stability.

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Best Practices (Bomi’s Carbohydrate Playbook)

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Start meals with vegetables/salad → coats the gut, slows absorption.

Roughage First

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Prefer whole fruit to juice; intact grains/beans to flours. If it chews easy and dissolves fast, it likely digests fast.

Chew, Don’t Chug


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Combine carbs with soluble fiber (oats, beans, apples), protein, and a bit of natural fat (nuts, seeds, olive oil) to flatten the curve.

Pairings Matter


Carbohydrates - Dr. Bomi Joseph

Eat both fiber types daily. Rotate legumes, intact grains, vegetables, fruit-with-skins, nuts and seeds.

Variety = Microbiome Diversity


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Choose intact or chunky over puffed/milled forms. Reserve refined starches for rare occasions.

Mind the Form of Starch


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“Free” sugars (syrups, candies, soda, sweetened bars) → sharp insulin spikes. Keep them rare.

Avoid Free Sugars

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Roughage → protein/fat → intact carbs, then pause between meals. Avoid grazing to let insulin return to baseline.

Order & Spacing

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If your current fiber intake is low, increase gradually and drink water to support comfortable transit.

Ramp Gradually + Hydrate


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Healthy Carbohydrate Sources & Microbiome-Smart Combos

Skinned fruit: Apples, pears, berries (skins = insoluble; flesh = soluble)
Avocado: rich in both fiber types
Bananas: unripe = more resistant starch; ripe = more soluble
Crucifers: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts—balanced fibers
Sweet potatoes: skin boosts insoluble; flesh provides soluble fiber
Carrots, beets, root veg with skins: mixed fibers
Carbohydrates - Dr. Bomi Joseph
Fruits & Vegetables (many contain both fibers)
Oats: famous for soluble β-glucans; also some insoluble
Barley: balanced profile
Whole wheat products: retain both fiber types vs refined
Quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice—intact forms preferred
Popcorn (air-popped): whole-grain snack with mixed fibers
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Grains
Beans (black, navy, kidney, pinto), lentils, chickpeas, peas—excellent soluble + insoluble mix.
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Legumes
Combo: big salad first → legumes → olive oil + lemon + herbs.
Chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, almonds, walnuts—blend of soluble/insoluble plus healthy fats that steady the curve.
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Nuts & Seeds

Sample “Rough It® Carbohydrate” Plates

Healthy fresh salad bowl with cherry tomatoes and greens held by hands on a brown surface.

Lunch Bowl:

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Cabbage–arugula base → warm lentils + diced roasted carrots → spoon of tahini–lemon → fresh herbs.

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Roasted crucifers → quinoa/buckwheat mix → grilled tofu or fish → finish with olive oil + lemon zest.

Delicious vegan quinoa salad with tomatoes, oranges, and fresh herbs.

Hearty Dinner:

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Fruit-Forward Snack

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Apple slices + 8–10 almonds; or berries folded into plain yogurt.

Common Carb Pitfalls (and Quick Fixes)

  • Fix: Eat the whole fruit/veg; keep the fiber and chewing.
  • Fix: Nuts + fruit, or oats you make yourself.
  • Fix: Structured meals with pauses.
  • Fix: Increase fiber intake gradually, drink water, and diversify sources.
Colorful bowls and plates of intact carbs—fruit with skins, beans, lentils, oats, quinoa, and root vegetables—served in fun, mix-and-match ways.

Final Takeaway

Carbohydrates are not the enemy. Free sugars and refined forms are. When carbs live in intact, fiber-rich matrices and are eaten in the right order with protein and natural fats, they produce the gradual, low, long-tail insulin profile that underpins metabolic health. That’s the Rough It® way: chew your calories, favor soluble + insoluble roughage to nourish microbes and train the gut, and let your metabolism follow.

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Rough It approach: half plate fibrous vegetables, intact grains and legumes, whole fruit with skins—chew, fiber-first, and gut-training meals.

Next in the Series (Part 3)

Protein — facts vs. hype, essential amino acids, and why training—not shakes—drives synthesis.

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Educational guidance only. Not medical advice. 0 / 240