“Carbohydrate” is an umbrella term that includes everything from table sugar to the cellulose found in wheat bran. We are well adapted to make use of carbohydrates for energy and have enzymes that chop up large carbohydrates into their individual sugar subunits. This is why eating a meal with lots of starch, such as pasta or pizza, will lead to an increase in blood sugar. Foods containing digestible carbohydrates can be placed on a spectrum of ‘simple’ to ‘complex’ based upon the types of carbohydrates they contain and what other molecules are in the food. For example, a soda simply containing carbonated water, color, flavor, and sugar will fall at…