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Carbohydrates are an essential part of healthy nutrition, as long as you eat the right amount and the right kind. What makes one form of carbohydrate better than another? The answer is a carbohydrate's glycemic index-the rate at which a carbohydrate is con- verted into glucose, or sugar, in the bloodstream. High-glycemic carbs con- vert into sugar rapidly, causing an increased insulin response. Low-glycemic carbs convert into sugar at a slower rate, resulting in a reduced insulin re- sponse. "Good" carbohydrates are low glycemic. "Bad" carbohydrates are high glycemic. If you want to live in Total Health, it is essential that you choose good carbohydrates over bad carbohydrates whenever possible. One of the major determining factors of the glycemic index in fruits and vegetables is their content of natural fiber. The more natural fiber a fruit or vegetable contains, the lower its glycemic index. This is because fiber acts like a "brake," meaning that it takes the body longer to convert the fruit or vegetable carbohydrate source into sugar due to its natural fiber content. Other nonfruit, nonvegetable sources of carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, white rice, and potatoes, either are made with flour or are very starchy. This causes them to convert into sugar very rapidly. This rapid conversion into sugar, which causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, makes them very high glycemic. So you want to choose low-glycemic, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, such as apples, oranges, pineapple, broccoli, and cauliflower, as often as possible. You also want to limit your consumption of high-glycemic foods, such as bread, pasta, white rice, and potatoes. These foods are not entirely forbidden, but the less of them you eat, the better you'll feel. When con- suming bread, pasta, and rice, choose whole grain types whenever possible. They're low glycemic and contain naturally higher amounts of fiber, vita- mins, and minerals. Note: See the complete Macronutrient Units list of low-glycemic carbohy- drates on page 84 in the section "Eating Your Way to Total Health." WHY FAT IS THE KEY TO GOOD HEALTH Contrary to the nutritional "wisdom" most of us get from the media and food packaging, not all fat is bad for you. In fact, your body needs a certain amount of fat to nourish cells, supply essential fatty acids, and trigger the release of a hormone that signals your brain that you're full. Fat also slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, feeding your brain a steady flow of glucose, not a sudden rush that triggers an excess insulin re- sponse. So why hasn't your doctor told you that fat is good? That it does not make you fat and isn't responsible for raising your cholesterol that much? Unfortunately, your doctor, just like the general public, has been misin- formed by studies (which many times are financed by the food industry). Also, medical schools spend very little time educating doctors on proper nutrition and disease prevention.