You ever think you’re making the smarter choice when you reach for a bowl of rice instead of a can of soda? Or trade that chocolate bar for a “healthy” piece of bread?
Here’s the twist: nutritionally, especially in terms of carbs, they’re nearly identical.
I learned this the hard way—over tea, talking with Dr. Fareha Jamal and her sister Maryam.
A Doctor in the Lab, A Med Student on a Mission
Dr. Fareha Jamal isn’t your average expert. She’s a Doctor of Pharmacy working in immuno-oncology at BioNTech in Munich. Her daily tools aren’t stethoscopes—they’re cell-binding assays, tumor cultures, and high-content screens.
“People still don’t understand how fast certain ‘non-sugary’ foods spike blood glucose,” she told me. “White bread, pasta, even rice—they break down into glucose almost as quickly as soda.”
Her sister, Maryam, a 5th-year medical student, added: “It’s not about ‘avoiding sugar.’ It’s about understanding how carbs behave inside your body.”
Together, they helped me see carbs as more chemistry than cuisine.
Not All Carbs Are Equal, But All Carbs Become Sugar
Here’s the deal: carbohydrates come in two major forms—simple and complex. But don’t let the names fool you. Complex doesn’t always mean better.
- Simple carbs (glucose, fructose, sucrose) hit your bloodstream like a firework.
- Complex carbs (starches, fiber) are longer sugar chains—but your body still breaks them down into glucose.
The kicker? Some “complex” carbs act exactly like simple ones. Especially refined starches. That fluffy slice of white bread? Might as well be a spoonful of sugar.
And once that sugar hits your bloodstream, insulin gets to work—unless your body’s had enough.
The Slow Creep of Insulin Resistance
Dr. Fareha explained this in a way that stuck with me: “When you flood the system with glucose constantly, your cells start ignoring insulin. Like a doorbell you’ve heard too many times.”
That’s insulin resistance—and it’s the gateway to metabolic syndrome.
We’re talking:
- High blood sugar
- Belly fat
- High blood pressure
Over 1 in 3 Americans now show signs. It’s the silent pandemic behind the loud one.
Fiber, Fat, and What Actually Helps
Maryam brought this back to the plate: “If you’re eating carbs, pair them with fiber, protein, or fat. It slows absorption and protects against those sugar spikes.”
So yes, a bowl of lentils? Totally different from a bowl of white rice. Even if they “look” equally starchy.
Some fixes that work:
- Choose whole grains over white carbs
- Add healthy fats like avocado or nuts
- Load up on veggies—non-starchy ones are gold
- Skip the ultra-processed “low-fat” snacks (they’re usually sugar bombs in disguise)
The Hidden Danger of That “Healthy” Meal
The scariest thing? Many people trying to eat better are actually wrecking their insulin response without knowing it. They swap sugar for starch. Juice for cereal. Soda for naan.
But metabolically, it’s just a different path to the same sugar crash.
“Metabolic syndrome doesn’t care if the sugar came from soda or white rice,” Dr. Fareha told me. “What matters is how often your blood sugar spikes—and whether your body still listens to insulin when it does.”