Why do I need to look at all carbohydrates and not just sugar?

Even if you have diabetes, your body is incredibly good at breaking down complex, starchy carbohydrates into molecules of glucose that are then absorbed into your bloodstream. Your blood glucose will rise just about as fast after eating a piece of bread or a spoonful of sugar or mashed potatoes. How high your blood glucose goes after a meal depends, to some extent, on the type of carbohydrate and what else you ate along with it. But the overall amount of carbohydrate is by far the most important thing to track. A lot of people underestimate how much carbohydrate they are eating and get a big surprise when they check their blood glucose after a meal. So although you may find it interesting to look at the amount of fiber or sugar that something contains when you check food labels, the most important thing that will affect how high your blood glucose goes after a meal is the total amount of carbohydrate in your meal.

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