Basic Carb Counting Tips

The Basics of Carb Counting

Anyone can benefit from carbohydrate counting, says Linda Yerardi, M.S., R.D., LDN, CDE, director of diabetes education at the Diabetes Center at Mercy in Baltimore. "Everyone with diabetes has to monitor their carbohydrates."

After you eat any type of carbohydrate, it breaks down into glucose and enters the bloodstream. This is why blood glucose rises after eating carbs.

"Protein and fat will not have as big of an impact on blood sugar as carbohydrate, so carbs are what we look at," Yerardi says.

How Many Carbs to Eat a Day