Diabetes: the risks and how to defend against it! Carbohydrates are the biggest dietary culprit. In the last e-bulletin, I told you about glycemic load. Glycemic load is determined by how many carbohydrate grams there are per serving of a given food and how quickly the carbohydrate is broken down into glucose. Foods with a high glycemic load – like white bread, potatoes, cereal and rice – cause a blood sugar spike in diabetics and should be avoided. But foods with a low glycemic load – like fresh fruits, corn, beans, peas and tomato juice – can help balance blood sugar levels.

