Baffled by food

[Thecrazy_1]

So strange what you learn from having diabetes.

Last week I was busy, and on the run I had a sandwich and packets of crisps. My blood was 9.7 that was 3 hours after eating.
Tonight, I had pizza and garlic bread (shhh) anyway my blood was 7.9 after 2 hours. Amazing!

 

[Rachox]

You’re probably getting ‘the pizza effect’, the high fat content of pizza may well have delayed the highest spike. Testing at the 3 hour mark might be a whole different story?

 

[Thecrazy_1]

You’re probably getting ‘the pizza effect’, the high fat content of pizza may well have delayed the highest spike. Testing at the 3 hour mark might be a whole different story?

I had to rush and test again. Phew, it was 6.9 that was 3 and half hours.
Thankfully I don't have pizza very often but it just surprised me that the sandwich and crisps spiked it so much more

 

[bangkokdiabetic]

I am not an expert but A Sandwich would normally have Bread (to be avoided.) you don't say what was in the sandwich May contain sugar and crisps normally also to be avoided (Usually made from Potaro's another food to be avoided whilst I usually try and avoid Both Bread and potato's and pizza some times they are unavoidable If you know in advance you are likely to need to eat on the run I usually when cooking Sausages or similar I cook a few extra and keep them in the freezer easy to take out and put in a plastic Box in the morning defrosted by lunch and an easy snack to keep the wolf from the door or of course a piece of cheese also does the same. I am sure other will have different ideas

 

[DCUKMod]

Hi there, @Thecrazy_1 - Pizza is a funny old thing for many folks. Personally, they've never featured on my fave foods list, so I haven't had one for a few years now, but when I did used to have pizza, I used to find that my blood glucose rise was nothing extreme, but next day my fasting levels would be just a bit up on average, and stay that way for a couple of days.

I'm gluten-free now, so I can't say I'll test again, but my experience isn't isolated by any means.

If you like pizza and are content with your scores, that's great, but please consider a bit of quite intensive testing around it to ensure it isn't playing sneaky games with you.

 

[Member496333]

In my opinion, moment-to-moment, or meal-to-meal blood glucose concentration is not the best marker of control in type 2 diabetes. It will go up and down like the waves of the ocean (as you are seeing), but it doesn’t really tell you the level of the tide, and it definitely doesn’t tell you what is happening to your insulin profile. A better measure of monitoring your overall metabolic health - the long game as I call it - is your fasting glucose in the morning. It’s a more meaningful gauge of where you are in the spectrum of insulin resistance, which is what one should want to know if attempting to reverse metablic dysfunction as opposed to managing blood glucose from one meal to the next. The latter only tells you how much of a glucose load you are currently putting into your body, or by how much you are “topping up”.

This is of course a personal choice, and I’m merely making the distinction between the two approaches. Some may disagree, but this mindset has worked miracles for me personally, and is based on endless research and self-experimentation. Others may find a different path works for them, or indeed they may not be searching for a path, and would rather manage the condition day-to-day. That’s fine too, but expect to see blood glucose results like this, pretty much forever.

 

[Guzzler]

At the stage I am now I would be asking myself "Do I really want to eat this processed, nutritionally poor foodstuff with its concomitant affect on my blood glucose level?" and the answer would be no.

There are times that I cannot ameliorate high levels such as when illness strikes or when I have caudal injections so I do not feel bad about it but I do have a choice when it comes to what I eat and drink and better choices please me no end.

 

[Deleted Account]

I always have a purpose for testing.
It may be to work out if I need to make any adjustments to my medication, it may be to decide whether to avoid a food type in the future, it may be to understand the impact exercise has on my BG so I can account for it in the future, it may be to track my progress.
My understanding is the reason for testing 2 (or 3 or ...) hours after a meal is for the second reason (to decide whether to avoid a food type in the future) whereas the testing @Jim Lahey mentions (fasting testing) is for the latter reason (to track progress).
There are reasons and times for all types of testing. But we may start to pull back on some reasons as we become more experienced with our diabetes.

I have type 1 diabetes but I think this is relevant for all.

 

[LindsayJane]

In my opinion, moment-to-moment, or meal-to-meal blood glucose concentration is not the best marker of control in type 2 diabetes. It will go up and down like the waves of the ocean (as you are seeing), but it doesn’t really tell you the level of the tide, and it definitely doesn’t tell you what is happening to your insulin profile. A better measure of monitoring your overall metabolic health - the long game as I call it - is your fasting glucose in the morning. It’s a more meaningful gauge of where you are in the spectrum of insulin resistance, which is what one should want to know if attempting to reverse metablic dysfunction as opposed to managing blood glucose from one meal to the next. The latter only tells you how much of a glucose load you are currently putting into your body, or by how much you are “topping up”.

This is of course a personal choice, and I’m merely making the distinction between the two approaches. Some may disagree, but this mindset has worked miracles for me personally, and is based on endless research and self-experimentation. Others may find a different path works for them, or indeed they may not be searching for a path, and would rather manage the condition day-to-day. That’s fine too, but expect to see blood glucose results like this, pretty much forever.

Love the way you write Jim. Succinct and clear and informative and refreshingly honest. My fasting blood glucose has been consistently in the 4s with the occasional low 5 for all of February. I have my 1st ever follow-up appointment and repeat bloods in a couple of weeks. This was a daunting prospect when I was first diagnosed but I'm quite looking forward to it now. Low carb (VERY low carb) high fat seems to be working for me, the only thing I miss being a crispy roast spud on a Sunday, and I've become a little evangelical about this way of eating TBH. Such an easy way to improve your health whether you have diabetes or not. Peace and love to you and I hope you have a beautiful day x

 

[Member496333]

I always have a purpose for testing.
It may be to work out if I need to make any adjustments to my medication, it may be to decide whether to avoid a food type in the future, it may be to understand the impact exercise has on my BG so I can account for it in the future, it may be to track my progress.
My understanding is the reason for testing 2 (or 3 or ...) hours after a meal is for the second reason (to decide whether to avoid a food type in the future) whereas the testing @Jim Lahey mentions (fasting testing) is for the latter reason (to track progress).
There are reasons and times for all types of testing. But we may start to pull back on some reasons as we become more experienced with our diabetes.

I have type 1 diabetes but I think this is relevant for all.

I don’t disagree, but fasting testing has specific meaning with insulin resistant diabetes that is not so relevant to autoimmune. A fasting test for a type 2 diabetic is about the best easily achievable marker of insulin resistance. It speaks pretty clearly for the decline (or increase) in hepatic and pancreatic fat deposition. Tackle this, and the postprandial quickly becomes far less relevant, and less likely to even give a high reading.

But for sure we are all at a different stage in managing our condition, which is why it’s cool that we share our experiences with others

 

[Member496333]

Love the way you write Jim. Succinct and clear and informative and refreshingly honest. My fasting blood glucose has been consistently in the 4s with the occasional low 5 for all of February. I have my 1st ever follow-up appointment and repeat bloods in a couple of weeks. This was a daunting prospect when I was first diagnosed but I'm quite looking forward to it now. Low carb (VERY low carb) high fat seems to be working for me, the only thing I miss being a crispy roast spud on a Sunday, and I've become a little evangelical about this way of eating TBH. Such an easy way to improve your health whether you have diabetes or not. Peace and love to you and I hope you have a beautiful day x

Good stuff. Seems like you’re doing everything right for yourself. Pertinently, this approach will put you in a good position whereby you don’t need to worry about which meals cause this-or-that postprandial rises, because you will be eating food that you know will not cause a problem, and even if you do slip once in a while, your improved insulin sensitivity - brought about by your current approach - will ensure it isn’t an issue for you.

We’re at risk of going a bit off topic here in the minds of some, I guess, but I believe it’s relevant to the discussion.

 

[Thecrazy_1]

In my opinion, moment-to-moment, or meal-to-meal blood glucose concentration is not the best marker of control in type 2 diabetes. It will go up and down like the waves of the ocean (as you are seeing), but it doesn’t really tell you the level of the tide, and it definitely doesn’t tell you what is happening to your insulin profile. A better measure of monitoring your overall metabolic health - the long game as I call it - is your fasting glucose in the morning. It’s a more meaningful gauge of where you are in the spectrum of insulin resistance, which is what one should want to know if attempting to reverse metablic dysfunction as opposed to managing blood glucose from one meal to the next. The latter only tells you how much of a glucose load you are currently putting into your body, or by how much you are “topping up”.

This is of course a personal choice, and I’m merely making the distinction between the two approaches. Some may disagree, but this mindset has worked miracles for me personally, and is based on endless research and self-experimentation. Others may find a different path works for them, or indeed they may not be searching for a path, and would rather manage the condition day-to-day. That’s fine too, but expect to see blood glucose results like this, pretty much forever.

You are correct. My fasting glucose was 8.7 this morning. Thanks for all the info. I am slowly changing habits of a life time.

 

[Guzzler]

You are correct. My fasting glucose was 8.7 this morning. Thanks for all the info. I am slowly changing habits of a life time.

Low carbing is the easy bit, what takes a lot longer is learning our own individual body's way of dealing with what we throw at it. It is a learning curve to be sure. Keep going, keep learning and you'll get there.