Five-hour fat effect from Spaghetti Bolognese

[RobertJ]

Yesterday I made Spaghetti Bolognese using the recipe from the Jamie Oliver book, Jamie's Ministry of Food. I started a bit late, so I only began to eat it at 8:15pm. On my pump, I gave 80% of the dose straight away and the other 20% for the next two hours. Due to the fact my BG was not going above 6 even after I finished, I cancelled the 20% bolus when about half had gone in.

For the next three hours, I was between 3.5 and 6 and had to keep topping up with Jelly Babies. When I went to bed it was 5.4 but I had a sense of dread about what was around the corner.

Sure enough, at about 3:30am, the high glucose alarm went off and it went up to 13.5. I gave a correction and four hours later it was down to 4.8.

I just don't get how the trajectory is so slow. Do I have to just abandon the idea of having Spaghetti Bolognese as an evening meal, or at all? Do I give a dose on the pump but make it 50/50 and set the time to five hours? Maybe it's because I'd had some nuts (high in fat) earlier but it seems crazy for the release of the carbohydrate to be so drawn out.

 

[Antje77]

What I would do if I went to bed with a nice 5.4 but a nagging feeling I'll rise is adjust the alarm to wake me when rising to 7 or 8. At that point I'd know I'm rising and almost certain to rise more, so I would be able to dose before going very high.
With so many uncertainties I'd also likely change my low alarm from its usual 4 to 5 or so to catch a hypo before it happens in case I misjudged the dose.

That said, I don't do spaghetti usually exactly for this reason.

 

[becca59]

Try pre cooking the spaghetti and rinsing. Then reheat. I tend to use half wholewheat, half courgetti with broccoli mixed in and lathered in Parmesan. Cover with sauce. About 40 carbs for me.

 

[Zhnyaka]

I usually give another injection after 2-3 hours for deliciously fatty food

 

[RobertJ]

I usually give another injection after 2-3 hours for deliciously fatty food

I know it's normal for fatty food to take two or three hours, but I don't understand how it was more like five or six for me. Maybe it was in part because I'd already had something high-fat earlier in the afternoon.

 

[RobertJ]

What I would do if I went to bed with a nice 5.4 but a nagging feeling I'll rise is adjust the alarm to wake me when rising to 7 or 8. At that point I'd know I'm rising and almost certain to rise more, so I would be able to dose before going very high.
With so many uncertainties I'd also likely change my low alarm from its usual 4 to 5 or so to catch a hypo before it happens in case I misjudged the dose.

That said, I don't do spaghetti usually exactly for this reason.

Thanks. My high glucose alarm is set of 9.6 but I guess once it hit that it rose further, very quickly. A temporary change in the high glucose threshold is an interesting idea though.

What does spaghetti actually do? It's strange that something low in fat would have exhibit something similar to the fat effect.

 

[Ushthetaff]

spag bog is my downfall , I love it but it’s taken me quite a lot of experimenting to get my sugars sorted after eating it ,
I now take my insulin 3 hrs after eating it and I dose about 4 units higher than the carb content , I was determined to do it as I’d rather eat it than give in and not , I could probably reduce my portion size but where’s the fun in that hehehe,!!!

 

[RobertJ]

spag bog is my downfall , I love it but it’s taken me quite a lot of experimenting to get my sugars sorted after eating it ,
I now take my insulin 3 hrs after eating it and I dose about 4 units higher than the carb content , I was determined to do it as I’d rather eat it than give in and not , I could probably reduce my portion size but where’s the fun in that hehehe,!!!

This is the thing. With modern technology it should be a case of figuring out the way that works, rather than giving up and saying it's not possible. I feel the same way about beers but there's another thread for that.

Do you mean you don't give any units up front? Do you entirely leave it for afterwards?

 

[Ushthetaff]

This is the thing. With modern technology it should be a case of figuring out the way that works, rather than giving up and saying it's not possible. I feel the same way about beers but there's another thread for that.

Do you mean you don't give any units up front? Do you entirely leave it for afterwards?

Yeah no units upfront just all 3 hrs after I’m not saying my sugars ‘ flat line ‘ using this method but they are much more acceptable than when I ‘ Bolused’ before , and to be honest acceptable is what I aim for,
you are right about modern tech , I’ve had diabetes that long I can remember when eating everything and anything was a row off the teacher scenario ! Now it’s finding out about what works for you , and enjoy what you eat it takes time but well worth the effort

 

[RobertJ]

I had another portion of spaghetti bolognese last night (having frozen three portions after I made it) and once again the high glucose alarm went off at 3:30am, reaching 13.2.

This time, I started eating at 7pm and had stable levels for most of the evening. I saw it was rising just as I was trying to go to bed at 11pm and had 1.5 units when my sensor said 10.3. That 1.5 units seemed to make it go down a little bit before rising up over the next three hours and making the alarm go off.

 

[Ushthetaff]

I think spaghetti or any pasta come to think of it is what I class as long term carbs , they tend to takes ages to enter my system and if I bolus as normal , my insulin has finished before the pasta has affected my bs , it is actual amazing how long after eating it it raises sugars ! Pizza is the same for me , don’t give in if you like it ! You will find what works for you ,

 

[RoughcutAU]

I love Pasta and Pizza too much to give them up completely. Lots of experimenting and perseverance required. 2 years in I still haven’t got it down pat (or when I do it changes) but I still keep trying.

 

[DexcomGavin]

What you describe is pretty typical of my blood sugar profile if I have high carbohydrate based evening meal. I've tried all sorts of food and insulin combinations and none of them are especially successful. The best solution I have found for preventing night highs is to cut back on my evening meal carbs. That's not say I go to be hungry, I just make up with something else. If I follow this strategy I generally flat line overnight, even potentially dropping into hypo by the end of the night but its nothing dramatic, maybe 4.6/4.5......
I found this out by chance, my wife was trying to lose weight and was following Joe Wicks weight loss plan which was a combination of exercise and diet. His diet has a reduced amount of carbs in it, and whilst I wasn't exercising or eating the amounts he recommends for weight loss, I was eating the food.

 

[Top_Barman]

This is probably really common, and nobody talks about it. As soon as I started on the Freestyle Libre system a few years back, I realised just how long it took bread to get into my system. Since then, Pasta and chips have been added to the list as well. Also, if I eat "Fatty" meatss, especially pork products, these seem to increase the toime for carbs to get into the system, and I have to change my injection habits to compensate. Trial and error, eventually you will find what works for you, so just keep experimenting.

 

[MonsterLC]

I also have this effect. For years I didn't have this problem I don't think, now I do. I think it is just too many carbs and the metabolism slowing down. I have a regime now to deal with high carb food. I take the normal amount of rapid acting insulin, Humalog, for the food. Then about 4 hours after I take a short acting insulin, Humulin S/R. This seems to solve the going high at 0200 to 0400 problem if you are eating at night. This regime still works at lunchtime as well for me.