Not sure how these threads work (seem to have lost the original issue and can't start a new one), but I'm exploring the use of alcohol. I am finding that moderate to heavy alcohol intake keeps BG nice and low. Obviously you need to regulate things to avoid hangover and/or depression. Drink responsibly and don't drive or meddle with others if you become unpleasant. But I am finding a bottle of wine and a couple of beers or 1.5 bottles of dry wine in the evening do wonders for the blood sugar and a bit of relief from the punishments of the diabetic diet. I am combining it with a strict exercise regime and NO other carbs. It seems to be working quite well...I can eat a reasonably heart (no carb) meal and have BGs between 85 - 115.
Am not on any meds. 15 mins exercise daily and three x 1 hour swims per week. Swimming like alcohol plummets the BG. Feedback welcome!
Edited to remove poster's advice about alcohol.
My only comment would be that the upside of finger prick testing is it gives us an invaluable insight into how our bloods are behaving on a moment by moment basis, but it is a one-frame snapshot of the situation, rather than the full feature length video going on in the background.
My understanding is that alcohol doesn't necessarily stop the blood glucose rise, but, it can delay it, whilst the liver firstly metabolises the alcohol before getting around to the foodstuffs. By testing in exactly the same way when drinking/abstaining, you are likely to be capturing the same chronological point in your blood glucose bell curve, but it is a wholly different point in the metabolic curve.
Whilst I have no wish to rain on your BBQ, it could be a worthwhile investment to do a couple of rounds of more intensive testing when you have a bottle of vino, or whatever. In your shoes, I would test every 20-30 minutes for 3 or perhaps 4 hours around the consumption and just graph how the numbers go.
I realise it's not available right now to new customers, but the Abbott Freestyle Libre continuous sensors give a fascinting insight for those of us who are data monsters.
Good luck with it all. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you find a balance that works for you, in terms of both health and quality of life.