Type 2 Confusing BG readings before and after food.

[Daniel1e]

I'm trying to get my head around my BG readings and what they actually mean. I've been diagnosed for a few weeks, I am up to 3 Metformin a day this week and I have got myself the Codefree SD meter, I have cut out sugar and I have cut down on carbs,

I am trying to monitor my BG levels before and after meals to see which foods affect my levels the most but I am having some confusing readings. I am of the understanding that my BG should be higher after meals but more often than not it seems to be the opposite way around for me.

For example, last night I went out for a curry, I had a pint of Cobra, with grilled fish bhuna with no naan (that was hard!) before the meal my reading was 6.8, two hours after it was 9.9 which I would expect. Then today I had fruit & nut cereal with coffee around 9am for breakfast. At about 12.25pm I checked my level before dinner and it was upto 11.1! Dinner was a Sunday Roast, I had more vegetables and less potatoes with quorn steak & water, two hours afterwards my level had dropped slightly to 10.3. For tonight's evening meal I had staffordshire oatcakes with low fat cheese and fresh tomatoes with flavoured water. My BG level at 6pm before eating had risen quite considerably to 14.7!! Then two hours after eating it had dropped down again to 9.4.

What does this all mean?

 

[Daniel1e]

I know they are too high - but my question was why were my levels often lower AFTER eating. I am taking readings just before eating and again two hours afterwards.

And how does any of what I ate contain 'way too many' carbs? I have really cut down, I didn't have a naan with the curry and most of the rest is mainly protein and high fibre.

 

[Lamont D]

As suggested, you may be eating far too many carbs, you could also be eating far too many calories, which means at this time, the amount you are eating are not being used and of course this shows in your blood sugars.
A lot of restaurant food is full of hidden sugars and of course no matter how much beer you have a pint is far too much to get your levels down.
Unfortunately for control, you may be getting confused with going on a low carb and a low GI diet.
A low GI diet, is still not really the best watch to get control as even good or complex carbs are still carbs and anything low fat is a manufactured food that has had the fat removed and sugars introduced to keep the taste.
Of course, fibre is good, but most fibre is surrounded by carbs as in wheat.
All carb foods turn into glucose after ingestion and digestion.
Glucose, fructose, dextrose, lactose etc. These are sugars which are in foods that T2 diabetics struggle getting their blood glucose levels in control.
The lower the carbs and sugars, the better the blood glucose levels respond to come down.
There is a whole forum on what good foods are for diabetics in the low carb forum.

 

[Daniel1e]

Now I'm just even more confused and it still doesn't explain why my levels are lower after eating!

I've been dieting since last July, when I became a vegetarian, lowered portion sizes and cut out fizzy drinks completely and I have lost almost 4 stone as a result. I don't think I am having too many calories.

I have started eating fish again since diagnosis under the advice of my nurse, but otherwise I have cut down even further, especially the carbs and what little carbs I am having now is mainly whole grain. I really don't know what else I can do beside having salad all the time.

 

[Totto]

Fruit & nut cereal sounds like something of the worst possible to eat for a diabetic so I'm not surprised at your high reading 3.5 hours later. Same goes with the oatcakes. By the way, low fat cheese and other low fat products are often best avoided. Go for the proper, natural stuff instead.
You could have celeriac, zucchini, aubergines, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, onions, leeks, celery, spinach, swiss chard, kohlrabi, turnips and peppers to start with. That is stuff I eat and I'm not vegetarian. I also eat some carrots and butter beans. But very rarely potatoes, parsnips or anything that contains grains like bread, rice, pasta or cereal. I do however eat a lot of natural fats like butter, organic coconut oil and olive oil. And eggs, meat and fish of course. My HbA1c is now 32.

This is the guide I have used: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
There is a vegetarian sub forum here you could have a look at for inspiration.

 

[Daniel1e]

I'm getting even more confused with each post!

Fruit & nut cereal is very high fibre and recommended on this website, now it's the worst possible thing to eat for a diabetic?? Oatcakes (staffordshire oatcakes, not the scottish biscuits and not a cake either) are made of oatmeal and are high fibre. I am eating a lot more vegetables, they made up the majority of my dinner today!

I've been reading the vegetarian forum, thank you.

 

[Totto]

Fruit & nut cereal is very high fibre and recommended on this website, now it's the worst possible thing to eat for a diabetic?? Oatcakes (staffordshire oatcakes, not the scottish biscuits and not a cake either) are made of oatmeal and are high fibre.

Thing is, you see, that anything with cereal and grains in it contains a lot of carbohydrates that will raise you BG regardless of fibre content.
Read the nutritional information on the packet. And test.

 

[ladybird64]

I'm getting even more confused with each post!

Fruit & nut cereal is very high fibre and recommended on this website, now it's the worst possible thing to eat for a diabetic?? Oatcakes (staffordshire oatcakes, not the scottish biscuits and not a cake either) are made of oatmeal and are high fibre. I am eating a lot more vegetables, they made up the majority of my dinner today!

I've been reading the vegetarian forum, thank you.

Fruit and fibre is recommended by this website? Wow, I never knew that
Ok, all anybody can offer here is their opinion, and what has worked for them. I think the one thing we all agree on is that a reduction in carbohydrate (by varying degrees) helps to reduce our blood glucose levels.
Fibre is not something that reduces glucose levels. Nobody is giving you false information, as you can see, the overwhelming advice is to test regularly. We are all different, and after diagnosis it can take time to figure out a pattern to the levels - some people can have high spikes that can take a long time to come down, and that may be what is happening to you.
As others have pointed out, testing after an hour, then 2 hours after eating, will give you a clearer picture.
Many find that cereal, in any form, is horrendous for their levels, some find that porridge oats have a significant effect too.

Again, all you can expect here is personal experience, unfailing support and advice. Having a look around the posts, especially the success stories, will show how people have learnt to manage their diabetes. Much of the advice will go against current NHS advice, but it's what has worked for us.

 

[Brunneria]

Honestly (and unfortunately) it doesn't really matter what info you find on websites, it all comes down to you, your body and your test meter.

So even if a cereal is promoted as high fibre and therefore the best thing ever (debateable) then if it sends your blood glucose too high after meals, then it doesn't work for you.

Have a look at the nutritional info on the side of the packet. The higher the carbs/100g, the worse it is. And of course portion size makes a huge difference. Most of those cereals are 'intended' to be tiny portions, which everyone ignores. Then they are surprised at the calories and the carbs that they are eating.

Personally, my meter has taught me that I get too high blood glucose from any grain - wheat, barley, rye, rice, oat, whatever.
So I avoid them.

While I agree with what people have said above, the best thing to do is to convince yourself that they are right. That means a food diary and systematic blood glucose testing, before food and 1 and 2 hours after food, until you work out what suits you.

If you aren't tolerating cereals, then switch to a protein breakfast and see how that goes. Doesn't have to be the Full English. Scrambled eggs, or even sliced ham and cheese are nice and simple. Almost instant. Try them, and see what they do to your blood glucose. Just don't muck the readings up by having toast with them!

 

[mo53]

Hello @Daniel1e . Have you looked at the carb content of the cereal? I usually think up to 5g carbs in 100 is fine and anything higher I decide whether it's really worth eating. I did wonder how long you have had your meter. I have just had to change my meter as I seemed to be getting very erratic results. There is a control solution which you can get to test your meter. Have you tried that? Hope this helps.

 

[JohnEGreen]

And of course portion size makes a huge difference. Most of those cereals are 'intended' to be tiny portions, which everyone ignores. Then they are surprised at the calories and the carbs that they are eating.

This is why I keep my Carbs and Cals book close to hand as it shows you portion size along with nutritional info.

 

[Daniel1e]

Thanks for the information and advice, I really do appreciate it even though some of my replies may not seem like it, I don't believe anyone is giving me false information, I'm just trying to understand. This is still all new to me and I'm still trying to get my head around everything and process all the information. I'm making changes and will continue to do so while I find out how different foods affect my BG.

Hello @Daniel1e . Have you looked at the carb content of the cereal? I usually think up to 5g carbs in 100 is fine and anything higher I decide whether it's really worth eating. I did wonder how long you have had your meter. I have just had to change my meter as I seemed to be getting very erratic results. There is a control solution which you can get to test your meter. Have you tried that? Hope this helps.

I've only had the meter less than a week, I'm still getting used to it. Thanks for the tip.

 

[nomoredonuts]

Hi @Daniel1e.
As I think you are finding, the forum here is a microcosm of the Internet in general. If you g**gle a question you will normally find radically conflicting answers! At least here we are troll-free, but occasionally well-meant advice is not always factual. Like you I dropped everything I could think of from my diet in the early weeks then was irritated when my results didn't reflect my efforts. I'm now taking a more measured approach and as has been suggested above, I'm trying to see what raises/ lowers my BG, and keep it in or discard it as necessary. I'm begin to accept this may be a long haul. As everyone here says "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon". Stay positive.