What is considered to be a spike? I'm trying to see what foods produce a spike and wanted to know what difference I should be looking for when testing 2 hours before and 2 hours after eating. Any help appreciated, thanks.
What is considered to be a spike? I'm trying to see what foods produce a spike and wanted to know what difference I should be looking for when testing 2 hours before and 2 hours after eating. Any help appreciated, thanks.
What is considered to be a spike? I'm trying to see what foods produce a spike and wanted to know what difference I should be looking for when testing 2 hours before and 2 hours after eating. Any help appreciated, thanks.
A spike is the highest point your blood glucose levels reach after a meal.
Different foods and combinations of food along with different portion size will give you different readings, so make sure your portion size is the same.
Also ensure your fingers are washed and dried.
If you get what is known as a rogue reading, something unusually high or low, wash your hands again, then retest.
As @Lamont D says, the spike is the highest peak following a meal, but the timing of this will vary depending on the contents of the meal. It could be anywhere between half an hour and 3 hours, so is very difficult to catch. The test at 2 hours is just a guide. You may be well on your way down at 2 hours, or you may be plateaued, or you may be on your way up still. Experience and knowledge of which foods release glucose early, and which ones are a bit later, and what effect fats have on carbs is needed, and you will pick this up as you learn. The accepted guideline for the 2 hour mark is less than 2mmol/l higher than when you started.