Testing

bitofagit said:

I have been testing daily for the past 3 weeks, normally 5 times a day. I am also keeping a diary of what I have eaten to compare with these readings.
As a result of this I have noticed readings which seem 'odd'. For example:

Fri. 02.06.23 at 1810 pre dinner - 6.3 for dinner, gin & tonic during the cook, Moules provencale, then BBQ mackerel with 2 small potatoes, asparagus, salsa along with 3 glasses white wine, with small slice of blueberry tart to finish. At 2010 test: 7.6 Rise of 1.3

Sun 04.06.23 at 1740 pre dinner - 5.7 for dinner, BBQ duck breast with plain salad (no dressings) followed by small slice blueberry tart + double cream
At 1940 test again: 10.8 Rise of 5.1!!!

Now compare what was eaten then compare readings - the results seem to indicate that the worst reading was because less was eaten (both the amount and type). Am I interpreting this all wrong, heading in wrong direction?

Confused in Wales

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Hi, first thing I'd say is that our bodies don't appear to be entirely consistent. So we ourselves might be the variable factors, and I don't see how we control for that.

Anyway, there's a couple of items to look at - when you say BBQ mackerel and duck, was there any sauce involved? BBQ sauces tend to be high in sugars, usually from honey or something similar.

The other thing is that with the first meal you had some alcohol. The thing about alcohol (as well as it providing energy when metabolised) is that it can skew blood test readings. This happens because the liver prioritises metabolising the alcohol, and for a time stops topping up blood glucose levels.

It means that the normal pattern of a rise in BG after eating carb, followed by a fall as your insulin gets to work (and how well it works can vary) gets altered. The carb still goes in, it will knock me out of ketosis, but (in my experience) there's no quick rise. I have tested for this on many occasions having noticed the impact of alcohol in the first year after diagnosis. What I found is that my BG rise is much lower (sometimes non-existent) but lasts longer - including into the following days.

It's possible therefore that your response to the second meal is more of a natural response and demonstrates the impact of carb, while the first response is "alcohol-affected". I suppose you could repeat the first meal without the gin and wine, and see what happens: but that's probably not practical.

There are lots of variables including:
Alcohol before/during meal.
Fats consumed with the meal.
Exercise or not before the meal.
Accuracy of BG meter ( which is +- 15%)