WHICH FOODS ARE GOOD TO STOP HIGHER SPIKES GI WISE

Bit of an odd question for someone who has been around as long as you have?
Avoid carbs and you will avoid spikes. It really is that simple or have I missed something here?

I'm hoping that you weren't surprised when pasta followed by chocolate dessert caused a big spike..?

Instead of looking for foods that are good at stopping spikes, you need to look for foods that cause them, and then cut down or eliminate them. All carbs turn to sugar once eaten and will cause a spike. The secret is to use your meter alongside a food diary and work out which ones are your danger foods, and what your personal tolerances are.

Debandez said:

Hi all

I've not been doing too bad with regard to spikes following the LCHF diet. But I'm just interested which foods you can eat in people's experience that help you avoid spikes. Is there a list somewhere. I know some foods make you spike fast and some slow but I'm not sure what the fast ones are. I've read on here that the higher the spike the more physical damage is done. The biggest spike since dx I'm aware of was on holiday in February when I had 3 courses on our last evening which included a pasta main and chocolate dessert. 11.9 still after 3 hours! It did start to come down then. 8.3 after 4 hours. Any help appreciated. Thanks.

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The peak must be very high, much higher than 11.9

There is a GI index!
There is an insulin index!

It all depends on what you are looking for.
Going low carb, will lower or slow down digestion, so you won't spike.
Finding which foods produce more insulin in your first insulin response, because you need to, will help with glucose levels.
However, depending on how your insulin resistance is, depends on how much insulin is produced. Chicken, for instance, will give you a higher initial insulin response if your insulin resistance is high, but not as much, if you have normal insulin levels.
Chicken is still better than any starchy or other carbs!
If you keep a food diary you could track how your blood glucose levels can lower in time from the same meal, if the portion size is the same. It is important to see the trend happening when you keep track of how you are coping with low carb.

Hope that helps.

Try to remember, no question is silly, foolish or stupid if you don't know the answer. Some of the responses may be though!!!!!!!!!!

To be frank, I am at a loss to understand why you aren't testing simply because your HbA1c is due next month. The HbA1c on its own won't tell you if you have reversed, but consistent and organised testing post meals will. That will also tell you how your insulin resistance is doing (along with your morning fasting BG as that is a good indicator of insulin resistance.) The HbA1c is only an average. It doesn't catch all those nasty spikes and roller coaster levels unless you are elevated a long time.

Debandez said:

Michael Mosley said 33lb could be a magic moment but I've lost more and still spike.

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I and many other have lost more than that and have not experienced that magic moment. I haven't given up hope - I do occasionally test what happens to my bg after a tightly controlled amount of carbs to see if things improve, and they haven't.

I don't know if you are aware of where the '33lb' comes from, in case you are not (and apologies if you are!), it comes from the various Newcastle studies, particularly the first one, where it just so happened that the average weight of participants was 100kg, and at the end of the study they had lost on average 15kg (=33lb) and had, temporarily at least, reversed their T2 insofar as they could 'pass' an oral glucose tolerance test.

So I'd say 33 lbs is arbitrary. In practice, all we know from those experiments is that, removing fat from the liver and pancreas is a very good idea for anyone who can lose weight and has recently been diagnosed with T2, and currently the only way to lose fat from those organs is to lose weight overall. Some people don't need to lose much weight to get the magic effect, and some need to lose more, and for some the magic effect never happens. One known variable which greatly increases your chances is if your diagnosis was recent, though some lucky people can do it many years after diagnosis. You stand a much better chance than me, keep it up and good luck!

Debandez said:

there is a method in my madness. My DN wanted me to go straight on meds. Also poo pood the idea of LCHF. She showed me the usual pie chart stating my food intake should be a third carbs etc. My hba1c was 62. Then on my 2nd visit 47. She was surprised and said nobody had done what I was doing ie project book/reading articles/books!!!! Monitoring BS. She was my mum's DN for years and mum has been gone 11 years! So I want to be in the non diabetic range when I go back in May to show her this way really works. I have a home test hba1c and last time I was 42. I thought that testing new foods that might spike me might effect my hba1c level. Do you not think it would effect it? Thanks for your feedback.

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Testing doesn't mean to say you have to introduce new foods or experiment. Keep on your normal diet, but test before and after. This will help you avoid the "carb creep" we can experience if we are less vigilant with testing. Testing at an hour, 2 hours, and also thereafter if you haven't returned to base in 2 hours can teach you a lot, even with foods you have eaten a long time and think are safe. Testing new foods and experimenting will almost certainly cause spikes, and may well affect your HbA1c.

Good luck with your test.

Debandez said:

But I'm just interested which foods you can eat in people's experience that help you avoid spikes. Is there a list somewhere

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Here is Dr Bernstein's list of foods he does not recommend to anyone seeking to control their bg:

http://www.diabetes-book.com/no-no-foods/

Debandez said:

I thought that testing new foods that might spike me might effect my hba1c level. Do you not think it would effect it?

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Rather than focussing on experimenting with new foods, you could decide on an upper limit for your carb intake at each meal and test after meals to see see how that affects your bg. The home testing will give you an indication as to what your next A1c may be.

Debandez said:

Yes I do feel a bit silly now! I am not testing my tolerance to different carbs at the mo as im due a hba1c next month with DN. I did read somewhere that some foods are slow and some fast to spike. But I suppose it's all down to personal IR levels so a stupid question of mine with hindsight.

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Not really there aren't any stupid questions.. just questions..I think you'll find that even non diabetic would spike with pasta followed by choc dessert so don't fret too much. The best way of checking is to do a home OGTT with the Rapilose liquid drink because then you know exactly how many carbs you are taking in and with some measurements you'll see how your body reacts. Better than risking it all with carb heavy food.

Debandez said:

I feel foolish for asking now.

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NEVER NEVER NEVER feel foolish for asking!!! We are all here to learn and ask and answer as best we can. Those who don't ask don't learn.

Debandez said:

Michael Mosley said 33lb could be a magic moment but I've lost more and still spike.

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I've lost about 100 pounds but am pretty sure I'd still spike after pasta and choc pud.