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Woah - glucose testing is worth it

M

MimT

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I've been testing blood glucose for a couple of weeks, watching my diet to see what spikes. Measurements have ranged from 4.6 to 8.6 mmol/L at various times of the day, Things seemed to be going along well enough. Then today I thought I'd try a regular lunch of the type I used to have when I was too busy to bother. So I made a simple meal of a cheese and vegemite wholemeal sandwich and a banana.

The reading went from 5.8 mmol/L before the first bite to 10 mmol/L an hour and a quarter later. That's the highest reading I've had so far. After two hours it was down to 8.4 mmol/L, which was 2.6 above the pre-meal reading.

I realise every one of you would probably say I shouldn't have been surprised, given the high carb meal (albeit a small meal). Still, there's nothing quite like seeing it for myself. (I'm new to pre-diabetes.)

I can do without the bread easily enough - mostly. But I've got one banana left and I suppose that will have to be the last one I have for quite some time :(
 
jaywak said:
A banana is the most likely to be the culprit of the spike !
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This sounds right, although I was thinking it's also the combination of bread and banana. I've had a banana on its own for a snack, and I've had a cheese sandwich on its own. Separately neither of them produced as big a spike.

It seems that time of day also has a bearing, though not so much with today's episode, which was unusual. Glucose has been more sensitive to carbs at breakfast time (for me), more than it is for the same food later in the day. Morning cereal is not good, but I've had it as an afternoon snack and it doesn't cause as big a rise in glucose.
 
MimT said:
I've been testing blood glucose for a couple of weeks, watching my diet to see what spikes. Measurements have ranged from 4.6 to 8.6 mmol/L at various times of the day, Things seemed to be going along well enough. Then today I thought I'd try a regular lunch of the type I used to have when I was too busy to bother. So I made a simple meal of a cheese and vegemite wholemeal sandwich and a banana.

The reading went from 5.8 mmol/L before the first bite to 10 mmol/L an hour and a quarter later. That's the highest reading I've had so far. After two hours it was down to 8.4 mmol/L, which was 2.6 above the pre-meal reading.

I realise every one of you would probably say I shouldn't have been surprised, given the high carb meal (albeit a small meal). Still, there's nothing quite like seeing it for myself. (I'm new to pre-diabetes.)

I can do without the bread easily enough - mostly. But I've got one banana left and I suppose that will have to be the last one I have for quite some time :(
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I think this is exactly the way to go about things. Test, record, evaluate, move on.

I'd advise always recording the readings and the food linked to them - I found over the years that response changes over time, maybe because I've regained a bit more insulin sensitivity.
 
You've probably eaten the other banana by now! But for future thoughts - if you eat something that's proven to be bad for you just to save it being wasted, it's still wasted. Hugs because it is hard when one is on a tight budget and/or has had the kind of upbringing where it is a mortal sin to waste food.
 
Outlier said:
You've probably eaten the other banana by now! But for future thoughts - if you eat something that's proven to be bad for you just to save it being wasted, it's still wasted. Hugs because it is hard when one is on a tight budget and/or has had the kind of upbringing where it is a mortal sin to waste food.
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I'm saving it for tomorrow. I might even eat it in halves and later in the day, so it doesn't cause a spike. And yes, not quite a mortal sin to waste food, but close :)
 
MimT said:
I'm saving it for tomorrow. I might even eat it in halves and later in the day, so it doesn't cause a spike. And yes, not quite a mortal sin to waste food, but close :)
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Evening @MimT Yes, I was about to suggest dividing the banana into 3 or 4 portions. Cut bananas keep up to 3 days in the fridge.

That said, depending on its size and degree of ripeness, a banana contains the equivalent of around 6 teaspoons of sugar. These days my body does not handle bananas well, so I take the easy route and avoid them completely.
 
KennyA said:
I think this is exactly the way to go about things. Test, record, evaluate, move on.

I'd advise always recording the readings and the food linked to them - I found over the years that response changes over time, maybe because I've regained a bit more insulin sensitivity.
Click to expand...

I like that - test, record, evaluate, move on!
 
Someone on this forum suggested hi-lo bread from Salisbury..,, it’s got 5 carbs per slice…, small slices but it is soya flour in the main so quite filling. Also, it’s got seeds etc so it is not cardboard. It’s in the regular section not the special diet section. Look for small bag with green designs on it. My current go to is a strong cheddar and pesto sandwich.., about 11 carbs. Yum
 
So far, through monitoring blood glucose, I've discovered I need to avoid the following foods:

- Banana (as above)
- Cereal for breakfast (a small serve was okay later in the day)
- More than one slice of toast for breakfast - two is a no-no
- Steamed dim sims with soy sauce (surprised me - but hey, at least I found out about this one)
- Sweet potato - a small portion with green veges is fine, but not a larger one

Breakfast is when I need to be most wary of foods. Some foods have less reaction later in the day.

Things I can have with no problem, so far, some depending on the quantity and/or time of day:

- Green lentil, carrot, onion and tomato soup (yum yum!)
- Eggs
- Meat and fish: lean beef, chicken, tinned salmon and tuna, sardines, deep fried fish
- Dairy - cheese, yoghurt, skim milk - in moderation
- Vegetables and fruit - peas, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, sweet potato (small serve only), avocado, cucumber, tomato, celery, lettuce, fresh-squeezed orange (afternnon only)
- Wholemeal and wholegrain bread in small servings (one slice at a meal)
- Most dressings and sauces in small quantities
- Dips - Hommus, probably tsatsiki and similar
- Beverages - Espresso, presumably tea, , diet cola, wine

Thankfully there are more foods I can have than those I must avoid so far. Still experimenting. I haven't tried icecream yet - I expect that will be on the forbidden list :(
 
My test, record, evaluate, move on was my first week in the UK when I went for sausage and mash at the student cafe - OMG 12.8! Nice though :)
 
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