when to test 1 hour or 2 hour post-meal?

[Carina1962]

I've mentioned a few times in my posts that i have to be skimpy with my test strips as i have to buy them - i don't get them on prescription so i try to limit to 2 per day, one is always 2HPM and the other one i vary each day at different times. What i would like to know is would it be worth say having a week of testing 1HPM instead of 2HPM? what will this tell me? also i might be put off as inevitably the 1HPM reading will be higher won't it?

 

[Northerner]

Hi Carina, what you are trying to do is to work out when the peak of your BG is after eating, and also what that peak is so that you can decide whether to continue eating that particular meal. If you have already done testing at 2 hours for regular meals then it would be worth doing one hour tests for a week with those same meals. The reading won't necessarily be higher at one hor than two hours, it will depend on what is being eaten and how quickly it turns to glucose. So yes, I think it would be worthwhile and don't be put off if you do get higher readings - use the information to modify what you are eating. For example, you may needs to eat fewer potatoes, or avoid mash etc.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I would say that's the very reason to do it Carina.

For me the best use of a strip 'post meal' is to show the very highest your BG reached. If you don't know that, it's very hard to know how to alter your menu to avoid post meal spikes.

Meals will be different and some might peak later, but a few 1 hour tests (even if they look a bit scary to begin with) might give you some really valuable information. If a banana (or whatever) always pushed me to 14.x at 1h I'd rather know that, than assume it was OK because it had settled back to 8.x by 2h 🙂

M

 

[Carina1962]

I see, yes that makes sense as like you say if at 2HPM my reading may be say, 8.5, although it is within the guidelines, after 1 hour it may be something into double figures which i suppose would make me think more of what i've eaten and how i can modify it, thanks i will do that next week - should be interesting!

 

[Carina1962]

I am starting as from today to test 1HPM for a week to see what food does to my levels. Tonight I had a pork chop, vegetables, roasted sweet potato and a glass of wine and my 1HPM reading was 7.1. I take it that this is a 'good' reading for 1HPM?

 

[Copepod]

The problem with testing 1 hour post meals is that there aren't any guidelines.

 

[Northerner]

I am starting as from today to test 1HPM for a week to see what food does to my levels. Tonight I had a pork chop, vegetables, roasted sweet potato and a glass of wine and my 1HPM reading was 7.1. I take it that this is a 'good' reading for 1HPM?

7.1 sounds good, showing that you are not getting an early 'spike' from the meal. Do you have records of what level you are at two hours after for the same meal? If so, and that was below 8.5 then you can be confident that this meal isn't spiking your levels 🙂

 

[Mark T]

I am starting as from today to test 1HPM for a week to see what food does to my levels. Tonight I had a pork chop, vegetables, roasted sweet potato and a glass of wine and my 1HPM reading was 7.1. I take it that this is a 'good' reading for 1HPM?

It would be a good reading for me, but then since my pre-prandial is usually ~7 😉

 

[bev]

7.1 sounds good, showing that you are not getting an early 'spike' from the meal. Do you have records of what level you are at two hours after for the same meal? If so, and that was below 8.5 then you can be confident that this meal isn't spiking your levels 🙂

Hi Northerner,

I agree with you - but does that also mean that there wont be a 'spike' three or four hours later. I dont have enough knowledge about type 2's to know whether 'spikes' happen hours after eating like they can with a type 1.🙂Bev

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Bev

I'm not sure either, but I have read several posts from T2s which suggest that the 1hour may well be the peak for many meals (perhaps even 'most' meals?). Something to do with a lack of first phase insulin response I think (second phase kicking in later and helping to keep later spikes under control), though again I'm not sure... and then there are always the meals which hit a bit later (well for T1s anyway)... Tch! never easy is it!

 

[Mark T]

...but I have read several posts from T2s which suggest that the 1hour may well be the peak for many meals (perhaps even 'most' meals?).

So far since I started testing, all of my 1 hours have been higher then my 2 hours, but... I haven't eaten and measured any pasta dishes or pizza since I started. I suspect that these would give me a later spike.

I think in Andy HB's great bread thread with white bread he spiked later than 1 hour too.

...Something to do with a lack of first phase insulin response I think (second phase kicking in later and helping to keep later spikes under control)...

This is something that I seem to be finding in my measurements. I'd love to know a bit more about this.

 

[Lairyfairy]

Point in question. Yesterday I had Fruit and Fibre for breakfast. These were my results:

Before eating: 7.8
1 hour after: 13.2
2 hours after: 6.8

Would you advise to leave the fruit and fibre alone, even though it was at a pretty good level 2 hours afterwards?

Lairy

 

[Andy HB]

I think in Andy HB's great bread thread with white bread he spiked later than 1 hour too.

Yep, that's right. But I don't know how 'normal for type 2' my results were. I was expecting a peak at one hour, I must say.

Andy 🙂

 

[Carina1962]

Good point, Lairyfairy, this is what i get confused with, i suppose if i went into double figures 1HPM then i think i would review what i had eaten but like you say, after 2 hours your reading is good but wasn't at 1 hour so what can you do? and as for testing 3 or 4 hours later, i just don't have enough test strips to stretch to test that way

 

[Mark T]

Point in question. Yesterday I had Fruit and Fibre for breakfast. These were my results:

Before eating: 7.8
1 hour after: 13.2
2 hours after: 6.8

Would you advise to leave the fruit and fibre alone, even though it was at a pretty good level 2 hours afterwards?
Lairy

My understanding is that although you are back to normal by two hours, for that period where you are high - you are essentially damaging your body.

What I have been doing is looking at the one hour peaks and trying to modify such that I at least don't go into double figures - it doesn't help that I start from ~7.5.

Once (and I'll get there eventually) I'm down into the 5's and 6's then I might reintroduce some of the higher hitting foods - but I'm going for a spike of no more then +3.

So yeah, I'd be running away from the fruit and fibre!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Lairy/Carina

My aim (not that I expect to manage this all the time) is to stay 'in range', all day. What American CGM wearers call a 'no hitter'. If I knew I was eating stuff that made me 13+ but just didn't test until I knew the spike had come down it would just feel like I was testing for someone else, not for me

I've realised just this week how crucial it is to 'own' your BG range. I spent far too many years feeling that the range I'd been given to aim for was ridiculously small, impossible and that docs had no right to ask me to aim for it. The truth is you need to find a range that you 'own'. One that you are happy will protect you from the risk of nasties in the future and will not burden you with failure, but crucially one which is 'yours'. Then each test is not about passing or failing, or about getting approval of your DSN/clinic, it's about trying to stay well, feel better and work for your own good.

 

[Northerner]

Mark is correct. In an ideal world you would never go higher than 8.5 after eating, at any time. If you find you are well into double figures at 1 hour and you're not able to adjust insulin timing then you need to avoid that meal in future. It's thought that the large swings in BG may be more damaging long term than a more level, but higher general reading. So, a 5 to 12 back to 6 is not great, but a 7 to an 8.5 back to a 7 would be less harmful (but still not ideal! ).

Hope that makes sense! 🙂

 

[Lairyfairy]

Thanks guys. I wonder whether other cereals are the same, ie porridge (which I have usually) or weetabix. I will have to try the 1hr/2hr test to find out.

Like Carina, I have to buy my own strips as they won't prescribe them for me.

Lairy x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I always thought Weetabix was OK, until I started post meal testing 😱 I think it is listed in high GI despite the fibre. Something to do with how mashed up the grains are. There was a cereals thread a few weeks back that might give you some other experiences, but once again youll only really know for you by throwing some strips at it

 

[bev]

Thanks guys. I wonder whether other cereals are the same, ie porridge (which I have usually) or weetabix. I will have to try the 1hr/2hr test to find out.

Like Carina, I have to buy my own strips as they won't prescribe them for me.

Lairy x

Hi Lairyfairy,

It is not good to have to buy your own strips - but if you do then I would use them wisely. Perhaps you could cut down on some of the tests you do at one particular time and save them to test your breakfast levels. So, for example, stop testing for a couple of days per week and use these to get the breakfast right, then move on to lunch and so on. You shouldnt have to do this - but it means you are getting 'more' out of the results if you see what I mean.🙂Bev