What do the numbers mean...?

[AdeV]

Being new to all of this, I'm obviously curious as to what these various blood sugar numbers I'm getting actually mean...

For instance, for most of yesterday, I seemed to be reading around 6.0-6.5. I then ate dinner, and saw a spike of 9.8 (35 mins), 8.2 (~1hr10m), 7.0 (~2hr20m). This morning, my first reading was 6.1

To me, those numbers are rather high... I'd expect a fasting BS level of 5.something, and a postprandial spike of no higher than 7.something, if I weren't diabetic.

However, according to this document here:
http://www.fraserhealth.ca/media/What-Do-the-Numbers-Mean-Colour-Sept2012.pdf

...my numbers seem more typical of "pre-diabetic" than full on diabetic. Although, admittedly, the only meal I've accurately metered was fairly low carb (120g of sweet potato, 120g of peas, and 2 Birds Eye chicken breasts marinated in some mystery substance... that's almost certainly got some sugar in).

Obviously, until I've got a few more data points, I won't have a truly clear picture... but I'd be interested in opinions on the linked PDF.

Thanks!
Ade.

 

[Vince_UK]

Being new to all of this, I'm obviously curious as to what these various blood sugar numbers I'm getting actually mean...

For instance, for most of yesterday, I seemed to be reading around 6.0-6.5. I then ate dinner, and saw a spike of 9.8 (35 mins), 8.2 (~1hr10m), 7.0 (~2hr20m). This morning, my first reading was 6.1

To me, those numbers are rather high... I'd expect a fasting BS level of 5.something, and a postprandial spike of no higher than 7.something, if I weren't diabetic.

However, according to this document here:
http://www.fraserhealth.ca/media/What-Do-the-Numbers-Mean-Colour-Sept2012.pdf

...my numbers seem more typical of "pre-diabetic" than full on diabetic. Although, admittedly, the only meal I've accurately metered was fairly low carb (120g of sweet potato, 120g of peas, and 2 Birds Eye chicken breasts marinated in some mystery substance... that's almost certainly got some sugar in).

Obviously, until I've got a few more data points, I won't have a truly clear picture... but I'd be interested in opinions on the linked PDF.

Thanks!
Ade.

Are you on any meds Ade?

 

[Mark Parrott]

Everyone (including non D's) can spike quite high after a carby meal. It's how quickly the body recovers after 2 hours that's important (though you never really want to go into double figures. 35 mins after eating is too soon to test. At 1 hour is when most people spike at their highest & 2 by 2 hours it should hopefully be on it's way back down again. Your figures aren't too bad at all. Personally, I would call your 'fairly low carb' meal quite high carb. Sweet potato & peas (and probably the sauce) are quite high carb & all three together may not be a good idea (120g peas is a lot of peas IMO). Some people can tolerate sweet potato better than normal potato due to the extra fibre, but you need to watch the quantity.

 

[Vince_UK]

These are the number I certainllly use @AdeV
As @Mark Parrott has rightly stated your meal was quite a high carb content one.

 

[Ljc]

Hi AdeV
Those numbers don’t seem bad at all, though it does depend on your pre meal number.
I think you will find this blog helpful
test-review-adjust by Alan S

 

[Bubbsie]

Being new to all of this, I'm obviously curious as to what these various blood sugar numbers I'm getting actually mean...

For instance, for most of yesterday, I seemed to be reading around 6.0-6.5. I then ate dinner, and saw a spike of 9.8 (35 mins), 8.2 (~1hr10m), 7.0 (~2hr20m). This morning, my first reading was 6.1

To me, those numbers are rather high... I'd expect a fasting BS level of 5.something, and a postprandial spike of no higher than 7.something, if I weren't diabetic.

However, according to this document here:
http://www.fraserhealth.ca/media/What-Do-the-Numbers-Mean-Colour-Sept2012.pdf

...my numbers seem more typical of "pre-diabetic" than full on diabetic. Although, admittedly, the only meal I've accurately metered was fairly low carb (120g of sweet potato, 120g of peas, and 2 Birds Eye chicken breasts marinated in some mystery substance... that's almost certainly got some sugar in).

Obviously, until I've got a few more data points, I won't have a truly clear picture... but I'd be interested in opinions on the linked PDF.

Thanks!
Ade.

I'd agree with @Mark Parrott for me that would be a rather high carb Meal as indicated by the spike after an hour from 6.5 to 9.8...what we should be aiming for is no more than a 2-3 mmol rise at least two hours after eating...again the crucial thing is how our bodies deal with that rise...just over two hours later you're down to 7...so there doesn't seem to be much to worry about there...testing after an hour will demonstrate how high your BG will rise...the optimum point...then you've come down nicely to within normal range...you actually did very well for such a 'carby' meal...at 6.1 you would just be in pre-diabetic range however we rely on our meters for instant results it's a spot check only..the HbA1c test will give you a firm indication of whether or not you are in diabetic range...good luck.

 

[AdeV]

Hi Vince,

I'm not on any meds, no. The district nurse wanted to start me on some kind of tablets immediately, but I refused (as I knew I'd already made lifestyle changes that would improve my numbers). My goal is to reverse this diagnosis if I possibly can; if not, then I will do my damndest to control it with diet.

At the moment, I don't know if I'm diabetic because a) My beta cells aren't working well enough/some have died i.e. not enough insulin production, or b) because I'm fat round the middle, so the pancreas is flooded with insulin but it can't get past the fatbergs, or c) I'm producing too much anti-insulin hormone (I forget it's name), or d) A combination of 2 or more of the preceding...

So, for now, it's watch the food I eat, watch the blood sugar levels, adapt as required.

Mark - hmm, it's low(er) carb for me... but then, I used to have a plate of mashed spud the size of Kilimanjaro (god I miss mashed potato...). And the only reason for that many peas was the bag slipped and let too many out. Errr, that's my excuse anyway 😳

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

These are the number I certainllly use @AdeV
As @Mark Parrott has rightly stated your meal was quite a high carb content one.
View attachment 8844

I think it’s important to recognise that there are no official definitions for ‘low carb’, ‘moderate carb’ etc. The government guidelines for nutrition ‘guideline daily amounts’ (I know... I know...) would put the recommended carb intake for a man with a fully functioning metabolism at approx 300g per day (don’t laugh at the back). Leaving some for snacks and milk in hot drinks this would suggest that *each* main meal, by those definitions, should contain approx 80g-90g of carbs.

So I can quite see why someone relatively new to diabetes would feel that sweet potato and peas plus a split of sauce (and no actual potato/mash/chips) would be moderate rather than high carb.

This is why checking with a BG meter is so important. Everyone is so different and different people cope better (or worse) with different types, as well as amounts of carbs. Overall carb load is helpful, but there’s a lot going on with combinations/types too.

Edit: just ran 120g raw sweet potato and 120g peas through the app on my phone, which suggests a carb load around 37g CHO for the meal if that helps.

 

[Drummer]

I would never eat any sort of potato, and peas are a tablespoonful at the most - they are too high in carbs and legumes are something which I seem to be sensitive to so I react with higher BG than the same amount of carbs from other types of vegetable.
It might seem rather severe, but now, after 18 months of low carb I can eat more carbs and not elevate my BG as much - but I don't as those foods are exactly the same as those which cause me to put on weight.
I trained on increases of two whole numbers and then got down to no more than 8mmol/l after meals, after which the numbers began to drop without me changing my diet.

 

[Vince_UK]

I think it’s important to recognise that there are no official definitions for ‘low carb’, ‘moderate carb’ etc. The government guidelines for nutrition ‘guideline daily amounts’ (I know... I know...) would put the recommended carb intake for a man with a fully functioning metabolism at approx 300g per day (don’t laugh at the back). Leaving some for snacks and milk in hot drinks this would suggest that a main meal, by those definitions, should contain approx 80g-90g of carbs.

So I can quite see why someone relatively new to diabetes would feel that sweet potato and peas plus a split of sauce (and no actual potato/mash/chips) would be moderate rather than high carb.

This is why checking with a BG meter is so important. Everyone is so different and different people cope better (or worse) with different types, as well as amounts of carbs. Overall carb load is helpful, but there’s a lot going on with combinations/types too.

Edit: just ran 120g raw sweet potato and 120g peas through the app on my phone, which suggests a carb load around 37g CHO for the meal if that helps.

I try to keep mine at 75-80g per day prefer around 60g It is difficult sometimes.

 

[AdeV]

Well... baked beans are off the menu! They were the carbiest thing on my breakfast plate this morning (I know sausages have some carbs too, not sure how much though*). Readings were (pre/1hr/2hr) 6.7/11.0/10.1... Tomorrow I'll try the exact same breakfast, but without the beans.

Interestingly, I'm at 5.8 now, having not eaten for nearly 6 hours, and only had a couple of coffees with Elmlea in them. Fascinating stuff, this blood sugar (or maybe I'm just a sucker for numbers...)


*These are proper butcher's sausages, actually a cut-up massive Cumberland sausage about 3ft long... so no nutritional data is available.