How many sugar points?

[TinaP]

Just seen a dietitian who communicated something I wasn't aware of as a newbie. She looked at my blood sugar level results which I generally prick my finger between 2-4 times day. She stated as long as I didn't have an increase of anymore than 3 points between my starting blood sugar level result (prior to eating) and 2 hours after eating. So to be clear if my blood sugar level was 5.6 prior to eating then 2 hours after eating it was no higher 8.5 this was acceptable. Is this correct in our Diabetic world? I hope my questions makes sense my fellow country peeps.

 

[SueEK]

Yes that’s right. Some foods can take longer to spike and some shorter but as a general rule of thumb, and one I think most of us go by, is the 2-3 between the readings. It’s all a learning curve to us at times. My dietician was unaware that coconut is a good source of fibre, she had to google it to ensure I was correct haha

 

[Drummer]

The usual 'rule' is to test just before eating and then two hours later, and if the rise is less than two then that meal doesn't contain too many carbs for you to cope from - though for many people the source of the carbs is as important as the number.
I have to watch carbs from peas or beans as they seem to cause higher spikes, for me, than the carbs indicated.

 

[Andy HB]

I think another 'rule' is that if the testing isn't telling you anything new that you don't know already, then you don't need to keep doing it.

That is, every time you test a particular meal and you get similar readings before and after each time. Then, unless something else changes (e.g. medication) doing another test probably isn't going to help.

I only mention this because test strips are quite a large ongoing expense for some. Not for any other reason. 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Good point, Andy. A few weeks ago I started recording what I'd had for dinner and looking back over my post-prandial readings I can see that certain meals give me broadly similar readings, so I know, for example, that two hours after a chicken salad my levels are back down at 5 point something and after a pasta dish (half portion of wholegrain spelt pasta) I'll be in the high 6s.

Martin

Gives your fingers a break too!