Testing pre-meal and post-meal

[Jean]

Those following a controlled carbohydrate diet will be aware that it is advisable to test both before a meal and after. In this way, the effect of the foods consumed on BG levels can be assessed.

But I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, what is considered to be a normal, pre-meal BG level?

And then - and this is the real puzzle - twice of late my pre-meal readings have been higher than my reading one hour after the meal, e.g. 7.6 pre-meal and 7.0 after. Please can anyone suggest an explanation?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

what is considered to be a normal, pre-meal BG level?

For BG levels you might find 'Jennifers Advice' interesting:
http://www.everydayupsanddowns.co.uk/p/newly-diagnosed-read-jennifers-advice.html

For your bg variation, 0.6 is quite small so it could be either just meter inaccuracy, or that blood is not an entirely homogeneous liquid and that different fingers/arms might not have exactly the same bg level as it sloshes around.

 

[Caroline]

What tablets are you on? If you are on gliclizade and take it 20 minutes or half an hour before meals, that could be working as it encourages your pancreas to produce more insulin in readiness for your meal. Not sure what else to suggest

 

[Jean]

Thanks, Caroline...

...I'm appreciative of your taking the trouble to contribute, but I am diet/exercise controlled.

 

[Andy HB]

Can you give a bit more information about the meal and when you ate it?

But to answer you question about expected levels :

Before Meals --> Between 4 & 7 mmol/L
2hrs After Meals --> Between 7 & 9 mmol/L

These were the guidelines told to me when first diagnosed.

Andy 🙂

 

[Caroline]

...I'm appreciative of your taking the trouble to contribute, but I am diet/exercise controlled.

I wasn't sure and it was the only thing I could think of. Your numbers look good anyway.

 

[Jean]

I'm most appreciative of your attention, Andy & Caroline.

I had an afternoon snack of 4 poppy seed bicuits + peanut butter (an estimated total of 12 carbs). One and a half hours following my reading was 7.6. Fair enough!

Immediately after this reading, I had an evening meal comprising a starter of mackerel on lettuce & tomato and a main course of chicken casserole in a sauce with pearl barley, carrot, onion and celery, accompanied by broccoli, courgette and cabbage. (This is a well-tried meal which has always given me a very acceptable reading.) One hour afterwards, my reading was 7.0. Again, a most acceptable reading - but how can this be?

What I can't get my head round is the reason for the decline in BS reading after a full-scale meal.

Incidentally, the same thing happened a week ago. That day my fasting BS was 6.4, but after a breakfast of home-made muesli with half a banana, followed by bacon, egg and tomato my reading an hour later was 4.9.

What logical reason can there be for BS dropping an hour after a meal?

 

[Robster65]

Hi Jean.

Did you do any sort of activity post-meal ?

Even clearing the table and washing up may be enough to increase insulin sensitivity perhaps ?

Rob

 

[KateR]

What tablets are you on? If you are on gliclizade and take it 20 minutes or half an hour before meals, that could be working as it encourages your pancreas to produce more insulin in readiness for your meal. Not sure what else to suggest

This answer has helped me as my instructions say to take the gliclazide before meals but not exactly when and I tend to have slightly higher readings. I shall try this. Thanks!