The rise and fall of Blood Sugar levels

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eddymyers

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Type 2
Hi everyone - just joined the forum - sorry if i repeat any questions etc.

I have been trying to reduce my carbohydrate intake and it is working to certain levels. I had my lunch today which was a sandwich using wholemeal bread (thick slice), olive oil based spread (thin scraping), tuna with a touch of mayo (reduced salt/fat/etc) tomato, cucumber and lettuce. I also have a banana. 20 or so minutes after eating this i did a finger prick test and registered a 12.8 mmol/l reading. Then about an hour and a half later it was down to 7.6. Is it bad that my blood sugar level is elevated that high if it comes down again with a couple hours? Is it better for me to try and not have it elevating at all?

Eddy
 
eddymyers said:
Hi everyone - just joined the forum - sorry if i repeat any questions etc.

I have been trying to reduce my carbohydrate intake and it is working to certain levels. I had my lunch today which was a sandwich using wholemeal bread (thick slice), olive oil based spread (thin scraping), tuna with a touch of mayo (reduced salt/fat/etc) tomato, cucumber and lettuce. I also have a banana. 20 or so minutes after eating this i did a finger prick test and registered a 12.8 mmol/l reading. Then about an hour and a half later it was down to 7.6. Is it bad that my blood sugar level is elevated that high if it comes down again with a couple hours? Is it better for me to try and not have it elevating at all?

Eddy
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The normal time for testing post meal is 2 hours when you are looking for no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase from a before meal reading, if it is then your meal is too carb heavy.
A comment on your meal is that you have 2 high carb foods, the bread and the banana. Fats do not convert to glucose so having what you like rather than scimping on healthy fats.
7.6 mmol/l 2 hours after eating would not be too bad and within the guidance of no more than 8.5mmol/l so it looks as if your meal was not too bad.
Everybody's blood glucose will go up and down in response to food and lots of other factors.

What was your HbA1C which has tipped you into the diabetes range as that will indicate how much work you will need to do.
 
I cannot remember my HbA1C - i think it was 49. I am going for another test tomorrow.

So...should I not do a finger prick soon after eating and leave it until 2 hours later - I am just trying to work out what foods elevate me. And it is ok to be 2 or 3 mmol/l at the 2 hour mark?
 
eddymyers said:
I cannot remember my HbA1C - i think it was 49. I am going for another test tomorrow.

So...should I not do a finger prick soon after eating and leave it until 2 hours later - I am just trying to work out what foods elevate me. And it is ok to be 2 or 3 mmol/l at the 2 hour mark?
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If your HbA1C is 49 then you are only on the first rung of the diabetes ladder (48 is the threshold)
Yes 2 hours is the suggested time (some say 1 hour but as food digest at different rates that can give a false impression)
2-3 mmol/l increase after 2 hours but once levels are getting more normal 4-7mmol/l before meals then the no more than 8-8.5mmol/l is a good target.
 
So....does that mean that it will probably rise to more than 8/8.5 straight after some meals but that is not a concern so long as it comes down to as close to 7 as possible 2 hours after the meal?

Are there longer lasting effects from having it go high, even if it comes down again?
 
Even non diabetic people's BG levels spike after eating. BG isn't something that is stable, it goes up and down throughout the day and night in response to a whole host of factors. This is why it is helpful to take a pre-meal reading and then a 2 hour reading. At 2 hours, your body will hopefully have responded to the glucose in your blood stream from the food and bringing you down. If your levels are still too elevated at the 2 hour post meal mark then it suggests that your body is struggling to deal with the carbs in that meal. You are not necessarily looking for the peak of the spike from the food but if your body is dealing with it in a timely manner, so that your levels are not elevated for long periods... ie over 2 hours each meal as then the body struggles to get back down to a healthy baseline level before the next meal and your levels can then slowly start to rise meal after meal.
Looks like you got away with that meal pretty well if you were 7.6 at the 2 hour point.
 
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