[Debbie Sue]

Hi, I'm a recently diagnosed type 2 diabetic and have a question. Was wondering about testing after I eat something new. Does it always need to be 2 hours after I consume 'it'? I'm wanting to test the waters on my favorite fruits but I'm afraid. My bsl is still up and down, but I've only been on meds for 7 days. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I just love this forum. So much information that I am using. I'm still reading and learning.

[Evermont]

Until your numbers settle down I would not expect to learn much. Eating fruit is generally a good thing, but as you've learned here each of us must try these things to see what works. I say go ahead, especially starting with fruits that grow at higher latitudes like apples, pears, blueberries etc. Start with small amounts and test 2 hours after first bite. You can test more if you like - sometimes we do every hour, half hour or even every 15 minutes to see what's going on. It helps to understand what to expect with the additional tests. But until your levels settle down this kind of experimenting you should consider inconclusive.

But have a little fruit - it's good for you.

[art]

Eat, Test,Learn.
It's about the only way.
After a while you'll be comfortable eating "proven" foods.

Art

[fgummett]

2 hours is a good "standard" to consistently measure everything against, but feel free to test earlier and later as well to see the entire trend when trying a new food.

[moorejames]

I don't know that testing any *earlier* than 2 hours will tell you much, everyone spikes after eating.

If you're much above 140 at 2 hours, you might want to keep testing every half hour and see just how long it takes to get to more normal levels.

[Stuboy]

i usually test 2 - 3 hours after a meal. if im still a little higher than expected after 2 hours. then ill leave it and test again at 3 hours.

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by moorejames

I don't know that testing any *earlier* than 2 hours will tell you much, everyone spikes after eating.

If you're much above 140 at 2 hours, you might want to keep testing every half hour and see just how long it takes to get to more normal levels.

You touch on some interesting control concepts.

Say you've done extensive testing with a standard meal and you've come up with a repeatable pattern such as

0 90
1 120
2 110
3 100
4 90
5 90
6 90

Off the top one might assert that a 140 at one hour should be corrected. In fact, it might be better to correct then as it is earlier in the lifecyle: you will have bad sugars less long.

The decision must be tempered though because an error here could also create major problems later. We need to ask ourselves some poignant questions about our GI index, activity, and any other potential factor that may affect our sugars. One must also consider a variation in meter readings. If you allow for a +-10% variation, your correction numbers become a range something like

0 81 - 99
1 108 - 132
2 99 - 121
3 90 - 110
4 81 - 99
5 81 - 99
6 81 - 99

If you are in these ranges, you would not test. Perhaps you could test several times to find a more accurate number, but that's too much like work.

The key is accurate assessment. Assessing glycemix indeces, hormone induced insulin resistance, impacts of activity, of stress, of whatever are very difficult. This is where books like "Think Like a Pancreas" pay off.

Do I correct after one hour tests? Yes, most definately. But I watch it like a hawk for the hours following.

[moorejames]

I think your strategy has to be different if your T1 vs T2.

I've seen the graphs where "normal" people will spike well over 140 one hour after eating. The difference between them and a type 2 is that at 2 hours the normal person will be back at 120 or so, and T2 will probably still be in the stratosphere somewhere.

For a T1, you have to intervene somwhere either prior to eating, during or after, so it probably makes sense to do a 1 hour test and take action if you're significantly higher than normal. Nip it in the bud, so to speak.

There's days when I'm envious of T1s ability to eat pretty much anything and cover it, and there's days when I can't imagine what it must be like to put so much thought into what you are eating.

Me, I just try to eat low carb and take the Met on a regular schedule. Keeps it a lot simpler.

The OP is a T2 who is presumably not using insulin (since they mentioned meds). Since there's not a whole lot they can do about it - I was suggesting that a 1 hour test would only cause possibly unnecessary concern.

(plus it screws up your 7, 14 and 30 day averages on your meter )

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by moorejames

The OP is a T2 who is presumably not using insulin (since they mentioned meds). Since there's not a whole lot they can do about it - I was suggesting that a 1 hour test would only cause possibly unnecessary concern.

Everything you say makes perfect sense. I would only suggest that an earlier test together with later tests can help to give you the big picture about how a certain food affects you and perhaps help in your choices when faced with the same food again. Perhaps they would want to avoid that massive spike in future and add some protein or fats that slow down digestion and even out the sugars

[xMenace]

It is interesting to consider a type 2's regimen. Of course I usually consider insulin adjustments because that is what I've lived with for so long. Type 2's usually can't correct, so they must learn and adjust next time when they eat. Eating correctly is so very much important.

Neither type is fun.

I have no idea what my averages are. I suspect most type 1's don't.

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by xMenace

Neither type is fun.

Ain't that the truth!

[moorejames]

Originally Posted by xMenace

It is interesting to consider a type 2's regimen. Of course I usually consider insulin adjustments because that is what I've lived with for so long. Type 2's usually can't correct, so they must learn and adjust next time when they eat. Eating correctly is so very much important.

Neither type is fun.

I have no idea what my averages are. I suspect most type 1's don't.

I imagine a well-controlled type 2 operates in a much narrower range of glucose readings so an average is more instructional than for a type 1 who has a much wider range of readings.

It kind of sucks to know that if you "cheat" you're going to be high, for hours, and possibly longer. If I cheat and have pizza or pasta and I'm cruising at 200+ readings - there's nothing I can do about it and I might be at that level for the better part of the day.

the scary part is you have no idea how much damage you're doing to yourself when you do that. How many times can you get away with it, before you start to develop complications?

My sneaking suspicion is that you don't *ever* get away with it. Each extended stay outside normal ranges is probably chipping away at your health, just a little. Enough little chips and eventually just one more little chip causes the whole thing to crumble.

****, now I've depressed myself. I should probably go do some work or something

[moorejames]

Originally Posted by fgummett

Everything you say makes perfect sense. I would only suggest that an earlier test together with later tests can help to give you the big picture about how a certain food affects you and perhaps help in your choices when faced with the same food again. Perhaps they would want to avoid that massive spike in future and add some protein or fats that slow down digestion and even out the sugars

Good point. I decided early on to just not eat any of the things I knew would spike me. Seemed like to much work to figure out just exactly how much I could "get away with" or what combinations would work better for me.

Lean meat and veggies for me