what do you consider a bg spike?
I only usually test 2 hours after meals with the goal of being below 140. However, I had a little rice and some honey dew with dinner, and I was curious if my bg flew up to some outrageous number afterwards. I took a 1 hour post-meal test and I was at 170. This is honestly my first 1 hour post-meal test, so I don't know if this qualifies as a spike or not. My wife is Chinese and makes white rice almost every day, but I've been trying to get her to switch to brown on the theory that it's less likely to cause spikes. My question is, what qualifies as a spike?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by KimKat on -
How did you figure out that 75 minutes is the magic time for you Liz?
I wish I could afford the strips to figure mine out. I am always very good at 2 hrs so I don't worry about it but I often wonder what how it changes after I eat. :)
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Permalink Reply by The Diabetic Welfare Queen on -
I tested one day... and found the average spike for most of my meals to be around there. If I have some pasta, though, it will be 2 hours. Pizza, depending on the kind, can make me spike really bad 1 hour, and seriously crash at 2... Say, 200 to 89, something like that. :/ If I went just by the 2 hour marker, I'd think nothing of it, and think that was good meal. So, I try to avoid it at all costs, unless I'm making it myself, or is a kind I know will be kind to me... (usually extremely thin crust, but then I can only have like 1 slice) I'd rather make a crustless pizza, instead. lol I've sort of learned, on average, which meals I should test at 1 hour, which at 75 minutes, and which at 2, depending on how fast they get processed.
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Permalink Reply by Rich on -
I'm surprised everyone has spikes with rice. I have a half a cup of rice which is 41 carbs and have some chicken and veggies with it and bolus for 41 carbs and I hover around 120-130 at 1 hour and at 2 hours 100.
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Permalink Reply by The Diabetic Welfare Queen on
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Some T2's bolus... Not all Type 2's are just on diet alone.
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Permalink Reply by Super_sally on -
I don't spike with small amounts (like 1/2 cup) of brown rice, when combined with protein and fat.
White rice is usually bad news in whatever format.
There is something here in asia called Lugao (which is a rice porridge) - that is particularly bad news for blood sugar. The rice in it is ground up and I guess super easy to digest.
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Permalink Reply by KimKat on
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I was under the impression a "spike" would be really based on where you started from.
Like if you tested at 80 before you ate and than were at 170 an hour later - that is a big 'spike' in numbers to be raised in only an hour. If you were already at 140 and than you ate, well than 170 is that much of a 'spike' from 140. Meaning the rice and fruit only made you go up 30 points in a hour which isn't bad for rice and fruit!
Of course, as some of us on here subscribe too, that being over 140 for more than two hours is not good. But sometimes you are never sure whats gonna happen! LOL!
Did you explain to your wife that white rice isn't good for diabetics? Tell you like some variety every once and a while.
I don't even look at rice myself. Good thing I don't care for it too much. I do miss fruit though. :) Honeydew...hmm. :)
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Permalink Reply by Gina on -
This is quite confusing, isn't it DanK? I mean, if I test at one hour, I too can be at say 170, but I don't correct b/c I know that in another hour, I will be down (if all goes well) to say, 100. My endo says "you can't always test at 1 hour, b/c that number will always be somewhat inflated and you will drive yourself crazy." That said, so many folks here on TuD seem to disagree, and I'm wondering then, how do THEY manage to be so in control at 1 hour, and also at the second? What's the secret? I have an appt tomorrow with the Endo, and will address again with her. As for rice, I agree with other posts here that it will definitely affect the sugars, but maybe the spike won't be as severe? Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by BadMoonT2 on -
I think you should set a goal after researching various recommendations. This thread provides a good overview of opinions on this.
My goal is never to go over over 140. Sometimes I go weeks without going over. Sometimes I go weeks going over every day. For me exceeding my goal is usually due to dawn phenomena and is independent of what I eat.
To achieve even this level of control I've had to eliminate all grain (whole grains still spike me as does brown rice), beans, potatoes, fruit, and sugar. Eliminating these foods usually leaves me at 50 grams or less of carbs per day.
Since we all react differently to different foods I think it is important in the beginning to test at 1 hr and 2 hrs. This can mean a significant investment in strips. To ease the financial burden you could stagger your test times, and keep a log of what you ate, and its effects on your readings at various times. Over time you will find what foods cause you to go over your goal, and allow you to make educated choices about diet.
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Permalink Reply by DanK on -
Hi all,
Good to see some debate going on these issues. There are lots of comments that I was going to reply to 1 by 1, but I have to work today! So, let me just basically address a few things:
I was at 100 even before the meal, so it caused me to go up by a margin of 70 mg/dL. Aside from rice and honey dew, the meal was all veges and chicken, with a touch of oil. She doesn't make sugary sauces like you see at most Chinese restaurants in America. The whole meal had 62 grams of carbs in it, and I'd normally have 7-8 units of insulin for that, but I have had a lot of lows lately, so I decided to tone things down a bit and only took 6 units. My i:c ratio seems to be a moving target from day to day, and by time of day. I only see readings of 150 or more about 0-2 times a week, so I'm probably doing OK avoiding most hypers. I'm guessing if I took 7 units I would've been around 120 for that meal.
I do write down everything I eat and all my BG tests, which I do about 7 times a day on average. I would like to do a little more in the short term since I'm still experimenting with things. I'm also looking for a cheaper meter than the freestyle lite, which has pretty expensive strips. No insurance coverage for DME or prescription drugs at this time, though I'm looking into correcting that as well.
My wife has agreed to try brown rice, but she has literally eaten white rice every single day since she was a baby, and insists that brown rice doesn't come to the consistency that she likes. Thank you for the suggestions about alternatives. We'll be sure to try a few.
Based on my meter readings, my 7, 14, and 30 day averages are 103, 102, and 104, so I'm pretty happy with that. However, this includes quite a few readings in the 50s and high 40s. It also doesn't factor in my post-meal spikes.
Anyway, I feel like I've graduated from diabetes 101 and am now on to 102, where I should be thinking about the glycemic index, post-meal spikes, and fine-tuning my insulin to carb ratio for different times of the day so I can reduce both highs and lows. That's one of the reasons I decided to test 1 hour after eating yesterday, and ask for the thoughts of the TuDiabetes crowd.
Thanks again for the help!
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Permalink Reply by KimKat on
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DanK,
I have no insurance either (or money for that matter!). I cut down on my tests because of it.
Walmart has the cheapest meter I know of. And the strips are cheap compared to others. It is the Relion brand. So, if you are lucky enough to be near a Walmart I would give it a try. Strips are 20 bucks for a bottle of 50!
You could order online too if you are not near one. :)
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Permalink Reply by Rich on
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You sound EXACTLY like me. I've scaled my boluses down because of too many lows and my meter averages area almost identical to yours. As a result I rarely stress if I hit 175 1 hr later because usually at the 2 hour mark it has dropped.
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Permalink Reply by Gerri on -
Nothing remains the same with diabetes & ratios change frequently, but even more so when you're just diagnosed. There are days when your pancreas may produce some insulin. You want to extend the honeymoon for as long as possible by not stressing it out with highs.
You're doing great!
Glycemic Index is of little or no value to T1s. It's the latest buzzword. Studies done to determine GI value of foods didn't include diabetic subjects. Carbs are carbs. White rice or brown, it will hit you. Having a delayed reaction isn't a good thing when insulin is gone. Different foods will have reactions unique to a person's chemistry & digestion.
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