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How Fast Does Blood Sugar Drop After Eating


Offset Carbs With Fat And Protein

Clearing Up Myths About Blood Sugars After Eating

When carbs are consumed as part of a meal that includes protein and fat, they affect blood sugar more slowly. For this reason, planning ahead for healthy, balanced meals is fundamental to good diabetes management, says Jenny Champion, RD, a diabetes educator, personal trainer, and editor of Posh Paleo Magazine.

To make sure your meals are well-balanced, the ADA suggests this method of filling your plate:

  • Half your plate: non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, tomatoes, or greens
  • A quarter of your plate: grains and starchy foods, such as whole grain noodles, rice, or potatoes
  • A quarter of your plate: lean protein, such as beef, fish, chicken, or tofu
  • Add an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk and a piece of fruit or half a cup of fruit salad on the side.

Remember that even if you eat the right foods, eating too much can cause your blood sugar to rise. Keeping track of what youre eating and how much youre eating and then how it affects blood sugar is the best way to stay on top of your diabetes, Champion says.

What You Can Drink With Meals

Add a low-calorie, low-sugar drink or choose water. Proper hydration is essential to helping your body remove excess sugar.


Some drinks that are good for keeping your blood sugar level low include:

  • Unsweetened tea
  • Unsweetened coffee
  • Sparkling water or club soda
  • Flavored water or sparkling water without added sugar
  • Diet soda or other diet drinks

A Brief Overview Of The Ketogenic Diet The Real Type 2 Diabetes Diet

For those who dont know, the ketogenic diet restricts daily carbohydrates to around 20-30g of net carbs . Restricting carbohydrates to this degree forces your body to burn fat for fuel a process called ketosis. Once your body is in ketosis, your blood sugar levels will decrease and your A1C levels will drop.

For more information on how to start a ketogenic diet to lower blood sugar read our beginners guide to the ketogenic diet.

Here is a brief list of what you should and should not eat on a ketogenic diet:

Do Not Eat:


  • Meats fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.
  • Leafy Greens spinach, kale, etc.
  • Above ground vegetables broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
  • High Fat Dairy hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, etc.
  • Nuts and seeds macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
  • Avocado and berries raspberries, raspberries, and other low glycemic impact berries
  • Sweeteners stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners
  • Other fats coconut oil, high-fat salad dressing, saturated fats, etc.

If youre new to keto, you can always see our more detailed ketogenic food list >

Before you start, it is important to know that your blood sugar wont drop instantly. Some studies suggest that you may have to stay on a ketogenic diet for 16 weeks before your blood sugar is under control.

However, this doesnt mean that you will have to wait that long. You can lower your blood sugar today especially if you eat the ten foods that lower your blood sugar naturally.

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How To Lower Blood Sugar Immediately Without Medication

Several of these options can work to get blood sugar immediately without medication in the short-term without additional medication. These solutions are meant to be implemented on days when life just doesnt go as planned, maybe you eat something you werent supposed to or forget to take your medicine. But, if you are correctly managing your blood sugar you should not need to be constantly chasing highs and lows. With the correct combination of healthy lifestyle choices and medication, you can maintain a stable blood sugar level most of the time. Additionally, checking your levels frequently and keeping a log of your numbers, can help you learn how your body reacts to stress, food, exercise, and whatever life throws your way.


Why Do People Get Blood Sugar Spikes After Meals

Normal Blood Sugar Levels

When people eat a meal, especially when it contains carbohydrates, it is normal for them to have a temporary spike in their sugar level before the insulin their body produces immediately starts working to lower the spike. For someone with type 1 diabetes, who cant produce their own insulin, these spikes can be higher and last longer.

This is because it can take longer for the type of insulin they inject to start working, in comparison to the insulin that is produced naturally by the body of someone who does not have diabetes, to reduce these post-meal spikes.

Furthermore, it is important to know that people living with type 1 diabetes may have alterations in different digestive enzymes which will cause faster digestion of our meals . This can obviously impact on the size of the spike too.

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How Long Does It Take For Intermittent Fasting To Lower Blood Sugar

Not eating can affect your blood sugar levels. It can take a few hours for glucose to enter the cells in the body, thereby, lowering your blood sugar levels.


This is why when you need to undergo fasting blood glucose to measure the sugar in your blood, you have to fast for at least 8 hours.

Thats how long your body works to sweep all glucose molecules from the bloodstream and make them enter your cells.

Thus, the longer you fast, the lower your blood sugar levels will be. If you dont eat and theres no more glucose available, your body starts to use up stored fats.

When your body starts to use fats for energy, your body burns more calories.

If youre obese and you fast intermittently for a few months, youll lose a significant amount of weight. But thats not a definite result.


Some people practice intermittent fasting but still gain weight. Why?

Thats because they binge or overeat after their fasting period is over. Its one reason you still need to monitor your calorie intake when you do IF.

However, you may not need to monitor your calorie intake if you eat twice a day and you consume less sugar.

Furthermore, some people still gained weight after intermittent fasting for a few weeks because they have a false sense of security.

They think that just because they practice IF, they dont have to follow a positive eating habit.


They eat whatever they want including processed foods.

Type 2 Remission: How I Got Here And How Ill Stay Here

Michael writes about how he used two main strategies intermittent fasting and walking after meals to put his type 2 diabetes into remission

Theres that word again. Remission. The dream word of people with type 2 diabetes. But is it only a dream? Not for me. As a person with type 2, it did come true. Or to be more accurate, I made it come true. It didnt just happen. Since I achieved remission many people have asked me, How did you do it? and, How are you staying in remission?

Well, first of all, I did have help. If you read my article on the power of CGM, you will know that I dont think I could have achieved remission without the aid of such amazing and important technology. But just having a continuous glucose monitor isnt the whole picture. You still have to make the commitment to using that panorama of information in ways that help you to achieve your goals in your diabetes management.

For me that meant setting goals for diet and exercise I was also determined to do it without the aid of any medication. As a nurse, I did have a good deal of knowledge about nutrition and exercise, but not really in relation to diabetes.


First, I think that it was possible for me to achieve remission for several reasons:

Experimenting with diet: intermittent fasting

Walking to lower blood sugars

Now what?

Michael is an avid chef, photographer, musician, and fiber artist in his free time.


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Can You Raise Blood Sugar Without Food

Two products glucose gel and chewable glucose tablets are also effective at quickly raising blood sugar. Theyre available without a prescription and are recommended for people who experience frequent episodes of low blood sugar.

If youve had severe low blood sugar symptoms in the past, speak with your doctor about whether a glucagon kit is right for you. Glucagon is a hormone that triggers your liver to release glucose into the bloodstream.

These kits are only available by prescription. Theyre used to raise your blood sugar when youre not able to eat or drink, such as in a state of unconsciousness. Therefore, someone else, like a friend or family member, typically administers this medication for you.

An episode of low blood sugar that necessitates assistance from another person is by definition severe hypoglycemia. The kits come with a syringe and needle that can be used to inject glucagon into your arm, thigh, or buttocks.


Be sure to ask your doctor when and how to use a glucagon kit. Also, let your family and friends know how to use it and how to recognize a hypoglycemic emergency.

There are many different factors that can cause a dip in your blood sugar levels. Here are some of the most common causes.

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How Much Does Blood Sugar Increase After Eating

Can You Quickly Lower Glucose When It Spikes After Eating?

At this time the blood sugar level can reach 7.8 mmol/L in a healthy individual.

After the half-hour mark, the blood glucose level starts to fall as the sugar is absorbed from the blood into the cells of the body.


Its important to check your normal blood sugar level 1 hour after eating. For example, if you find that your blood sugar is 160 mg/dL after the meal, this equates to 8.9 mmol/L which means your blood sugar is high. Its an indication that you may need to seek medical treatment to control your blood sugar level.

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What To Do If Your Blood Sugar Levels Are Higher Than Normal

If your fasting or post-meal blood sugar readings are consistently higher than normal, you may have prediabetes or diabetes. If you suspect you have diabetes or prediabetes, you should see your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Symptoms of diabetes, beyond elevated blood sugars, may include increased thirst and urination, severe fatigue and excessive hunger. For more details, see our guide to common .

How Do I Detect Spikes In My Sugar Levels

The exact timing of blood sugar spikes can vary from person to person and meal to meal. However, on average, the post-meal peaks tend to be about one hour and 15 minutes after starting a meal.


The best way to measure post-meal patterns is by using a continuous glucose monitor or Flash monitors. These devices can give you a clear view, including graphs, of what happens with the glucose levels after meals without the need for finger pricking . You can ask your diabetes health team if they are available for you as they are not available to everybody.

If you are not using a CGM, then please speak to your healthcare team about the best way to do this for you with finger prick testing.

How do I know it is a spike?

There is no universal answer or specific guidelines on when a sugar level is too high after meals. However, if post-meal readings are consistently above your target range , then you should discuss whether it would be beneficial for you to address these spikes and how to do this, with your healthcare team .

If you are reviewing your post-breakfast sugar levels, you should also be aware of changes in your hormones in the morning, which cause increases in sugar levels . This Digibete video may help.

Some ways to reduce blood sugar spikes after meals

1. Choose low glycaemic index foods

When blood sugar levels are low or hypoglycaemic we need high glycaemic index foods , such as dextrose tablets or juice, that are absorbed quickly to raise our levels and to treat the hypo.


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Blood Sugar Lowering Activities That Will Improve Long

Being on the defense when it comes to blood sugar management isnt always optimal, but lets face it, it happens. But that doesnt mean that you cant be proactive when it comes to improving your insulin sensitivity, and thereby daily blood sugar levels.

The key to improving your insulin sensitivity is to add resistance training to your exercise routine. And before you stop reading, Im not necessarily talking about hitting the gym and lifting massive weights.

You can, of course, do that, but if resistance training is new to you, I suggest you ease into it with bodyweight exercises in the comfort of your home. Start out with pushups against a wall and air squats until you build up enough strength to advance to more demanding exercises.

If you decide to exercise at home, check out my home resistance training videos for inspiration.

The beauty of resistance training is that it will improve your insulin sensitivity up to 48-hours after youre done! Increasing your overall muscle mass will further serve to permanently improve your insulin sensitivity.

The Story Of The Pima Indians

Normal blood sugar reading two hours after eating, high ...

Research has found3 that the Pima Indians are a perfect example of how powerfully our environment can dictate who gets obese and diabetic, and who doesnt.

Today, two main groups of Pima Indians live on earth. The first group lives high in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico a rural environment. The second group lives in Arizona on the Gila River reservation. Both groups are thought to be genetically identical. Scientists estimate they were separated about 700 to 1,000 years ago. For DNA evolutionary development, thats a mere pittance of time.

But physically, the two groups today could not be more different.

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Being Diagnosed With Prediabetes Doesnt Mean You Will Develop Diabetes Your Doctor Can Help You Come Up With An Effective Plan To Keep Your Blood Sugar Low So That You Can Keep Diabetes Away For Good

Prediabetes, the common precursor to diabetes, affects more than 86 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 90 percent of people with prediabetes dont even realize they have this condition. Experts also estimate that three out of four people with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes.

The good news, however, is that once your doctor determines that your blood sugar is high enough to be classified as prediabetes , there are plenty of preventive measures you can take to stop the onset of full diabetes. The window of opportunity to prevent or slow the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is about three to six years.

Make sure you take the following steps to be on the right path to fight prediabetes and take the appropriate steps to lower your blood sugar level.

After You Have Low Blood Sugar

If your low blood sugar was mild , you can return to your normal activities once your blood sugar is back in its target range.

After you have low blood sugar, your early symptoms for low blood sugar are less noticeable for 48 to 72 hours. Be sure to check your blood sugar more often to keep it from getting too low again, especially before eating, physical activity, or driving a car.

If you used glucagon because of a severe low , immediately call your doctor for emergency medical treatment. If you have had lows several times close together , you should also tell you doctor. They may want to change your diabetes plan.

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Choose The Right Insulin

The right insulin can make or break your ability to control those after-meal spikes. In general, insulin that works quickly and for a short period of time will work better than those that work slowly over a long period of time.

For instance, rapid-acting insulin analogs will cover the post-meal blood sugar rise much better than regular insulin. Newer ultra-rapid insulins, such as Fiasp, work even faster.

The way insulin is administered can dramatically affect its speed of action. Afrezza is an inhaled insulin that can be used at mealtimes. Because the dry powder is absorbed through the lungs, its onset and peak are much earlier than injected insulin. For those who dont mind a twinge of pain, injecting insulin into muscle will also make it absorb and act much quicker than injecting it into the fat layer below the skin.

Research has also shown that injected insulin can work much faster when the injection site is warmed by rubbing the site, immersing in warm water, or exercising the muscle near the site. Warming the site causes the blood vessels near the skin to dilate, which allows the insulin to absorb more quickly. By the way, smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict, so quitting smoking might improve your post-meal blood sugar .

Dont Do Resistance Training To Get A High Blood Sugar Down

TOP 5 Tips to lower your blood sugar after eating dessert!

While resistance training is great for improving your insulin sensitivity, its not the appropriate type of exercise if youre looking to get a high blood sugar down quickly since it can make your blood sugar increase during your workout .

The spike in blood sugars that many people see during resistance training is only temporary, but not what you want if you are trying to lower your blood sugar.

I hope that this post has given you a good idea of how you can use exercise to lower your blood sugars, even if youre not on any medications, as well as given you an overview of which types of exercise if optimal for different goals. Now go have fun with it!

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