Medical Approaches To Spike Control
A common approach to lowering after-meal blood glucose spikes is to take more insulin. But unless blood glucose levels remain high for three to six hours after eating, taking more insulin is not going to solve the problem. In fact, increasing mealtime insulin will most likely result in low blood glucose before the next meal.
Here are some strategies that may work better:
Fruit Which Can Send Blood Sugar Soaring When Overeaten
Yes, its true that fruit can spike blood sugar levels, but thats no reason to strip it from your diet entirely. After all, fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, all of which are great for your health and management of type 2 diabetes, Thomas says.
Your approach: Make sure that you count any fruit consumed as a carb, with one tennis-ball-sized piece of fruit counting as one serving, she says. Opt for whole fresh or frozen options when possible because theyre unprocessed and dont come with the addition of any sugars. If you prefer canned, make sure the fruit is packed in water, not sugary syrup. Last, even if you do manage to find dried fruits that dont contain added sugar, know they will still drastically spike your blood sugar. Thats because these fruits have been dehydrated, meaning they contain just as much sugar as a whole fruit, but in a single bite, she says. For example, according to the USDA, while a whole apricot has just over 3 g of sugar, only 2 tbsp of dried apricots has that same amount.
Choose The Right Insulin
The right insulin program can make or break your ability to control after-meal spikes. In general, insulins and other medicines that work quickly and for a short time will work better than those that work slowly over a prolonged period.
For instance, rapid-acting insulin analogs , which start working 1015 minutes after injection and peak in about an hour, will cover the after-meal blood glucose rises much better than Regular insulin, which takes 30 minutes to begin working and 23 hours to peak.
Newer ultra-rapid insulins, such as Fiasp , works even faster, with an onset and peak occurring 810 minutes earlier than traditional rapid-acting insulins.
The way insulin is administered can dramatically affect its speed of action. Afrezza is an inhaled insulin formulation 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 .
Research has also shown that injected insulin can work much faster when the injection site is warmed. This can be accomplished 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 .
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Healthy Food Substitute: Whole Grains
Similarly to rice, you can do yourself a favor by replacing sources of refined grains in your diet with whole grain bread, pasta, and so on. Along with their reduced impact on blood sugar levels, whole grain foods have other health benefits the fiber they include can play a role in reducing your cholesterol.
Check Your Blood Glucose Levels
For many people with diabetes, checking their blood glucose level each day is an important way to manage their diabetes. Monitoring your blood glucose level is most important if you take insulin. The results of blood glucose monitoring can help you make decisions about food, physical activity, and medicines.
The most common way to check your blood glucose level at home is with a blood glucose meter. You get a drop of blood by pricking the side of your fingertip with a lancet. Then you apply the blood to a test strip. The meter will show you how much glucose is in your blood at the moment.
Ask your health care team how often you should check your blood glucose levels. Make sure to keep a record of your blood glucose self-checks. You can print copies of this glucose self-check chart . Take these records with you when you visit your health care team.
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Is Sugar Bad For You
If you love sweets, don’t despair. You don’t have to give them up forever. Sugar will raise your blood sugar levels more quickly than other carbs, but diabetes experts now say the total amount of carbs is most important. So keep your serving sizes small and take into account the total carbs and calories.
What Foods Will Help Regulate My Blood Sugar
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a long-term health condition that is characterized by high blood glucose levels. The disease affects the ability of the body to convert food into energy inside the body. The food you eat is converted to simpler forms, most commonly glucose, inside the body. When the glucose in the blood increases, the body releases a hormone called insulin in the blood. Insulin brings high blood glucose levels back to normal levels. In diabetes, either there is a deficiency of insulin or the body is unable to respond to insulin . In either of the cases, there is an increased concentration of glucose in the blood known as hyperglycemia.
If you have diabetes, you must check your blood sugar levels regularly to make sure the levels are not too low or too high . Depending on your age and any other health conditions, your doctor may advise you to keep your blood sugar level in a range that they consider will be safe and healthy for you. Whenever your blood sugar level is over 240 mg/dL, you must check the presence of ketones in the urine by using an over the counter ketone test kit. High levels of ketones can be a sign of a serious medical emergency called diabetic ketoacidosis. Seek urgent medical help if your urine shows the presence of ketones or you have any signs of ketoacidosis, such as fast breathing, nausea and vomiting, stomachache, headache, or fruity smell from the mouth.
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Lets Look At The Ways Sugar Wrongs Us
- suppresses your immune system
- Excess sugar consumption is linked to cancer and tumor growth
- promotes weight gain and obesity
- disrupts the mineral balance
- contributes to depression, anxiety and mood swings
- promotes gut dysbiosis and fungal overgrowth in the gut
- contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes
- can cause hormonal imbalances
- increases risk for Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis
- disrupt the bodys pH balance
- can cause hypoglycemia
- will reduce good HDL cholesterol and increase bad LDL cholesterol
- prohibits weight loss
Some people are more sugar sensitive than others, and part of that depends on your genetics. Regardless, you can bio-hack your diet by manipulating certain macronutrients, like protein and fat, to balance your blood glucose levels and ward off cravings.
Heres an example: Lets say you start your morning with coffee and a pastry. You probably feel pretty good because that sugar is plugging up feel-good receptors in your brain, and maybe you get a little high as your blood glucose levels spike. But a few hours later, you crash when your blood glucose plummets again, and then youre hungry, jittery, anxious, moody, irritable. You eat lunch, probably too much because youre starving and you miscalculated your hunger needs, and then you may feel tired as all your energy is diverted into digestion. You may crave sugar in the afternoon, because your body knows it gives you a quick energy boost. Does that rollercoaster sound familiar?
Roller Coaster: Female Hormones
When a woman’s hormones change, so does their;blood sugar. Keep a monthly record of your levels to get a better idea of how your menstrual cycle affects you. Hormone changes during menopause may make blood sugar even harder to control. Talk to your doctor about whether hormone replacement therapy is a good idea.
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Healthy Foods That Can Still Mess With Your Blood Sugar
Watching your sugar intake? Here’s how to keep things balanced.;
Keeping blood sugar stable isnt just about preventing type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar, also known as glucose, is an important energy source for your body. When you dont have enough it can cause pesky symptoms like brain fog, mood swings, and junk food cravings, all of which can put a damper on your energy level and productivity.
You might assume that simply steering clear of foods with a high glycemic index is all it takes to keep your glucose from going haywirebut food-based blood sugar fluctuations are actually completely unique to the individual, says Monica Auslander Moreno, R.D., Florida-based registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for RSP Nutrition. The index is a good jumping off point, but even foods that are lower on the index can cause blood sugar shakeups in certain people.
Only Diabetics Get High Glucose Values
While a high glucose value can indicate diabetes, nondiabetics can also have higher values than normal. When researchers studied people wearing a continuous glucose monitor who did not have a diabetes diagnosis, they found 93% of individuals reached glucose levels that are considered dangerous, with 10% spending over 2 hours per day in these dangerous levels. Traditional glucose measurements, like a single point in time blood glucose value, are unable to capture these abnormalities.
There are actually several causes of high blood sugar unrelated to diabetes that the CDC recognizes. These include certain foods, like artificial sweeteners and coffee. Other factors like stress can do it, too. If you live with an endocrine or pancreatic condition, had surgery recently, or are experiencing intense physical stress , you may also see your glucose value rise.
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Dont Eat Canned Foods
According to the US Food and Drug Administration : up to 75% of salt absorbed into the body comes from canned foods.
Processed meats such as ham, bacon, sausages, etc. are foods that contain a lot of saturated fat, trans fat, chemical preservatives and high salt content. This is also a food group that causes high blood pressure and obesity.
Therefore, people with hypertension should limit the use of pickled dishes and canned foods such as hot dogs, frozen pizza, ketchup,.
Cold cuts: Cold cuts are a high-sodium food because they are seasoned and preserved with a lot of salt. According to the analysis of the nutritional composition of this meat, scientists discovered: just 60 grams of cold meat can contain more than 500mg of salt. So, what should high blood pressure patients avoid?. You should limit the consumption of cold meats and cold cuts as much as possible.
Pizza: If you are suffering from hypertension, the consumption of pizza is something doctors recommend to limit. Pizza contains a lot of salt from salted meat, tomato sauce containing salt, and cheese. Just one medium-sized piece of cheese and meat pizza can contain up to 700mg of salt. This number is even larger when the cake is covered with a thicker cheese layer or is large in size.
What Is Blood Sugar
Blood sugar, or glucose, is sugar carried through the bloodstream to provide energy to the body. Glucose increases when we eat particularly foods that contain refined carbohydrates, vegetable oils, and sugar. Protein, but not fat, can be converted to glucose when needed, too.
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Since organs function best with balance, the body tries to maintain stable blood sugar levels. This internal balance is referred to as homeostasis. When we eat carbohydrates, they are broken down into simple sugars during the digestion process. Glucose is the primary simple sugar that fuels the body. Blood sugar levels rise after eating, but then typically return to homeostatic levels within an hour. Blood sugar is at its lowest levels in the morning after fasting during the night.
After glucose is broken down during digestion, it needs to be received into the cells. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells for energy. Without insulin, the cells would not be able to receive glucose.
Insulin releases when glucose is present. When blood sugar levels are high, like with diabetes, insulin cant always keep up with glucose absorption. In other cases, the pancreas doesnt produce enough insulin to keep up with demands, as is common with type 1, or autoimmune, diabetes.
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Replace White Carbs With Whole Grains
High-carbprocessed foods like white bread, pasta, and rice significantly increase bloodsugar levels. These processed foods are big offenders having little or no fibercontent. Fiber helps slow down the process of glucose absorption into thebloodstream. Lack of which can result in sudden spikes of sugar levels.
Replace whitebread or anything made from rice or wheat flour with fiber-rich food to lowerblood sugar levels. You may also experience a reduction in blood cholesteroland blood pressure once you add whole grains to your meals.
Symptoms Treatments And Prevention
Hyperglycemia means;high glucose in the blood . Your body needs glucose to properly function. Your cells rely on glucose for energy. Hyperglycemia is a defining characteristic of diabeteswhen the blood glucose level is too high because the body isn’t properly using or doesn’t make the hormone insulin.
Eating too many processed foods may cause your blood sugar to rise.
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The Best Foods To Lower Blood Sugar And Manage Diabetes
medical review board. Alena Haurylik / Shutterstock
- The best foods to eat to lower blood sugar include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, nuts, and garlic.
- If you have diabetes or may be at risk, it’s important to regulate your blood-sugar levels with a healthy diet and be aware of the glycemic index of the foods you eat.
- This article was medically reviewed by Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, nutrition and wellness expert with a private practice based in New York City.
- This story is part of Insider’s guide to Diabetes.;
If you have diabetes, it’s important to eat the right foods to maintain healthy blood-sugar levels.
For example, eating healthy carbohydrates, foods high in fiber, and healthy fats can help prevent blood-sugar spikes. But eating high-carbohydrate foods that contain lots of sugar can make it more difficult to control your diabetes, says Dr. Deena Adimoolam, an assistant professor of medicine, endocrinology, diabetes, and bone disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Here’s which foods are best to eat if you want to lower blood sugar and keep it under control.
Foods And Drinks High In Refined Carbs Can Throw Blood Sugar Levels Soaring
If you have type 2 diabetes, you know the importance of counting carbohydrates for blood-sugar control. But its not just the number of carbs in a given food that determines how that food will affect your blood sugar levels.
While all carb-rich foods convert to sugar in our body, a foods fiber, protein, and fat content all influence the impact of that food on blood-sugar levels, says Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, whos based in Los Angeles. All these are factors play a role in setting a foods glycemic index, a ranking of how drastically it raises blood sugar levels compared to straight glucose, which has a GI of 100. Low GI-foods score 55 or lower while anything 70 and up is considered a high GI food, per the Mayo Clinic.
While GI offers an idea of how a food impacts the body, its not the whole story, which is where glycemic load comes in, says Sara Thomas, PhD, RDN, a research scientist and dietitian specializing in diabetes at the healthcare company Abbott. GL is an equation that considers the portion size of a food, as well as the GI. A foods GL equals its GI value divided by 100 and multiplied by the total grams of carbohydrate, a definition supported by researchers at the University of Sydney, who pioneered research on GL.
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Fortunately, if you have type 2 diabetes, you dont need to whip out a calculator or start searching the internet for the glycemic load of every food out there.
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If My A1c Is Normal My Glucose Is Good
An A1C result thatâs below 5.7% is normal âs standards, but having a result below that number isnât the end of the story. Pregnancy, hemoglobin variants, anemia, liver disease, and certain medications can cause inaccurate A1C results.
Additionally, the A1C test is measuring your average glucose value over the past 3 months, but averages inherently do not capture highs and lows. So, you could have a normal average while also having abnormal glucose spikes. The A1C test should only supplement your regular blood sugar testing, not replace it completely.
Looking For More Diabetes Nutrition Support
If you are seeking private one-on-one nutrition support for type 1 or type 2 diabetes we can help. Working with a Diabetes Dietitian can help you with everyday healthy eating ideas, meal planning tips and strategies to figure out what factors influence your blood sugars other than food. Find out more about our in-person Calgary and Virtual Diabetes Nutritionist services here: Diabetes Dietitian Nutrition Counselling
You might also want to check out some of these additional diabetes nutrition articles here:
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