Taming The Post-meal Blood Sugar Spike
by Gary Scheiner MS, CDE Postprandial spikes are temporary high blood sugars that occur soon after eating. It is normal for the blood sugar to rise a small amount after eating, even in people who do not have diabetes. However, if the spike is too high, it can affect your quality of life today and contribute to serious health problems down the road. The reason blood sugar “spikes” very high after eating for many people with diabetes is a simple matter of timing. In a non-diabetic, consumption of carbohydrate results in two important reactions: the immediate release of insulin into the bloodstream, and production of a hormone called amylin. Insulin produced by the pancreas starts working almost immediately and finishes its job in a matter of minutes. Amylin keeps food from reaching the intestines too quickly (where the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream). As a result, the moment blood sugar starts to rise, insulin is there to sweep the extra sugar into the body’s cells. In most cases, the after-meal blood sugar rise is barely noticeable. However, in people with diabetes, the situation is like a batter with very slow reflexes facing a pitcher who throws 98 mph fastballs: the timing is all fouled up. Rapid-acting insulin that is injected (or infused by a pump) at mealtimes takes approximately 15 minutes to start working, 60-90 minutes to “peak”, and four hours or more to finish working. And don’t forget about the amylin hormone effect. In people with diabetes, amylin is either produced in insufficient amounts or not at all. As a result, food digests even faster than usual. This combination of slower insulin and faster food can cause blood sugar to rise quite high soon after eating. This is followed by a sharp drop once the mealtime insulin finally kicks Continue reading >>
![Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels Chart [printable]](https://diabetestalk.net/images/GAVKLrbDLZZFDvZc.jpg)
Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels Chart [printable]
JUMP TO: Intro | Blood sugar vs blood glucose | Diagnostic levels | Blood sugar goals for people with type 2 diabetes | Visual chart | Commonly asked questions about blood sugar Before Getting Started I was talking to one of my clients recently about the importance of getting blood sugar levels under control. So before sharing the diabetes blood sugar levels chart, I want to OVER EMPHASIZE the importance of you gaining the best control of your blood sugar levels as you possibly can. Just taking medication and doing nothing else is really not enough. You see, I just don’t think many people are fully informed about why it is so crucial to do, because if you already have a diabetes diagnosis then you are already at high risk for heart disease and other vascular problems. Maybe you've been better informed by your doctor but many people I come across haven't. So if that's you, it's important to know that during your pre-diabetic period, there is a lot of damage that is already done to the vascular system. This occurs due to the higher-than-normal blood sugar, that's what causes the damage. So now that you have type 2 diabetes, you want to prevent any of the nasty complications by gaining good control over your levels. Truly, ask anyone having to live with diabetes complications and they’ll tell you it’s the pits! You DO NOT want it to happen to you if you can avoid it. While medications may be needed, just taking medication alone and doing nothing is really not enough! Why is it not enough even if your blood sugars seem reasonably under control? Well, one common research observation in people with diabetes, is there is a slow and declining progression of blood sugar control and symptoms. Meaning, over time your ability to regulate sugars and keep healthy gets harder. I Continue reading >>
13 Ways To Lower After-meal Blood Sugars
Learning to lower your post-meal blood sugars is a proven way to feel better and reduce your risk of diabetes complications, explained Gary Scheiner in last week’s “Strike the Spike” program at the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) conference in Philadelphia. As AADE’s Educator of the Year, founder of Integrated Diabetes and long-time type 1, he knows what he is talking about. Today, we will review the strategies that he shared in that program. These fall into two broad categories: slowing down your food and speeding up your insulin. Although it wasn’t mentioned, a thirteenth strategy is of course to eat fewer total carbohydrates during a meal. How Big Is Your Spike? Most people are taught to test their blood sugars two hours after meals. However, this probably doesn’t tell you how high your blood sugars go. When you eat a meal, most people experience their highest blood sugar one hour and twenty minutes after they eat. So Scheiner recommends testing one hour after the end of the meal. What should your goals be? Here are some recommendations from the major diabetes associations: American Diabetes Association – under 180 mg (10 mmol) at 1 to 2 hours after the meal American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists – under 140 mg (7.7 mmol) at peak European Diabetes Policy Group – under 165 (9.2 mmol) at peak In practice, these targets are not very realistic. For those with type 1 diabetes, one study found that only 10% of post-meal blood sugars were below 180 mg (10 mmol). So in practice, Gary talked about the importance of individual targets. For example, he has found that a realistic target for children is striving for a rise under 100 points (5.5 mmol). Talk to your doctor about an appropriate goal for your age and health. Slow Down Yo Continue reading >>
Strike The Spike Ii
Dealing With High Blood Sugar After Meals Eleven years ago, I wrote an article for Diabetes Self-Management about the management of high blood sugar after meals. It was called “Strike the Spike” and no article I’ve ever written has led to greater reader response. To this day, I still receive calls, letters, and e-mails thanking me for offering practical answers to this perplexing challenge. I’ve even been asked to speak on the topic at some major conferences. So when presented with the opportunity to readdress the issue, I jumped at the chance. A lot has changed in the past eleven years: we know more than ever about the harmful effects of after-meal blood sugar spikes, but we also have a number of potent new tools and techniques for preventing them. Now that I know how important this topic is to so many people, I’ll do my absolute best to bring you up to date. What’s a spike? After-meal, or “postprandial,” spikes are temporary high blood glucose levels that occur soon after eating. It is normal for the level of glucose in the blood to rise a small amount after eating, even in people who do not have diabetes. However, if the rise is too high, it can affect your quality of life today and contribute to serious health problems down the road. The reason blood glucose tends to spike after eating in many people with diabetes is a simple matter of timing. In a person who doesn’t have diabetes, eating foods containing carbohydrate causes two important reactions in the pancreas: the immediate release of insulin into the bloodstream, and the release of a hormone called amylin. The insulin starts working almost immediately (to move glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells) and finishes its job in a matter of minutes. The amylin keeps food from reaching the sm Continue reading >>
When To Test? A New Study Pinpoints Timing
One of the most common questions people email me is when exactly they should start measuring the "hour after eating" at which I suggest they should test their blood sugar. Does that hour start after the first bite or at the end of the meal? Luckily for us, an obscure paper published last year give us a definitive answer. Luckily for me, that answer is identical to the advice I've been giving people who have asked me this question for the last five years. (I based my answer on a previous study and the reports of people posting about when they tested on online discussion groups.) The study used used data collected from people with both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, using insulin, who were wearing continuous glucose monitors. You can read it here: Peak-time determination of post-meal glucose excursions in insulin-treated diabetic patients. Daenen S, et al. Diabetes Metab. 2010 Apr;36(2):165-9. Epub 2010 Mar 11. For insight into why this study is so useful you have to keep in mind that the whole point of testing at one hour is to find the highest blood sugar reading after the meal. This study found that the average blood sugar peak after breakfast was found at 72 minutes after the start of the meal, with most people's values falling between 49 minutes and 95 minutes. However, one person in five saw a peak after 90 minutes from the start of the meal. The researchers observe that "Peak time correlated with the amplitude of postprandial excursions, but not with the peak glucose value." I.e. A rise of 100 mg/dl to 170 mg/dl from a starting value of 70 mg/dl would take longer than a rise of 30 mg/dl from 140 g/dl to that same 170 mg/dl, which makes sense. Since many of us spend about 15 minutes eating a meal, this explains why many people will do just fine if they test hour after Continue reading >>
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Testing 2 Hours After A Meal.
I have now been testing since the end of November. And I take my BG reading 2 hours after each meal. And I know this has been explained here a thousand times but why? I ate 2 slices of pizza last night and 2 hours after I ate them my BG was 105. Now I know my BG probably spiked right after I ate them but the number that matters is the one at the 2 hour mark. Is the purpose for doing it to see how well your BG level recover from a meal. Moderator T2 insulin resistant Using Basal/Bolus Therapy I do envy you your numbers, especially after two slices of pizza! Moderator T2 since Oct 08, from insulin to no meds =) if i understand correctly...the one hour pp test is to see how high you spiked...and the 2 hour pp test is to see how well your body's insulin (or the insulin shot that was jabbed) is reacting to the glucose in the body from the food...thus how your body recovers on the bg level HbA1c: Oct 08 - 9.2% | Dec 08 - 5.5% | Feb 09 - 4.4% | June,Sep,Dec 09,Mar 10 - 5.2% | June, Aug 10 - 5% | Nov 10 - 5.3% | Dec 10 - 5.1% | Feb 11 - 5.2% | May 11 - 5.3% | Aug 11 - 4.6% | Dec 11 - 5% | March 12 - 5.1% | June 12 - 5.0% | Sept 12 - 4.9% | Dec 12 - 5.2% | March 13 - 4.8% | May 13 - 5.0% | Oct, Dec 13 - 5.2% | Mar 14 - 5.0% if i understand correctly...the one hour pp test is to see how high you spiked...and the 2 hour pp test is to see how well your body's insulin (or the insulin shot that was jabbed) is reacting to the glucose in the body from the food...thus how your body recovers on the bg level So what you are saying is, if I eat a big meal with lots of carbs, lets say a big bowl of macaroni. My BG lets say spikes up to 160 after 1 hour but returns to under 120 after 2 hours that is good. How much then does that 1 hour number mater. Some people BG test at 1 hour after eatin Continue reading >>
Blood Glucose Four Hours After Eating
Cells throughout your body work around the clock, even when you’re sleeping. Clearly, they need a steady supply of energy to keep going. To function, they rely on glucose, a simple type of carbohydrate. Glucose enters your bloodstream until the hormone insulin comes around to help cells use or store the circulating glucose. Your blood sugar may go up a bit after eating, but if it’s still high four hours after your meal, or if it drops too low, something is awry in your body. Video of the Day Normally your blood sugar should remain between 70 and 130 milligrams per deciliter, according to the American Diabetes Association. This range is for any random time throughout the day, before or after meals. After a long fast, such as after a night’s sleep, it’s normal for your glucose to be on the lower end of that spectrum -- 70 to 100 milligrams per deciliter. Four Hours After Eating If you’re generally healthy or are properly managing your diabetes, your blood glucose should fall between 90 and 130 milligrams per deciliter four hours after eating. If you're not diabetic, your sugar could even go as high as 140 milligrams per deciliter after meals. Of course, if you are a diabetic, your blood glucose could rise even higher -- 180 milligrams per deciliter or above, even several hours after eating. It’s not typical for your glucose to remain elevated four hours after eating. By then, insulin should have done its job and made sure that all of that extra glucose was used up. So if your blood sugar is still high hours after eating, it could be a sign that you have diabetes. Or if you have already been diagnosed, the dosage of your insulin or other diabetes medication might be off. Elevated glucose can also stem from an infected pancreas, an overactive thyroid and certain Continue reading >>
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Blood Sugar Level Chart And Information
A - A + Main Document Quote: "A number of medical studies have shown a dramatic relationship between elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance in people who are not very active on a daily or regular basis." A doctor might order a test of the sugar level in a person's blood if there is a concern that they may have diabetes, or have a sugar level that is either too low or too high. The test, which is also called a check of blood sugar, blood glucose, fasting blood sugar, fasting plasma glucose, or fasting blood glucose, indicates how much glucose is present is present in a person's blood. When a person eats carbohydrates, such as pasta, bread or fruit, their body converts the carbohydrates to sugar - also referred to as glucose. Glucose travels through the blood to supply energy to the cells, to include muscle and brain cells, as well as to organs. Blood sugar levels usually fluctuate depending upon what a person eats and how long it has been since they last ate. However; consistent or extremely low levels of glucose in a person's blood might cause symptoms such as: Anxiety Sweating Dizziness Confusion Nervousness Warning signs of dangerously high levels of blood sugar include sleepiness or confusion, dry mouth, extreme thirst, high fever, hallucinations, loss of vision, or skin that is warm and dry. A blood sugar test requires a finger prick or needle stick. A doctor might order a, 'fasting,' blood glucose test. What this means is a person will not be able to drink or eat for 8-10 hours before the test, or the doctor may order the test for a random time or right after the person eats. If a woman is pregnant, her doctor might order a, 'glucose-tolerance test,' which involves drinking glucose solution and having blood drawn a specified amount of time later. The re Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar Throughout The Day - For Normal People And Those With Diabetes
Most of us have heard the term blood sugar bandied around enough that we think we know what it means, but few of us really understand the complexity of the system that makes a steady supply of fuel available to our cells around the clock. The basic facts are these: All animals have a small amount of a simple sugar called glucose floating around in their bloodstream all the time. This simple sugar is one of two fuels that the cells of the body can burn for fuel. The other is fat. Though you may occasionally eat pure glucose--it's called "dextrose" when it is found in the list of ingredients on a U.S. food label--most of the glucose in your blood doesn't come from eating glucose. It is produced when your digestive system breaks down the larger molecules of complex sugars and starch. Sugars like those found in table sugar, corn syrup, milk and fruit and the starches found in flour, potatoes, rice, and beans all contain chains of glucose that are bonded together with other substances. During digestion, enzymes break these bonds and liberate the glucose molecules which are then absorbed into your bloodstream. How Blood Sugar is Measured Blood sugar concentrations are described using a number that describes the weight of glucose that is found in a specific volume of blood. In the U.S. that measurement is milligrams per deciliter, which is abbreviated as "mg/dl." Europeans and almost all researchers publishing in medical journals use a different measurement, micromoles per liter, abbreviated "mmol/L." You can convert any European measurements you encounter to the American standard by multiplying the mmol/L number by 18. There's a handy converter online that will do this for you automatically. You'll find it at If a blood test says that your blood sugar is 85 mg/dl this means t Continue reading >>
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Why Is Blood Sugar Highest In The Morning?
Many people with diabetes find that their fasting blood sugar first thing in the morning is the hardest blood sugar to control. In addition, they find that if they eat the same food for breakfast as they do for lunch or dinner they will see a much higher blood sugar number when testing after breakfast than they see at the other meals. The reason for this is a normal alteration in hormones experienced by many people not just people with diabetes. It is called "Dawn Phenomenon." What Causes Dawn Phenomenon? The body prepares for waking up by secreting several different hormones. First, between 4:00 and 6:30 a.m. it secretes cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. You may recognize these as the hormones involved in the "fight or flight response." In this case, their job is more benign, to give you the energy to get up and moving so you can find the food your body needs for energy. To help you do this, these hormones also raise your blood sugar. After a long night's sleep, the fuel your body turns to to get you going is the glucose stored in the liver. So after these stress hormones are secreted, around 5:30 a.m., plasma glucose rises. In a person with normal blood sugar, insulin will also start to rise at this time but many people with diabetes won't experience the corresponding rise in insulin. So instead of giving their cells a dose of morning energy, all they get is a rise in blood sugar. Not Everyone Experiences Dawn Phenomenon Researchers who have infused different hormones into experimental subjects have found that the trigger for dawn phenomenon is a nocturnal surge in growth hormone. If they block the growth hormone, blood sugars stay flat. This may explain why some people, particularly older people, do not experience a rise in blood sugar first thing in the mor Continue reading >>
What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar?
Whenever the glucose (sugar) level in one’s blood rises high temporarily, this condition is known as hyperglycemia. The opposite condition, low blood sugar, is called hypoglycemia. Glucose comes from most foods, and the body uses other chemicals to create glucose in the liver and muscles. The blood carries glucose (blood sugar) to all the cells in the body. To carry glucose into the cells as an energy supply, cells need help from insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, an organ near the stomach. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood, based upon the blood sugar level. Insulin helps move glucose from digested food enter into cells. Sometimes, the body stops making insulin (for example, in type 1 diabetes), or the insulin does not work properly (as in type 2 diabetes). In diabetic patients, glucose does not enter the cells sufficiently, thus staying in the blood and creating high blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels can be measured in seconds by using a blood glucose meter, also known as a glucometer. A tiny drop of blood from the finger or forearm is placed on a test strip and inserted into the glucometer. The blood sugar (or glucose) level is displayed digitally within seconds. Blood glucose levels vary widely throughout the day and night in people with diabetes. Ideally, blood glucose levels range from 90 to 130 mg/dL before meals, and below 180 mg/dL within 1 to 2 hours after a meal. Adolescents and adults with diabetes strive to keep their blood sugar levels within a controlled range, usually 80-150 mg/dL before meals. Doctors and diabetes health educators guide each patient to determine their optimal range of blood glucose control. When blood sugar levels remain high for several hours, dehydration and more serious complications can develop. Mor Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar 165 Mg/dl (9.16mmol/l) After Eating - Is That Good Or Bad?
It is normal for blood sugar levels to rise immediately after a meal. The increased glucose is a product of the carbohydrates in the food that was just consumed. The higher blood glucose triggers the pancreas to produce more insulin. This release of insulin usually takes place within about 10 minutes of eating. The insulin removes the glucose from the blood and stores it for the body to use as energy. In a healthy individual, blood glucose levels should return to a normal level within about two hours after finishing the meal. In diabetics, the blood sugar level often remain elevated for a longer period because of the body’s inability to produce or utilize insulin properly.An elevated two-hour postprandial (after a meal) blood sugar may indicate diabetes or prediabetes. As a general rule, a normal two- hour postprandial blood sugar is as follows: • Age 50 and under: Less than 140 mg/dl • Age 50 – 60: Less than 150 mg/dl • Over age 60: Less than 160 mg/dl A doctor may recommend different postprandial blood sugar levels based on an individual’s particular circumstances and health history. Several factors may cause a person’s postprandial blood sugar to remain elevated. • Smoking after the meal: Studies show that smoking raises blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. • Extreme stress: Stress produces the body’s fight-or-flight response triggering the release of stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones cause the body to release the glucose it has previously stored for energy. • Eating or drinking after the meal and before testing the blood sugar: Continuing to eat will keep blood sugars closer to their immediate post-meal levels. Studies show that 15 to 20 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, shortly after a meal may improve glucos Continue reading >>
Must Read Articles Related To High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia)
A A A High Blood Sugar (Hyperglycemia) Whenever the glucose (sugar) level in one's blood rises high temporarily, this condition is known as hyperglycemia. The opposite condition, low blood sugar, is called hypoglycemia. Glucose comes from most foods, and the body uses other chemicals to create glucose in the liver and muscles. The blood carries glucose (blood sugar) to all the cells in the body. To carry glucose into the cells as an energy supply, cells need help from insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, an organ near the stomach. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood, based upon the blood sugar level. Insulin helps move glucose from digested food into cells. Sometimes, the body stops making insulin (as in type 1 diabetes), or the insulin does not work properly (as in type 2 diabetes). In diabetic patients, glucose does not enter the cells sufficiently, thus staying in the blood and creating high blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels can be measured in seconds by using a blood glucose meter, also known as a glucometer. A tiny drop of blood from the finger or forearm is placed on a test strip and inserted into the glucometer. The blood sugar (or glucose) level is displayed digitally within seconds. Blood glucose levels vary widely throughout the day and night in people with diabetes. Ideally, blood glucose levels range from 90 to 130 mg/dL before meals, and below 180 mg/dL within 1 to 2 hours after a meal. Adolescents and adults with diabetes strive to keep their blood sugar levels within a controlled range, usually 80-150 mg/dL before meals. Doctors and diabetes health educators guide each patient to determine their optimal range of blood glucose control. When blood sugar levels remain high for several hours, dehydration and more serious complicat Continue reading >>
Lower Post-meal Blood Sugars
Ads by Google Diabetes experts advised testing your blood sugars two hours after meals. However, most diabetics experience blood sugar spikes one hour and twenty minutes after food. So it is best to test one hour after the meal. One study found that only 10 % of after-meal blood sugar was below 180 mg (10 mmol). It does not mean; it is not possible for you to reach healthy blood sugar. However, be slow and in steps; first set a higher target that is easily achievable then switch to lower your target until you reach healthy blood sugar range. Be confident; you can achieve it with the below said tips, my advance congratulationJ. Hormones & blood glucose homeostasis Insulin produced by the pancreatic beta cells enable glucose from the food to move into the body cells for energy. Amylin produced by the pancreatic beta cells help slow down the release of glucose into the bloodstream from food by delaying stomach-emptying and increases satiety. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have amylin deficiency. Incretin is gut hormone (such as GLP-1 glucagon-like peptide 1) secreted by the intestines. It enhances the body’s ability to release insulin after eating, slow down stomach-emptying, promotes satiety, delays blood glucose release, and prevents pancreatic glucagon release. Glucagon produced by pancreatic alpha cells break down glycogen stored in the liver and muscles into glucose and released into the bloodstream to provide energy when there is no glucose supply from the food. After food blood glucose rises, which instructs the intestine to release GLP-1, this in-turn increases insulin and amylin secretion. These hormones facilitate the body cells to use the glucose from the food as fuel. At the same time, glucagon is turned off even the reverse process that is storage of ex Continue reading >>
Expected Blood Glucose After A High-carb Meal
Blood glucose levels normally rise after a high-carbohydrate meal and drop back to normal levels within a few hours. But if your glucose levels rise higher than normal and recover more slowly, you might have diabetes. Your doctor can administer tests that measure your blood glucose levels immediately before you consume a high-carbohydrate meal and for several hours afterward. If you already have diabetes, your doctor might want you to check your blood glucose levels after meals, to make sure you're keeping your glucose within the expected range. Normal Levels After Eating Healthy, non-diabetic people normally have blood glucose levels of less than 120 milligrams per deciliter two hours after a normal meal, rarely exceeding 140 mg/dL, according to the American Diabetes Association. Levels return to normal within two to three hours. When you undergo a glucose tolerance test, you consume a high-carbohydrate drink or snack containing 75 grams of carbohydrate. At one hour, your test falls into the normal, non-diabetic range if your blood glucose remains below 200 mg/dL. Two hours after your meal, blood glucose should remain below 140 mg/dL. A level of over 200 mg/dL at two hours post-prandial -- which means after a meal -- indicates diabetes. Levels between 140 and 200 mg/dL indicate pre-diabetes, a condition with a strong risk of developing diabetes in the future. Expected Results in Diabetics Diabetics experience larger spikes in blood glucose that take longer to return to baseline. For diabetics, blood glucose an hour after eating should remain below 180 mg/dL or no more than 80 mg/dL over your pre-meal levels. The highest spikes in blood glucose levels often occur after breakfast. If you experience hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose levels before a meal, you might experi Continue reading >>
