Finding out how carbohydrates affect your blood glucose?

Carbohydrates in various foods affect your blood glucose. But to understand exactly how much your blood glucose levels change, you will need to monitor yourself 1 to 2 hours after meals. This simple practice of blood glucose monitoring will give you valuable information about how certain foods affect your blood glucose. This is referred to as postprandial (after you eat) glucose testing.

Even if your fasting glucose (the amount of glucose in your blood when you have not eaten for several hours) is normal, you may still have high levels of glucose in your blood after you eat.

Postprandial glucose (PPG) testing has gotten a lot of attention lately. When you test after you eat, not only can you see how that meal has affected your blood glucose, but you can also judge the effectiveness of your current dosage of insulin or medication in relation to that meal.

Talk with your doctor about your own target goals, including PPG test results and what they say about your diet and diabetes management.

Regular eating habits can help maintain your blood glucose at a healthy level.
Sometimes, we may be too busy to eat properly, or even to eat at all. However, skipping meals is not healthy, whether or not you have diabetes.

If you do skip a meal, you are likely to overeat at the next meal, which could lead to a higher than usual spike in your blood glucose. And if you are on an oral medication that stimulates insulin secretion or on insulin, skipping a meal may put you at risk of hypoglycemia.

Controlling portion sizes is the key to controlling your weight and blood glucose.
If you're eating a balanced diet, exercising, and avoiding sugary, high-fat foods - and you still notice blood glucose spikes or no weight loss, perhaps your portion sizes are too large.

For instance, an average bowl of pasta has around 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrates while a large bowl of pasta can have about 70 grams of carbohydrates.

It's a good idea to talk with your nutritionist or other member of your diabetes-care team about your individual goals and establishing a meal plan. If you are overweight, a weight loss of 10-20 pounds may help you control blood glucose.

And the food choices that you make, by helping you to control your diabetes, can hopefully prevent long-term complications.