7 Ways to Reduce Blood Sugar Spikes After Meals

This content material initially appeared on diaTribe. Republished with permission.

By April Hopcroft

Many individuals with diabetes – even these utilizing the most recent know-how – battle with excessive blood sugar after consuming. We spoke with consultants for recommendations on how one can decrease these cussed glucose spikes.

We’ve all been there: it’s been a protracted, demanding day at work and also you’re excited to take a seat down for dinner at your favourite restaurant.

Or perhaps you’re wanting to watch the sport and dig right into a feast of wings, nachos, and sliders with family and friends. Maybe you’ve been touring or in your toes all day and are able to gobble up the primary meals you encounter.

Whatever the state of affairs, it’s possible you don’t wish to take the time to bolus and wait in your insulin to kick in earlier than you begin consuming. In spite of everything, meals are sometimes a social exercise, and it’s no enjoyable to attend whereas others are chowing down.

However because the meal wears on, you catch a glimpse of your cellphone and are startled to see your blood sugar is nicely into the 200s and rising. Quickly, you begin to acknowledge the telltale indicators of excessive blood sugar: achiness, fatigue, and a normal feeling of unease.

There’s little question about it – navigating meals might be tough when you could have diabetes. Even amongst individuals who use automated insulin supply (AID) techniques, analysis means that reaching postprandial glycemic management might be tough.

Why do blood sugar spikes after meals occur?

Sudden will increase in blood glucose after consuming are regular, even in folks with out diabetes. After consuming carbohydrates, blood sugar ranges rise as our our bodies break carbohydrates down into sugars.

In folks with out diabetes, this enhance in blood sugar triggers the fast launch of insulin. Inside minutes, insulin begins transporting glucose from the bloodstream into cells, serving to to cut back blood sugar after consuming. Put up-meal blood glucose spikes are normally momentary and infrequently go unnoticed in these with out diabetes.

Nonetheless, in folks with diabetes, blood sugar spikes might be extra pronounced and last more. Insulin delivered by way of injections or an insulin pump takes longer to begin working in comparison with the insulin produced naturally by the physique, that means blood glucose will proceed to rise whereas the injected insulin kicks in.

Individuals with diabetes produce other hormonal variations that may have an effect on the pace of digestion. These with out practical beta cells additionally can’t produce the hormone amylin, which helps sluggish digestion and reduces post-meal glucose. Meaning folks with out sufficient amylin might expertise challenges with excessive glucose ranges after consuming.

In case you’ve been combating post-meal hyperglycemia, take inventory of your present circumstances and if you happen to’ve skilled main life modifications not too long ago, recommended LaurieAnn Scher, licensed diabetes care and training specialist.

Have you ever skilled stressors, reminiscent of finding out for an enormous examination, switching jobs, or transferring? This could set off the discharge of stress hormones like cortisol, which may promote weight acquire and have an effect on metabolism, together with insulin resistance.

Perhaps your consuming or train patterns have shifted, maybe resulting from modifications like beginning school, transferring in with a companion, or navigating parenthood. Weight-reduction plan modifications can lead folks to realize extra muscle or fats. With a special proportion of fats and muscle mass, insulin resistance can fluctuate, impacting your insulin wants, Scher added.

Many different components can have an effect on insulin resistance and blood glucose administration, reminiscent of utilizing contraception, environmental circumstances, dehydration, and extra.

Why is it essential to cut back blood sugar spikes?

Excessive blood sugar after meals raises your danger of diabetes problems, together with kidney illness, heart problems, and diabetic neuropathy. Put up-meal hyperglycemia can even have an effect on high quality of life, resulting in damaging results on temper, diabetes misery, and points like mind fog or sluggishness.

To place it merely, excessive blood sugar after consuming “doesn’t really feel nice, and it may be arduous to suppose and see,” mentioned Scher.

Analysis additionally suggests that higher glycemic management after meals is linked to improved A1C and fasting glucose ranges.

In response to the American Diabetes Affiliation 2024 Requirements of Care, it is best to intention for blood sugar to be lower than 180 mg/dL inside 1-2 hours after you begin consuming. In contrast, in most individuals with out diabetes, two-hour postprandial blood sugar ranges are sometimes lower than 120 mg/dL and infrequently exceed 140 mg/dL.

Easy methods to forestall blood sugar spikes after consuming

From medicines to eating regimen and bodily exercise, there are a lot of totally different methods to stop bothersome blood sugar spikes after meals. As with all elements of diabetes care, it’s essential to acknowledge that what works for one particular person might not work for another person.

“It’s all about tailoring to the affected person’s wants, consolation degree, background, what they’ve tried, and what they’re prepared and concerned with,” mentioned Rina Hisamatsu, a registered dietitian on the Michigan Collaborative for Kind 2 Diabetes (MCT2D).

1. Experiment with totally different insulins and dose timing

For any diabetes medicine, Scher suggested, “Don’t set it and neglect it.”

That’s, it is best to commonly study basal and bolus insulin, alongside together with your different medicines. You could want to regulate your insulin routine and tweak bolus doses and timing all through your life.

There are a number of various kinds of mealtime insulin, every with its personal time to onset of blood glucose decreasing:

The timing of rapid-acting insulin performs an enormous function round mealtime. For some meals, you might want a 30-minute pre-bolus earlier than, whereas others may require a shorter pre-bolus of 10-Quarter-hour earlier than consuming.

Some folks discover they like an prolonged bolus, which suggests the insulin is delivered over an prolonged interval, as an alternative of suddenly.

Digestion fee additionally components into the timing of mealtime insulin, particularly for folks with circumstances like gastroparesis or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

2. Strive a brief quantity of bodily exercise

Being lively for even only a few minutes after consuming can assist decrease blood glucose and forestall blood sugar spikes.

Any motion is best than no motion, regardless of how small. And most significantly, Hisamatsu mentioned, attempt to discover an exercise that you simply take pleasure in in an effort to make it a sustainable behavior.

Taking a stroll – whether or not inside your residence, across the block, or on a motorcycle path – goes a great distance towards regulating glucose. Past taking a stroll, there are a lot of different choices for brief bursts of train like:

• Climb a set of stairs in your home or office.
• Bounce rope, jog in place, or do leaping jacks – these take up little or no house.
• Do squats at your desk. Since squats train the biggest muscle tissue in your physique (your glutes and quads), they’re very efficient at decreasing glucose. “The quads and glutes are like sponges, they suck up all of the glucose and use it rather more readily than smaller muscle tissue,” Scher mentioned.
• Have a dance get together – put in your favourite songs and jam out to your coronary heart’s content material.

Analysis reveals that breaking apart a sedentary way of life each hour can enhance insulin sensitivity (how effectively your physique’s cells reply to insulin) and post-meal glucose.

In case you favor to suppose forward, contemplate the various kinds of train that you are able to do all through the day that enhance insulin sensitivity. Energy coaching earlier than consuming has been proven to enhance post-meal blood glucose in folks with prediabetes by enhancing insulin sensitivity. Likewise, analysis suggests that exercising earlier than meals can enhance insulin sensitivity and enhance total glycemic management in folks with kind 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.

After all, any type of train can result in drops in glucose ranges and trigger hypoglycemia. In case you use insulin, it’s due to this fact essential to contemplate your insulin on board and take steps to stop hypoglycemia throughout train, Scher mentioned.

3. Eat high-fiber meals

In distinction to different carbohydrates, fiber can’t be digested by the physique, so it has much less of an impression on blood glucose ranges. Consequently, it helps you are feeling full and glad.

Fiber additionally performs a key function within the intestine microbiome, serving to sweep micro organism from the colon and maintaining bowel actions common. You’ll be able to eat extra fiber by including fruits, greens, legumes, and complete grains to your eating regimen.

“We will contemplate fiber considered one of our greatest mates,” Hisamatsu mentioned, as fiber-rich meals are usually low-calorie however have a excessive nutrient density, significantly non-starchy greens.

Likewise, Scher mentioned fiber is sort of a parachute. While you pair fiber-rich meals with carbohydrates, it helps forestall blood sugar spikes and in addition reduces speedy drops in blood sugar.

Including an excessive amount of fiber too shortly might trigger some GI misery, so Hisamatsu recommended going “low and sluggish” when growing fiber consumption and ensuring to remain adequately hydrated. Begin by pondering of meals you already take pleasure in and attempt to add some greens or complete grains. As an example, add sauteed greens to spaghetti, tuck some beans right into a quesadilla, or swap whole-grain bread for white bread.

4. Offset carbs with fats and protein

Understanding the various kinds of carbohydrates is vital to managing post-meal blood sugar spikes.

“I’ve all the time mentioned there’s nothing that an individual with diabetes can’t eat, besides poison and meals with poison,” Scher mentioned. “You’ll be able to have cake, sweet, and many others. You’re human. You simply have to discover ways to handle it.”

Carbohydrates might be divided into two normal classes:

• Easy carbs are sugars. These carbs are damaged down shortly and normally result in large spikes in blood sugar. Examples embrace soda, baked items, breakfast cereals, and fruit juice.
• Advanced carbs are damaged down extra slowly and result in extra predictable, gradual will increase in blood sugar. Examples embrace beans, fruits, greens, and complete grains.

Hisamatsu recommended beginning with “low-hanging fruit” by figuring out elements of your eating regimen the place you are likely to eat extra refined or easy carbohydrates. Perhaps you’re flying out the door to work within the morning, so breakfast has turn out to be a sugary granola bar. Otherwise you crave fruit juice at lunch and a cookie for dessert.

When you’ve recognized these areas, contemplate methods so as to add extra complicated carbs and fiber-rich meals. Begin with small modifications and check out behavior stacking to make sure sustainable modifications.

Total, Hisamatsu really useful specializing in growing fiber and protein consumption, whereas including fats for taste and fullness.

“Once we can concentrate on a steadiness of various meals teams, it may be useful to enhance one’s postprandial glucose,” she mentioned.

5. Strive setting a brief basal fee

In the identical means that some folks select to decrease their basal insulin fee throughout train, you can contemplate quickly growing your basal fee by a sure share earlier than or after meals.

Likewise, some insulin pumps assist you to set a decrease pre-meal goal, reminiscent of 80 or 85 mg/dL relatively than 95 mg/dL earlier than consuming.

Setting a brief basal fee might be useful if you’re consuming meals that has vital refined carbohydrates in it, reminiscent of pastries, bread, pasta, pancakes, pizza, and even white rice. This technique could also be particularly helpful for these with extra insulin resistance.

You might need to experiment by trial and error to determine what works greatest for you. Seek the advice of your healthcare supplier to seek out the perfect basal fee for mealtimes.

6. Use CGM as a instrument to tell choices

Steady glucose displays (CGM) present precious data that may provide help to handle post-meal blood sugar.

Since everybody responds otherwise to meals, Scher mentioned CGMs assist you to perceive your physique’s distinctive response. As an example, some folks with diabetes can eat white rice with none blood sugar spikes, whereas many others will expertise excessive blood sugar shortly after consuming rice.

“People with kind 2 diabetes, whether or not or not they’re on insulin remedy, might profit from utilizing a CGM,” Hisamatsu mentioned. “In tandem with way of life change, CGM generally is a useful information for sufferers to see real-time information and the way meals and way of life impression postprandial glucose which can assist establish areas for enchancment.”

The development arrows on a CGM can assist inform mealtime insulin dosing. Use time in vary to establish patterns and make changes as wanted – you may want a special insulin-to-carb ratio or correction issue relying in your mealtime.

Even you probably have kind 2 diabetes and your insurance coverage doesn’t cowl CGM, skilled CGM could also be an choice for you.

“The trick is discovering a supplier in your space that can provide help to do knowledgeable CGM trial,” Scher mentioned. In most states within the U.S., insurance policy will cowl one or two trials {of professional} CGM per yr.

7. Keep hydrated

Staying hydrated all through the day is essential to many bodily capabilities, from regulating blood stress to physique temperature to blood glucose.

While you’re dehydrated, the quantity of water in your bloodstream decreases, making the glucose in your blood extra concentrated. This could result in barely increased blood sugar ranges or trigger speedy spikes.

Certainly, analysis suggests that not ingesting sufficient water results in worse glucose management in kind 2 diabetes. Dehydration can result in a cycle of upper glucose ranges, so it’s particularly essential to hydrate nicely when it’s scorching exterior.

Whether or not it’s investing in a colourful water bottle or pairing hydration together with your morning espresso, you’ll want to get your fluids in.

The underside line

Blood sugar spikes after meals are a typical a part of life when you could have diabetes. Whereas having a constant meal construction can assist forestall giant spikes, it isn’t all the time doable to plan all of your meals.

To handle post-meal blood glucose ranges, it’s a good suggestion to construct a “toolbox” of methods. Everyone seems to be totally different, so you might have to undergo some trial and error to determine what works greatest for you.

“We’re not check tubes,” Scher mentioned. “What works for one particular person, might not work for another person.”

It’s additionally essential to know when to achieve out to your healthcare supplier for skilled recommendation.

“We’re right here to assist you and to work as a group,” Scher mentioned. “If one thing doesn’t really feel proper, let’s work as consultants collectively to assist determine it out.”