BLOOD SUGAR
HOW MUCH IS JUST RIGHT OR TOO MUCH?
Points made, some editing due..
WHAT'S NORMAL?
The mean normal blood sugar level in humans is 72 mg/dL (milligrams/deciliter) to 150 mg/dL.
The blood sugar levels are at its lowest, on waking up in the morning, before the first meal of the day and after fasting for eight hours. Normal fasting blood sugar level falls in between the range of 70 mg/dL and 99 mg/dL.
Above 150 mg/dL is hyperGlycemia (high blood sugar)
Below 70 mg/dL are an indicator hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
Postpriandal:. Blood sugar levels measured 2 hours after eating. At that time, blood sugar level should be close to normal. If this is above 200, it indicates diabetes.
Peak level: If your blood glucose level consistently rises higher than 180 mg/dl after eating any type of meal, you could have a medical condition known as "diabetes" or "insulin resistance." 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,
After a meal, blood sugar levels may rise to 140 milligrams per deciliter even if you are not diabetic.
High blood sugar does not mean high energy, as it is insulin that puts the energy producer into the cells.
HOW QUICKLY?
Blood sugar levels can start increasing within 15 minutes after a meal. After eating, your blood sugar levels begin to rise within 15 to 30 minutes, but only if your meal or snack includes carbohydrates. The speed and level of the increase depend on the type of carbohydrates and other nutrients found in the foods you eat, as well as on your body's ability to manage your blood sugar levels.
Depending on the type of food and the size of the meal, levels will peak within around 30 to 45 minutes.
Back down: By three to four hours after your meal, your blood sugar should be back down to the level it was before you started eating.
Other foods you eat with carbohydrate-containing foods usually slow down the rise in your blood sugar levels in the post-meal period.
Effect of exercise
Walking right after a meal for 15 minutes can cut the increase in half.
Your body requires a lot of energy when you exercise. Your pancreas will create more insulin than normal to provide your body with the needed fuel. When your blood glucose levels get too low, your body will feed off of the fat supplies that have been stored away.
When you stop the exercise, it takes a little while for the pancreas to adjust the insulin supply back to normal, so it is not uncommon to experience a high blood glucose level right after exercising. When the pancreas does adjust its insulin supply, your blood glucose level may dip below normal until you replace the blood glucose through food or drink.
Low Blood Glucose Levels from Stress
When you become stressed or anxious, your body goes into what is known as the "fight or flight" syndrome. Even though you may not be exercising, your body will require more fuel than normal. Your pancreas responds by creating an excess of insulin (to up your energy for the flight) which causes your blood glucose levels to dip, as it pulls the energy into the cells.
GLYCEMIC INDEX = SPEED
Glycemic index -- a measurement of the speed at which a particular food affects blood sugar levels -- is a useful tool for gauging how quickly the carbohydrates and sugar in your meal will be absorbed into your bloodstream.
Moderate glycemic index foods have a glycemic index value around 40 to 70 and include such foods as whole grain breads, brown rice and dairy products. In diabetics, foods with a moderate glycemic index will digest more slowly and cause a milder increase in blood sugar; a peak blood sugar level will occur around one hour after eating.
Foods with low glycemic index result in a very slow and gradual blood sugar rise and may take several hours to reach peak blood sugar levels. These foods have a glycemic value less than 40 and include grapefruit, beans and nuts.
A high glycemic meal, such as one that contains mostly processed carbohydrates with little fat or protein, would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, usually within an hour, and then a fast drop (due to the quick insulin rise to battle the spike).
By contrast, a high-fat or high-protein meal would take longer to be released into the bloodstream and would keep blood sugar levels elevated for a longer period of time, but in a "good range".
Starchy foods are made of starches, a type of carbohydrate made of a chain of glucose, the type of sugar found in your blood.
If you don't have diabetes, your blood sugar levels should not raise above 139 mg/dL two hours after a meal. If your blood sugar levels raise between 140 and 199 mg/dL two hours after eating starchy foods, you are likely to have pre-diabetes, while a blood sugar above 200 mg/dL can indicate diabetes
Foods with a high glycemic index (greater than 70), such as cold cereals, bread, potatoes, rice, and snack chips, tend to raise blood glucose the fastest, with a significant peak occurring in 30–60 minutes.
Foods with a moderate glycemic index (approximately 45–70) digest a bit slower, resulting in a slightly less pronounced blood glucose peak approximately 60–90 minutes after eating.
Foods with a low glycemic index (below 45) tend to cause a slow, gradual blood glucose rise. The blood glucose peak is usually modest and may take several hours to appear. Examples of foods with a low glycemic index include pasta, milk, yogurt, and kidney beans.
WHERE IT GOES
The excess glucose in the blood usually will be converted to become glycogen and then stored in the liver. Some also can be stored in fat cells in the form of ‘fat’. Either glycogen or glucose in a form of fat can be a source of energy for your body between meals.
THE EFFECT OF SPIKES
If you experience spikes in blood glucose after you eat high-carbohydrate meals, your levels will be higher than normal for as much as six to nine hours out of each day.
High blood glucose damages blood vessels, which leads to complications such as diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy, or nerve damage. High blood glucose levels after meals also increases your risk of developing atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque in the arteries that can cause heart attack or stroke.
Just as a big turkey dinner can turn the peppiest person into a slumbering slug, a rapid rise in blood glucose levels after meals has been shown to affect the ability to concentrate, stay alert, and perform athletically and intellectually.
Physical activity effect on spikes
The enhanced blood flow to the skin surface caused by physical activity is likely to make the insulin get absorbed quicker so that it can act quicker. This means that the insulin will do a better job of keeping the blood glucose from rising too high right after eating. In addition, muscle activity diverts blood flow away from the intestines, resulting in slower absorption of glucose and other simple sugars into the bloodstream. The sugars that do enter the bloodstream are likely to be “consumed” by the working muscles.
How much activity is required to experience these benefits? Not much. Ten or 15 minutes (or more) of mild activity will get the job done. The key is to avoid sitting for extended periods after eating. Instead of reading, watching TV, or working on the computer, go for a walk, shoot some hoops, or throw a few darts. In the course of your usual day, try to schedule your active tasks (housework, yardwork, chores, errands, walking pets) for after meals. Make an attempt to schedule your exercise sessions for after meals to take advantage of their blood-glucose-lowering effect. (Individuals with heart disease or other circulatory complications should consult their physician before attempting to exercise after eating.) When you go out for a meal, resist the urge to sit and talk for hours or head straight for a movie. Instead, get up and go do some physical activity!
THE EFFECT OF HIGH AMOUNTS OF PROTEIN
For now, let me explain that high amounts of protein (over 20 grams) will end up being converted into glucose in your blood. We can only digest about 20 grams of protein at a time, and the rest is literally turned into sugar. So you need account for any of the protein grams over 20 as part of your carbohydrate intake!
THE EFFECT OF FAT
Fats also blunt our insulin sensitivity and can lead to needing more insulin!
