In the last article in this series on diabesity and metabolic syndrome, we discovered that the blood sugar targets established by the American Diabetes Association are far too high, and do not protect people from developing heart disease, diabetes or other complications. And we looked at what the scientific literature indicates are safer targets for fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c and either OGTT or post-meal blood sugar.
On the other hand, we also discussed the importance of context: why it’s important not to rely on a single blood sugar marker, and how healthy people can sometimes have blood sugar spikes above 140 mg/dL one hour after a meal. Please keep this in mind as you read through the rest of this article.
In this article I’m going to introduce a simple technique that, when used properly, is one of the most effective ways to maintain healthy blood sugar and prevent cardiovascular and metabolic disease – without unnecessary drugs.
I love this technique because it’s:
- Cheap. You can buy the equipment you need for $16 online.
- Convenient. You can perform the tests in the comfort of your home, in your car, or wherever else you might be.
- Personalized. Instead of following some formula for how much carbohydrate you can safely eat, this method will tell you exactly what your carbohydrate tolerance is, and which carbs are “safe” and “unsafe” for you.
- Safe. Unlike the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), which can produce dangerous and horribly uncomfortable spikes in blood sugar, this strategy simply involves testing your blood sugar after your normal meals.
The strategy I’m referring to is using a glucometer to test your post-meal blood sugars. It’s simple, accessible and completely bypasses the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies by putting the power of knowledge in your hands.
It’s one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available, and I use it with nearly all of my patients. Here’s how to do it.
Step One: Buy a Glucometer and Test Strips
A glucometer is a device that measures blood sugar. You’ve probably seen them before—they’re commonly used by diabetics. You prick your finger with a sterilized lancet, and then you apply the drop of blood to a “test strip” that has been inserted into the glucometer, and it measures your blood sugar.
There are literally hundreds of glucometers out there, and their accuracy, quality and price varies considerably. The one I recommend to my patients is called the Relion Prime, which can be found at Walmart.com. (Note: as a rule I don’t like to support Walmart, but I haven’t been able to find this unit anywhere else at a similar price.) Even better, the test strips, which you’ll need on an ongoing basis to monitor your blood sugar, are relatively cheap for the Relion Prime. You can get 50 of them for $9.00 at Walmart.com ($0.18/strip).
If you’d like the option to sync your readings to an iPhone or iPod Touch, the Relion Prime syncs with the Glooko MeterSync Cable. The Glooko cable (with the free app on your iPhone/iPod Touch) allows you to sync all readings, as well as track factors that affect your glucose level, such as carbohydrate intake, activity level, and how you’re feeling. Though the cable costs $39.95 on Amazon, it’s a worthwhile investment if you plan on tracking your glucose levels over a long period of time.
I’m sure there are many other choices that work well, but this is the unit I have the most experience with, and in general it is very reliable. Another good choice is the TrueTrack meter drugstores sell under their own brand name (i.e. Walgreens, Sav-on, etc.). Other models to consider are the One Touch Ultra or one of the Accu-Chek meters. The problem with these, however, is that the test strips tend to be more expensive than the Relion Prime.
Step Two: Test Your Blood Sugar
- Test your blood sugar first thing in the morning after fasting for at least 12 hours. Drink a little bit of water just after rising, but don’t eat anything or exercise before the test. This is your fasting blood sugar level.
- Test your blood sugar again just before lunch.
- Eat your typical lunch. Do not eat anything for the next three hours.Test your blood sugar one hour after lunch.
- Test your blood sugar two hours after lunch.
- Test your blood sugar three hours after lunch.
Record the results, along with what you ate for lunch. Do this for two days. This will tell you how the foods you normally eat affect your blood sugar levels.
On the third day, you’re going to do it a little differently. On step 3, instead of eating your typical lunch, you’re going to eat 60 to 70 grams of fast acting carbohydrate. A large (8 oz) boiled potato or a cup of cooked white rice will do. For the purposes of this test only, avoid eating any fat with your rice or potato because it will slow down the absorption of glucose.
Then follow steps 4 through 6 as described above, and record your results.
Step Three: Interpret Your Results
If you recall from the last article, healthy targets for blood sugar according to the scientific literature are as follows:
| Marker | Ideal* |
| Fasting blood glucose (mg/dL) | <86 |
| OGGT / post-meal (mg/dL after 1 hour) | <140 |
| OGGT / post-meal (mg/dL after 2 hours) | <120 |
| OGGT / post-meal (mg/dL after 3 hours) | Back to baseline |
| Hemoglobin A1c (%) | <5.3 |
*To convert these numbers to mmol/L, use this online calculator.
Hemoglobin A1c doesn’t apply here because you can’t test it using a glucometer. We’re concerned with the fasting blood sugar reading, and more importantly, the one- and two-hour post-meal readings.
The goal is to make sure your blood sugar doesn’t consistently rise higher than 140 mg/dL an hour after a meal, but does consistently drop below 120 mg/dL two hours after a meal, and returns to baseline (i.e. what it was before you ate) by three hours after a meal.
There are a few caveats to this kind of testing. First, even reliable glucometers have about a 10 percent margin of error. You need to take that into account when you interpret your results. A reading of 100 mg/dL could be anything between 90 mg/dL and 110 mg/dL if you had it tested in a lab. This is okay, because what we’re doing here is trying to identify patterns—not nit-pick over specific readings.
Second, if you normally eat low-carb (less than 75g/d), your post-meal readings on the third day following the simple carbohydrate (rice or potato) challenge will be abnormally high. I explained why this occurs in the last article, but in short when you are adapted to burning fat your tolerance for carbohydrates declines. That’s why your doctor would tell you to eat at least 150g/d of carbs for three days before an OGTT if you were having that test done in a lab.
If you’ve been eating low-carb for at least a couple of months before doing the carbohydrate challenge on day three of the test, you can subtract 10 mg/dL from your one- and two-hour readings. This will give you a rough estimate of what your results would be like had you eaten more carbohydrates in the days and weeks leading up to the test.
It’s not precise, but it is probably accurate enough for this kind of testing.
Third, as I said above, an occasional spike above these targets in the context of other normal blood sugar markers is usually no cause for concern.
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Step Four: Take Action (If Necessary)
So what if your numbers are higher than the guidelines above? Well, that means you have impaired glucose tolerance. The higher your numbers are, the further along you are on that spectrum. If you are going above 180 mg/dL after one hour, I’d recommend getting some help—especially if you’re already on a carb-restricted diet. It’s possible to bring numbers that high down with dietary changes alone, but other possible causes of such high blood sugar (beta cell destruction, autoimmunity, etc.) should be ruled out.
If your numbers are only moderately elevated, it’s time to make some dietary changes. In particular, eating fewer carbs and more fat. Most people get enough protein and don’t need to adjust that.
And the beauty of the glucometer testing is that you don’t need to rely on someone else’s idea of how much (or what type of) carbohydrate you can eat. The glucometer will tell you. If you eat a bowl of strawberries and it spikes your blood sugar to 160 mg/dL an hour later, sorry to say, no strawberries for you. (Though you should try eating them with full-fat cream before you give up!) Likewise, if you’ve been told you can’t eat sweet potatoes because they have too much carbohydrate, but you eat one with butter and your blood sugar stays below 140 mg/dL after an hour, they’re probably safe for you. Of course, if you’re trying to lose weight, you may need to avoid them anyways.
You can continue to periodically test your blood sugar this way to see how you’re progressing. You’ll probably notice that many other factors—like stress, lack of sleep and certain medications—affect your blood sugar. In any case, the glucometer is one of your most powerful tools for preventing degenerative disease and promoting optimal function.
Nutrient deficiency is another critical factor to consider if you’re struggling with high blood sugar. Studies have shown that inadequate intake of vitamin D, magnesium, biotin, chromium, thiamine, choline, vitamin C, and EPA/DHA may contribute to both diabetes and obesity and that correcting these deficiencies helps to maintain normal blood sugar.A nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet should always be the foundation of how we consume nutrients. Sadly, due to declining soil quality, a growing toxic burden, and other factors in the modern world, we can no longer rely on food alone to meet all of our nutrient needs. This is where smart supplementation can play a role. I formulated Adapt Naturals to add back in what the modern world has squeezed out and provide you with all of the nutrients you need to feel and perform you best.
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Chris Kresser,
To clarify are you saying that because of the margin of error with home glucose meters that we should be adding 10 to the result? Or are you saying you adjusted your results comparison chart to take that into account and we don’t have to add 10?
My husband just did this interesting 3-day BG testing experiment, and as we try to interpret his results, I have a question:
Are you recommending that people whose blood sugar spikes to, say, 170 after a meal, should reduce their carb intake? Or should they _add_ fat? Or has your advice changed in this regard?
Thanks for an interesting post!
Regards,
Sarabeth
Going out on a limb here but I’m guessing Chris would say go see a doctor if your husband isn’t already diagnosed with diabetes.
When I tested my FBG, the figures I got include 74mg, 79mg, 80mg,81mg, 85mg, 90mg and the highest I have reached is 90mg. One hour after meal: 104, 110, 106 and the highest 119. Two and three hours after meal, the figures are always less than 100.
I’m always on low carbs. I don’t think I’m diabetic but I always experience the symptoms like excessive thirst, pains in my legs and eyes etc could I be diabetic?
Dee,
I would ask your doctor to do more testing. I would test for serum Calcium and parathyroid Hormone. If you have pains in your eyes you also need to go see a ophthalmologist, and MD eye doctor. Pains in your eyes can be serious. Let us know.
Those are my exact blood sugars and I have diabetes. I eat an extremely low carbohydrate diet (less than 50 grams) and those are exactly the numbers I get when I test my blood glucose.
Fasting is generally in the 70’s to low 80’s, 1 hour usually peaks at about 115, and then my 2 hour drops below 100 usually in the mid to high 90’s.
But apples to oranges being that diabetes is an individualized disease. I would talk to a doctor.
I am on the AIP and low FODMAP. What are some other quick-acting carbohydrates that I could try for this test?
I did the test as you suggested
I had eaten a last night meal and fasting glucose was 126mg/dl
I walked for 2.5 miles and my glucose is 121 mg/dl
I then had a protein shake which included:
1 cup almond milk
2 cups Spring Mix Lettuce
1 scoop protein powder
1 tablespoon of grape seed oil
1 teaspoon Maca
My 1 hour glucose was 131 mg/dl
My 2 hour glucose was 109 mg/dl
My 3 hour glucose was 95 mg/ dl
My glucose after a meal seems to normal, not impaired
but my fasting overnight blood glucose
have been 113, 127, 112, 127 mg/dl this week.
Are you diabetic because those look like numbers I’d expect to see from a person with diabetes?
I know body tolerances are different but when I go for a 2 mile walk my blood glucose usually drops about 10-15 points.
Your 2 and 3 hour post meal sugars are high, imo. Before I went on a low carb diet those were my numbers.
The doctor says I am not diabetic. I have lowered the amount of sugar and carbohydrates I eat from all grains, but especially wheat. This has seems to help lower my fasting blood sugar. I am also working to lose enough weight first not to be obese , and then not to be over weight.
I did the test as you suggested
I had eatten a last night meal and fasting glucose was 126mg/dl
I walked for 2.5 miles and my glucose is 121 mg/dl
I tehn had a protein shake which included:
1 cup almond milk
2 cups Spring Mix Lettuce
1 scoop protein powder
1 tablespoon of grape seed oil
1 teaspoon Maca
My 1 hour glucose was 131 mg/dl
My 2 hour glucose was 109 mg/dl
My 3 hour glucose was 95 mg/ dl
My glucose after a meal seems to normal, not impaired
but my fasting overnight blood glucose
have been 113, 127, 112, 127 mg/dl this week.
Through trial and error I managed to control it at first. It took me more than a year to get ride of that plague. I have hashimoto’s and was a bit overweight. I decided to diet to lose the excess weight and I did it so well (or bad, since I didnt follow a paleo diet but rather a low fat low carb diet, eating every 3h) that I lost 15kg in 3 months. That might seem like a good idea but it wrecked my metabolism. I became very skinny and with amenorrhea. Didnt had my period for 5 months or so. When I started to increase my carbs around 150g/a day I developed reactive hypoglycemia in the 60’s 1h after eating. The worst part is that the first doctor I went to adviced me to eat carbs every 2h so I was in a vicious cicle where I would pass out several times, with a blood glucose of 35/40. It made everything worse. Even coconut oil would cause my blood sugar to drop. Up until recently If I slept until noon (skip breakfast) I would eat lunch my blood sugar would be 50 1h after. I started eating the way you describe for almost 6 months after reading alot on the matter. But the key for me was eating a high protein breakfast for about a month instead of skipping it. It helped alot and made all the difference. ( I believe chris as an article on that too, im gonna try to find it. ) After that I could eat coconut oil without a problem and followed sort of a ketogenic diet a la paul jaminet. (Read PHD). In fact nowadays I follow his approach – not the ketogenic anymore
– but on the low side. I’m sorry I couldnt be more helpful remember this was a gradual process and took me over a year. I advice you to contact Paul jaminet. I am sure he will help you.
Hi Maria,
Are you on thyroid medication? I’m assuming you are since you have Hashimoto’s disease. Did you go to an endocrinologist who is specialized in blood sugar problems, or did you go to a regular doctor? You must go to a specialist that specializes in high and low blood sugar. Dropping to 30’s and 40’s is insane!! You poor girl!!! When I drop to 60’s, I’m totally freaked out!!!! Pure sugar is the only thing that brings it up. But it will plummet again so you must eat protein at EVERY meal. I eat 5-6 small meals a day. By eating every 3 to 3 and half hours you will keep your blood sugar up. 30-45- grams of carbs for meals, and 15-30 grams of carbs for snacks. If you eat dairy, eat lowfat (2%) Greek yogurt. It has 23 grams of protein in 1 cup. I usually eat more cuz it’s so good. Remember, to lose weight you have to eat. I’m sure your cutting out all the sugar foods and simple carbos, and alcohol. Don’t eat a drop of simple sugars. The only time I will have a simple sugar is if my blood sugar drops to a low 60’s. As you know, the symptoms are frightening. I carry pure glucose tablets with me just in case something happens. I’m not a doctor, but if you eat several small meals a day with a high protein factor, your sugar should stay up longer. Also, fiber is a big thing as well. Beans, lentils are good. I used to be able to eat oatmeal, I can’t anymore..too much carbs for me. Also do ground flaxseeds. It’s high in Omega 6 and fiber and other fab things..look it up online. Fiber will keep your blood sugar up longer. Don’t do non-fat foods, do lowfat (2%) foods. Blood sugar stays satiated longer with good fats and fiber foods. Hope this helped you…like I said, I’m not a doctor, but I’m a certified nutritionist and have researched my condition for so many years. It still is a pain and a hassle to deal with this every single day of my life, but…food is our medicine. Being a hypoglycemic, we have too much insulin, hopefully it will never turned into diabetes. I know that the pancreas can run out of insulin. But I really think if you treat the condition with the proper foods and no sugar, because sugar makes the pancreas crank out the insulin and the body will store excess insulin as fat. Hope this helps..Peace & Love…
@Maria…correction…Flax Seed is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, not Omega 6….Omega 6 is not as good for you as Omega 3’s..Omega 6 fatty acids is corn oil, safflower oil, soy oil…canola oil..which are not that good for you….Omega 3’s are excellent..you could also get your Omega 3’s from fish oil as well..I prefer the flax seed since I don’t like or eat fish…
Hi Cinzia. Can you tell me more about how and when did your hypoglycemia start? I am not a medical doctor but I have had the same problem. I was hypoglycemic all the time. I think first you should do others tests to exclude rare possibilites, like an insulinoma or addison’s disease (I don’t mean this to scare you). It is very unlikely you have it, that really sounds just plain Reactive Hypoglycemia, but still. Do you have other medical conditions, like hypothyroidism? Are you very thin or overweight? Have any idea how it started? Maybe I can help you, I can’t give you medical advice but I can tell you my experience. I’ve been to several doctors and it was a long process to overcome it.
Hi Maria,
Thanks for your fast reply. When I was first diagnosed back in around 1975, I was diagnosed diabetic. I was having diabetic symptoms, was overweight, craving sugar, etc…my doctor put me on a diet to lose the weight and control sugar cravings..I did so well that I became a hypoglycemic and have been one ever since. My doctor at that time did not put me on insulin, I did it all through diet. I was tested for insulinoma a few years ago and do not have it, I wasn’t tested for Addison’s disease because I didn’t have any of the symptoms, I don’t have that. I do have a low thyroid and take 50mcg. of synthroid everyday. I am thin, 118-120 lbs., normal weight for my height which is 5’5″. Diabetes runs in my family. My brother is diabetic and has to take insulin. I was told by one doctor a few years ago that I might return as a diabetic at some point. I don’t even go there, I’ve been hypoglycemic for so long and don’t eat any sugar, a lot of protein, good fats etc…I have a Certificate in Nutrition so I know how to control this, it’s just my mornings as I said that are somewhat difficult after fasting all night long. It does sound like Reactive Hypoglycemia but my doctor never said those words to me. I try to eat every 3-3 and half hours. I rarely eat after 6:00pm. I find if I do have a snack after 6:00 pm. I’ll wake up with my blood sugar really low. It seems to not drop as low if I don’t have a snack, but sometimes it will still be in the 60’s if I don’t. Very frustrating. It was 73 this morning which isn’t too bad.. I feel my best when my blood sugar is in the 80’s and 90’s..I do like tea w/caffeine in the am and I know that caffeine can lower blood sugar, but I put milk in it and that seems to help it not to drop too low. As the day goes on, it seems to get under control because I’ve eaten several times already, but I still eat something every 3-4 hours and stop eating at 6:00pm. Over the years, my hypoglycemia didn’t bother me as much. I was able to even have a glass of wine and some sugar. About 4 years ago it totally went crazy, it started to drop rapidly in the am but I was eating a little differently then. Through trial and error, I figured out what to eat and what not to eat. Today I don’t have any alcohol, desserts, nothing like that. I control my carbs. As I said, my doctor says I’m doing everything right, I just have to live with this, it’s genetic. Anyway…I’m interested to hear your story as well since you said you overcame this? That would be so wonderful if I could do the same… Thanks again for responding and your help…Cinzia
I’ve read from a couple of places that some people that eat low carbohydrate diets and lose massive amounts of weight quickly become hypoglycemic for some reason.
There’s a user on the Diabetes UK forum that talked about this very thing. He went on an ultra low, carbohydrate free diet to lose weight and control his blood glucose.
After he was done he became hypoglycemic. The only thing his puzzled doctor had to say about it was maybe it’ll correct itself in a few years.
I am hypoglycemic. My fasting sugar in the morning can be as low as 62,66,68,70,73,75, sometimes 80 which is rare. I eat 5 small meals a day, no sugar whatsoever. When it’s in the 60’s in the am, I immediately drink a little of low-fat milk to bring it up quickly. My mornings are my most difficult..it seems my pancreas shoots out too much insulin and my blood sugar goes up and down..it’s very frustrating. I’m doing everything I can correctly but it still makes me crazy!!! It seems to balance itself out by noon. But my mornings are a ritual of anxiety, up and down blood sugar and constant checking my blood sugar levels..I go through a lot of strips at times. Sometimes even after I eat, it can drop to the 60’s and I’m not eating a lot of carbs. I beyond frustrated with this…anyway..if anyone has any thoughts, I welcome them. I’ve been to doctors and they say I’m doing everything possible and correctly. My A1C was on the low side. thanks…
What exactly is your A1C? Is there such a thing as a too low A1C?
Hi Melanie,
I had my A1C tested a year ago. It was 4.9..the flag reference is 4.2 to 6.2. Mine is definitely on the low side. I’m sure there is such a thing as a too low A1C…
Mine was a 4.9 in November and in April it was 5.1, so I am worrying that it is going up and I am becoming diabetic?
Hi Maria…what did your doctor say since it went up to 5.1? Is she concerned that it went up? As I said, I did mine 1 year ago…I probably should have it retested..do u feel you’ll getting diabetic symptoms? I’m not having any diabetic symptoms… my A1C is still probably low….remember blood sugar goes up and down quite frequently….mine is a yoyo in the am…
No concern from doctor, just me being concerned. I don’t know what diabetic symptoms are, I heard weight loss? Or is that just type 1?
Hi Melanie,
You can always google diabetic symptoms and it will tell you. Excessive thirst, peeing all the time, tired, hungry, craving sweets..Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes symptoms I believe are the same. If your doctor isn’t concerned, she or he should know. Also, see a nutritionist. My doctor had me go to one. Basically, don’t eat a lot of carbs, u still need carbs but only 30-45 grams of carbs for meals, 15-30 grams for snacks.
Too many carbs will spike your blood sugar than plummet it. I find eating lowfat (2%) Greek yogurt for an afternoon snack is great. It as 25 grams of protein in 1 cup. I usually eat more than a cup cuz it’s so good. Eating protein at every meal is the key. Hope this helps..Peace & Love…
Great pictures! Thank you! I found some more on this website: http://www.medicalexpo.com/medical-manufacturer/blood-glucose-meter-607.html
Thank you so much for posting this information for us to read for free! I am very grateful for how much you give.
Hi Chris,
Steel cut oats are spiking my BG levels really high. Is there anything I can do to blunt the spike so I can still eat my morning bowl of oatmeal? I am pre-diabetic according to my last A1C. Plant based Doctors like John McDougall, Neal Barnard, and Joel Fuhrman say it is the fat in the diet that stops insulin from working thus is the real culprit in Type 2 D, and not carbs. Is this true? Some vegans have even reversed their disease by eating a high complex carb diet by eliminating refined carbs, all meat, and all dairy.
Please explain why eating low carb is a good thing if it makes you insulin resistant.
http://robbwolf.com/2013/01/09/thoughts-carb-paleo-episode-3-hope/
Please find the comment starting with “Felling pretty hoity, toity?” 😀
It doesn’t make you insulin resistant. It increases insulin sensitivity.
It made me insulin resistant. My fasting glucose went up to 98 and my post-prandial levels were high as well. I will never do low-carb again.
Chris,
Could you please offer strategies for improving the numbers if one is already eating low carb paleo and results are still not great.
hello. i am asian and have recently started tracking my sugar level. my numbers are not quite in the diabetic range but are not ideal either. my fasting is in late 80s or early 90s. post prandial after my regular meals is between 120-125 where as if i have had a very high carb meal it goes up to late 130s. but i have not seen it cross 140. ive measured my sugar 1 hr, 1.5 hrs, 2 and even 2.5 hours after a meal. the highest ive seen is at 1.5 hours after a meal. it is less than 120 after 1 hour of a meal.
last night i saw a very wierd pattern. i had a heavy meal and a large cup of icecream (350-400 ml cup) 1.5 hrs after the meal my blood sugar was 133….. 20 minutes later it was 115. i wanted to see if i reached pre meal at 3 hours. but to my shock it was 125 after 3 hours and 130 half an hour later. this i do not understand.
i also want to know what to do now to avoid diabetes. my bmi is 22. i do not have any of the indicators that are listed in various sites that state risk of diabetes… except perhaps for stress/depression. i have started brisk walking once a day. my diet is usually very limited except perhaps for occasional eat outs like last night. i do not know how to cut back food because my food is limited (1 proper meal a day and that would not exceed 25-30g carbs) light snacks in between. i am very worried because of my numbers. do i visit a doctor? that thought scares me because doctors usually give a big list of tests without explaining anything and medication. my husband has diabetes or prediabetes as some people would call his numbers. he refused to take the list of medication and is on diet control (his doctor thorougly discouraged him) his numbers have not exceeded nondiabetics numbers since he was diagnosed 18 months ago and his h1ac came back 5.3. needless to say the my trust in doctors had decreased somewhat.
Please clarify: after the 12 hour fast, measure the blood glucose. CAN I THEN EAT BREAKFAST?
then test again before lunch and periodically afterward…
Thank you! 🙂
Sure! I think breakfast was just not entered because you wouldn’t be doing a separate test after it.
Does anyone know how to obtain inexpensive test strips in Canada? Relion is not in Canada and the other brands are outrageously expensive.
Hi Chris,
Is it normal for my blood glucose to rise to 150 after a meal only of protein, fat and veggies? I’m not eating VLC, I eat veggies, one/two servings of fruit and one sweet potato. Should I be concerned? My fasting blood sugar is always 70.
I am suffering from blood sugar this is first time 160 to 180 how to control and what type of food i want to take?
I apologize if this question has already been answered in the article or the comments. If anyone could direct me to it or answer the question I’d appreciate it.
When checking the post meal BG do you start timing (1hr, 2hr, 3hr) at first bite of your meal or when the meal is completed?
Tks
I am suffering from fewer past 1 week so i went to doctor at the time he is taken blood samples then he told me u r Suffering for blood sugar upto 180.
You measure blood sugar from the first bite.
So if you start eating a meal at 6:00pm and it takes you 20 minutes to eat, the hour mark is 7:00p,
In a previous article Chris Kresser states, “using a glucometer to test your blood sugar one and two hours AFTER you eat a meal. This is called post-prandial (post-meal) blood sugar testing.”