After eating a meal or snack your blood glucose levels will rise. And depending upon how high or how sharply they rise, will determine how much insulin your pancreas will need to make. The insulin will help transport the glucose into your cells to be used as energy. No insulin – glucose levels continue to rise. This is very important for people who have diabetes.
If you have diabetes, check glucose: Before a meal AND after a meal.
How will meals raise your glucose? The goal: a 40-50 mg/dl rise.
Blood glucose goals from
- The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (diabetes docs):
Pre-meal: <110 mg/dl; 2 hours after a meal: <140 mg/dl.
- The American Diabetes Association:
Pre-meal: 70-130 mg/dl; 1-2 hours after the start of the meal: <180 mg/dl.
The stress to your pancreas comes with the blood glucose increases after meals. Your goal is to figure out which foods and portions of those foods result in a nice gradual increase in glucose, so that there is not a big demand on the pancreas. The feedback helps you adjust the type of food, or the portions. If your readings after a meal are too high, you can easily bring them down with a gentle walk or after-meal activity, like vacuuming the house.
This pasta dish features a new pasta product from Ronzoni – it is made with dehydrated spinach, tomatoes and carrots. Ground turkey and frozen veggies are healthy ingredients in this dish.
