EAT MOAR TATERS! Huh? page 90

[Owl]

I've been primal/paleo for a year and a half, and have about 8lb to lose.
So I decided to try this 2 days ago.
The first day went ok. The second day, I decided to test my blood glucose.
I had a breakfast of 1lb. Yukon golds.

Fasting 87
1/2 hr 136
1 hr 181 (!!!)
2 hr 94

Way too high! I tested the 1 hour twice, so it's no mistake. Needless to say, I immediately quit the diet.
I recommend all of you to test your glucose.

[Paysan]

Since hubby is diabetic, but controlled (mostly) by strict adherence to low carb eating, I access his meter from time to time. Although my sugar levels tend to bounce quite a bit, they have been sneaking down and down, what with adding more fat and cutting protein.
Last week I was startled to find my levels down below 4 (72). They've since recovered a bit, so has my busted rib, and I think another tater experiment is just around the corner. But you better believe I will watch sugar levels like a hawk. However, for a diagnosed diabetic, your numbers are considered not only acceptable, but good if on no medications right after meals. It was under the 2 hr limit when your sugars reverted to 96. (Not that I accept my doc's reassurance that hubby's numbers are great, either. I've seen them too high - like 7.4 (fasting overnight after taters for last meal) shoot right up into the teens and stay there for too long). I think he is allergic to potatoes (a sad fate for an Irish descendant) and hadn't served only miniscule amounts for years. He won't try moar potatoes when I do.

[gopintos]

I've been primal/paleo for a year and a half, and have about 8lb to lose.
So I decided to try this 2 days ago.
The first day went ok. The second day, I decided to test my blood glucose.
I had a breakfast of 1lb. Yukon golds.

Fasting 87
1/2 hr 136
1 hr 181 (!!!)
2 hr 94

Way too high! I tested the 1 hour twice, so it's no mistake. Needless to say, I immediately quit the diet.
I recommend all of you to test your glucose.

I have no idea what mine are. Is there any other way to know spikes aside from testing, like a feeling or something? I always feel just fine, but I never have had 1lb at one sitting either. I usually have a tator here and there, about 5 oz at a time.

[otzi]

The second day, I decided to test my blood glucose.
I had a breakfast of 1lb. Yukon golds.

Fasting 87
1/2 hr 136
1 hr 181 (!!!)
2 hr 94

Way too high! I tested the 1 hour twice, so it's no mistake. Needless to say, I immediately quit the diet.
I recommend all of you to test your glucose.

Since hubby is diabetic, but controlled (mostly) by strict adherence to low carb eating, I access his meter from time to time. Although my sugar levels tend to bounce quite a bit, they have been sneaking down and down, what with adding more fat and cutting protein.
Last week I was startled to find my levels down below 4 (72). They've since recovered a bit, so has my busted rib, and I think another tater experiment is just around the corner. But you better believe I will watch sugar levels like a hawk. However, for a diagnosed diabetic, your numbers are considered not only acceptable, but good if on no medications right after meals. It was under the 2 hr limit when your sugars reverted to 96. (Not that I accept my doc's reassurance that hubby's numbers are great, either. I've seen them too high - like 7.4 (fasting overnight after taters for last meal) shoot right up into the teens and stay there for too long). I think he is allergic to potatoes (a sad fate for an Irish descendant) and hadn't served only miniscule amounts for years. He won't try moar potatoes when I do.

I have no idea what mine are. Is there any other way to know spikes aside from testing, like a feeling or something? I always feel just fine, but I never have had 1lb at one sitting either. I usually have a tator here and there, about 5 oz at a time.

I wondered about this, too. I bought a glucose meter and 50 strips. The first time, I tested at 30, 60, and 120 minutes after eating nothing all day and 1 pound of potato at 11am. The readings were 90 (before eating), then 120, 150, 65 at 30, 60 and 120 minutes.

Then I took it a step further. I ate 1 pound of potato and tested at 15 minutes intervals. It makes a really cool graph! My glucose was: 90 (just before eating), 116, 116, 130, 179 (1 hr point), 150, 130, 110, 90 (2 hr point), 75, 68, 75, 80 (3hr point), 85, 85 (stopped checking).

This shows supreme insulin sensitivity! I would love to do it at 5 minute intervals, but those strips are spendy!

Another experiment I did was check my blood sugar after chewing and spitting out a big mouthful of potato. My blood sugar dropped about 10 points after 15 minutes...can anyone guess why?

If you had glucose intolerance/insulin resistance issues, eating a pound of potatoes would make a 15 minute graph like this: 90, 120, 180, 200, 250 (1 hour), 220, 200, 180, 180 (2 hour). Or similar. The test is what your blood sugar drops to after 2 hours--it should be close to or below your fasting blood glucose. Big spike is normal and OK.

Here's a chart: Blood Sugar Levels Chart | A Normal Blood Sugar Level

[AlanC]

Another experiment I did was check my blood sugar after chewing and spitting out a big mouthful of potato. My blood sugar dropped about 10 points after 15 minutes...can anyone guess why?

Because you triggered an insulin release with the taste/expectation, but spat it out so the insulin was just storing what little glucose it could find?



AC

[TCOHTom]

Way too high! I tested the 1 hour twice, so it's no mistake. Needless to say, I immediately quit the diet.
I recommend all of you to test your glucose.

If you've been vlc for awhile you'd expect that result. Once you've accustomed yourself to higher carb intake those readings should normalize. (Assuming you didn't have chronic high blood sugar readings prior to potatoes)

[otzi]

Because you triggered an insulin release with the taste/expectation, but spat it out so the insulin was just storing what little glucose it could find?



AC

Yep! insulin is released in two phases. The first phase can be triggered when amylase receptors in the mouth detect starch. It's the only food that does this.

If you look at my glucose curve, you can see it paused at 116 for about 30 minutes, then quickly climbed. This is because the first phase insulin response was not enough to clear all the glucose that was released from the digestion of one pound of potato. As the starch was digested, a second phase of insulin release, much larger than the first, was needed to clear the glucose.

This is basically what the doctor is doing when he administers a 2 or 4hr glucose tolerance test.

[Owl]

However, for a diagnosed diabetic, your numbers are considered not only acceptable, but good if on no medications right after meals. It was under the 2 hr limit when your sugars reverted to 96. (Not that I accept my doc's reassurance that hubby's numbers are great, either. I've seen them too high - like 7.4 (fasting overnight after taters for last meal) shoot right up into the teens and stay there for too long).

Doctors are way too lenient on BG with diabetics. So, yes, they would probably be happy with mine, but see below for why it's probably not safe.

I have no idea what mine are. Is there any other way to know spikes aside from testing, like a feeling or something? I always feel just fine, but I never have had 1lb at one sitting either. I usually have a tator here and there, about 5 oz at a time.

There is no real indication that BG is high, I didn't feel any difference. That's why diabetics can do so much damage to themselves before they're diagnosed.

If you've been vlc for awhile you'd expect that result. Once you've accustomed yourself to higher carb intake those readings should normalize. (Assuming you didn't have chronic high blood sugar readings prior to potatoes)

I've been eating 75-100 gm carbs/day. I normally have fasting BG of 83-87, and post prandial, maybe 120 if I have fruit.
But the problem is that BG over 140 does damage to your organs.

According to Blood Sugar 101 Research Connecting Organ Damage with Blood Sugar Level :
"Nerve Damage Occurs when Blood Sugars Rise Over 140 mg/dl (7.8 mmol/L) After Meals."

And here's their page on what normal BG is: What is a Normal Blood Sugar? :

"Fasting - Between 70 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L) and 92 mg/dl (5.0 mmol/L)
Post-Meal Blood Sugar (Postprandial) - Under 120 mg/dl (6.6 mmol/L) one or two hours after a meal. Most normal people are under 100 mg/dl (5.5 mmol/L) two hours after eating."

I don't want to lose weight while doing permanent damage to myself. It's just not worth it.
Some people may be able to do this potato diet keeping theirs under 140, which would be fairly safe.

[Quarry]

Interesting about the blood glucose response guys, thanks for the links

[AlanC]

But that is indeed showing what it should be 1 or 2 hours after...?