Re: Question and Suggestion

March 30, 2008

Lasagna has a lot of protein and fat in it. Protein can cause a rise in

blood sugar several hours after it's eaten (I think 50% of protein is

eventually broken down into glucose, and 100% of carbs), and fat slows down

the absorption of any carbs you've eaten. So something like lasagna or pizza

will generally make your blood sugar spike higher and stay there for longer

than other foods, even if they have the same carb content.

Jen

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10:58 AM

March 30, 2008

You got it Jen. I find fat much more of a problem, and notably with pizza.

My blood sugar will be OK a couple hours later, but over night, and even in

the morning, that fat will show it's ugly head!

Dave

RE: Question and Suggestion

> Lasagna has a lot of protein and fat in it. Protein can cause a rise in

> blood sugar several hours after it's eaten (I think 50% of protein is

> eventually broken down into glucose, and 100% of carbs), and fat slows

> down

> the absorption of any carbs you've eaten. So something like lasagna or

> pizza

> will generally make your blood sugar spike higher and stay there for

> longer

> than other foods, even if they have the same carb content.

>

> Jen

>

> No virus found in this outgoing message.

> Checked by AVG.

> Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1348 - Release Date: 3/28/2008

> 10:58 AM

>

> ------------------------------------

>

March 31, 2008

Hi Jen,

I must say that I have found a big difference in my sugars when eating these

foods by cooking them myself. For starts, I use whole wheat pasta and

partly skimmed mozzarella and for my pizza I make a home made crust and make

it 50 percent whole wheat by using half whole wheat flour in the recipe to

make the crust. I also watch my portions and don't seem to have the

problems with my sugars. However, if I eat these foods out at a restaurant,

then look out! So, it is obvious a lot of the problem is in the cooking.

Ruth

RE: Question and Suggestion

Lasagna has a lot of protein and fat in it. Protein can cause a rise in

blood sugar several hours after it's eaten (I think 50% of protein is

eventually broken down into glucose, and 100% of carbs), and fat slows down

the absorption of any carbs you've eaten. So something like lasagna or pizza

will generally make your blood sugar spike higher and stay there for longer

than other foods, even if they have the same carb content.

Jen

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10:58 AM

------------------------------------

March 31, 2008

Hi Ruth,

I agree. Homemade pizza is much, MUCH easier on my blood sugars than those

which are ordered out. When I eat at my parent's place my mom often makes

homemade pizza with whole wheat thin crust and limits on the cheese, and it

in fact tastes better than the order out variety! Unfortunately, being

twentysomething means that most of the time when I'm eating pizza it's at a

social event of some sort or another and sends me on the blood sugars roller

coaster. I can't wait until I'm, say, 40. I think blood sugars will be much

easier to control then. *smile*

Jen

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12:32 PM

March 31, 2008

Jenn, thank you for this explanation. It reinforces something I just read

about not using milk to treat a low.

I know you are on a pump, but if you were dosing insulin, if you had two

food choices with the same carbs but one having say and extra 10 grams of

protein, would you treat that like something with X more carbs.

After a year and a half, I am still just trying to make sense of all of

this.

All thanks!

SS

RE: Question and Suggestion

Lasagna has a lot of protein and fat in it. Protein can cause a rise in

blood sugar several hours after it's eaten (I think 50% of protein is

eventually broken down into glucose, and 100% of carbs), and fat slows down

the absorption of any carbs you've eaten. So something like lasagna or pizza

will generally make your blood sugar spike higher and stay there for longer

than other foods, even if they have the same carb content.

Jen

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10:58 AM

------------------------------------

March 31, 2008

I've talked about trial and error and observing carefully what happens with

different foods and insulin doses, and it pretty much comes down to that with

protein. Quick acting insulin, for those of us taking injections, works on a

fixed time line, and when you partake of foods high in fat and/or protein, the

quick acting insulin sometimes is gone about the time the high fat and high

protein food is beginning to convert into carbohydrate. About all you can do is

check your bg more frequently and probably end up taking an intermediate or

extra injection of quick acting insulin. Exercise may also be affective, but

only if your bg is less than 240. People using the Bernstein program supposedly

maintain consistent bg readings between 80 and 90 on a high fat and high protein

diet, but I am not sure how this works. I think they split their long acting

insulin into 2 doses, so perhaps if you plan to be eating pizza and hamburgers

everyday, maybe the thing to do is split your Lantus dose.

Dave

RE: Question and Suggestion

Lasagna has a lot of protein and fat in it. Protein can cause a rise in

blood sugar several hours after it's eaten (I think 50% of protein is

eventually broken down into glucose, and 100% of carbs), and fat slows down

the absorption of any carbs you've eaten. So something like lasagna or pizza

will generally make your blood sugar spike higher and stay there for longer

than other foods, even if they have the same carb content.

Jen

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10:58 AM

------------------------------------

March 31, 2008

Hi ,

I have heard of some people " counting protein " in a similar way to how carbs

are counted (adding up the protein and multiplying by 0.5 and then using an

extended bolus feature on their pump to cover this). I'm not sure it can be

done with shots. When I was on shots and used to eat pizza or a similar

high-carb/high-fat meal, I would cover it by splitting my shot into two and

dosing 80% up-front and the other 20% an hour and a half later. It worked

extremely well--actually better than the combination bolus feature on my

pump does sometimes!

Jen

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12:32 PM

March 31, 2008

You can exercise with a BG above 240 as long as there are no ketones present

and there is enough insulin on board to lower it. If you are 240 and have

taken a shot within the last hour or two, exercising is not dangerous (save

for making sure you don't go low!). If I'm high I will often take a half

correction dose and exercise for half an hour or an hour and have it come

down much faster than it would otherwise. But if ketones are present (for

those with type 1) it means that your body doesn’t have sufficient insulin

present to burn glucose, so exercise would make your BG higher rather than

lower. You should wait until any ketones are cleared before exercising.

Jen

Re: Question and Suggestion

I've talked about trial and error and observing carefully what happens with

different foods and insulin doses, and it pretty much comes down to that

with protein. Quick acting insulin, for those of us taking injections,

works on a fixed time line, and when you partake of foods high in fat

and/or protein, the quick acting insulin sometimes is gone about the time

the high fat and high protein food is beginning to convert into

carbohydrate. About all you can do is check your bg more frequently and

probably end up taking an intermediate or extra injection of quick acting

insulin. Exercise may also be affective, but only if your bg is less than

240. People using the Bernstein program supposedly maintain consistent bg

readings between 80 and 90 on a high fat and high protein diet, but I am not

sure how this works. I think they split their long acting insulin into 2

doses, so perhaps if you plan to be eating pizza and hamburgers everyday,

maybe the thing to do is split your Lantus

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12:32 PM

March 31, 2008

Jen, you've provided a better explanation. I will add to your explanation

and say there is, or there used to be, strips of some kind that would

measure ketones, but that wouldn't do many of us any good without sighted

assistance. So, perhaps in general, if you are over 240 and have no insulin

working, take some insulin and /or wait a little while before exercising

just in case there are ketones in your blood.