How do carbohydrates Impact my blood glucose reading?
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, meaning they provide energy to the body through their digestion. Carbohydrates are eventually broken down into glucose.
The speed of this is determined by a number of factors including:
The type and amount carbohydrate consumed
What else was eaten with the meal (protein, fat and fibre)
Your bodies ability to metabolism carbohydrates
Exercise levels around a meal
Every body will react slightly differently to carbohydrates based on these factors. Using CGM you will be able to determine your individual response to foods containing carbohydrates.
Types of carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can be classified by their glycemic index. This tells us how quickly a food is broken down and digested in the body.
High glycemic foods are foods that are rapidly digested and can cause glucose spikes as it takes little effort to break down in the body. These are generally highly processed foods such as white flour, sugars, white rice, white pasta, cakes and biscuits.
Low glycemic index foods take longer to digest because they generally have higher fibre content, more protein and more complex carbohydrate structures which need extra digestion to move into the bloodstream. These foods include whole grain products such as brown rice, quinoa, barley, sweet potatoes and legumes.
How can I stop my glucose from spiking?
While all carbohydrate foods will have some impact on blood glucose there are a few tips to help lower the impact.
Aim to have lower glycemic carbohydrates.
Aim to have a balanced plate as often as possible. This will include some protein, vegetables and fats at each meal.
For snacks, try to include some nuts or seeds with fruit to slow down digestion.
After a high carbohydrate meal, try to include a short 20 minute walk to reduce the spike in glucose levels.
If your glucose is already higher, try to bump up the vegetable content of your next meal and add some healthy fats like avocado, olive oil or oily fish like tuna or salmon.
Here's an example of the difference in glucose responses of the same meal but with lower GI carbohydrates — green veg vs potato.
Not every meal will be perfect, and that is perfectly normal! Using your CGM will give you insights into how your body is working and be able to make adjustments to fit for your body.