I think everyone should get a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) if they can. We all think we know what carbs affect us and how. I see reference to people watching out for tomatoes and onions because they are carby. While I agree with that, what do they do to your blood sugar?
For lunch*, I had “5 eggs, salsa, 80% ground beef (drained) (3/4 blue bowl), 1 can sardines” I started eating at 9:53 am and finished at 10:26 am. I had about 4 ounces of salsa (fresh), main ingredients are tomatoes and onions. What happened to my blood sugar? It went DOWN, from 102.6 immediately after eating, to 88.2 an hour later.
- This is called “blunch”, because it’s usually my only meal until dinner, and I eat it at a wide variety of times during the day. Going to the gym = earlier in the day, and I’m slightly under the weather and still recovering from a ton of work I did at my house over the weekend, so I’m eating twice before dinner. The blue bowl is a bowl I keep at work. This is probably 2/3 pound of ground beef.
Anyway, I’m on my last sensor for a Free Style Libre system, where I purchased a year’s worth of sensors. I’ve learned that protein does not affect my blood sugar (even 160+ grams per meal), things like “seafood salad” and hot and sour soup (only vegetables and shrimp) from an asian place cause my blood sugar to shoot through the roof, a small amount of potatoes with eggs and meat cause an easy +15 point rise relative to a different breakfast with eggs, meat, and spinach but no potatoes, popcorn does not seem to affect my blood sugar, and the like.
The only way to really know how you individually are affected by something is to test. And the easiest way to test is via a CGM. I just wish they’d come down to about $25/month, and not need a prescription (in the US – they don’t elsewhere). But if you have the ability and the wherewithal to get one, I recommend them.