over the years, i have found that certain foods/drinks correct lows at different rates over different periods of time. if i have a BG of 30/40, i go right for the juice. ( i prefer apple cider to OJ). it is fast and efficient. but lets say that my BG is 50/60, i might indulge in something that takes a little longer but still gets the job done (eventually); however, i know that there are many who “will not waste a good low on a glucose tablet.” (you know who you are ) they might go for cake or cookies, etc.
however, for myself, and YDMV, i have found that something like a glucose tablet (or most recently, jelly beans) are easy to measure, i know how much they will bring up my BG, and they seem, for the most part, to be in and out of my system within 1/2 hour to 1 hour.
but, if i want to have a couple of cookies, they take forever (for me) to bring up my BG, and bc of the fat (all that yummy butter), their results linger for quite a while. i have experimented with cookies, and found that i might correct a low successfully but then at midnight or 2am even, my BG has sky rocketed to over 200!!! then i need to do ANOTHER correction to bring my BG down!!! UGH.
so, all that being said, what are some of your favorite things to eat to correct your lows and why?
I find basically the same as you. For a little while I seemed to be able to treat lows with any carbs, but now I believe I have some degree of gastroparesis (probably inevitable considering I have two chronic health conditions that separately put a person at high risk for it), and suddenly there’s a huge difference in speed between something like smarties (basically tiny glucose tabs) or juice and most other carbs. You have gp too right? My guess is people without gp have somewhat more flexibility on that front.
Yup. i’ve got GP also. i take Domperidone for it. sometimes it acts up, sometimes not. never know whats gonna trigger it. (stress, more carbs than i usually would eat, bad nights sleep, lack of exercise, etc) its a real PITA.
I always have a jar of simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water) in the fridge, for cocktails. A small swig of that brings me up into range very quickly without overshooting. It’s cheap, it’s easy to make, and it doesn’t involve eating – I get so sick of eating stuff to treat lows. It’s especially handy in the evening if I want to bring myself up just a little before going to bed.
A small swig is 1 tablespoon (I’ve tested). That’s 12 to 15 g carb, depending how much I reduced it when simmering, and it brings me up approx 1.5 (27).
first ill try smarties or something else. if it still isnt going up after 15 mins as the rule goes, ill have a bit of soda. if it still isnt up i eat some cookies. so it depends on where i am at, then were i go, etc. sometimes i just over carb just for the heck of it.
i know that old standard of waiting just 15 minutes before testing and if not enough results (or relatively none) then have more carbs. but i have found that (with the exception of juice or other liquid sugars) is that even something like glucose tablets take about 1/2 hour before seeing realistic results. that if i were to only wait 15 minutes for a healthy result, i will tend to over-correct, and then find myself chasing the high due to my over-correction.
Yes, equal parts sugar and water and boil just long enough to dissolve all the sugar. (The point of simple syrup for drinks is that sugar doesn’t easily dissolve in cold liquids.) Store in a jar in the fridge for two or three weeks.
I prefer small individual packs of gummy bears, i put them everywhere. I aim for a dose of 20-25 carbs, and avoid foods with added fats/protein/extra calories. I used to keep running gel packs, they’re likely the best thing out there but cost about $1-1.5 each. A low in the wrong circumstances could cost serious money… harm to others, harm to self, reputation hit etc…
For a while there I was in the camp of not wasting my lows and treating myself to fun stuff, but lately I’ve had more difficulty not overindulging or just over treating due to that insatiable low hunger, so I’ve switched back to glucose tabs (easy to measure, know how my BG will react, and not as tempted to overeat them). I’ve actually eaten my entire stock stashed between kitchen, car, purse, diaper bag, bedroom, etc because of some unexpected shifts in insulin resistance/sensitivity that caught me off guard in the last week or two…so today I pulled out a bag of smarties I bought a while back and had forgotten about.
My go-to when dropping slowly and wanting to land at a reasonable BG is gummi life savers…3g carbs each, they seem to kick in within 20-30 minutes. The bonus is my grand daughter loves them so I always share.
If my BG is dropping, heading lower, and I know that I need a fast rise I use glucose gel (15g carbs per pouch) or powerade. For example, if I am getting ready for a hockey game and want to bump my BG up fast my go-to is glucose gel, 15g per pouch. If I am driving, working hard on something outdoors, or busy with what I am doing and want to make sure I do not get too low, I gulp down some powerade when my BG gets into the 70’s. I like to meter out 10-15g gulps every 15-20 minutes or so to avoid over doing the BG rise.
If I want a slower rise I like raisins or any dried sweet fruit. Takes from 30 min to an hour to kick in depending on ??? but sticks with me longer than candy. For a super slow rise (like at bed time if needed) ice cream seems to work well. Takes 1-2 hours to kick in and lasts overnight.
Your comment about some slower fast carbs (not sure that makes sense but it means cookies or pastry) causing a lingering high that has to be corrected is a conundrum. That happens to me too but only when my basal is too low.
i have experienced this as well. i like dates and dried apricots. but they take a long time to kick in, and then they linger for a long while and i wake up at 200+ hours later.
thats one of the reasons that i like to stick with dependable stuff. i know what to expect and i dont have to be concerned with the long term aftereffects.
I think the not wasting a low approach likely works best for folks unconcerned with weight gain. If I were skinny/capable of taking in extra calories easily, I would be more likely to have that approach and then just take insulin for whatever extra carbs I ate. Sometimes I still do that (although when I do, it’s often unplanned…). But considering lows are often frustrating experiences for me in part because they require me to take in more calories I didn’t otherwise need or want, treating them as efficiently as possible is often ideal.
Since this is harvest season, I discovered a new, great, low bg food, Cherry Tomatoes!!!
One cherry tomato will increase my BG by 20mg/dL immediately! I know they only have < 1g carbs, but they effect me like cheese, both are like pure glucose! I’m up within 10 minutes. I have to be careful w/ the tomatoes though to not overeat because they are delicious!
I have no idea why I react like this, does anyone else??
i have exactly the oppisite reaction with tomatoes. i know that they have some carbs in them, but every time i have bolused for them, my bg goes DOWN. for me they are a “free” food.
Could you be having some sort of immune reaction to them that comes with a blood glucose spike? That’s what it sounds like to me, rather than metabolism of the food, and it’s notable given that both of those are food items that can be likely to produce reactions.
) they might go for cake or cookies, etc.
