Your bloodstream transports glucose to the cells of your body. Insulin prompts the cells to take in the glucose as fuel for energy. If you do not produce enough insulin or if your cells become resistant to the insulin you produce, glucose will remain in your bloodstream and your cells will demand more fuel. Your body will produce more and more glucose, either by making you hungry or by stripping your muscles of the glucose they contain. Testing your blood sugar after eating will help you assess whether your blood glucose levels are normal, too high or too low.
Normal Ranges
The normal range for blood glucose after eating depends on whether you are diabetic or not, according to the American Diabetes Association. People without diabetes should have a post-meal glucose level of <140 mg/dL while people with diabetes should have <180 mg/dL. A post-meal measure of blood sugar should be done two hours after eating.
Tests
Most people test their post-meal blood glucose with a blood glucose meter or monitor. The meter reports a number on the screen after you prick your finger with a small needle called a lancet and deposit a drop of blood on a test strip inserted into the meter. Less common is a watch-like meter that measures blood glucose continuously by testing a fluid that naturally excretes onto the skin. Lab tests draw blood for more in-depth tests like the A1C test which shows a three-month average reading, but this is usually done eight hours after eating.
Results
Test results can vary depending on how you are tested, how long it has been after a meal and what you have eaten. Results from handheld glucose meters from whole blood are often lower than blood tests on plasma drawn at a medical lab. Results are usually higher if the test is performed one hour after a meal rather than the recommended two hours after eating. Eating a high-carbohydrate meal will produce a higher reading than a low-carbohydrate meal.
Carbohydrates
Glucose primarily comes from sugars in the food you eat. These sugars may be simple--granulated sugar, honey, fruit--or complex--vegetables, whole grains, legumes--but they all break down to sugar in your body. Some foods raise your glucose levels much more quickly than others. Watermelon is high on the glycemic index while cherries are low. This means that 4 oz. of watermelon will raise your blood sugar faster than 4 oz. of cherries.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic, incurable disease that can cause damage to your heart, eyes, liver and kidneys, as well as your entire circulatory system. People with type 1 or juvenile diabetes are born with this condition. A diagnosis of type 2or adult-onset diabetes is usually made if your fasting blood sugar is 126 mg/dL or higher, according to the American Diabetes Association, and 200 mg/dL or more two hours after a meal. To bring your blood glucose back down to normal ranges, health experts advocate a low-carbohydrate diet, exercise and lowering your weight and stress levels.
