OT: blood sugar question

[nmevan]

I just purchased the One Touch blood glucose meter.
Used it this morning when I woke up for the first time after fasting and it read 108.
Used it again this morning one hour after eating breakfast and it read 93.

I thought that my blood sugar should have gone up after eating?

Is this a sign of hypoglycemia?

any experienced blood detectives out there?

thank you

evan

[OutaSync]

What did you eat for breakfast?

[Janknitz]

Your fasting blood sugar over 100 (actually over the mid 80's, but that's another story) show's you're pre-diabetic. It went DOWN because you're having trouble regulating blood sugar during the night. Our bodies give us a surge of glucose in the early morning hours to help us wake up. But over 100 means that it's not well controlled.

There's TONS of great information here: http://www.bloodsugar101.com

[old dude]

Janknitz is exactly right. It's not uncommon for diabetics who are otherwise eating appropriately (read that as very low carb) to have their highest BS reading for the day at awakening, before breakfast. Mine certainly is. This surge of glucose is something called the dawn phenomenon, but many of us can get a similar effect if we go too long without eating anything at any time of the day. In this case it's called gluconeogenesis. Your body thinks you're starving so your liver does a glucose dump to save you.

I'm by no means a doctor and don't mean to frighten you but it sounds to me like you could be a little bit past pre-diabetic. If I were you I'd buy this book: http://www.diabetes-book.com and take it to heart in the most serious manner possible.

And the bloodsugar101.com site Janknitz gave you is also excellent. Between that site and the teachings of Dr. Bernstein you could save yourself a lot of future trouble. I wish I'd known about them many years ago.

[nmevan]

breakfast this morning was 10 skinny shoots of asparagus, 1/3 red union. 1/3 green bell pepper, two cloves garlic …all sautéed in butter and then scrambled together with two eggs

morning blood sugar reading just after waking and fasting was 108
an hour after eating breakfast it was 93
just took it a moment ago 4 hours after eating breakfast and it is 83

I just listened to the internet symposium ( 2014 Diabetes Summit) on diabetes and it is geared towards paleo and/or a ketogenic diet. ..which I am going to try to follow a combination of the two by cutting out high glycemic carbs, cutting back just a little on protein and adding more healthy fats.

The information presented in the Diabetes Summit is contrary to some of the information distributed by the american diabetes association.

I have a hard time eating kale and other such vegetables…so I have been juicing them with an inch of ginger, some hemp protein powder, ground flax seed and an apple to make it palatable. I'm wondering if I should continue that process for the nutrients, but eat some healthy fats, like avocado in the process as well.

any thought?

[SleepWrangler]

The information presented in the Diabetes Summit is contrary to some of the information distributed by the american diabetes association.

Well, I remember being exactly where you are now. Hard to separate fud, hidden agendas, and mis-guided crusaders isn't it? I followed my doctor's advice for over a decade before realizing something was very wrong. If you can overcome food industry advertising and medical dogma you will be in the best position to help yourself. Not easy and I truly empathize with you.

The links Janknitz provided are far more intellectual and trustworthy but sometimes a bit of video junk food helps:

Diet Health and The Wisdom of Crowds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzPnnDDCIjo
LCHF to manage Diabetes - Dr Troy Stapleton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epsSVos ... e=youtu.be
Look for the documentary "Fat Head" 2009.

I have a hard time eating kale and other such vegetables…so I have been juicing them with an inch of ginger, some hemp protein powder, ground flax seed and an apple to make it palatable. I'm wondering if I should continue that process for the nutrients, but eat some healthy fats, like avocado in the process as well.

Well, your meter won't lie so what does 1hr, 2hr postprandial say?

any thought?

Yes. I think going for quality whole foods is exactly the right place to start. Not certain what you mean by healthy fats. To some it may mean well marbled meat and skin from grain fed animals. Your example makes me think you haven't bought into the concept of that kind of healthy. There's a lot of fear in trying to overcome the "only lean skinless meat is healthy" marketing message from the food industry and ADA. Just a thought.

[kona0197]

I have type 2 diabetes. My fasting levels are usually 120 to 140. My sugars go up when I eat, that is normal. That's why they make fast acting insulin.

[Janknitz]

I have type 2 diabetes. My fasting levels are usually 120 to 140. My sugars go up when I eat, that is normal. That's why they make fast acting insulin.

This is exactly what the ADA teaches. Eat up and shoot up.

Is it any surprise that drug companies who make insulin are the ADA's biggest sponsors. They're not worried about getting put out of business any time soon by ADA advice.

[kona0197]

Well the Doctors haven't steered me wrong so far. My average monthly BS level is around 130. My A1C is 6. And I rarely have to use the fast acting insulin even though I eat a semi-high carb diet.

[SleepWrangler]

I have type 2 diabetes. My fasting levels are usually 120 to 140. My sugars go up when I eat, that is normal. That's why they make fast acting insulin.

The OP was wondering why morning fasting glucose was higher than postprandial glucose at breakfast. Sugars going up after eating is opposite to what was being experienced hence the question. The posted responses look exactly right.

[nmevan]

thank you to everyone for your input

yes…the original question was why my blood sugar went down an hour after eating?

109 upon waking and 93 an hour after breakfast

and yes…I am having a bit of a hard time getting my head around animal fats as being healthy fats…but I am not dismissing it by any means…at the moment I'm relying on avocado and almond butter…but obviously, I have a lot to learn!

Also…wondering about hypoglycemia…I suspect it is directly associated with diabetes…I've done some reading but am still unclear of the exact why's and how's...I am hoping that as I get my act together on the food front, that both the "potential" diabetes and what may be hypoglycemia go back to normal blood sugar and stay there.

[kona0197]

I don't know why your BS level would go down like that. Mine only does if I skip a meal or exercise. On a different note I really haven't changed my diet and I went from a A1C of 10.8 down to a 6 in two months.

[Janknitz]

The blood sugar going down after a meal is NOT hypoglycemia. If you had not eaten breakfast your blood sugar probably would have continued to rise. (You can test this out some morning). Eating helped release some insulin to bring your blood sugar down.

Had you eaten a "normal" breakfast full of sugar and carbs your blood sugar also would have risen for a good long while until the insulin is finally recognized by the cells.

Hypoglycemia is a low blood sugar below 70. You weren't even close. When I eat carby junk, my blood sugar will rise into the 150 plus range, then fall as low as 55. When I eat real food, low in carbs, high in good natural fats, my blood sugar stays in the 90's, right where it belongs.

On an LCHF or keto diet your blood sugars should be very stable. You might still have higher morning fasting levels because your body is already in some degree of metabolic distress.

You will hear that low carb can cause some "physiological insulin resistance". 1. You are already insulin resistant and 2. There's no evidence. That low carb physiological insulin resistance is harmful. It's certainly better than continuing to spike your insulin levels with the Standard American Diet.

[kona0197]

I don't understand why everyone says that if you have diabetes you have to eat a low carb diet. Why is it I eat a semi high carb diet and have low blood sugar numbers and such a low A1C?

[Janknitz]

Kona,

1. You told us take INSULIN to achieve those numbers. Your numbers would be in the stratosphere without insulin.

2. Your numbers aren't so great. Normal people have Hba1c in the 4's. Even my supposedly "great" 5.3 isn't all that great. Your risk of heart disease goes up every point your A1c goes up. And there is evidence that organ damage occurs at BG levels as low as 140. You are still getting into organ damage range ON INSULIN.

3. Do yourself a favor and listen to the diabetes summit. Each days presentations are free on that day only. I'm sorry you missed some of the earlier presentations which gave a lot more detail about what good glycemic control is, but your glycemic control is not good (I sense you don't really want to hear this, but it's true).

If you could get your diet under control you might be able to achieve truly good glycemic control with less medication or get off the meds altogether. You would have the potential not just for a longer life, but for a HEALTHIER longer life. It's not as easy as insulin injections, but worth the effort.

I'm really curious about your signature: "No Fate But what we Make..." Yet you are leaving your metabolic health entirely in the hands of others without exploring how YOU might improve your own health. One thing I've learned from CPAP is that the professionals don't care about my health as much as I do, and if I'd stepped back to let them "take care of me" I'd be in a very bad place health wise. Make your own good health, you can do it.