Fasting Blood Glucose On Keto

Fasting Blood Sugars With Keto Diet

Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community My diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes seems to be dependent on the practice nurse or GP. However after following a "healthy" diet including fruit, veg, cereals, etc. my fasting blood glucose gradually rose to 7.7 mmol/l. I dramatically reduced my carb intake and am now on a ketogenic diet with consistent fasting levels of between 4.6 and 5.0. I would gratefully welcome your opinion as to whether I am diabetic or not? FBG isn't that great an indicator of whether you have Type 2 or not as it represents your blood sugar levels at that precise moment in time. Did you have an HbA1c test as well? That will let you know your average blood sugar levels for the past 2-3 months (we all vary) and is usually used for diagnosis. Your keto diet will be great for keeping your levels down and so you are certainly controlling your condition. Probably not cured but certainly in remission. Hope that helps. At this point, I think the label doesn't matter, as long as you stick to a keto diet. The label comes from western medicine, which is based on western issues, like the western diet in particular. BUT, either way, you're at risk for diabetes eating a carb-heavy diet. Thanks guys, I very much appreciate your comments. Type 1 now. Still love my keto diet in all my stages of D. I teuely believe I held off the inevitable insulin LADA by a keto diet. kokhongw I reversed my Type 2 Well-Known Member That you have had elevated fasting level typically means that you have insulin resistance and loss in beta cells function/mass, but not enough to be considered clinically diabetic. A carbs lite fats friendly diet places less demand for insulin secretion. That may just give your Continue reading >>

Is Your Fasting Blood Glucose Higher On Low Carb Or Keto? Five Things To Know

This past spring, after 18 months of great success on the keto diet, I tested my fasting blood sugar on my home glucose monitor for the first time in many months. The result shocked me. I had purchased the device, which also tests ketones, when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in the fall of 2015. As I embarked on low-carb keto eating, I tested my blood regularly. Soon my fasting blood sugar was once again in the healthy range. I was in optimal ketosis day after day. Not only that, I lost 10 lbs (5 kg) and felt fantastic — full of energy with no hunger or cravings. Before long I could predict the meter’s results based on what I was eating or doing. I put the meter away and got on with my happy, healthy keto life. When my doctor ordered some lab tests this spring, I brought the meter out again. While I had no health complaints, excellent blood pressure and stable weight, she wanted to see how my cholesterol, lipids, HbA1c, and fasting glucose were doing on my keto diet — and I was curious, too. To check the accuracy of my meter against the lab results, on the morning of the test I sat in my car outside the clinic at 7:30 am, and pricked my finger. I was expecting to see a lovely fasting blood glucose (FBG) of 4.7 or 4.8 mmol/l (85 mg/dl). It was 5.8! (103 mg/dl). What? I bailed on the tests and drove home — I didn’t want my doctor warning me I was pre-diabetic again when I had no explanation for that higher result. The next morning I tested again: 5.9! (104). Huh??? For the next two weeks I tested every morning. No matter what I did, my FBG would be in 5.7 to 6.0 (102 to 106 mg/dl), the pre-diabetic range again. One morning after a restless sleep it was even 6.2 mmol/l (113 mg/dl). But my ketones were still reading an optimal 1.5-2.5 mmol/l. I was still burnin Continue reading >>

The Ketogenic Diet And Insulin Resistance

We recently touched on how you can use the ketogenic diet to control symptoms of diabetes such as elevated glucose and triglycerides. In this article, we examine research showing the impact that the ketogenic diet has on levels of the hormone insulin, a key regulator of blood sugar in the body. What is Insulin’s Role in the Body? Before we look at the research, we need to know our main players. Insulin is a protein-based hormone produced by beta-cells located in the pancreas. The pancreas, which is located under the stomach, also produces enzymes that aid with digestion. Insulin’s primary purpose is to regulate the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates, such as sugars and starches, into a molecule called glucose. This compound can be used by cells to produce energy through a process called cellular respiration. Insulin allows cells in the body absorb glucose, ultimately lowering levels of glucose in the blood stream. After a meal is consumed, blood glucose levels increase and the pancreas responds by releasing insulin into the blood. Insulin assists fat, liver, and muscle cells absorb glucose from the blood, resulting in lower levels of blood glucose. Insulin stimulates liver and muscle tissues to store excess glucose as a molecule called glycogen and also reduces glucose production by the liver. When blood sugar is low, the hormone glucagon (produced by alpha-cells in the pancreas) stimulate cells to break down glycogen into glucose that is subsequently released into the blood stream. In healthy people who do not have type II diabetes, these functions allow levels of blood glucose and insulin to stay in a normal range. What Is Insulin Resistance and Why Is It a Problem? Unfortunately, for many Americans and other peopl Continue reading >>

High Blood Sugar In Ketogenic Dieters! Plus A Special Surprise (hint: Genotypes And Metabolism)!

A while ago Michael and I were discussing future article topics. There are truly a plethora of avenues to go down in this area of research and there is no lack of things to research and comment on. But even though I have a couple of pretty cool MCT articles sitting around on my desk, I want an interesting topic. I want something new. Something challenging. Besides, everyone is drinking the MCT koolaid these days. It’s become passe. (Also, it upsets my stomach and I have a personal vendetta against it. So there.) What’s new? There has to be something new! Michael pointed me to one of his old articles on physiological insulin resistance as an idea. I brushed it off at first. Dismissed it as a quirk. But then I thought about it. WHY does blood glucose rise in response to a low carb diet? It truly is an interesting question. What does it say about low carb diets if they induce an almost diabetic effect on circulating glucose? Thus my research began. This short abstract confirmed that it is normal for people on low carb diets to experience a rise in blood glucose levels. Because it’s a non-open journal (shame!), there’s a one-sentence explanation given: A decrease in first-phase insulin secretion may partially contribute to the short-term LC/HFD-induced increase in postprandial plasma glucose levels. First phase insulin secretion? There’s a first phase? So… There’s more than one phase to insulin secretion? I had no idea. Call me ignorant but I had no idea until this point that there was more than one phase to insulin secretion. This article delves deeper into the signaling involved in (what I learned is called) biphasic insulin secretion. The first phase of insulin secretion lasts approximately 10 minutes, and the second phase of insulin secretion picks up afte Continue reading >>

Video: What Eating “high-fat” Or “keto” Does To Your Blood Sugar

What happens to your blood sugar when you eat fat? The steps you need to stabilize your blood sugar and increase your fat-burning hormones (by following a Fat Fueled, keto eating style). Up until I found keto (high-fat, low-carb living) I was in the “eat every 2-3 hours in order to control blood sugar” camp. What I didn’t know, was that the constant eating; generally of carbohydrates, was exactly what was causing my blood sugar irregularities – constant “hangry” feelings, hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, and more. After a couple of weeks of eating Fat Fueled, keto, I no longer struggled with hypoglycemia. It was as if my sugar lows just… disappeared. And I’m not the only one that’s experienced massive changes to blood sugar shortly after shifting to a Fat Fueled, keto life. I invited Dietitian Cassie on the show today to help explain exactly what happens to our blood sugar when we eat fat – the ins and outs of insulin resistance, actions that affect blood sugar, how to use carb-ups to heal insulin resistance and much more. Today’s keto video encourages us to use dietary fat as our ally, to rely on it to support balanced blood sugar, thriving hormones and a healthy body. For video transcription, scroll down. Highlights… What foods affect blood sugar How dietary fat affects your blood sugar If combining carbohydrates and fat is a good thing How fat cells are created How to get into fat-burning mode Signs and symptoms of insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity How cortisol (and a poor sleep) affects your blood sugar How carb cycling and carb refeeding can help bust through insulin resistance How to heal yourself from insulin resistance Resources… Watch the video: When to know it’s time to carb-up (and how to do it) Step-by-step guide on goin Continue reading >>

Monitoring Ketone And Blood Glucose Levels On A Low Carb Diet

By Mary T. Newport M.D. While it is not necessary to measure ketone levels, many people who make the change to a low carb, ketogenic diet and/or use ketone salts would like to have some positive proof that their ketone levels are, in fact, elevated. When transitioning from a higher carb to a low carb, ketogenic type diet, it can take several days to begin to see an increase in ketone levels and the ketone level may continue to rise for two or three weeks before it levels off. The ketone level can fluctuate somewhat throughout the day and can vary considerably from person to person. Using ketone salts, such as Prüvit KETO//OS® or KETO//OS Max, as a supplement can give you a jump start on getting into ketosis and increase ketone levels within 30 to 60 minutes of taking the product. Using coconut oil and MCT oil as part of the diet can help increase and sustain ketone levels as well. There are several ways available to measure ketone levels in urine, blood or by using a breath analyzer. When blood levels of ketones become elevated, the excess ketones will filter out of the blood into the urine. Urine ketone test strips were originally developed for diabetics to help determine if they are going into diabetic ketoacidosis when the blood sugar is elevated. There are a number of companies that sell urine test strips that change color when ketone levels are elevated – usually the deeper the color, the higher the ketone level. This will not tell you what your actual blood ketone level is but can give you a rough idea of whether you are in ketosis or not. However, one of the drawbacks to using urine test strips is that they only measure the ketone acetoacetate and not beta-hydroxybutyrate, which tends to be much more elevated than acetoacetate during ketosis. Also, Prüvit ke Continue reading >>

High Fasting Blood Sugar On Keto?

The more I coach people through a ketogenic lifestyle, the more I become familiar with small nuances that can affect different peoples experience. For example, there are a number of people who experience high fasting blood sugar upon waking in the morning. These individuals would express that they were following a ketogenic diet and were in a fasted state so it doesnt make sense to have elevated blood sugar. What you are going to find out in this article is that this effect may actually be much more normal than you think. In fact, it may not even be an issue. That being said, for some people it may actually be a sign of something undesirable going on with their metabolism. This article will help you troubleshoot what is likely to be causing your high fasting blood sugar. When someone has elevated fasting blood sugar and is NOT following a ketogenic lifestyle, it is likely that they are suffering from insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is characteristic of pre-diabetes and diabetes , as well as metabolic syndrome. This is when your cells stop listening to insulins signals to let glucose into the cell and instead allow glucose to continue circulating in the blood. This is often due to a high sugar diet that constantly bombards insulin receptors to the point where they become desensitized. Think Little Boy Who Cried Wolf, but with your cells. This is called pathologic insulin resistance as it is considered a disorder and increases your risk of many different diseases . In diabetics, there are 2 common ways that high fasting morning blood sugar arises. The first reason is the Dawn Phenomenon and this impacts individuals who are following a ketogenic lifestyle as well. Overnight as we sleep between the hours of 2-8am a slurry of hormones including cortisol, growth hormo Continue reading >>

Why Your “normal” Blood Sugar Isn’t Normal (part 2)

Hi, I just found this site and would like to participate. I will give my numbers, etc. First, my last A1c was 6.1, the doc said it was Pre-diabetes in January of 2014, OK, I get it that part, but what confuses me is that at home, on my glucometer, all my fastings were “Normal” however, back then, I had not checked after meals, so maybe they were the culprits. Now, I am checking all the time and driving myself crazy. In the morning sometimes fasting is 95 and other times 85, it varies day to day. Usually, after a low carb meal, it drops to the 80’s the first hour and lower the second. On some days, when I am naughty and eat wrong, my b/s sugar is still low, and on other days, I can eat the same thing, and it goes sky high, again, not consistent. Normally, however, since February, my fbs is 90, 1 hour after, 120, 2nd hour, back to 90, but, that changes as well. In February, of 2014, on the 5th, it was horrible. I think I had eaten Lasagne, well, before, my sugars did not change much, but that night, WHAM-O I started at 80 before the meal, I forgot to take it at the one and two hour mark, but did at the 3 hour mark, it was 175, then at four hours, down to 160, then at 5 hours, back to 175. I went to bed, because by that time, it was 2 AM, but when I woke up at 8:00 and took it, it was back to 89!!!! This horrible ordeal has only happened once, but, I have gone up to 178 since, but come down to normal in 2 hours. I don’t know if I was extra stressed that day or what, I am under tons of it, my marriage is not good, my dear dad died 2 years ago and my very best friend died 7 months ago, I live in a strange country, I am from America, but moved to New Zealand last year, and I am soooo unhappy. Anyway, what does confuse me is why the daily differences, even though I may Continue reading >>

Why Your Fasting Blood Sugar Might Still Be High On Low Carb

It’s not too uncommon to have slightly high fasting blood sugar on low carb and keto diets. Is this a problem? It depends on your insulin levels, as outlined by Dr. Ted Naiman below. If you’re insulin sensitive, and have slightly higher fasting blood glucose, it’s likely just fine. More The dawn phenomenon – why are blood sugars high in the morning? Insulin Advanced low-carb topics Diabetes Dr. Naiman Earlier with Dr. Naiman All earlier posts about Dr. Naiman Continue reading >>

Ketosis

Tweet Ketosis is a state the body may find itself in either as a result of raised blood glucose levels or as a part of low carb dieting. Low levels of ketosis is perfectly normal. However, high levels of ketosis in the short term can be serious and the long term effects of regular moderate ketosis are only partially known at the moment. What is ketosis? Ketosis is a state the body goes into if it needs to break down body fat for energy. The state is marked by raised levels of ketones in the blood which can be used by the body as fuel. Ketones which are not used for fuel are excreted out of the body via the kidneys and the urine. Is ketosis the same as ketoacidosis? There is often confusion as to the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is the state whereby the body is producing ketones. In ketosis, the level of ketones in the blood can be anything between normal to very high. Diabetic ketoacidosis, also known as DKA, only describes the state in which the level of ketones is either high or very high. In ketoacidosis, the amount of ketones in the blood is sufficient to turn the blood acidic, which is a dangerous medical state. When does ketosis occur? Ketosis will take place when the body needs energy and there is not sufficient glucose available for the body. This can typically happen when the body is lacking insulin and blood glucose levels become high. Other causes can be the result of being on a low carb diet. A low level of carbohydrate will lead to low levels of insulin, and therefore the body will produce ketones which do not rely on insulin to get into and fuel the body’s cells. A further cause of ketosis, less relevant to people with diabetes, is a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Is ketosis dangerous? The NHS describes ketosis as a pote Continue reading >>

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes with Nutritional Ketosis

How To Lower Your Blood Sugar Naturally

Processed foods like cookies, cakes, and candy (and even starchy plant foods like rice, beans, and potatoes) can cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels. After one meal containing these foods, blood sugar can get so high that insulin can’t keep up. Side effects like fatigue, blurred vision, headaches, trouble concentrating, and frequent urination can result. If you consume high-carbohydrate foods every day, you increase your risk of type 2 diabetes — the medical diagnosis for having chronically high blood sugar levels that are caused by diet and lifestyle. (This is different from type 1 diabetes — a condition where the body produces little to no insulin.) Over 422 million people have diabetes worldwide, and their high blood sugar levels are destroying their bodies. To know if your blood sugar levels are chronically high, many doctors will check your A1C levels. A1C stands for glycated hemoglobin, which is formed when blood sugar attaches to hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells). A1C tests measure the percentage of your hemoglobin that has blood sugar attached to it. If blood sugar levels have been high for the past 3 months, then more hemoglobin will be glycated. Thus, A1C testing provides an accurate measurement of how high your blood sugar has been over the past two to three months. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates that you have diabetes. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicates pre-diabetes. Below 5.7 is considered normal. Earlier in this article, we explored how you can raise your blood sugar. Just eat cookies, cakes, rice, potatoes, and other high-carbohydrate foods, and you will be on the fast track toward diabetes. Following this logic, won’t eating fewer carbohydrates lower your blood sug Continue reading >>

Optimal Ketone And Blood Sugar Levels For Ketosis

A low carb helps reduce blood sugars and insulin levels and helps with the management of many of the diseases of modern civilisation (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s). We become insulin resistant when our body fat can’t store any more energy. Excess energy is then stored in the liver, pancreas, heart, brain and other organs that are more insulin sensitive. We also see increased levels of energy in our blood in the form of glucose, fat and elevated ketone. Endogenous ketosis occurs when we eat less food than we need. Our insulin and blood sugar levels decrease and ketones rise to supply the energy we need. Exogenous ketosis occurs when we eat lots fat and/or take exogenous ketones. Blood ketones rise, but our insulin levels will also rise because we have an excess of energy coming from our diet. Most of the good things associated with ketosis occur due to endogenous ketosis. Most people following a ketogenic diet over the long term have ketone values lower than what some people consider to be “optimal ketosis”. If your goal is blood sugar control, longevity or weight loss then endogenous ketosis with lower blood sugars and lower ketones is likely a better place to be than chasing higher blood ketones. I have seen a lot of interest and confusion recently from people following a ketogenic about ideal ketone and blood sugar levels. In an effort to try to clear this up, this article reviews blood ketone (BHB), breath ketone (acetone) and blood sugar data from a large number of people who are following a low carb or ketogenic diet to understand what “normal” and “optimal” look like. Many people initiate a low carb diet to manage their blood glucose levels, insulin resistance or diabetes. As shown in the chart below, Continue reading >>

5 Reasons For High Fasting Blood Glucose Other Than Low Carb Or Keto

Many people are probably wondering why is their fasting blood sugar higher on low carb. As a matter of fact, dozens of paleo and ketogenic forums have discussions on this topic. Some of the information with unsubstantiated claims is that low-carb diet might trigger diabetes. Some people even quit their keto diet since they had high FBGs, i.e., fasting blood glucose. However,you should not jump into conclusions, there are 5 things you should know. 1. Glucose Meters Can Give False Readings You should bear in mind that technical reasons can lead to higher sugar readings. The US Federal Drug Administration, i.e., FDA allows home sugar monitors to have a variance of 15 percent in the results. This means that one reading of 100 mg or dl may be as high as 115 and as low as 85 which is a big variation. The software engineer, Dave Feldman, said that he had a huge variation in the results. Although he expected high blood sugar due to his long-term keto eating low in carbs. Therefore, now whenever he gets a result he was not expecting, he does 3 readings within few minutes and averages the obtained result. According to other researchers, false readings might occur because of other reasons . Reasons like pricking a finger for blood with a hand which has minute traces of food or sugar (for example just touching fruit). In addition, dehydration can increase results. Therefore, it is crucial to wash the hands before testing. However, you should bear in mind that certain soaps have additives such as honey which can distort readings. Other factors which may lead to lower or higher readings are environmental conditions such as high altitudes. And also strips which are too cold or too hot. Therefore, when you get an unexpected high reading , do one more. 2. Understand Cortisol and Its In Continue reading >>

What Is A Glucose Ketone Index And Why You Should Care

Having high levels of ketones doesn’t mean you’re automatically getting all of the benefits. Luckily, research shows us that there’s an easy way to know if you’re in prime therapeutic mode so you can be confident you’re getting the best results. Ketosis can already be complicated if you don’t test and figure out what kicks you out. Once you start getting serious about ketosis and tracking ketone levels, you can usually step things up a notch with a simple calculation. You can become more specific with what works for you as an individual. How you do that is by calculating your glucose ketone index. The Glucose Ketone Index, or the GKI, is a ratio that researcher Dr. Thomas Seyfried has been using in his studies relating to both fasting and the ketogenic diet. There’s nothing fancy to this index, it is just a ratio of blood glucose levels to blood ketone levels. Having high level of ketones are great and all, but if you also have a super high level of blood glucose, you’re really just spinning your wheels and not getting any benefits of ketosis. And the real key here is to make sure that the ratio between glucose and ketone levels is as low as possible. If you’ve been following along, you’ll note I was pretty big on this glucose ketone index on my recent my four day fast and it actually dictated the time spent in the fast. But why did I care about this ratio, and why should you care? Why Should You Care? Dr. Seyfried does a lot of his research in the realm of cancer treatment and has noticed increasingly impressive therapeutic outcomes with the lower the glucose ketone index ratio gets. Dr. Seyfried claims that a GKI of lower than 1.0 is prime therapy for patients with cancer, and he has plenty of data to back this up. The graph above shows how tumor g Continue reading >>

Doing Keto? Consider Buying A Blood Glucose Meter

The amount of glucose in your blood at any given time can give you valuable insights into how your body is reacting to the food you eat. If you’re doing a keto-based diet, the data you get from a glucose meter will help you optimize your eating for maximum weight loss! The premise of a keto-based diet is simple: Keep the carbs as low as possible so that your body is forced to get glucose (energy) from fat, rather than carbs. Any sort of glycemic reaction could cause a weight-loss stall for several days. Not sure what a Keto diet is, or want to learn more about it? I talk about what a keto diet is, and the pros and cons of this approach, in this blog article. What is a glycemic reaction? In short, a glycemic reaction is what happens when you eat carbs. It’s a fancy name for an even fancier process. Effectively, when you eat carbs, your body produces a hormone called “insulin” which is responsible for delivering the glucose (the energy from your the carbs you just ate) to the muscle cells in your body. In a keto-based diet, you want to avoid the production of insulin at all costs. Not because insulin itself is bad — but because it means you’ve short-circuited the keto process by eating too many carbs, and allowing your body to get energy from carbs, rather than fat. If this happens, it can take days to “reset” your body back into ketosis. In short, if you are doing a keto-based diet and your blood-glucose levels spike, you screwed up. How to measure your blood glucose level Get yourself a blood-glucose meter!! You can buy a blood-glucose meter from any pharmacy in the $20 to $40 range. The test-strips come in packs of 100 for around $25. (around $0.25 each if you’re bad at math). Here’s a link on Amazon to a glucose meter kit that’s perfectly adequat Continue reading >>