Will Low-carb Diets Cause Blood Sugar Levels To Drop?
Video of the Day If you're accustomed to eating a very high-carb diet and suddenly switch to a very low-carb diet, you could experience rather dramatic drops in your blood sugar during the first few days or weeks of your transition. This low blood sugar can cause notably uncomfortable side effects and intense cravings. Carbs and Blood Sugar Your body converts consumed carbohydrates into glucose, a type of sugar. When the glucose enters your bloodstream, it leads to an increase in your blood sugar level. The pancreas produces insulin in response to spikes in blood sugar, which helps your body store the sugar for energy. This insulin release subsides when your cells absorb the sugar and your levels stabilize. In a healthy body, the surge of blood sugar and insulin is relatively moderate and keeps you evenly motoring through your day. When you eat lots of carbohydrates, your body's blood sugar remains consistently high and your system constantly pumps out insulin. This chronic elevation of blood sugar and release of insulin causes inflammation, an increase in fat storage and an inability to burn stored fat. Chronically high blood sugar levels increase your risk of disease, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You crave carbohydrates regularly for energy, because your body isn't efficient at using stored fat for fuel. How a Low-Carb Diet Impacts Blood Sugar If you regularly consume a large amount of carbohydrates, especially refined ones like white bread and soda, you may experience a notable drop in blood sugar when you drastically reduce your carb intake. In the first week of carb reduction, your body will seek to maintain your high sugar intake. You'll crave carbohydrates and may even feel weak because your body hasn't yet become efficient at burning fat for fuel Continue reading >>
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Blood Sugars High On Lchf Diet
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community I have type 2 diabetes so decided to try LCHF diet. I have adjusted to it well after two weeks and lost 4 kilos. The only problem is my BS levels remain high. The range is 8 -12 throughout the day. I take 1500 metformin daily. Worry now about the high levels and any advise would be much appreciated. Thank you. carol43 Type 2 (in remission!) Well-Known Member Hi Mairead, can you tell us what you usually eat perhaps you are having something that is spiking you. Are you testing before eating and 1 and 2 hours afterwards? I'm sure @daisy1 will be along shortly with her advice. Breakfast - omelette ( two eggs, onion, mushrooms, cheese) coffee Plain yogurt( 10% fat) cream, berries, nuts Lunch - Mixed salad with tuna or prawns ( olive oil, Mayo ) Dinner - Chicken or turkey or fish ( fried in butter ) Mixed veg roasted in olive oil and garlic, I make other recipes from the Diet doc as well. Above is what I would eat most days. I can't speak for you, but I really need to avoid carbs first thing in the morning, because that is my highest BS. I can tolerate yogurt & berries fine, but only later in the day. When you say 10% fat on the yogurt, that makes me think it is not full fat. Which means the carb count/sugar will be higher than full fat plain. To be honest I think 10% fat on yogurt is the highest, but I will stand corrected. I think you should give it a bit more time for your body to become adjusted. For that breakfast recipe I followed the "Diet Doctor".They used 10% fat plain yogurt ( no sugar) and 40% cream. I am another than spikes a lot if I have any fruit for breakfast, but can tolerate it later in the day. I also limit my berries to either 2 strawber Continue reading >>
Lchf And Diabetes
Can a Low Carb, High Fat diet be used to manage Diabetes Type-1 or Type-2? Yes! We believe this is far and above the best way to manage diabetes and there is growing interest in returning to carbohydrate restricted diets as a tool in managing diabetes complications long term. If you have Type-1 or Type-2 Diabetes it is important to understand that decreasing your consumption of carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar will decrease your need for insulin and other medication used to lower blood sugars. Taking the same dose of insulin or medication as you did prior to adopting a Low Carb, High Fat diet may result in hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). If you have Type-1 or Type-2 Diabetes get the approval and supervision of a medical professional before commencing a Low Carb, High Fat diet. A well-formulated Low Carb, High Fat diet can help Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetics achieve long term normalised blood sugar levels. For more resources on LCHF and Diabetes we recommend the works of Dr Richard Bernstein and Dr Jason Fung as well as the videos from Dr. Troy Stapleton, Lisa Scherger and Dr. Wendy Pogozelski below. My Story: Managing Type-1 Diabetes with LCHF “Hi, my name is Fiona and I’m a Type-1 diabetic. I have had diabetes for 23 years. I use an insulin pump to manage my diabetes and had always followed the standard Australian dietary guidelines. I ate whatever I wanted and just gave myself enough insulin to cover the amount of carbohydrates I was eating. After having my two children I had put on a significant amount of weight and it kept creeping up. I needed to change something in my life and it began with the discovery of David Gillespie’s book ‘Sweet Poison’. I read the book and it all just made sense. I quit sugar and found that my blood sugar levels began to Continue reading >>
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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 >>
Lchf Diet And Blood Sugar Levels
Abby, I see salad and vegetables (both proteins) and then protein shakes....where's the fat? You're consuming so much protein and the excess is being converted to glucose. Try upping the fat and lowering your protein intake and you should notice better numbers. Many LCHF followers have low sodium so compensate with a bit of salt if you feel it will help. As for the potassium, is it that you don't like spinach or that it isn't providing adequate levels of potassium? Regardless, try adding brussel sprouts with bacon, asparagus and cabbage into your salads or as a side dish (not both). 126 may be good postprandial for a full meal, but 2 cups of salad and 1 cup of broccoli mixed with green beans? To me it seems that my diabetes is still showing up even though I'm on Atkins. I've run into a similar situation, where if all I have for a meal is salad, then I'm running in the 120's. I attribute it to poor meal proportions (fat to protein to carb), since it's nearly all carb (good carbs, but carbs nonetheless) except for the dressing. The dressing doesn't provide enough fat to offset the carbs. Not familiar with the Atkins shakes so I have nothing to say there. Abby, I see salad and vegetables (both proteins) and then protein shakes....where's the fat? You're consuming so much protein and the excess is being converted to glucose. Try upping the fat and lowering your protein intake and you should notice better numbers. Many LCHF followers have low sodium so compensate with a bit of salt if you feel it will help. As for the potassium, is it that you don't like spinach or that it isn't providing adequate levels of potassium? Regardless, try adding brussel sprouts with bacon, asparagus and cabbage into your salads or as a side dish (not both). Okay I use butter and cream, here's my Continue reading >>
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Can Lchf Diets Lower Blood Sugar?
Subra Velu , Low Carb High Fat LCHF works. Feeling stupid after 25 years of low fat diet If LCHF diet cannot reduce blood sugar, what else can? Any low carb diet will limit the blood sugar from spiking. However protein rich food may not reduce blood sugar a lot though it definitely helps in avoiding sugar spikes. The only problem with protein rich food is elevated gluconeogenesis which prevents blood sugar to go very low within the allowed limit. In my experience, low carb low-to-medium protein high Fat diet lowers blood sugar to 7377 level (Fasting) and high protein low carb medium fat keeps BG at 83100 level (Fasting). Heres a good analogy of why you have high blood sugar: Your drain is clogged. Glucose in the body normally enters things like muscle tissue. Except that in certain people insulin stops working and the glucose starts to back up. When you eat carbohydrate your faucet is still running. You are putting more glucose into a system that is already clogged. The glucose backs up into the blood and starts chemical reactions in the body. When you eat low carb, you stop that faucet running. You are also eating in ways that may help with the clog. Insulin resistance is complex but eating fewer carbs means you need less insulin to absorb those carbs. Lower insulin helps the body recover from chronic high levels of insulin. Let me first explain what blood sugar is. Blood sugar is also called blood glucose. Blood glucose is from carbs. Carbs are made of mostly glucose and fructose. It can be simple carbs such as sugar or complex carbs such as fruits or vegetables. They are all being broken down by the small intestines and being converted into glucose and fructose. Glucose goes to your blood stream and transports to your living cells for energy because glucose is the p Continue reading >>
What Is "high Blood Sugar"? - The Low Carb High Fat Dietitian
Glucose is the sugar that is found in your blood and comes from two sources (1) the food you eat and (2) your body making it in the liver or breaking it down from glycogen stored in your muscles. Your body needs to have glucose in the blood as a source of energy for your cells, but the glucose needs to be at specific levels. When the glucose level is higher than normal, this condition is known as hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps move glucose from digested food into your cells and the pancreas releases insulin into the blood, based upon the blood sugar level. Hyperglycemia doesnt cause symptoms until glucose values are much higher than normal for a long time (>11 mmol/L) which is why diabetes is called asilentdisease. Its important to have your blood sugar levels checked by your doctor, especially if you are at risk. Watch for: Sometimes, the body stops making insulin (as in type 1 / juvenile diabetes). Other times, the insulin does not work properly (as in insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes). In insulin resistance or in those with diabetes, glucose does not enter the cells properly, creating high blood sugar levels. HOW CAN BETTERBYDESIGN NUTRITION CAN HELP? Our Registered Dietitian provides BetterByDesign Nutritions clients with the necessary tools to make healthy food choices and supports dietary changes in a variety of clinical conditions. BetterByDesign Nutritions experienced Registered Dietitian would be glad to help support the lifestyle changes you are seeking. For more information, or to set up an appointment, please click on the Contact Us tab, above. 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 >>
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 >>
How To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Do you have type 2 diabetes, or are you at risk for diabetes? Do you worry about your blood sugar? Then you’ve come to the right place. The disease diabetes (any type) means that you have too much sugar in your blood. This page will show you how to best check this. You can normalize your blood sugar naturally as needed – without pills, calorie counting or hunger. Many people have already done so. As a bonus, a normalized blood sugar usually makes you healthier and leaner. Table of contents: A disastrous epidemic Two types of diabetes Normalize your blood sugar Become your own evidence A disastrous epidemic What’s wrong? Why do more and more people become diabetic? In the past, before our modern Western diet, diabetes was extremely rare. The disease is now becoming more and more common. Around the world, more and more people are becoming diabetic: The number of people with diabetes is increasing incredibly rapidly and is heading towards 500 million. This is a world epidemic. Will someone in your family be affected next? Your mother, father, cousin, your child? Or you? Is perhaps your blood already too sweet? Those affected by the most common form of diabetes (type 2) normally never regain their health. Instead, we take for granted that they’ll become a little sicker for every year that goes by. With time they need more and more drugs. Yet, sooner or later complications emerge. Blindness. Dialysis due to faulty kidneys. Dementia. Amputations. Death. Diabetes epidemic causes inconceivable suffering. Fortunately, there’s something that can be done. We just need to see through the mistake that has led to the explosion of disease – and correct it. This can normalize your blood sugar. Many have already succeeded in doing this. If you already know that you are diabe Continue reading >>
Lchf For Type 1 Diabetes
I spend a great deal of time in my clinic dealing with the problems of type 2 diabetes. But occasionally, people ask about type 1 diabetes (T1D) as well. The reason why it is so rare for me is that I treat adult patients where T2D outnumbers T1D by at least 9:1. I was looking at a fascinating study that my friend, Ivor Cummins (The Fat Emperor) had alerted me to a few months ago. Dr. Richard Bernstein is a fascinating character. He had developed T1D as a child of twelve and began to have complications by his 30s. He eventually went to medical school in order to learn better how to treat his own disease. Eventually he decided that the proper treatment was a low carb diet. This was in direct contradiction to the prevailing wisdom of the time (1990s), which included treating patients with insulin and a diet high in carbs. Dr. Bernstein opened up a controversial clinic to treat T1D with a low carb diet and also wrote several best selling books discussing the same topic. Over the years, it has proven to be a safe treatment for T1D. While there are few long-term studies, Dr. Bernstein himself is living proof of the low carb T1D paradigm. In many ways, T1D and T2D are exact opposites of each other. T1D typically affects children who are usually quite skinny. T2D typically affects adults who are usually quite obese. This is not absolute, and we are seeing much more T2D in children as their weights have increased. There are also cases of normal or even underweight patients with T2D. But in general, that is the case. T1D is the severe deficiency of insulin where as T2D is the severe excess of insulin. Nevertheless, people often treat both types of diabetes in the same manner. Both are treated with medications or insulin to keep blood glucose in acceptable levels. Wait, you might Continue reading >>
The Dawn Phenomenon – T2d 8
The occurrence of high blood sugars after a period of fasting is often puzzling to those not familiar with the Dawn Phenomenon. Why are blood sugars elevated if you haven’t eaten overnight? This effect is also seen during fasting, even during prolonged fasting. There are two main effects – the Somogyi Effect and the Dawn Phenomenon. Somogyi Effect The Somogyi effect is also called reactive hyperglycaemia and happens in type 2 diabetic patients. The blood sugar sometimes drops in reaction to the night time dose of medication. This low blood sugar is dangerous, and in response, the body tries to raise it. Since the patient is asleep, he/she does not feel the hypoglycaemic symptoms of shakiness or tremors or confusion. By the time the patient awakens, the sugar is elevated without a good explanation. The high blood sugar occurs in reaction to the preceding low. This can be diagnosed by checking the blood sugar at 2am or 3am. If it is very low, then this is diagnostic of the Somogy Effect. Dawn Phenomenon The Dawn Effect, sometimes also called the Dawn Phenomenon (DP) was first described about 30 years ago. It is estimated to occur in up to 75% of T2D patients although severity varies widely. It occurs both in those treated with insulin and those that are not. The circadian rhythm creates this DP. Just before awakening (around 4am), the body secretes higher levels of Growth Hormone, cortisol, glucagon and adrenalin. Together, these are called the counter-regulatory hormones. That is, they counter the blood sugar lowering effects of insulin, meaning that they raise blood sugars. The nocturnal surge of growth hormone is considered the primary cause of the DP. These normal circadian hormonal increases prepare our bodies for the day ahead. That is, glucagon tells the liver 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 >>
Troubleshooting High Blood-glucose Levels
10,007 views Are you struggling with high blood glucose, even on a ketogenic diet? There are many factors which can have an impact on blood sugar, and Miriam Kalamian guides you through them all. She has written the book Keto for Cancer, and passionately helps people with a wide range of conditions to go on a ketogenic diet. Watch a part of the presentation above (transcript). The full video is available (with captions and transcript) with a free trial or membership: Trouble shooting high blood-glucose levels – Miriam Kalamian Join free for a month to get instant access to this and hundreds of other low-carb TV videos. Plus Q&A with experts and our awesome low-carb meal-plan service. Earlier Keto More Keto for beginners Continue reading >>
Low Carb-high Fat Diet And Diabetes: A Detailed Guide For Beginners
If you are a regular reader of our site, you would already know that we highly endorse the Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet for reversing diabetes, losing weight and improving your overall health and well-being. The reason why a low carb diet for diabetes comes highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists alike is the fact that carbohydrates are the main culprit behind elevated blood sugar levels. Once you eat fewer carbs, it automatically becomes much easier for the body to attain stable blood sugar levels. Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) Diet for Diabetes: Why It Works? Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars during digestion. These sugars enter the blood stream and elevate blood sugar levels. As a diabetic, your body either doesn’t produce insulin at all, or doesn’t produce enough insulin to minimize this blood sugar spike before it causes irreplaceable damage to internal organs. This is the reason why your body’s dependence on insulin goes down when you eat lesser carbs. A UK study tried to understand the short-term effects of severe dietary carbohydrate-restriction advice in type 2 diabetes. It found that restricting carbohydrate intake is an effective method to lose weight as well as improve HDL ratios. This was a randomized controlled trial studying 102 patients over a course of 3 months, and the results were published in the Diabetic Medicine in September 2005. Another research group from Duke University Medical Center studying the effect of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-glycemic index diet on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients, found that 95.2% patients had managed to reduce or eliminate their glucose-lowering medication within 6 months of being on a LCHF diet. A low carb diet works very well in lowering blood sugar and insul Continue reading >>
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