Pesky dawn phenomenon

[aqualung]

Holland and Barrett have a kg of sugar free for £5! Bargain


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.

which one is it deb? I can't see one at that price. I am going to order the coconut oil now it is back in stock so will order some peanut butter too

 

[Debmcgee]

It's called meridian crunchy peanut butter. If you can't find in their website, try amazon. They do oil too x


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.

 

[raymondharris]

Hi All,

I am tired of this dratted morning rise in blood glucose(BG). Every evening I go to bed with my BG in the low fives, but it has risen to the 6s by the time I wake up. Then it rises steadily until I eat brekkie, sometimes as high as 8.5 (I often forget to eat til quite late, because my BG is so high that I don't feel hungry)!

Well, I've had enough.
It's mucking up my HbA1c more than anything I eat during the day.
So I am planning a systematic campaign to sort the thing out.

Each week, for 7 days, I'm going to try one thing (suggestions welcome!) and keep track using my monitor. If whatever technique I am trying seems to be having an effect, I can extend it for another 7 days.

Feel free to join me, add suggestions, throw peanuts (although I may eat them!), or tell me how YOU beat the Dread Dawn Phen....

Week 1:
I'm going to use an old Montignac suggestion to eat something low carb before getting out of bed
- in my case it will be a 1oz cheese string, or babybel, since they can sit on my bedside
(I never have carby snacks before bed, so I don't need to cut those out)

I have noticed that the best way to check your blood first thing in the morning is to get up about 5 minutes after you wake up allowing your adrenalin to settle down first, then wash your hands thoroughly before doing your blood test.You will be amazed what a difference this makes.

 

[Brunneria]

I have noticed that the best way to check your blood first thing in the morning is to get up about 5 minutes after you wake up allowing your adrenalin to settle down first, then wash your hands thoroughly before doing your blood test.You will be amazed what a difference this makes.

Does BG really react that quickly? Wow.
Another experiment to do...

 

[aqualung]

It's called meridian crunchy peanut butter. If you can't find in their website, try amazon. They do oil too x


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.

I found it - it is only the smooth that comes in 1kg jars - I was looking at crunchy. dilemma do I go for cheapest when I prefer crunchy?

 

[Debmcgee]

I got crunchy in store in a 1kg tub do maybe they only do it in stores? Have a look at amazon instead as it's def been on there in the past x


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.

 

[aqualung]

Thanks deb. My main reason for looking at holland and Barrett is they have buy one get
one half price but I will compare prices as amazon may be cheaper...


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[aqualung]

Yesterday I got up, had a cup of tea then had my breakfast about an hour later. I tested before breakfast and my bg was 6.7. This is the highest fasting level I have seen. Normally when I do a fasting test I get up and test straight away. Today I got up had a cup of tea, a piece of cheese and some almonds. I tested an hour later before breakfast and my bg was 5.3. I didn't test on waking as I was low on strips but have had more delivered today so tomorrow will test on waking then before breakfast, with and without eating.

 

[Bebo321]

Had peanut butter again just before bed last night and this morning 6.2.

Not as good as the 5.5 but still a massive improvement.

Need to order peanut butter in bulk!!

jim

Hi jim1951,
Really interesting observation here.
May I ask - did you have celery too last night or just peanut butter? - not sure if that would have any effect, but you didn't mention it so I thought I would just check.

 

[Bebo321]

Just been reading around peanut butter - I'm wondering if the 'active' ingredient is the p-coumaric acid. Research on rats suggests that it inhibits gluconeogenesis (basically it inhibits the liver from releasing glucose). It's also a derivative of cinnamic acid - which also has links with improved glucose uptake in the body (that is it reduces insulin resistance)
Who else wants to be a guinea pig for peanut butter research!

 

[HA3]

My readings when I first get up range between 4.8 - 6.5 (6.4, 6.4, 6.3, 5.9, 5.2, 5.4, 6.5, 6.5, 5.8, 4.8, 6.2). I then have a cup of tea on my way to work and then test before eating breakfast (1-2 hrs after first test). My pre breakfast readings are higher ranging from 5.7-8.8 (7.0, 7.7, 5.7,6.2, 8.8, 6.9, 5.9, 6.4, 7.0, 6.8, 7.6). Is this likely to be DP or the fact ive had a cup of tea with milk. Can't face the world until that first cup of tea so not sure I can go without

 

[AndBreathe]

My readings when I first get up range between 4.8 - 6.5 (6.4, 6.4, 6.3, 5.9, 5.2, 5.4, 6.5, 6.5, 5.8, 4.8, 6.2). I then have a cup of tea on my way to work and then test before eating breakfast (1-2 hrs after first test). My pre breakfast readings are higher ranging from 5.7-8.8 (7.0, 7.7, 5.7,6.2, 8.8, 6.9, 5.9, 6.4, 7.0, 6.8, 7.6). Is this likely to be DP or the fact ive had a cup of tea with milk. Can't face the world until that first cup of tea so not sure I can go without

I'm not sure we can answer that, but you know how to answer it for yourself? If it's unacceptable to you, you could try eating something with your early tea and see if that helps. Obviously, that something would be a food known to have zero impact on blood scores. For me that might be an omelette.

 

[Bebo321]

My readings when I first get up range between 4.8 - 6.5 (6.4, 6.4, 6.3, 5.9, 5.2, 5.4, 6.5, 6.5, 5.8, 4.8, 6.2). I then have a cup of tea on my way to work and then test before eating breakfast (1-2 hrs after first test). My pre breakfast readings are higher ranging from 5.7-8.8 (7.0, 7.7, 5.7,6.2, 8.8, 6.9, 5.9, 6.4, 7.0, 6.8, 7.6). Is this likely to be DP or the fact ive had a cup of tea with milk. Can't face the world until that first cup of tea so not sure I can go without

Could be the cup of tea - certainly that will cause a BG rise.
I am guessing up to 3g carb for the milk in a large mug of tea, which on average would raise your bloods approximately 1mmol/l. Of course the other thing that could raise your bloods a little is just the 'stress' of travel - if you are driving etc.
I couldn't go without a cup of tea either!

 

[aqualung]

Yesterday I had a cup of tea and tested an hour later before my breakfast. my bg was 6.7. I did the same today but had a piece of cheese and a few almonds as well as the tea. My bg was 5.3. Obviously the big flaw here is that I didn't test my bg on waking as I was low on strips. Next time I will test this too.

 

[jim1951]

Hi jim1951,
Really interesting observation here.
May I ask - did you have celery too last night or just peanut butter? - not sure if that would have any effect, but you didn't mention it so I thought I would just check.

Bebo321
sorry for late update have been enjoying the sun and doing some gardening!!

This morning my reading was 6.0. So now I have 5.5/6.2/6.0.

Yes, at 2300 last night I had some peanut butter on a stick of celery! Not too much peanut butter as high in calories and trying to lose some weight!

I would add the following caveats to my readings.
a) I have only been testing for circa 3 weeks, but the morning readings have always been in the eights apart from last 3 mornings.
b) I have been on Metformin for 3 weeks, is this the cause of the drop in my morning readings?
c) I have reduced my intake of carbs over the last week, don't know if that has any effect?
d) If the drop is due to having a snack at 2300, would it work with anything or just peanut butter?

What I will do tonight is not have the peanut butter and report back tomorrow with my reading.

jim

 

[sunspots]

Just been reading around peanut butter - I'm wondering if the 'active' ingredient is the p-coumaric acid. Research on rats suggests that it inhibits gluconeogenesis (basically it inhibits the liver from releasing glucose). It's also a derivative of cinnamic acid - which also has links with improved glucose uptake in the body (that is it reduces insulin resistance)
Who else wants to be a guinea pig for peanut butter research!

If you design a study (without celery or flaxseeds please!) then I could try it. I'm off work following my cataract op so currently asleep after 12 and up again 6am (although may go back if I was up 'til 2am like yesterday). However, my waking BG has been only about 5.3 now for a week or so since going LCHF so I might not be a very useful subject. If anyone wants a guinea pig (another pig!!!) I'll give it a go.

BTW, where are you up to Brunneria? Are you stepping down as Chief Guinea Pig?

 

[Brunneria]

If you design a study (without celery or flaxseeds please!) then I could try it. I'm off work following my cataract op so currently asleep after 12 and up again 6am (although may go back if I was up 'til 2am like yesterday). However, my waking BG has been only about 5.3 now for a week or so since going LCHF so I might not be a very useful subject. If anyone wants a guinea pig (another pig!!!) I'll give it a go.

BTW, where are you up to Brunneria? Are you stepping down as Chief Guinea Pig?

* Snaps to attention * (nearly poking own eye out)

Sorry folks - life has been intruding a bit, so less time on here - very inconvenient!

@jim1951 , I'm interested in your peanut butter late night snaffle -but only in so far as your experience is so different from mine! I ended up stopping the late night nut snack because it made no difference at all to my dawn phen readings.

For me, it seems to be the morning nut on waking that makes the difference.

So no single answer for all of us, unfortunately.

I must admit that I have eased off on the double test in the morning. I'm still eating Brazils at 6.45 am though! The testing seems a bit pointless nowadays, since I'm happy that it is stopping any BG rise.

Still haven't got the evening exercise going though.

Maybe I should make next week The week of the Cider Vinegar Before Bed.
:***:

 

[sunspots]

* Snaps to attention * (nearly poking own eye out)

Sorry folks - life has been intruding a bit, so less time on here - very inconvenient!

@jim1951 , I'm interested in your peanut butter late night snaffle -but only in so far as your experience is so different from mine! I ended up stopping the late night nut snack because it made no difference at all to my dawn phen readings.

For me, it seems to be the morning nut on waking that makes the difference.

So no single answer for all of us, unfortunately.

I must admit that I have eased off on the double test in the morning. I'm still eating Brazils at 6.45 am though! The testing seems a bit pointless nowadays, since I'm happy that it is stopping any BG rise.

Still haven't got the evening exercise going though.

Maybe I should make next week The week of the Cider Vinegar Before Bed.
:***:

Sorry I startled you

 

[Brunneria]

Sorry I startled you

@sunspots I should think so! I was gently starting that Friday evening slide into sloth, and then you prod me in the eye!
See, it still hurts.

So, how's it going? How are you adjusting to forum addiction? Beats carb addiction any day, doesn't it?

 

[Indy51]

Reporting in on my experiment with Olive Leaf Extract - it appears to be working. However, the weather is also noticeably cooler than it was when I was having fasting BG in the 7's. My fasting levels are now consistently in the low 6's again - phew! And the last couple of days, have been in the high 5's. So I'm very pleased and will continue to take a teaspoon of Olive Leaf Extract in water before bed.

I've never noticed any effect on fasting levels from Apple Cider Vinegar - however, it does seem to help with postprandial levels as long as I remember to take it before the meal.