No nightime production of insulin + I work nights

[CaroleHumphreys]

How about making up a very simple veggie soup and popping it in to a thermos .You can make a weeks supply at a time and freeze it in those plastic containers .I worked nights for 22 years and know exactly where your coming from but I used to take in four dutch crispbakes which are only 15grm carb per serving of two and either a pot of soup and a small bag of prawns mixed with a teaspoon of dressing /mayo or a boiled egg .That would give me two meals in the night with no effort.

Don't worry too much about your BP .Mines been through the roof for the last ten years and I mean really high readings of 240/120 throughout the night .My colleagues used to take mine on the rounds .I think it's a hazard of nights combined with a hereditary condition.

Thanks Susie - I do need to make more use of my freezer when I'm off and ensure I give myself a variety of options on my nightshifts; it can get rather tedious if I keep eating the same meals each night. Soup is a great idea. I used to keep a stash of rice cakes and crispbreads in my locker at work, so I really should do that again to try and avoid snacking on naughty things.

240/120!!! Wow! My highest has been 218/190; perhaps some of us thrive on high BP. I actually had a 143/87 earlier tonight, that's the lowest it's been all week.

 

[CaroleHumphreys]

I think we need more info on your lifestyle.
When you say you don't produce insulin at night, how does that happen?
Are you on any meds at the moment?

Hi @douglas99 - When I was diagnosed as prediabetic, I was told that. I have some daytime production of insulin, but my body does not produce it at night.

And no meds at the moment. Lifestyle-wise, it's gone to pot since working on nights; little exercise, eating the wrong things too often, and being tired all the time.

 

[CaroleHumphreys]

I can't see a difference between eating during the day or the night. Surely it is just a matter of planning and taking an appropriate pack up?

I'm also very curious about your inability to produce insulin at night. Could you explain the mechanism? I have never heard of it before (except in type 1s, and that is 24/7). What tests were run? Did they hook you up to some kind of sensor overnight?

It is a big difference working nights, and nightworkers are a high risk group for becoming type 2 diabetics. Yes, planning would be an admirable thing to do and I do have phases when I'm good at this. Working four twelve hour nightshifts leaves you little opportunity to shop and plan, especially when the job is stressful and challenging and you often come home exhausted.

I can only tell you what I was told when I was diagnosed as prediabetic - my last glucose tolerance test indicated I had some daytime production of insulin, but was not able to produce insulin at night. I gather this was because I had fasted overnight and started the test with a 7, and then still kept getting 7s after glucose.

 

[Loobles]

I can only tell you what I was told when I was diagnosed as prediabetic - my last glucose tolerance test indicated I had some daytime production of insulin, but was not able to produce insulin at night. I gather this was because I had fasted overnight and started the test with a 7, and then still kept getting 7s after glucose.

This phenomenon could be due to something called dawn phenomenon too...google it. What happens there is your body sends out a chunk of glucose when you're waking...gives you energy to get up and go. This gives some people higher waking BG. Some people...me included...also find that rise continues until you do eat...so eating a small amount of carb (eg 10g) can halt that rise. And some people...myself included...also find that carbs eaten with high protein the night before causes high morning BG. What tends to happen there is you get an initial spike of glucose from the carb and then it reduces...before picking up again around 4 hours and continuing for up to 10 hours (for me anyway). What's happening there is your body is converting some protein to sugar through a process called gluconeogenesis...its how our bodies adapt to getting energy from different food groups. Prettt neat...but not always helpful!

So to summarise...it may be that you do make some insulin at night...but that you either don't make enough to cover what you're eating...or you're resistant to it.

Does that make sense? I've tried to explain it simply and hope i haven't made it inaccurate in the process!

 

[Brunneria]

The key would look like avoiding any foods that require an insulin response then - classic low carb.

Those pot noodles are possibly the worst thing I can imagine.

@Loobles may well be right about the dawn phenomenon. Many diabetics experience similar. I know I do. But I think if you were not producing any insulin, you would quickly cease to function at all on a snack machine diet! Perhaps they told you that as a kind of simplified explanation?

It also sounds like you do a regular shift pattern? That carries some added risk, but is easier on the body than constantly shifting shift patterns such as doctors, nurses, police, emergency services, train drivers, etc. So after years of this, you may well find your body has learned to adapt. Do you test your blood glucose using a meter?

If your BG rises after food, then drops again after 1-3 hours, then insulin is definitely playing a role!

And as for the long night shifts, then yes, it carries added risks - but also added benefits. My husband has experienced this for years. He laughs about the 'double pack up' shifts, when he trundles off to work with two lunch boxes, two snack sets and two thermoses. And then he grins about the 3 and 4 day batches of days off, the mid- week shopping trips and the relief of not losing all day every day to the 9-5 grind.

 

[AndBreathe]

The key would look like avoiding any foods that require an insulin response then - classic low carb.

Those pot noodles are possibly the worst thing I can imagine.

@Loobles may well be right about the dawn phenomenon. Many diabetics experience similar. I know I do. But I think if you were not producing any insulin, you would quickly cease to function at all on a snack machine diet! Perhaps they told you that as a kind of simplified explanation?

It also sounds like you do a regular shift pattern? That carries some added risk, but is easier on the body than constantly shifting shift patterns such as doctors, nurses, police, emergency services, train drivers, etc. So after years of this, you may well find your body has learned to adapt. Do you test your blood glucose using a meter?

If your BG rises after food, then drops again after 1-3 hours, then insulin is definitely playing a role!

And as for the long night shifts, then yes, it carries added risks - but also added benefits. My husband has experienced this for years. He laughs about the 'double pack up' shifts, when he trundles off to work with two lunch boxes, two snack sets and two thermoses. And then he grins about the 3 and 4 day batches of days off, the mid- week shopping trips and the relief of not losing all day every day to the 9-5 grind.

I agree with everything Brunneria says, although I have thankfully never worked shifts. When ocean sailing, on night watches, I just about manage to cover my 4 hour watches, by singing and doing lots of mental exercises. I'm hopeless; particularly as its not sensible to have any lights on to protect night vision. But, I digress.

If you have a microwave and kettle available to you, you have significantly increased options. Do you have a fridge there too? Iasked what you have for lunches on your days off, or when working days, in order to see if there's anything transportable there.

My lunches tend to be salad based. I know that sounds like a real pain, but what I have a large clip-lock box where I make up a batch of salad leaves to last 2 or 3 days. That's perfectly feasible, provided the leaves are good and fresh at the outset. Then, when lunchtime comes (or preparing for work for that matter), I grab a portion size and save the rest for later. Lunchtimes, for me, tend to be when I eat my fish fix (as Mr B is severely allergic, I'm careful to keep it away from him!). So, I just pull the ring pull on a can of sardines, mackerel fillets, tuna or salmon and tip it in, toss through and hey presto, I have a decent lunch. I often have something like sardines in a hot sauce, or lemon oil (although neither of my absolute favourites is available in the UK), so it rings the flavour changes and keeps me going. When I wanted to stop losing weight, I added a small portion of roasted peanuts or pistachios for some added calories. The other suggestions of home made soups, chilli (in a wide necked thermos) or a tapas styleeeee nibble-fest of roasted chicken drumsticks/thighs, olives, cheese (babybel is extremely conveniently packed in it's own little wax jacket), with or without salad.

 

[Loobles]

I think it's a case of getting organised. I eat both breakfast and lunch at work (on nights i also ate equivalent of breakfast and lunch) and i get my stuff ready on a sunday night. I have 5 lunch boxes which i fill with salad. In another 3 boxes i put something meaty (you will have some kind of vegetarian option) to go with the salad. Then i cook 200g new potatoes which i dice small and then add yogurt or creme fraiche, herbs and sometimes chopped bacon...that gives me 2 days worth of potato salad. I also buy a pack of babybel and nuts for snacks. If i'm going through a hungry phase i will cook 2 chicken breasts and chop them up in a container...i sometimes decant a bit into a smaller tub for a snack. For breakfasts i put yogurt, berries and flax meal into 3 containers and then cottage cheese in another couple of containers...those are my breakfasts. I bought a ton of small containers from pound shops. All of this can be done on a sunday night in less than an hour.

Hope that helps x

 

[Susiespearish]

This phenomenon could be due to something called dawn phenomenon too...google it. What happens there is your body sends out a chunk of glucose when you're waking...gives you energy to get up and go. This gives some people higher waking BG. Some people...me included...also find that rise continues until you do eat...so eating a small amount of carb (eg 10g) can halt that rise. And some people...myself included...also find that carbs eaten with high protein the night before causes high morning BG. What tends to happen there is you get an initial spike of glucose from the carb and then it reduces...before picking up again around 4 hours and continuing for up to 10 hours (for me anyway). What's happening there is your body is converting some protein to sugar through a process called gluconeogenesis...its how our bodies adapt to getting energy from different food groups. Prettt neat...but not always helpful!

So to summarise...it may be that you do make some insulin at night...but that you either don't make enough to cover what you're eating...or you're resistant to it.

Does that make sense? I've tried to explain it simply and hope i haven't made it inaccurate in the process!

Thanks for the explanation Loobles ...that profile fits me perfectly and I was puzzled why my morning bg was through the roof and then came down when I ate Some great meal suggestions here too .

 

[jack412]

google atkins induction diet, there are lots of recipes and food plans, so its easy to follow
the LCHF site already posted is good
what I did was cut all grain/product, sugar and potato. ate lots of veg, normal meat/fish and olive oil or coconut oil or butter with everything

the first week is hell
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm

 

[Susiespearish]

google atkins induction diet, there are lots of recipes and food plans, so its easy to follow
the LCHF site already posted is good
what I did was cut all grain/product, sugar and potato. ate lots of veg, normal meat/fish and olive oil or coconut oil or butter with everything

the first week is hell
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm

I guess mine is going to be strictly low carb but without the HF .I have no gall bladder and my body doesn't like high fat at all.

 

[jack412]

I guess mine is going to be strictly low carb but without the HF .I have no gall bladder and my body doesn't like high fat at all.

you can do normal protein, low carb and fat for a while and is what a lot of people do unintentionally. it's hard to get enough fat into your diet without supplementing with olive/coconut oils and butter in what seems silly volumes

see your Dr, you might take bile salts, but your liver may put out enough as you go,,it's the sudden change that causes discomfort I read

 

[Marieukxx]

Do you have a staffroom and microwave and fridge at your work? You could make up a meal in advance for example some kind of meat like a steak or gammon or chicken breast with vegetables (plenty of them) and two boiled new potatoes. Stick it in one of those plastic takeaway tubs you get then pop it in the fridge at work and microwave it to heat it up. Snacks you could take carrot sticks or sliced red peppers and some humous. Frozen berries in a little tub which will thaw out in the fridge while you work.

I find eating a nice piece of meat plus lots of vegetables and a couple of new potatoes really fills me up.

I've been making up meals in advance making more than one portion and putting them in portions in tubs and freezing them. Then I just take one out the night before and pop it in the fridge to thaw

 

[Harpar]

Hi Marieukxx, the lady is vegetarian so the gammon steak or chicken would not go down too well.

 

[Marieukxx]

Hi Marieukxx, the lady is vegetarian so the gammon steak or chicken would not go down too well.

Oh sugar didn't know they were vegetarian.

 

[douglas99]

I've been prediabetic for several years and used to manage to keep to a healthy diet and my weight was within the perameters for my height or would veer towards being half a stone overweight at worse.

I started working on nights three years ago and I've gained 2 1/2 stone in weight. My body is unable to produce insulin at night and I'm finding it impossible to eat a healthily during nightshifts and often resort to snack foods. I've asked my GP for advice and he was unable to come up with anything other than that I need to think of a creative solution to the problem!!! My shifts are twelve hours long, so starvation is not an option.

As a consequence of working nights, my weightgain, my being too exhausted to exercise on my days off, and my also being a smoker, I now have sky-high blood pressure and feel like a ticking time-bomb. I've booked an appointment with the smoking clinic and I'm having to monitor my bp several times a day; but I dearly need help and advice over diet - what can I possibly eat at night which will sustain me and yet not add to the problem? I tried snacking on slices of cucumber tonight and that was tedious.

BTW both my late parents were type 2 diabetics, and my father was on tablets for hypertension all his adult life.

I eat snack foods, when I need to.
I often eat worse than a pot noodle.
But I do produce insulin, and cope very well with poor food if I need to after practice.
The only thing I would question though, is how do you process the junk (carby) food if you don't produce insulin?
(I've also pulled 12 hour night shifts by the way)
But, if you are trying to find food, it depends on what storage, and cooking/heating facilities you have.

Zero storage, zero prep, and it's warm cheese, a jar of olives, tinned fish, (maybe?) raw veg, and I would have said fruit, but that does have an insulin requirement, even for berries and raw sugar snap peas.


If you have a micro wave, you have the option of tinned food, freshly prepared and frozen curries etc, fish(?) tinned spinach, and anything else you can prepare and chuck into a cool bag.

If you do low carb, as you need to, preparation is key.