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Advice, high breakfast blood glucose readings which used to be low

GeminiMum

GeminiMum

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm looking for advice as to why my breakfast blood glucose readings have increased. When I was diagnosed just before Xmas I bought myself a blood glucose monitor. I'm on Metformin 500g.

Each morning I have
1tbs of Oats
2tbs of Natural Yoghurt
Tiny amount of Agave Syrup
1tsp ground almonds
Total Carbs 9.7g​

My blood sugars were fine at 5.4 in the mornings, so I stopped testing. However my blood glucose readings have jumped up to 7.2 - 7.4 for the very same breakfast for the past 3 tests (taken 9 Jan, 21 Jan & 22 Jan) so I'm wondering as what I'm eating hasn't changed, why have my readings changed?

Lunches and Dinners remain in a good range of 5.2 - 5.9's

Due to the weather and being very dark in the mornings, and having 3 boys at two different schools, I have reluctantly been driving boys to school as county road don't have pavements, so I'm not getting my 40min-1hr daily walk in (I also work so once I miss that morning exercise that's it for the day).

On the positive side, since starting Metformin I have lost 5lbs (roughly 1lb a week) and my approx daily calories are coming in at under 1000 with daily carb intake of 34g - I am low carb, don't eat wheat or cows cheese.
 
well i would lose the agave its 75 per 100 and the oats i would not touch. i would in fact reconsider the breakfast
 
Can you tell us what you mean by morning readings?
When are you taking these readings? It seems from what you say you are taking them after you have eaten, but how long after?
 
Bluetit1802 said:
Can you tell us what you mean by morning readings?
When are you taking these readings? It seems from what you say you are taking them after you have eaten, but how long after?
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I take the readings 2hrs after eating a meal, in this case breakfast. Any help appreciated.
 
What is your reading before breakfast?
Is it also rising? If so this could be that you are experiencing the Dawn Phenomenon more ... or it could be, as the other respondents have suggested, that your body is struggling to handle the carbs in your breakfast.
 
GeminiMum said:
I take the readings 2hrs after eating a meal, in this case breakfast. Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...

So in that 2 hours you are doing the school run, rushing about, and whatnot - which means although your food hasn't changed, your routine has. I suggest this may be the cause. (although if you were getting good results previously from that breakfast you were very lucky!)
 
paulus1 said:
well i would lose the agave its 75 per 100 and the oats i would not touch. i would in fact reconsider the breakfast
Click to expand...

What makes you say not to have oats? I thought they were slow releasing and help reduce cholesterol?

When I had gestational diabetes I would have oats in a similar breakfast with good blood glucose readings (guessing they were in the 4's - 5's as it was almost 10 years ago now). The first few weeks of breakfasts all fine after being diagnosed with type 2 before Xmas were all good. The syrup (low GI) and I use about 1-2g - would that really make a difference if it was ok weeks ago? As I can't eat wheat I would be lost as to what to eat for breakfast, except bacon and eggs which is ok but not my first choice.
 
helensaramay said:
What is your reading before breakfast?
Is it also rising? If so this could be that you are experiencing the Dawn Phenomenon more ... or it could be, as the other respondents have suggested, that your body is struggling to handle the carbs in your breakfast.
Click to expand...

I've not been taking before meals readings, however I did take a first thing on waking reading and was surprised to see it's was 5.4.

If the Dawn Phenomenon is causing this then any ideas what I can do to help lower readings?
 
Bluetit1802 said:
So in that 2 hours you are doing the school run, rushing about, and whatnot - which means although your food hasn't changed, your routine has. I suggest this may be the cause. (although if you were getting good results previously from that breakfast you were very lucky!)
Click to expand...

Yes, like most of us "school run mums" I'm rushing about. So the lack of the walk could be the issue or just the breakfast itself.
 
GeminiMum said:
Yes, like most of us "school run mums" I'm rushing about. So the lack of the walk could be the issue or just the breakfast itself.
Click to expand...

I imagine there is a lot of stress involved in getting your boys to different schools in what are currently unpleasant conditions. Stress plays a major role in BS levels. You could try eliminating your normal breakfast from being a culprit by having an almost zero carb breakfast for a few days - boiled eggs, cheese, cold meats or similar, and see if that makes any difference. If it doesn't make any difference you know it isn't your food choices.

What happens at weekends when there is no school run?
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I imagine there is a lot of stress involved in getting your boys to different schools in what are currently unpleasant conditions. Stress plays a major role in BS levels. You could try eliminating your normal breakfast from being a culprit by having an almost zero carb breakfast for a few days - boiled eggs, cheese, cold meats or similar, and see if that makes any difference. If it doesn't make any difference you know it isn't your food choices.

What happens at weekends when there is no school run?
Click to expand...

Ah that is a good question, my eldest has a form of Autism and it's always a rush (tried everything in the book, believe me), and lots of calling to come down, get shoes on, have you got your PE bag etc etc. I haven't tested at the weekend so will see if there's a difference, but I typically end up eating my yoghurt and oats as fast as possible as I've spent time "kid rounding up" at I've said on more than one occasion if I could have a zip straight to stomach I'd be happy - this is just breakfast, other meals aren't rushed.

I can't eat cheese but I can try egg/bacon/ham instead then see what happens with readings afterwards.

My aim is to try to reverse Type 2. So I'm pretty determined to get it right, so this has thrown me.

Thank you so much for your suggestion.
 
GeminiMum said:
I've not been taking before meals readings, however I did take a first thing on waking reading and was surprised to see it's was 5.4.

If the Dawn Phenomenon is causing this then any ideas what I can do to help lower readings?
Click to expand...
I have type 1 so my options for handling DP are different to yours.
Someone with Type 2 may offer some advice: your last meal of the day before can have an impact but there could be other options.
I guess my comments was whether you are able to discount the problem being DP so look at your breakfast ... or morning exercise/school runs.
@Bluetit1802 has made some great suggestions and your early morning reading is not too bad.
 
helensaramay said:
I have type 1 so my options for handling DP are different to yours.
Someone with Type 2 may offer some advice: your last meal of the day before can have an impact but there could be other options.
I guess my comments was whether you are able to discount the problem being DP so look at your breakfast ... or morning exercise/school runs.
@Bluetit1802 has made some great suggestions and your early morning reading is not too bad.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, I think testing in morning first thing then before breakfast (and trying to change breakfast) should give me a better insight. This forum is great, I had no help from the diabetic nurse, so hence help from others is greatly appreciated.
 
oats isjust carb tomy body it spikes adding in the algarve and i would be bad. your still believing the good and bad carb advive carbs are not helpful.
 
If I've understood uyour original post correctly, GeminiMum, you're saying that this rise in BG has happened since you stopped your 40 min - 1 hour walk after breakfast. I'm Type 1 and without my after breakfast walk my BG also rises after breakfast; I believe that whether Type 1 or 2 you will see this effect from exercise (or lack of). It's also true that many many times on this site it's been said that we all react differently to different foods, so rely only on what effect foods have on you, determined by your own testing.
 
Hi there, it's bad enough to manage when the kids are grown up so I admire you for coping with it all. I work shifts and could never fit my usual daily exercise in when I wanted, it really annoyed me so I bought a treadmill for the garage. I know it costs (although you can get them secondhand?) but it means you could nip in there once or twice a day or maybe in the evenings for 15 minutes at a time when the kids are in bed?
 
paulus1 said:
oats isjust carb tomy body it spikes adding in the algarve and i would be bad. your still believing the good and bad carb advive carbs are not helpful.
Click to expand...
I thought that a rise of 2mmol two hours after eating was okay? My bs before breakfast is around 5 after eating porridge it goes up to 7. Is this not good?
 
deb1960 said:
I thought that a rise of 2mmol two hours after eating was okay? My bs before breakfast is around 5 after eating porridge it goes up to 7. Is this not good?
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It's fine that would be normal for a non diabetic after eating
 
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