Fasting levels

[spinningwoman]

Dear all,

I've posted before about how my husband has been told he is 'pre-diabetic' and that in the process of persuading him to self-test, I discovered that my own levels shoot up if I eat carbs. (Post meal of about 8-9 on a meal with a significant rice or noodle content.) This didn't worry me too much because I feel better when I low-carb anyway, and had been working my way back into it after a gradual increase in carbs since I stopped trying to lose weight. When I eat low-carb I get post-meal levels well down in the normal range.

However, I've just the last couple of days been testing my fasting level - first thing in the morning and before meals, and it has been a little higher than the recommended level from the bloodsugar101 website - not much, just 5.6 5.7 5.8 rather than 5.5 or below. But I don't really understand whether improved diet can improve this? It isn't like I've got huge improvements to make - I've been kind of 'lax low carb' anyway, rather than high carb. And I can see, obviously, how not eating carbs can control post meal BS but not really how it can improve fasting BS - after all, fasting is the ultimate low carb<g>. Or will being stricter about the meal levels help the fasting levels somehow?

Another improvement I do need to make is more exercise - I did really well last year in replacing a huge chunk of my daily travel by cycling but this year the weather has been so abysmal I've fallen out of the habit.

I haven't been to the doctor since the one we are with at the moment has not been helpful to my husband and we are moving shortly.

Thanks

 

[cugila]

Hi spinningwoman.

BloodSugar 101......? <5.5 mmol/l.
Depending on where your Bg control is at that may be just a tad on the low side. Something to aim for yes, but don't get hung up if it is a bit higher. If it is what you get all the time and the other readings are Ok I wouldn't be worried about it.

The levels that are for a T2 in the UK are as follows.
Waking (fasting)............between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals ...........no more than 8.5 mmol/l. (T1's - 9 mmol/l.)
If you can do better with the after meal readings so much the better.

You might try taking a reading just before bedtime. See what that is as if it is high or low it can have quite an effect on the morning fasting levels.

 

[AliB]

Hi. I'm presuming from your post that you yourself are not Diabetic but have just picked up on this through your husband's testing?

Most people's blood sugar will go up some after eating, especially if they have eaten carbs. It's the response time that is important and how well and how fast the insulin brings it back down.

The fact that your fasting glucose level is on the higher side of 'normal' may well indicate that you have a slight resistance, albeit not enough to put you into the 'pre-diabetic' range.

If you feel better anyway on a lower carb diet then I would say go with your gut feeling. People start to become insulin resistant long before they ever become Diabetic and the high-carb Western diet is a contributory factor in that. Best to nip it in the bud before it gets any worse.

I was told by a Naturopath 25 years ago that I should be eating low-carb, and when I did I lost weight, felt well and had energy. But I couldn't stick with it (mind you, had my family been doing it with me that might have made a whole heap of difference) because I just felt so deprived. Now I have realised that it is damaging everyone in some way, my viewpoint has changed. I just so wish that I had listened back then long before it got that much harder to do anything about.

 

[Jo123]

Hi Spinningwoman,
I am prediabetic and I have managed to get my fasting levels to normal by low carbing so it can be done. I find my fasting bg goes up if i eat too much even if all low carb and also if I eat too late, I try to eat normally no later than 8.00pm. If we go out to dinner and eat later I then find my fasting readings are higher. You are wise to try and improve matters now.