Stress

I hope the day has bought happy memories.

For me the oatmeal would have caused a noticeable rise, as it does to most type 2. I really am lost why so many sources say to eat oats and whole grains when a meter reading before and after eating such items proves they are a bad idea. If you’re hungry eat natural unprocessed proteins and fats as they don’t raise levels.

Even when everything else is ideal morning numbers will often be the highest due to dawn phenomenon. Unless they are excessive the stress of worry about them seems to be worse than they are. I find a very small carb free morning snack stops the rise. For instance half a hard boiled egg.

Yes stress can raise levels. Exercise can but it’s still worth doing as if it does raise it it usually leaves it lower later in the day for longer than it raised it.

May I ask, why does stress raise levels ?

My understanding is that stress triggers the fight or flight mechanism, which involves many different hormones, and ensures the liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for the energy necessary to fight for survival or run away.

I actually see more high levels from causes such as stress than I normally do from my food. But while I don't eat oatmeal, I would expect a definite rise from its high carb content too.

Penroy said:

Today would have been my husband’s birthday and I have not eaten a single thing incorrectly. Oatmeal at 6 am tested before lunch and it’s 9.2. Makes me not want to eat ever again. I am hungry. It was 8.5 yesterday after Pilates. Exercise and stress seem to be bad for me. That can’t be true. What do I do? Morning numbers high with or without bedtime snack.

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If you are an ordinary type 2 then that is exactly what a high carb meal would do - stress or not.
If oatmeal was all that there was to eat, I would not eat at all.
Today I ate bacon and eggs and a tomato, and some chicken, and a milky coffee as there was a lot of milk to use up, I normally use cream. I am never hungry.

Penroy said:

Can not eating raise your sugar. volunteered cooking a beef dinner for 140 seniors. breakfast at 6 am Did not sit down or eat until 2 pm. Checked sugar when I got home it was 12.4. Was that because I did not eat, would grazing be better .. I am getting so discouraged. You are the only people I can talk to about this. Keto can not be good for cholesterol and the cholesterol drugs are worse. What to do.

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In some of us not eating can lead to a glucose dump from the liver. As can being busy and being under pressure. Grazing is never better for a type 2. A small low carb snack however can stop such a rise (a boiled egg for example or lump of cheese)

Keto is actually good for cholesterol in most cases. https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/cholesterol-basics could be a starting point for something other than assumptions.

Penroy said:

I am getting so discouraged

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Please don't get discouraged, it might not seem it at the moment but its possible to control your sugar levels and live an active healthy life.
When you understand how blood sugar control works, and the reason yours doesn't, the steps you need to take become a lot easier to understand.
All carbohydrates when digested will become glucose and cause your sugar levels to rise. The only carbohydrate that will not affect your blood sugar is the fiber, that is not digested and just passes through.
In the UK the fiber content of food is listed separately on the nutritional information so it is the total carbohydrate number we need to take note of.
A better name for T2 would be insulin resistant, because that is why we have trouble with carbs, our bodies have started to resist the insulin that is produced when our blood sugar rises.
Insulin job is to take that glucose out of our blood to be used for energy, because of the insulin resistance it has become less effective and our blood sugar remains higher than it should.
If the sugar can't be used by our cells and muscles eventually it will be stored either as glucose or fat.
If you haven't eaten in a while your liver will detect that your sugar levels are dropping and take that opportunity to release some of its stored glucose, so your levels will rise again even though you have had no food. If fact your liver will use any excuse it can to get rid of its excess sugar, stress, exercise, poor sleep, almost anything can cause a liver dump.
The solution is to cut as many carbohydrates out of your diet as you possibly can, if you think of yourself as a sugar bowl filled to overflowing. If you stop adding sugar to the bowl and give your liver chance to use up the excess, eventually your levels will get to a more acceptable level.
https://www.bloodsugar101.com/all-about-blood-sugar
https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

Penroy said:

Can not eating raise your sugar. volunteered cooking a beef dinner for 140 seniors. breakfast at 6 am Did not sit down or eat until 2 pm. Checked sugar when I got home it was 12.4. Was that because I did not eat, would grazing be better .. I am getting so discouraged. You are the only people I can talk to about this. Keto can not be good for cholesterol and the cholesterol drugs are worse. What to do.

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What did you eat for dinner?
If there were high carb foods such as potato and Yorkshire pudding, gravy thickened with starch, and then a dessert also high in carbs a BG level almost in the teens would be the usual response.
Eating low carb did lower my cholesterol and also improved the ratios - but quite frankly all the hoo haah about cholesterol all the low fat and the tablets don't seem to be justified when the results are analysed at the end off life.