using sugar to keep blood sugars low

[judgerob]

So recently I have allowed myself to have a pudding after a meal, 3 times in fact and each time the next morning when checking my bloods they have been at least 2 points lower. So my question is this does eating the sweat pudding trigger my own insulin production thus improving my glucose levels?

 

[lovinglife]

Hi @judgerob welcome to the forum

What have your numbers been just before and 2 hours after first bite? Those are the important ones that will tell you if you can tolerate a pudding or not - sorry to say I think you may be a bit disappointed, it’s not just the sugar in the pudding you have to consider but carbs as a whole as all carbs turn to sugar so if the pud is made with flour etc it’s going to be very carb heavy

You are looking for a rise of no more than 2 and below 7.8 Ideally lower

If you decide to try again and do the testing do let us know how you got on

 

[judgerob]

So I'm T2 and only check my bloods first thing in the morning where they are usually in the 8s but on the days after said puddings they were in the 6s

 

[KennyA]

So recently I have allowed myself to have a pudding after a meal, 3 times in fact and each time the next morning when checking my bloods they have been at least 2 points lower. So my question is this does eating the sweat pudding trigger my own insulin production thus improving my glucose levels?

I don't think you can draw that conclusion. By the time you get to the following morning it's probable that the impact of what you ate maybe twelve hours before is undetectable. Question - you say "two points lower" - two points lower than what?

Second question: what else did you eat as well as the pudding, and in particular did you have any alcohol?

The normal testing regime to find out the effect of food on your blood glucose is to establish a baseline, by testing immediately before you eat, then to test two hours after finishing. Everyone's blood sugar, (diabetics and non-diabetics alike) will rise following a meal containing carb or sugar, as the food is digested. The blood glucose rise normally happens within a few minutes. Over the next two hours your insulin response should move the glucose out of your blood and put it somewhere else - ideally muscle cells, but often into fat cells. Any not stored will stay in the blood, and will show up at the two hour test. the more there is, the less well your system coped with that amount of glucose.

I guess it's possible that your pancreas greatly overproduced insulin the previous night to deal with the sugar high and together with your medication this might just produce a lower figure the following morning. It's also possible that your liver did not top up your blood glucose in the morning because of the previous intake.

So you have potentially a short-term problem by generating a seriously elevated glucose level for most of the previous evening and night (you don't know how elevated, because you didn't test), and a slightly lower level the following morning. I would not find that acceptable.

The other thing is that as a T2 on medication continually stressing your system by overproducing insulin may not be a good idea in the long run either.

Your choice in the end, but I wouldn't go there.

 

[lovinglife]

So I'm T2 and only check my bloods first thing in the morning where they are usually in the 8s but on the days after said puddings they were in the 6s

Sadly that doesn’t tell you much at all about what you’re eating is doing to your blood glucose. I know testing for T2 can be expensive as we usually have to self fund testing but it can be worth it even for a few weeks. Maybe do a month of testing to see how well/badly your lifestyle is helping your diabetes.

A good testing regime is test immediately before eating then again 2 hours from first bite, again you are looking for a rise of no more than 2 and ideally the second test below 7.8. If the rise is more than 2 then that tells you your body isn’t coping with that amount of carbs, the way to remedy this is cut out that food or reduce the size of portion.

Many of the T2 forum members mange their diabetes with a low carb or even keto lifestyle, have a read round the forum especially the low carb section you’ll find lots of great info and advice, feel free to ask any questions we’re a friendly, helpful bunch

What medications are you on for your diabetes? If it’s an insulin producing med like Gliclizide be careful if you reduce your carb intake, do it slowly as you can hypo on meds like Gliclizide, if you are on Metformin only then there is little chance of hypoing.


You obviously have a meter as you say you are testing in the morning - if your GP won’t provide strips and your strips are expensive there are a lot of different meters that have relatively cheap strips, I will tag one of our members @Rachox who has some really good info on different meters.

 

[judgerob]

My GP didn't want me to have strips but I told him otherwise and he agreed . I only allow myself a pudding when I am going to do some hard work other than then I am very strict with my intake both carbs and sugars

 

[Oldvatr]

You have to wonder where did the glucose go? A lower reading implies either you used up extra calories by exercise, or you excreted more in your wee (this only happens with vey high sugar levels which is probably unlikely), or your body has stored more of it as fat, (the most likely explanation). So you will probably find it attaching itself to your belly area or booty, So this sounds like a case of better readings not actually being an improved outcome in the long run. (but a run might help).

The lower readings may please the GP but I would suggest that there are better ways to get the same result. As has been mentioned,; lowering carb intake (not just sugar) will throttle the source of the glucose so it does not need to be forced into fat cells or fill up your liver.

 

[Oldvatr]

So recently I have allowed myself to have a pudding after a meal, 3 times in fact and each time the next morning when checking my bloods they have been at least 2 points lower. So my question is this does eating the sweat pudding trigger my own insulin production thus improving my glucose levels?

To answer the last sentance of yours, a normal non diabetic has two phases of insulin release. the first stage is triggered by the start of the meal and is designed to start digesting simple carbs and sugars. Then there is a longer burst of insulin release that digests and stores the rest of the meal. Most T2D have already lost the ability to trigger the phase 1 response, and only have the longer term general release.

So it will be in full swing well bafore you eat the sweet, and the sweet will not do much to alter it. In fact, if you eat the sweet first, that may actually improve the phase 1 response, and is the principle behind the appetiser course or the french Crudite platter. Even starting with soup is an improvement in that respect.

 

[EllieM]

I only allow myself a pudding when I am going to do some hard work other than then I am very strict with my intake both carbs and sugars

So could the lower reading in the morning be caused by the "hard work"?