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Zero coke and the wee tipple...

bakedalaska

Well-Known Member
Messages
62
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I eat exactly the same food every day and swim 120 lengths a week. My lifestyle is constant.
I was diagnosed in August last year with and Hb of 7.4 By losing 12KG, the exercise regime described and consuming no carbs other than alcohol, I am now at an Hb of 5.7 with random BGs of 3.9 - 6.4 depending on timing of test, usually in mid to high 5s. Yesterday I was astonished to have a BG reading of 7.8! I pondered and pondered - I never alter my routine so what went wrong??? THEN I REMEMBERED. I had run out of coffee in my office and consumed a small bottle of ZERO COKE. I deduce that this can only have been the possible culprit for the uncharacteristic spike. So, I would say beware so called "diet" or sugar free drinks.

By contrast, as I have written here before, alcohol seems to have a positive effect on BG control providing it is sugar free. The following work well for me: Heineken, Dry white wine, Merlot red wine, Bloody Mary, malt whiskey. Consumed in "pleasurable moderation" (higher than the paltry recommended units!) these alcoholic beverages in the evening have the effect of reducing the late night and morning BG. Remember, however that alcohol eventually converts to fat, so if you follow my diet you need to cut out ALL OTHER CARBS. I call it the "Alaskan NOCMAD diet": (NO Carb Moderate Alcohol diet). Maybe I'll write a book and grow rich on it like those other diet gurus But, I offer it for free to forum friends. Caveat - I am not a medical Dr.
 
Sorry important data missed: I am not on any diabetes medication since reducing the weight (6 months passed) and exercising...
 
bakedalaska said:
Sorry important data missed: I am not on any diabetes medication since reducing the weight (6 months passed) and exercising...
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So good you said it twice? Nice to see you back.

Curiously enough, there was a programme recently on UK talking about the impact of sweeteners on blood sugars, although that state something along the lines that consuming saccharin (I think!) for a short period could raise sugars in some people, into the pre-diabetic ranges. It didn't happen to everyone; around 50%, if I recall.

I tend to be OK on diet drinks, but as we all know, we're react differently.

How long after you had consumed your drink was your blood elevated? Could it have just been a normal metabolic rise that you usually miss due to timing your tests?

Could your Zero Coke have been ordinary coke or tampered with in any way, for instance (I know you said a small bottle, but) was it the bottle sealed, and opened by you?
 
Alcohol doesn't convert into fat. It converts into acetate.
I'm assuming Coca-Cola isn't putting sugar into their diet drinks. That might create some headaches for them.
If aspartame caused your blood sugar to rise that much you would effectively be re-writing books on the human metabolism

I would believe that wine and whiskey don't have negative effects on your blood sugar, but I'm a bit skeptical about the blood marys and Heinekens.

A bottle of Heineken and a cup of tomato juice each have about 10g of carbs. Drinking three pints (as you mentioned in a previous thread) would equate to about 40g of carbs. Three bloody marys could easily be over 50g of carbs depending on how they're made.

I'm not calling you a liar, but there are scientific explanations for everything.
 
Not a doctor either but with you on the single malt. As WC Fields stated, regularly: In case of snakebite always carry a good whisky.........and always carry a snake!.
Still not a doctor but I am a Biology graduate. Alcohol does not metabolise to fat. Heavy drinkers are usually fat for associated reasons (sugar, excess calories or big appetites that go with the alcohol, or possibly liver inefficiency or even lack of exercise from being full of booze - the list is endless. Alcohol, or ethyl alcohol (unless your drinking meths out of a brown paper bag) is C2H5OH. It does not break down into fats. I beleive it breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. Any fat being built up will be from general excess calories.
By the way if you want to write a book: pair up some diabetes 2 recipes that go well with a good single malts and at the beginning of each recipe confir, how far you have to swim to balance out the calories. My preference is walking (I've walked The Loch Ness marathon twice. I can turn most meals into : how far away do I need to park from the table in order to eat that.
 
Thanks for your continuing support. The double message was an error not a brag. There is no doubt in my mind that the zero coke was the culprit as my BG has not gone that high for months and I have never drunk soda diet or otherwise until that time.
 
I suspect the coke. I am based in Nigeria. It is quite possible that the manufacturing plant is using questionable products or possibly substituting ordinary coke with diet coke in shortage ???
 
4ratbags said:
I wonder what was in your zero coke as it has zero impact on my BS.
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Hi Ratbags...yes I wonder. I am guessing that bottling companies, especially in developing economies like Nigeria are not as scrupulous as elsewhere. Perhaps, if they run out of diet or zero they substitute with the real thing for a while. There is nothing else that could have caused the effect. My BG is constant in line with my intake and exercise. Last night as a little experiment I ate 8 Farere Rocher truffles after my usual low carb supper and tested + 2hrs. IT HAD LESS IMPACT THAN THE BOTTLE OF ZERO COKE (went to 7.2 and then dropped to 5.4 by morning)

Well done on your amazing weight loss BTW. I am seemingly stuck at 85.4 having lost 12KG quite easily! Wish I could lose another 5KG!
 
Thanks And Breathe for your continuing support. I posted twice by mistake - I wasn't bragging! I am 98% certain it was the coke - but your first point is valid. See my reply to Ratbags... Very interesting reference to the saccharin you make. This biology is just so interesting it almost makes it worth being DT2!
 
Thank you for all your useful information. The devil is in the data. My Bloody Mary's: Tomato Juice unsweetened. A triple vodka. Worcestershire sauce. Tabasco and black pepper. Pretty carbless... Heineken is one of the few swashing beers with no sugar. It appears to have no effect on BG. Beware dry cider (e.g. Sytonbow/Hunters) they are still (amazingly) full of sugar and will skyrocket rocket the BG
 
britishpub said:

Please let me know when it's published. I have Amazon Prime so it'll be delivered next day
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You have amazing T2 data. Have you thought of dropping the meds. I bet you'd stay in the same range....
Yeah..the alcohol...what drinks do you find work for you and they'll go in the book. Maybe we'll do it together!
 
I love it, Sean: I can turn most meals into : how far away do I need to park from the table in order to eat that
 

I might suggest you repeat the experiment and see what happens. Clearly if there was a bottling issue, you could be buying from the same or a different batch of coke, but it's worth the learning.

Two other things to throw into the mix though; Do you usually have full caffeine coffee? Some people have a blood glucose reaction to (added/too much/excess) caffeine. It doesn't necessarily impact my bloods, but it does make me feel odd, if I have laid off it for some time (as I tend to in the Tropics), then have a couple of cups back-to-back.

And finally, were you hungry/ready to eat when you had the zero coke? The only pther thing I can think is you were dropping, then had a liver dump, to help you out of an energy dip, then you drank the coke? Did you eat anything at the time you drank the coke? A liver dump, further supplemented by food (even that which would normally not impact your numbers adversely) can lead to odd scores.

The thing is, even in a structured day, there are so many variables to account for.
 
Yes...that is the thing to do. Repeat it with exactly the same conditions - but as you say - so many variables...
 
I
bakedalaska said:
Yes...that is the thing to do. Repeat it with exactly the same conditions - but as you say - so many variables...
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I just think one bottom line is to avoid all processed and rubbish foods - and zero coke is one. My mother in law who has T2 still drinks fanta soda. Imagine. Having been a bread lover before diagnosis my saving food is nuts. I can eat them till the cows come home and they go well with the Heineken. Thanks for your liver dump thoughts. I think of you as the liver dump guy....you really seem to have studied it!
 

I may not have formally studied it, but I have given it some thought. In my early days I used to have loads of them and I could get quite grumpy on it. (I know, impossible to imagine. ) But, I am now completely unconcerned as it really is just cycling one's natural glucose stores, based on need, or perceived need, and logic says if we have a liver dump, then the next glucose we ingest or make, will be used to replenish those naturally stored stocks. So, it's a bit like keeping a spare pint of milk on the fridge. If we break into it, to retain the status quo, we need to replace it, so that we never run short. Do you see what I mean?

So, these days, I think, liver dump? So, what! for me anyway. I almost see it as another way of making my body function naturally. Liver dumps are completely natural and non-diabetic have them too, but when we keep carb loading the rgans just become saturated and that refreshing exercise is less likely to happen.

That's my take on the liver dump.
 
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