Disappointing blood sugar readings
 

So, I'm being quite good staying low-carb. My one downfall has been peanut butter and peanuts. But they're gone now and I'm limiting the peanuts to 1 oz a day. Anyway, my blood sugar hovers around 110 now. Used to be in the 90s. I have gotten fatter and low-carb doesn't seem to work for weight loss for me. My ketosis is .5 or so, according to my blood meter.

I'm exercising more. I've gone crazy with gardening as one does in the spring. My favorite exercise is shoveling dirt and digging. Phew! Hard work. I'm getting fitter but I'm still quite out-of-shape. But I can do 4 wheelbarrows full before I'm pooped.

Any ideas on returning my blood sugar to better numbers? I'm not sure I can go carnivore if meat is going to be in short supply in the coming months. My cat has called dibs on the chicken I've stockpiled.

I did go nuts on dairy which I don't typically do because it does bad things to my joints and sinuses, but I'm trying to improve my gut health, so I was making kefir and yogurt. I'll probably be retiring the kefir grains and I've stopped with the yogurt (although, that was the best damn yogurt I've had. I fermented it for 24 hours and drained it overnight and used whole milk. WOW!)

I suppose two things I can do is try to extend my overnight fast (not easy for me) and give up dairy. Any suggestions?

Honestly, start with dairy. I think that is going to make the biggest difference. Yogurt has a lot of carbs.

Nancy, are the high readings in the morning only or pretty much any time you test?

I listened to a lecture that you need at least twelve hours between your last meal and your first meal the next morning to really lower your blood sugar consistently. And that even taking black coffee within those 12 hours can raise blood sugar.

I tried that for 3 months before my physical and had the best A1C and cholesterol reading in a long time, 4.3.

I also take 500 mcg GTF chromium at least 3 times/day and that keeps my blood sugar under control as well. I've done that for decades.

I've found chromium really helps with cravings, too.

Dr. Bernstein warns against peanuts, so I stopped eating them (either plain or as peanut butter) except as a rare treat or ingredient in stir fry.

Dairy is my own personal Waterloo - I shouldn't have any but have a hard time keeping away from cheese & yogurt. After a recent illness that affected my gut I'm now more sensitive to lactose. That should help me cut down on dairy. ;)

Stress - both good & bad - can cause an increase in blood sugar levels, so maybe it's just a temporary thing.

Hi Nancy -

it might be pure coincidence but I am having some success with apple cider vinegar. I just put a teaspoon or so in a big glass of water several times a day.

Since I wrote my post about stress being a possible cause of rising bg, I'm having my own issues with it.

New serious diagnosis with upcoming surgery, new meds, new job training (all online & conference calls - how I loath conference calls! Why do people not mute their phones when told to?), favorite donkey passing away (expected due to health, but still difficult), other donkeys breaking thru fence & being lost for hours after getting chased by unknown predator, worry about the predator returning - this all in the last month. I'm exhausted!

So now my bg is way high. I'm not doing well with what I'm eating - that's an on-going problem. I'm considering asking my doc if I should up my metformin for a while, or just let nature take its course.

Sorry things have been hectic for you and for the loss of your donkey too. Do you think it's a mountain Lion chasing the other donkeys? One lady I know found claw marks on the side of her horse.

Even tho they've been sighted here, I don't think so. I doubt the donkeys could outrun a cougar! The only injuries the donkeys had were scratches on their noses from going head-first thru the fence. I'm thinking wolf, neighbor's dog, or bear.

They can't run fast, but they have stamina. They were found almost 3 miles from home!

Oh wow 3 miles. Did you have to trailer them home?
Donkeys do kick the predators. That's why a lot of cattle raisers have one, to chase away the predators and kick them.

I had to call a neighbor - I am so in debt to my kind, helpful neighbors! I looked around for a body, blood, or hair - nothing. I suspect my donkeys just panicked. It was still pretty dark - 4 am - & I heard the ruckus. And too, 1 is a mini & the other is a very young standard. Not much practice at self defense. :)

That's crazy... any tracks?
Maybe it was a racoon or something not dangerous but one got scared and set the other one off and once they start running, that's it.

That's always a possibility - donkeys are funny. :D

Yes and I've seen my cattle do the exact same thing. Once there was a fox, rabid, coming across a pasture and they all freaked out staring at it when we couldn't even see it because it was getting dark. Then they all ran the other direction, thankfully not going through the fence.
My little toy dog freaked them out once, they were trying to figure out what she was. So I had to pic her up to calm them down.
Animals are funny, the fight or flight instinct.
Maybe you need some wire mesh, the type they use to keep goats in because they walk right through barb wire like it's not even there.

Nancy,



You may want to check out the Marty Kendall thread about Data Driven Fasting, starting post #48. Rather than push through a longer and uncomfortable fast, you determine what is a good Personalized fasting protocol. And be willing to prick your finger a lot to determine if dairy is really a problem. I’ve been doing this five weeks now, and maybe it is the novelty factor so I'm strict with the food, but it is working...slowly for me, and some rapid results for others in the program.



https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthr...85&page=4&pp=15

I wonder
Do you notice that your cravings increase with an increase in blood sugar values?

I ditto Janet - before instituting more fasting, why not do more blood sugar testing after eating?

It has been so long since i have tested my blood sugars, I don't remember how, but I am wondering if there is a correlation with cravings and blood sugar.

DDF is explained in the linked post, with studies On hunger.

You become hungrier as your blood sugar drops before eating. After establishing your baseline blood glucose trigger, you do not eat until BG is below that trigger. No need to take BG after eating once the trigger and problem foods are established in the first three days.