Why am I too sweet?
I got my numbers last month when I went to the doc and since I had gotten a little lax during the summer months, my numbers sent me a warning I couldn’t ignore. She wanted me to repeat them after a month so, I was "good" last month. Strict low-carb. The day before giving my blood, I ate practically no carbs and I fasted 16 hours instead of the required 12:
Here's the breakdown: Total Cholesterol:~Before: 245 H (ideal range: <239) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After: 220 (ideal range: <239) HDL:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before: 36 (ideal range: >35) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After: 34 L (ideal range: >35) LDL:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before: unable to calculate: triglycerides too high! (ideal range: <129) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After: LDL: 137 H (ideal range: <129) Triglycerides:~~~~~~~Before: 434 H (ideal range: <399) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After: 243 (ideal range: <399) So far not so bad, especially after just a month, right? Especially on the triglycerides and LDL front! [and they say low-carb doesn't work!) I know the HDL takes longer to adjust… But then, there’s this: Glucose:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before: 124 H (ideal range: 60-115) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After: 128 H (ideal range: 60-115) So, can anyone tell me what gives? Where in the hell does my body find that sugar from? I am at a loss here. I am confident that my Cholesterol numbers will improve in time as long as I don't stray but the glucose thing puzzles me. What to do? |
Since we don't have a clue as to what you've been eating, I would say it was a hostile alien invasion of the Polyol race from planet Maltitol... ;)
Karen |
LOL
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Soem people have naturally high or low blood pressure, could you just have naturally high blood sugar?
Or maybe you are eating too much meat? Isn't it said that 58% of protein is turned to glucose, so maybe it's more in your body than someone else's? Just my 2¢ Michelle |
LOL
Karen you crack me up! |
58% of protein is turned to glucose?
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How so caring!
Thanks Michelle and vitaka! I'm glad my health predicament isn't a comical matter to all on this board. It's definitely not "LOL funny" to me as this abnormally elevated glucose is indeed an entirely new thing for me. As a chef on low-carb for 2 1/2 years, I think I would know what to eat and not to eat. I find the meat tip puzzling. I have never heard of that either. As I reflect on last month, there may have been more red meat than white meat or fish than usual hough… Veggies were definitely the lowest carb, mushrooms, hearts of palm… and I didn't eat any artificial sugar because I only make low-carb desserts on weekends and I didn't during that period of time. In fact, I haven't in a long time…
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I did some research and came up with this:
How does the liver convert the food you eat into fuels? The protein, complex carbohydrates, and fat that you eat -- and the protein, carbohydrate, and fat in your body -- can all be used to fuel your body functions. But first, the liver converts them into chemicals the body's tissues can use as fuel, as follows: The liver converts the carbohydrates into a simple sugar, glucose, which can fuel most body functions. It converts any excess protein you eat, over and above what you need to replace the proteins in your body, into glucose as well. It converts the fats into chemicals called ketone bodies. Once these conversions are made, the liver exports the glucose and ketone bodies into the blood stream for distribution to the tissues for use as fuel. Found at http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/nu...st/ketosis.html Please note that this website does not endorse a low carb diet. I'm sure I read about it elsewhere (maybe on the ASDL-C newsgroup?) but it escapes me now. HTH! Michelle |
I'm sorry..your predicament wasn't funny at all...I just got a giggle at Karen's reply...Personally I had no answer for your situation...sorry if you felt offended.
Opps..just to add...I thought your 7 inches was a bit too much in another thread...so maybe your a bit touchy here..where as I read that and went...ok......LOL |
Hi, Bill!
Happy to hear about the good cholesterol testing...not so happy about the not so good blood sugar test. I have no idea why - this is something I know nothing about - in fact I have to get my own blood tested soon, for the first time in about 20 years - and I've been too chicken to make the appointment!
I believe it is true that some percentage of the protein we eat is broken down into glucose, but I don't know if that's enough to produce a high blood sugar reading. I suppose it is a possibility, though. I'm checking Atkins, and on p. 146-48 of New Diet Revolution he talks about chromium and zinc supplementation for normalizing blood sugar. Maybe it'll help? Good luck on your quest for info, I may be joining you after the results of my own testing! Rachel |
hi Bill
You are right to be concerned here.
I think the other folks might have missed the most important point here, and that is the fact that you had been FASTING for 16 hrs. There are a few possible explanations. First, and worst case scenario ... it could be a potential sign of diabetes (ie, Type II). For a non-diabetic, after 8 hrs of fasting, your bld gluc. should be around 85 to 90. From Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, Quote:
I highly recommend that you check out Dr. Bernstein's website, .. http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/ .. Some of the chapters from his book are posted online. Chapter One is very informative, especially the third section "Blood Sugars: The Nondiabetic Versus the Diabetic" In Chapter Six, which is unfortunately NOT posted online, he discusses some unusual physiologic phenomena which occur with diabetes or insulin resistance. One is known as "the Dawn Phenomenon" Quote:
My suggestion is that you pursue that high blood sugar. As Dr. B. states, many general doctors aren't concerned with a blood sugar under 140, but if you have a personal history of obesity, and a family history of diabetes and insulin-resistance, it should be checked out. They can also do fasting insulin levels, and other tests. Good luck with this. Doreen |
Re: 58% of protein is turned to glucose?
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It does, provided your diet is high in carbs and raises your insulin levels. In a low-carb diet, excess protein, simply passes through. BTW, welcome to our forum! :) Wa'il |
Thanks Rachel, Doreen & Wa'il!
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Just a thought...
This was just a fasting glucose test right? Not a glucose challenge test? Has your doctor suggest a challenge test? If he does be very very careful as you're on a low carb diet. Generally to have this test you should not restrict your carb intake for 3-4 days before. I believe this is because drinking that icky drink when your body's got accustomed to reduced carbs will tend to put you into reactive hypoglycemia.
Furthermore the new recommendations from the ADA indicate that anyone with fasting glucose level of 126 should be tested further. Jay |
Not a glucose challenge test
No it wasn’t. Nothing icky to drink. It was a 12-hour fasting glucose test by blood draw. But we’re on top of things: next time I’ll have a random one and a Fructosamine one. One calculates your blood sugar over past months and the other over past weeks.
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As you are concerned about your blood sugar one option that you might want to consider is home monitoring until you have figured out what it is that is driving it up. My close friend has been monitoring his with the unit recommended by Dr Bernstein, the Elit XL glucometer. Using this and taking regular checks he found that the smallest amount of fruit would cause his blood glucose to climb and then crash. So much for an apple a day.....
So monitoring your blood glucose on a regular basis and recording it against the foods that you eat, both quantity and type, could help you to understand the relationship (if any) between your diet and your blood sugar. Again I strongly recommend the Bernstein book Diabetes Solution. |
Great idea!
That’s an idea! I’ll ask my doctor if I’m still in trouble after my next visit. Thanks a lot for the tip!
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Bill's "sweetness"
OK, I've been doing more thinking on this very topic, ......
Bill, I have another non-diabetes theory about why your fasting bld. glucose was elevated. You stated that you'd fasted for 16 hrs, in hopes that the results (ie, the blood fats - cholesterol & triglycerides) would be "good". I'm wondering if maybe that length of time was too long (since only 12 hrs is required) ... and what happened is your body began to break down some of your muscle tissue to provide proteins/amino acids ... AND ... this would have stimulated the liver to produce and release glycogen (ie glucose) into the bloodstream. OK, that's my theory, and I'm stickin' to it .. ;) ... Anyway, I sincerely hope your aberrant blood sugar result was just a fluke, a one-time blip in an otherwise healthy profile. Here's hoping. Doreen |
BillT - Are you taking Glucophage or Insulin for your Diabetes?
~Aleciasuz |
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