Gabrielle, eating often and making sure all your meals contain protein is recommended when dealing with hypoglycemia. Your body can break protein down into glucose and release it so slowly that there is no rise in insulin. Eating often helps stablize blood sugar levels as well.

HTH
Nat

Natrushka,

That's what I do. I eat several small meals a day, and high in protien. That's one reason the Atkins diet was ideal for me.



Thanks. Yes, my body does way over produce insulin. I have gotten my blood sugar under control finally and am slowly finding new things my system will accept without major problems.

My blood sugar, in the mornings, if I've eaten something the night before is sometimes as high as 85. Lowest its ever been is about 59. Luckily, I've not gotten so low as to pass out "yet" and trying like heck to avoid it. It also seems that when my blood sugar does drop low after about 15 minutes it all levels out and I go back to "normal" so to speak. But during the blood sugar drop, it's hard to think, vision gets distorted, etc. etc. It's that distortion that's really a pain in the tucus.


Gabrielle

Misselly

Love the idea of the experiment - hope its not too painful. Having a scientific background I have been doing some food experiments myself like eating certain foods and weighing the next day but certainly not anything as precise as yours.

Have you tried any products with sugar alcohols like Maltitol. A lot of low carb candies (Judy's, Delite chocolate bars) use Maltitol and claim that the carbs do not get absorbed by the body. Never quite trusted that claim. Do you have any insight into this?

Happy experimenting

Jessie

jessie,

I have to agree with you on the Maltitol spiking the blood sugar. I have had the Delight chocolate bars before. They are the best tasting ones I've found on the market. I ate one and felt absolutely fine. No usualy high blood sugar spike, BUT when I ate one more...I got the usual symptoms I get when my blood sugar drops. So...I found out that day I could handle one, but not two.

Gabrielle

Not sure what Malitol is...I will look into that...I have used Sorbee candies and 1 or 2 are fine but 3 or 4 set me off. I am trying the Carb. Add diet this week (only because it suits). We have dinners out many times this week and love the idea of the reward meal. Last night was the first reward meal...BS seemed fine this morning but forgot to take the glucometer with me last night.... I think my reward meal lasted a little more than 1 hour... Oh well.... weight is up 2 pounds???!!!!! Hate this CAD thing... I lose control.

Nat... congrats on the 4000 posts!!!!!!!!! You are a blessing to this site.... Thanks

Hi all, just getting back to you Jessie about the alcohol sugars. This webpage comes from Doreen on this website, I don't know if you have seen it....so here it is:

http://www.lowcarb.ca/tips/tips010.html


Low Carb Dieting Tips




Sugar Alcohols
by Doreen

ALL ABOUT SUGAR ALCOHOLS (MALTITOL, SORBITOL, ISOMALT , etc..)
These sweeteners are neither sugars, nor alcohols, but they are carbohydrates nonetheless. They are sometimes called POLYOLS, to avoid confusion. At the present time, they have not been legally classified for product labelling purposes, as are sugars, starch and fiber. So, some manufacturers are choosing to omit them from the total carb count in the nutrient data panel of the label (they MUST however declare the amount of sugar alcohol in the ingredient list). Because they aren't actually SUGAR, products that contain them may use the term "sugar free" on the label. Some manufacturers and distributors (esp. in Canada and Europe) are choosing to declare the full carbs in the nutrient data panel, and some diabetes associations and consumer groups are pressuring for gov't legislation to make this a legal requirement.

There are some claims that sugar alcohols don't have carbs, and therefore don't count; that they can be completely subtracted if listed on the label. This statement is not entirely "false" but it is misleading. Sugar alcohols do have carbs, and approx. 1/2 to 3/4 the calories of regular sugar. They are more slowly and incompletely absorbed from the small intestine than sugar, thus producing a much smaller and slower rise in blood sugar ... and consequently insulin. But this is a YMMV thing. Some Type 1 diabetics have reported that they sense an immediate "sugar rush" from eating even a small amount. Others notice no change, and absolutely no effect on ketosis.

Sugar alcohols do have carb calories, and the body will use these as fuel, or store as fat, whether or not insulin is involved. You need to look at the total CALORIES for one serving of the product. Subtract from this total the number of calories from any protein in the product (prot = 4 cal. per gm), then subtract the calories from any FAT in the product (fat = 9 cal. per gm). What's left is the calories from carbohydrate ... divide this remainder by 4 (carbs = 4 cal. per gm). If the number you get is bigger than the number of carbs declared on the label, the product has hidden carbs, and it's most likely the polyol. Calories do not just disappear into thin air!

The "laxative effect" happens for two reasons. First, because the sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed, they hold on to a lot of water in the bowel. This causes diarrhea. Another consequence is that when undigested carbs reach the colon, the normal bacteria present there go WILD --- resulting in unpleasant gas, and bloating. Sorbitol and mannitol are the worst offenders in this department, maltitol less so. The effect is dose-related -- you would be wise to pay attention to the serving size listed on the product label. This amount would be considered "safe" for the average adult -- make note of this before giving to a smaller child! Nothing like watching your kid doubled over with cramps and diarrhea because they ate too many "sugar free" sweets. To the best of my knowledge, sugar alcohols ARE safe for children, and pregnant/nursing mothers ... just keep an eye on the dose.

There are some newer sugar alcohols slowly making their way on the market, which have less laxative effect, and even less blood sugar and insulin consequence. Erythritol, isomalt and inulin are a few to watch for. There's another called HSH (hydrolyzed starch hydrolysate) also called maltitol syrup. The thing is, the different sugar alcohols have different properties, and can't be used for all things. Sorbitol is used in hard candies ... it produces a nice, clear candy that doesn't crystalize, and stays hard and dry in a humid environment. Because it doesn't crystalize, sorbitol is used in ice cream to help it stay creamy. Mannitol also can absorb a lot of moisture before it gets damp and sticky, therefore it's used to "dust" sticks of gum, to keep them dry. Maltitol and erythritol provide smooth bulk, and are ideal for chocolates and soft candies to give a creamy "melt in the mouth" quality.

Sugar alcohols are not acted upon by bacteria in the mouth, and therefore do NOT cause tooth decay. In fact, xylitol actually INHIBITS oral bacteria, and is often used in sugarless mints and chewing gum for this reason.

BOTTOM LINE

We are all individuals, and our bodies will react differently to these products. Depending on other factors, such as what else we've consumed along with it or on an empty stomach, we may even find ourselves having totally different reactions each time we eat it. So proceed with caution.

[U]
If you are following Induction level low carb eating, it would be wise to avoid these products until at LEAST the 2 weeks are up, and your body's metabolism is settled well into ketosis and fat-burning mode. Same for other low carb programs, which may not be ketogenic, but do have strong effects on the metabolism (eg. Protein Power, Carb Addicts). Give your body the chance to adjust to the new WOE first, then cautiously add these products.

KEYWORD moderation. Most low carbers find they can indulge very occasionally in a polyol-sweetened treat without consequence to their weight loss effort, and perhaps a mild laxative effect or some gas. It's a trade-off, but helps to stave off cravings for high-sugar goodies. A problem could develop though, for someone with carb-addiction .... these candies just become a substitute addiction. Also, the sweet taste can trigger EMOTIONS (for an addict) that will result in a "rush" of hormones and enzymes in the body, ultimately leading to an insulin spike ... and fat STORAGE. And remember that candy is NOT a meal substitute. There's little or no protein, vitamins or essential fatty acids.

RESOURCES

"Reduced Calorie Sweeteners: Polyols" from the Calorie Control Council

"Letter to Health Minister Allan Rock from CSPI Canada" Sept/00, urging accurate labelling of food products containing sugar alcohols, health warnings of the Gastrointestinal effects, and recommendations for control of dose per serving.

"All About Polyols" from SPI Polyols (manufacturer)

Happy Low Carbing!




Hope this helps answering your question.

Hi. I'm new to your discussion but I thought I'd add what I've learned in my diabetes class (I was diagnosed only a month ago). They say if your blood sugar is in the lower ranges at night, if your levels go too low, your body tries to help itself and produce more insulin resulting in a higher level in the morning. Interestingly enough, I found that if I have carbs with dinner (like, last night I made tuna macaroni salad), my blood sugar is pretty level in the morning. Last night 2 hrs after dinner (they say that 2 hrs after a meal is a good time to check) my bs was 100. At 7am today, it was 93. But an hour after I exercised (1 hr tai chi class), it was 121. That was all before breakfast. I wish I could have checked it after breakfast to see the effect of the early morning workout.

While you're checking the effect of food and blood sugar, exercise also plays a part. "They" say that you should exercise AFTER breakfast for better sugar levels.

Just something to think about. Thank you for listening.

thanks for your comments...high sugar.... are you taking insulin yet? hope you can control this this good eating....

i am down another 2 pounds this week.... that's over 5 pounds since i started this checking thing.... i will give more detail next week when i have more time....

after i read this post, i immediate went out and bought the glucometer.

i am however, quite confused about the reading.

is lower blood sugar "bad" for low carbing?

i woke up in the morning with a 4.8. does that mean a high insulin?

i went to bed with a 5.2

and after eating out (baffalo wings) it was 4.8 again.

could someone please lend me your wisdom?

Normal blood sugars run between 3.6 to 7.8. Yours are fine

It's normal for it to be a bit lower first thing in the morning, since you've been fasting overnight.

Doreen

Silence,

If you're low carbing, I'd be surprised if your sugar levels were high. The foods that will increase your sugar levels are:

Starches and starchy vegetables, milk (yes, there's carbs in milk), and fruit.

No, I'm not taking any insulin or meds yet. Just monitoring my sugar levels and watching my diet. I get my "eating plan" on Wed. Right now, I'm trying not to eat alot of carbs although the diabetes center wants me eating between 45-60 carbs per meal.

Are you diabetic or just checking what carbs does to your body?

but i was wandering, what does low carbing do to the BS? if i ate too much carbs should it be low?

and i have this problem with fatigue. testing bs has revealed interesting results.

i have gotten a 2.8 on my reading 30 min after eating. i was extremelly tired.
basicallyl, my bs level has been in the lower ranges.

silence...what are you eating when you drop down so low... i am confused about those low numbers unless you are hypoglycemic... pehaps you should get professionally tested honey....

but i eat lots of meat (sausage, pork etc). and i eat lots of salads, love those things.

does anyone know how much carbs wasabi has? the mushy thingy they serve you at japanese restaurants. the wasabi roots have pretty high carb i know that much.