Thu, Aug-01-02, 16:08
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Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
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Hi Bill!
Those directions on your test strips are not giving you quite all the information. If a diabetic whose blood sugars are not controlled (ie too high) tests purple on those test strips, there is definitely a problem. It means that they are headed for diabetic ketoacidosis and need to contact their doctors immediately. What the directions don't tell you is that there is another condition under which the strips could test purple called dietary ketosis which is totally harmless. In both cases, you are burning fat, but for totally different reasons. In the diabetic's case, their strips turn purple because their blood sugars are too high from too much sugar and/or carbs and there is no insulin (or not enough) to allow the body to get that sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells to be utilized for energy. The cells realize that they have no energy source, so begin burning fat for what they need to survive. The combination of high blood sugar/no insulin and fat burning is what leads to ketoacidosis. Remember...you need both a high blood sugar AND no insulin to get into this kind of trouble.
In the low carber's case, the body is burning fat because it has no other readily available energy source (carbs) and the blood sugars are low (normal) along with normal production of insulin (or at least enough to keep too much sugar out of the blood stream). Ketones are a by-product of fat metabolism, but having them in your urine is not necessarily an indication of a serious medical condition unless your blood sugars are also very high. BTW...don't shoot for purple on the test strips, light to moderate is better. Purple usually indicates that you are not drinking enough water and are dehydrated when low carbing. HTH
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