Hack my fasting glucose levels
Created August 14, 2014 at 6:59 PM
I have been on a low-carb (<75g) gluten and grain-free Paleo-style diet (55% fat-35% protein-10% carbs) for some time now, but don't understand why my fasting BG levels are still elevated: https://app.box.com/s/oy9o9ryuu18ugtk3f5ua In contrast, my last a1c was 5.2; fasting insulin 1.9; C-peptide 2.1 Non-genetic factors: - high-dose niacin (1-1.5g) - physiologic insulin resistance (a normal response from LC diet, fasting, caloric restriction) - gluconeogenesis (excess protein) - primary hyperparathyroidism - can contribute to IR (I am 1 month post-op now and in recovery mode) My insulin resistance score on my NMR LipoProfile shows elevated @ 53. Still battling elevated LDL-P and sdLDL-C despite a TC of 177. Trigs @ 101. If physiologic IR, then I won't worry about it. If genetic (tendency for T2D), would low-dose metformin (glucophage) be something to consider or even necessary?
-
-
Views
1.7K -
Last Activity
1643D AGO
Get FREE instant access to our Paleo For Beginners Guide & 15 FREE Recipes!
2 Answers
I am the same - I started paleo to combat my high blood sugars, and it did bring it down, just not far enough. I took metformin for a while, and it messed me up so bad! I was so nauseous I couldn't make it through a workday, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I found that (for me) the nausea caused by metformin was offset slightly by eating it with rice or sweet potatoes, which is marginally accepted on the paleo diet. I could not tolerate the pills without starches. It helped bring my blood sugar down about 20%, but I didn't adjust to the gastro trouble, even after weeks, and I gave the metformin up. It's a great thing if you can tolerate it.
If you're going to try it, make sure you have a week or two where you can miss work, school, lay in bed all day... Just in case you have a terrible reaction. If it doesn't work for you, there are much milder medications that help control blood sugar.
Magnesium Citrate - makes you poop a ton, but it helps blood sugar a lot.
Alpha-lipoic acid - I took it with the magnesium, and it seemed to help more.
Chromium polynicotinate - fairly mild, no bad side effects. Make sure to get "polynicotinate" and not "picolinate." The second one, which is much easier to find, is non-bio-available and a huge waste of money.
Good luck!
You may need to give it a bit more time; only one month post surgery.
One of the mechanisms by which blood sugar is kept at a good level when you sleep is secretion of hormones cortisol and adrenalin. I would guess the lesser the amount of sugar you have in stores when you go to sleep, the more cortisol and adrenalin is released. I wonder what your results would be if you try to have your carbs at night, or do you do that already?
I would guess that if you go so low carb that your glycogen (stores of sugar) in the liver and muscles is low, you would have a greater release of adrenalin and cortisol.
I think Outsider has got the right idea. Adding to it though, I wouldn't eat a large protein meal before bed without eating some fruit/tuber + fat with it because protein causes insulin release and the insulin will lower your blood sugar while you sleep.
Answer Question
Sign in to Your PaleoHacks Account
Get
FREE
instant access to
our
Paleo For Beginners
Guide
&
15 FREE Recipes!
rht
(2339)
on August 18, 2014
at 10:03 PM
You may need to give it a bit more time; only one month post surgery.
schultz
(102)
on August 15, 2014
at 02:59 AM
I think Outsider has got the right idea. Adding to it though, I wouldn't eat a large protein meal before bed without eating some fruit/tuber + fat with it because protein causes insulin release and the insulin will lower your blood sugar while you sleep.