Fasting and blood sugar

[Bubbles254]

I have been doing 14:10 for while to try to improve my health as I am largely happy with my weight now.

As part of my health kick I have been trialling a glucose monitor. My ac1 was tested recently at 36 so in the normal range but I read about the harm from glucose spikes so I thought I would trial one to see what foods work for me.

Anyway I have been shocked to see quite how badly I spike from carbs, even a very small amount of bread puts my 2 hour post meal level up in the diabetic range. I can make dietary changes to address this but my other issue is at night when I am getting a big drop to the hypoglycaemic range 3-3.7mmol/l.

I typically fast from 5pm to 8am and I am wondering if this is now a bad idea and will be contributing. On the other hand I read that fasting is good for insulin resistance so I am not sure on the best way to approach this.

I could try skipping breakfast instead but do struggle with this, any one experienced similar?

The spikes are normal after eating but you are getting very low overnight and not eating breakfast will make that worse. Maybe try an evening snack. 36 is well below pre diabetic range. You do not need to keep testing and sound as if you are developing health anxiety by doing so.

Yeh, I went down this path about two years ago, ketone steps, blood sugar monitoring and obsessing. I would never have had white bread, I would have sat there in the fullness of health waiting for the figures to show I was ok/in ketosis.
I sometimes have one slice of brown soda bread now, or one weetabix. Early in the day.

I am not sure though if a spike of 9 90 min to 2 hours) post eating is normal. The guidelines say it should be under 7.8 for non diabetics and under 8.5 for type 2. I could try an evening snack but then would not be able to fast.

But most non diabetics would not be testing that often, if at all, so a sample would be very small. Also depends what you last ate as to whether the effect is prolonged or sudden. The diet you describe is bordering disordered eating and may be unhelpful to your body. The best indicator is hbac1 which measures the levels over a three month period. Yours was well below the threshold.

Please can you explain what about the diet is disordered? Eating in an 10 hour window is pretty common, most on this board are only eating in an 8 hour window.

@Bubbles254 could you try having a small snack (a few almonds) a bit later on and having breakfast a little bit later to maintain your 14:10?

5pm is very early to start fasting, I'd be SO hungry at bedtime & unable to sleep. However, I'm not really a breakfast person, so I started fasting later & ending later. That ended up meaning OMAD but that didn't help with my BG either. I'm T2 & it's a constant juggle to see what does/doesn't help.

you're right, a 9, 90 min after eating isn't great. Food shouldn't raise your BG more than 2 points.

after breakfast & lunch, try to go for a 10 minute (or longer if you have time) walk, it does help.

you are doing the right thing monitoring what does/doesn't spike you, it's not 'health anxiety' to prevent yourself getting diabetes and the HBA1c being 'good' doesn't stop the damage spikes can do. It's like binge drinking, just because over a month you might not exceed the advised maximum number of units, if you'd drunk them all in 1/2 drinking sessions that wouldn't be good for your body.

watch for foods that slowly but definitely increase you BG level.

Baguettes spike me more than sweets. Even when combined with fats.

id like to get a constant monitor, but I need to upgrade my phone for the apps. & I really don't want to upgrade my phone.

Donwhat testing you can while you have it, finger pricking isn't great.

@ThursdayFreedom many thanks for your considered response. Can I ask whether you feel that fasting has improved your blood sugar in the long term?

I feel like mine is a bit of a roller coaster. My glucose monitor shows currently my hbac1 of just 30, so excellent. However I think this average figure is completely meaningless as I have dips to 3 and spikes to 9 and zero stability. I was hypo all last night which presumably will reduce the hba1c. My diet is currently pretty good and I am getting spiked by a small slice of sourdoygh with nut butter even with acv before and exercise after.

I think I may need to forgo the fasting for now and do as you say about the snacks, I do currently find nuts to be good in regulating bs when it is dipping and a few in the morning before a delayed breakfast sounds like a good plan.

What works for others may not work for your metabolism. Allowing your eating habits to be dictated to this extent by random readings is not normal or safe. How are you checking your hbac1?

How are you checking your hbac1?
I had a blood test at the gp in April which showed it to be 36. My cgm based on data from just the last week estimates it at 30 but I think this is becuase my blood sugar is around 3 at night and after peaks in the day so pulls down the peaks.

@LIZS there is nothing 'unsafe' about monitoring your BG re snacks & meals & making adjustments. I'm not sure why you're being so negative about someone trying to find what spikes them & what doesn't. An average over several months does not tell you all you need to know. It doesn't tell you if you're spiking & dropping or if you're more constant.

why the insistence it's disordered??

@Bubbles254 unfortunately I can't say for certain whether IF adds to my BG control or not as there are always too many factors involved, but instinctively I feel it does. The thing for me, it has so many other benefits, why not donut & it's a bonus if it helps my BG 🤷🏻‍♀️

other than exercise after meals, one thing that definitely helps us drinking lots of water.

I really need to upgrade my phone so I can use a CGM.

Op has posted similar in the diabetic forum. As the op is a long way off diabetes or even prediabetes it sits awkwardly that they are monitoring constantly in the hope of avoiding it but at the same time seemingly seeking to self diagnose. If they are experiencing fluctuations that seems contrary to the aim of the diet regime and the plan needs to be more flexible.

Read the glucose goddess. If you a. Have a tablespoon of white vinegar in water before a meal or b. Eat veggies first, then protein and fat, then carb, it can lower your blood sugar response by 75%. Always dress your carbs with fat. Use muscles for 10 mins after eating.

Also listen to how to control blood sugar (Zoe Nutrition podcast episode). There is no proven difference between 3 regular meals or being a snacker - there was a Zoe episode on this too.