Fasting blood glucose

Alzheimer's, cardiovascular, and other chronic diseases; biomarkers, lifestyle, supplements, drugs, and health care.
MsCindy
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:29 am

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by MsCindy »

Hi, I've been 100% keto for 2.5 years now, and my dawn phenomenon has stubbornly only gotten worse, no matter what I tried. I have lowered and lowered my carbs, shifted to more olive oil, less saturated, and shut my eating window way down. For the last 3 months, I now eat only one meal a day, only 2 oz of meat per day, lots of fat, one plate full of veggies. But my fasting blood sugar has been well over 90 and often over 100! My fasting ketosis is always really low, or non-existent. About a month ago, I got fed up and added more nuts and some blueberries to my diet. I've been afraid to check my ketosis and blood sugar, thinking it would be terrible. But it's the opposite! My fasting blood sugar is now around 75, and my fasting ketosis is over 1 now!!!!!!! So cutting my carbs down so low was actually the problem! My body must have gone into some kind of metabolic shut-down mode where it turned everything I ate into glucose and didn't release ketones properly????? Anyway, the key for me is to be at the higher end of keto levels of carbs. So strange! All the (many!) books I've read were written by men. Maybe women just have some different metabolic reactions? Has anyone else seen this kind of reaction before? I'm just grateful that I stumbled on the key for myself, and I thought this might also help someone else.
User avatar
TheresaB
Mod
Mod
Posts: 1607
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2016 9:46 am
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by TheresaB »

MsCindy wrote:Hi, I've been 100% keto for 2.5 years now, and my dawn phenomenon has stubbornly only gotten worse, no matter what I tried. I have lowered and lowered my carbs, shifted to more olive oil, less saturated, and shut my eating window way down.
Are you sure it is dawn effect? Sounds more like Physiological Insulin Resistance, also known as Adaptive Glucose Sparing. There's some discussion on this in the Blood Sugar wiki - https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Blood_Sugar
-Theresa
ApoE 4/4
MsCindy
Contributor
Contributor
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:29 am

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by MsCindy »

Thank you, Theresa! I'll check that out.
User avatar
floramaria
Support Team
Support Team
Posts: 1423
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:22 am
Location: Northern New Mexico

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by floramaria »

TheresaB wrote: Sounds more like Physiological Insulin Resistance, also known as Adaptive Glucose Sparing. There's some discussion on this in the Blood Sugar wiki - https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Blood_Sugar
Tincup wrote:
Hi TheresaB and Tincup,
What do you think about HOMA-IR as a measure of metabolic health? If someone had reading of ketones at .8 with a FBG reading of 100 and recent fasting insulin level of 3.5 (HOMA -IR <1) do you think there is anything to worry about in terms of insulin resistance? This person also had ketone reading of .5 with FBG of 79 recently. But is concerned about the unexpectedly high FBG concurrent with nutritional ketosis. Definitely following a strict ketogenic diet. Most recent hbA1c was 5.1.

I have mentioned both the dawn effect and adaptive glucose sparing, but think that some metric like HOMA-IR would be reassuring.
Would appreciate your take on this since I consider you both to be well-informed "Keto All-Stars" . Thanks.
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
User avatar
Tincup
Mod
Mod
Posts: 3558
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by Tincup »

floramaria wrote:
TheresaB wrote: Sounds more like Physiological Insulin Resistance, also known as Adaptive Glucose Sparing. There's some discussion on this in the Blood Sugar wiki - https://wiki.apoe4.info/wiki/Blood_Sugar
Tincup wrote:
Hi TheresaB and Tincup,
What do you think about HOMA-IR as a measure of metabolic health? If someone had reading of ketones at .8 with a FBG reading of 100 and recent fasting insulin level of 3.5 (HOMA -IR <1) do you think there is anything to worry about in terms of insulin resistance? This person also had ketone reading of .5 with FBG of 79 recently. But is concerned about the unexpectedly high FBG concurrent with nutritional ketosis. Definitely following a strict ketogenic diet. Most recent hbA1c was 5.1.

I have mentioned both the dawn effect and adaptive glucose sparing, but think that some metric like HOMA-IR would be reassuring.
Would appreciate your take on this since I consider you both to be well-informed "Keto All-Stars" . Thanks.
Were they taking Vitamin C before the glucose test or a fair amount of C the day before the test.? Chemically, C is a lot like glucose and can fool some meters. In March, just before the lockdown, went to a conference. I started taking C because of COVID, though maybe a few grams/day. I happened to be wearing an Abbott Libre CGM. I also water fasted for 5 days. My CGM was reading in the 120's and 130's. My meters (yes plural) were reading in the 50's after a few days of fasting. Two weeks ago, I had mild symptoms, that could be COVID. I got a test, which took 12 days to come back (negative). I was following a protocol of C to bowel tolerance every 1/2 hour. Because my symptoms were mild, it was more like 2 g every time I thought about it. Still a lot more C than normal (also took 50,000 iu's D3 three times/day for three days - but not relevant for glucose). My FBG went into the 90's -high for me. My symptoms completely resolved on Friday and I dropped the C down to 1g/day. Next morning FBG was 80. As an aside, I'd wake up with mild congestion. I'd start taking the C and the congestion would go away to return the next morning. The C protocol will be an addition to my program next time I have a respiratory infection. In addition to what I normally do stay healthy as an E4, I have a detailed list of things to hopefully keep a COVID infection mild. The D3 & C were the only two on the list I tried & it turned out it wasn't COVID anyway - but you can't be sure and I have family that have compromised immune functions that I don't want to infect.
Tincup
E3,E4
User avatar
floramaria
Support Team
Support Team
Posts: 1423
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 11:22 am
Location: Northern New Mexico

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by floramaria »

Tincup wrote:
Were they taking Vitamin C before the glucose test or a fair amount of C the day before the test.? Chemically, C is a lot like glucose and can fool some meter.
Thank you , Tincup. I had no idea that vitamin C could fool a glucose meter. Really good to know especially in these days when mega-dosing Vit C is common. I'll ask about that.
Congratulations on your negative Covid- 19 test. I understand about not wanting to pass on that disease on to immuno-compromised individuals, since I live with one. There are so many reasons not to get Covid-19!
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
IFM/ Bredesen Training in Reversing Cognitive Decline (March 2017)
ReCODE 2.0 Health Coach with Apollo Health
User avatar
Tincup
Mod
Mod
Posts: 3558
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: Front Range, CO

Re: Fasting blood glucose

Post by Tincup »

floramaria wrote: I had no idea that vitamin C could fool a glucose meter. Really good to know especially in these days when mega-dosing Vit C is common.
It may be meter specific, I don't know. Here is a search for more info.

Other than that, a Kraft test might be a good idea, though carbing up (150g) for at least 3 days is recommended if low carb. Also Catherine Crofts' test of insulin 2 hours after either 75 g glucose, or the largest, carbiest meal of the day as a simple alternative. As I recall <30 mIU/L you are good, >50 mIU/L bad and in between needs further testing (i.e. full Kraft test). If you aren't familiar, ping me and I'll give more info.
Tincup
E3,E4
Post Reply