Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe here.
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As I write this, I look like a bit of a robot. You see I have this blood glucose monitor attached to my arm that is recording my sugars 24/7 for two whole weeks.
Finbar (my 18-month) is obsessed with it.
And actually so am I.
It’s so helpful to have access to this information. To really be able to see how my blood glucose (BG) changes over the day and after each meal.
I’ve been doing a little experiment in the last few days eating more high carb than I normally would, just to see what happens.
And while I did enjoy my bowl of home made Pappadelle Pasta with Duck Ragu the other night, I wasn’t a fan of how high my blood sugar was the next morning.
But high blood sugar incidents aren’t always as easy to pin point the cause. So today we’re going to look at other reasons your BG might be higher than you expect.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- 6 most common causes of high blood glucose and what to do about them.
6 MOST COMMON CAUSES OF HIGH BLOOD SUGAR
1. Stress
While I don’t understand how it all works, stress has a huge impact on our hormones. And insulin is a hormone. So it makes sense that stress will have an impact on your blood glucose levels.
solution:
Start simplifying your life. Slow down. Learn how to say no. Prioritize some self care.
I meditate twice a day and it makes a huge difference for my stress levels. If you’re interested in trying meditation, I recommend the free app from Headspace. Or the deep calm breathing exercises in the Oak Meditation App.
2. Sickness
There have been times I’ve known I’m getting sick before I’ve even felt ill because my blood glucose has been higher than normal. To be honest I’m not sure of the mechanism here, but it’s good to know this cause and effect for times when you have puzzling BG results.
solution:
Rest up and get better!
3. Exercise
It’s easy to forget that glucose is one of the types of fuel our muscles burn for energy. So when we exercise and our muscles need energy our clever bodies release glucose into the blood.
Now before you start thinking ‘brilliant’ I knew there was a good reason not to exercise, we need to take it a step further.
Our blood sugar rises during exercise because we’re burning our stores of glucose. And this is what we want.
solution:
Choose low intensity steady state exercise like walking. And include some high intensity short bursts like sprints, kettle bell swings or lifting weights. Avoid traditional medium intensity ‘cardio’ like running or jogging. More on this in the Graduation Bonuses!
4. Temperature
Both your body temperature and the weather influence blood glucose. There’s a Canadian study showing women who give birth during the Summer are more likely to have Gestational Diabetes than Winter mothers. And I’ve noticed myself after a hot shower I get a little spike.
solution:
Move to Alaska or take cold showers (just kidding!). This is more an awareness thing, so don’t be alarmed if your BG is higher in the Summer or after a shower.
5. Surprise / Hidden Carbs
One of the tricky things with eating Low Carb is it isn’t just sweet stuff that spikes blood glucose.
solution:
Review our list of Low Carb vegetables and fruit to make sure you’re not including too many high carb choices.
If that’s fine, you might like to keep a food diary. Use an app which tracks nutrient intake to see if you can pin point any hidden carbs. I use the Crononeter App with my coaching clients.
6. Protein
Did you know that your body converts excess protein into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. And that this glucose goes into your blood stream? That’s one of the reasons eating too much protein isn’t a good idea.
solution:
If you think this is happening to you, try cutting back your protein serving sizes and replacing with our friend fat to keep you satisfied. See Day 16 for a refresher on adding more fat.
SUMMARY
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- After eating high carb foods, the most common causes of high blood glucose are stress, exercise, temperature, hidden carbs, sickness and too much protein.
ACTIVITY
Review your food intake and habits. Identify potential problems. Experiment with different solutions suggested above.
See you tomorrow!
Cheers,
Jules x
ps. If you have any questions or comments from today’s lesson definitely head over to the Ask Jules.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: The Low Carb Love 28-Day Program is where I share my personal journey of managing my blood sugar eating (mostly) Low Carb. I am not a doctor and this information is not intended as specific advice. Please discuss with your doctor or dietician before changing your food intake. Especially if you’re on medication or have any special medical concerns.
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