Why your blood sugar is high after avoiding carbs
High blood sugar is bad → carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels → therefore, I should avoid carbohydrates, right?
Diabetes is a tricky condition to manage and sometimes the answers are not so straightforward.
Let’s jump into why your blood sugar may be high after eating too few carbs!
What is glucose?
Glucose, aka sugar, is our bodies preferred source of fuel.
Insulin is made in the pancreas and helps glucose (sugar) get into our cells for energy. If the glucose cannot get into the cells for energy, it remains in the blood, causing blood glucose levels to rise.
When our cells are starved of glucose, we tend to feel sluggish, dizzy, and are unable to concentrate.
Where does glucose come from when you consume no or very few carbohydrates?
Your liver. The liver can produce glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. In this process, your body creates glucose from non-carbohydrate sources of protein or fat.
The liver dumps glucose into the blood in an attempt to feed the starving cells.
This can be extremely frustrating when you go to look at your blood glucose monitor to find your numbers are high after working so hard to limit carbohydrates.
What is the dawn phenomenon?
Have you ever noticed your fasting blood glucose, the first test you do before eating in the morning, is the highest of the day? You are probably thinking, “What?!? I haven’t even eaten anything. Why is it so high?”
This is because of the dawn phenomenon and gluconeogenesis. The dawn phenomenon is our body’s response to hormone changes in our body right before we wake up. These hormones cause the liver to dump extra glucose, via gluconeogenesis, into our blood. This gives our body a little extra fuel to start our day before we eat.
In people with diabetes, these hormonal changes cause the blood glucose to increase but the insulin to get the glucose into the cells is deficient. This causes the extra blood glucose to circulate in the blood, causing above normal blood glucose numbers.
What else may be causing my high blood glucose? Cortisol.
While the dawn phenomenon is the most common example of high blood glucose numbers without carbohydrate intake, there are other instances when this can happen.
Cortisol is a stress hormone that pumps into gear during our “fight” moments. This hormone is produced when our body needs more energy to function, like when we lack sleep, with increased stress and anxiety, when we are sick, and when we exercise.
Cortisol is also produced when the body thinks we are in “starvation mode”, like times when carbohydrate intake is low.
Cortisol signals our liver to make more glucose because the body needs more energy. This can happen even when we have already high blood glucose. If the glucose is in our blood but not in our cells the body does whatever it can to get energy for our body.
What can I do to prevent my body from generating extra glucose?
First, meet with a dietitian who can help you determine the best plan to meet your specific needs.
If your fasting blood glucose is the highest of the day, the American Diabetes Association recommends eating a carbohydrate-containing snack before you go to bed. try eating a snack that contains around 15 grams of carbohydrates before you go to bed.
If you notice your blood glucose is high throughout the day when carbohydrate intake is low, try adding carbohydrates to your diet. You can also try increasing the frequency of your meals.
Is your body under a lot of stress? Try to find ways to get your stress levels under control such as meditation.
At the end of the day, your meter is your best friend.
Everyone’s body works differently! Become best friends with your meter because it will help you determine what works best for you. Test your fasting blood glucose, test before a meal, and 2 hours after a meal until you have a better understanding of how your body functions.
Diabetes is such a unique condition, and what may work for your friend or coworker may not work for you. Best advice? Meet with a dietitian who can help you determine what will work best for you.
Want to learn more about why a low-carb diet may not be the most helpful way to manage diabetes? Check out our blog post Can You Eat A Low-Carb Diet To Reverse Diabetes?.
Want to learn how to enjoy carbohydrates without the blood sugar spike? Get your copy of the Carbohydrates E-Book Today!