carbs??

[Akasha]

I was attempting to do a basal check this morning and got hungry

I woke up on a 4.7 (7.30)
At this point I had scrambled egg and bacon.
8.45 I was 6.3
10.00 7.2

My question is would scrmbled eggs and bacon have carbs in?
I didn't think they did....

 

[DeusXM]

No, they don't.

The protein, however, could cause an increase in blood sugar after 3-4 hours.

Also, it could simply be a case that your basal isn't high enough

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That rise looks pretty steady and quite early for protein IMO.

I would re-test tomorrow and avoid having anything to see what happens then, but it does look like your basal is falling a little short at that time of day.

What were you expecting the test to show? Have your morning-lunch results been rising or falling recently when you've eaten 'normally'?

 

[Caroline]

bacon and eggs are mainly protein and fat.

When you make your scrambled egg, do you add milk to it? Milk has some carb in it, but I'm not sure how much effect it will have.

 

[Akasha]

Being pregnant, I wasn't entirely sure what I was expecting TBH.
Too many hormones 😛

What I've noticed over the past week or so is waking bloods of between 4 & 5.5.
I've then been having cereal (Special K around 30 g), which has been spiking me up to levels of 14, and not seeming to want to come back down.
Which then makes me feel naff for the rest of the day.

However, when I had a cereal bar (Chewee - 18g) I seemed to be sat at around 8 post meal and back down to 5 (ish) prior to lunch.

I think my initial idea was to see if it was background or just give up on cereal.

 

[Akasha]

Have just done another blood test.
8.8

I'm being lead to believe that it is my basal.

 

[PattiEvans]

If I eat protein and fat without any bolus my BGs will rise, but other people say they don't. It may be individual. To be on the safe side I do think basal tests are more reliable when you fast completely.

Cereal is well known for spiking. The only thing that might help is to inject some 30 minutes before, giving enough insulin to iron out the spike and be prepared to snack at the 2 hour mark to prevent the inevitable hypo. I know many pregnant ladies adopt this approach. Or avoid cereal altogether.

 

[DeusXM]

To be on the safe side I do think basal tests are more reliable when you fast completely.

Yes and no...I find that if I don't eat, my liver gets a bit trigger-happy and decides that what I really need during a basal test is to dump a lot of extra glucose to make it more entertaining.

But yeah, I take your point onboard - it's a tough one, isn't it!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yes and no...I find that if I don't eat, my liver gets a bit trigger-happy and decides that what I really need during a basal test is to dump a lot of extra glucose to make it more entertaining.

And to add to the ridiculousness... I find this is more likely when basal testing the morning session (possibly because the length of time without eating is longer?).

I prefer my basal tests when they confirm what I suspect is happening already 😉

 

[PattiEvans]

I prefer my basal tests when they confirm what I suspect is happening already

LOL! Don't we all?

Deus.. it really is tough to decide which is the best way.

 

[Lizzzie]

The test described with egg and bacon would fill the requirements of a fair basal test in my book..... Tho u do get people whose liver releases carb after eating protein n fat v quickly.... I always wondered if they snook extra carb as well as horsemeat into some innocent-looking protein......
But assuming its the basal, which I assume with a rise like that is most likely for most people...?

Do you take a basal in the morning / can you change ur basal rate FROM 2 hrs before the rise to stop u waking up too low?

 

[Akasha]

Oops. Didn't mention that I'm on a pump.

I have re-jigged my basal rates around, to give me more between 10 and 12 (It was already jumping up to a higher dose from 8)

I will then try again tomorrow, poss with no food if I can manage it.

At the point of 8.8 I'd done a correction dose (A measly 0.7 units) which got me down to 6.7 in an hour.

 

[Lizzzie]

Cool! Will watch this space...

 

[Akasha]

So today has given better results 🙂

I woke up on a 7.4 (7.30) Did a 0.4 correction dose.
8.45 - 6.4
9.45 - 6.5
10.45 - 6.1

I really hope this carries on and not just a pregnancy gremlin hitch.
Still need to look at getting it back down to the area of 5, but getting there slowley.

 

[Adrienne]

Great levels for today.

Just to say though that to do a true basal test it is best to have nothing at all, completely nothing.

Eating protein with no carbs present will affect levels as part of it converts into glucose anyway.

Even with children if they basal test it is best to do it with nothing. If you are going to eat something then sugar free jelly is delicious for breakfast

 

[Lizzzie]

Sugar free jelly for breakfast sounds delicious. Might try that.....

Just curious about the protein thing (as you get when ur health professionals tell you one thing, u believe it then something completely different comes up - and it wouldn't be the first time the HPs were wrong, either).....

If I eat protein, where and how does it get converted to blood sugar?

I always understood ur liver can make energy from protein (is that what gluconeogenesis is...?) but always assumed that it did that when food was low, usually from stored protein supplies and not just because it had just received a dump of protein from a meal.....

Is there some automatic break newly-arriving protein down and produce sugar mechanism too? What's it called ie where can I read about it?

 

[bennyg70]

I see a rise after 3 hours sometimes earlier and sometimes a little later if I eat just fat and protein in a fair quantity, for example chicken and with skin. I need to watch my bloods as they WILL rise. But thats me, It could be different for you. For basal testing, stick to nothing. If you get hungry down a pint of water and hold out till that next meal.. It tastes even better when you get there.

 

[DeusXM]

It's gluconeogenesis - it takes place in your liver. It happens primarily when your body needs to derive energy from sources other than blood glucose - ie. when you are fasting.

It's an extremely complicated process but the short answer is that protein can and does slowly convert to glucose.

Complicating this even further is a process called glycogenolysis, which is where your liver and muscles break down glycogen into glucose.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I find this 'ready reckoner' graph of how protein and fat convert to glucose quite helpful

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=438

In short though, since the suggestion is that only a proportion of protein converts, unless I am eating all protein and no carbs I tend to find that I barely notice. Having said that I thing this is *another* individual thing, and some people seem more prone to protein-based BG rises.

 

[Redkite]

Sugar free jelly for breakfast sounds delicious. Might try that.....

Just curious about the protein thing (as you get when ur health professionals tell you one thing, u believe it then something completely different comes up - and it wouldn't be the first time the HPs were wrong, either).....

If I eat protein, where and how does it get converted to blood sugar?

I always understood ur liver can make energy from protein (is that what gluconeogenesis is...?) but always assumed that it did that when food was low, usually from stored protein supplies and not just because it had just received a dump of protein from a meal.....

Is there some automatic break newly-arriving protein down and produce sugar mechanism too? What's it called ie where can I read about it?

The human body is extremely efficient at processing food into its usable energy source (ie glucose). It prefers carbohydrate, and if carbs are present in the food eaten, the body will use these to provide glucose. In the absence of carbs it has to use other available sources, ie amino acids and lipids from dietary protein and fat, which will be converted to glucose. If the person is fasting, the body then turns to stored reserves, ie glycogen from the liver, fat stores, and when these have run out, proteins from muscle tissues. Everything is designed for the most efficient use of resources, which must ultimately be broken down into glucose for use at the cellular level.

So if you eat carbs, the protein in your meal shouldn't be required for glucose, so won't be converted. If you eat a carb free meal, your body will extract glucose from the other components (messing up your basal tests!).