Blood sugar question...

[Green Man]

So, I'm experiencing an interesting problem:

In January, I had some blood tests that revealed a fasting blood sugar level of 107, high enough to make me get on with fixing it.

I've been vegan for years, so switching over to a low-fat option was not that difficult at all.

I've been following the program recommended by McDougall and Barnard, with a bit of Fuhrman's, as well.

I have dropped white, refined foods significantly, and gotten rid of most sugar, except for fruit. I don't eat bread at all, except for a bit of pumpernickel, as recommended by Barnard. I tossed out my olive oil, margarine, and avocados, and bought McDougall's cookbooks (which I'd used in the past).

Also, I began brisk walking every day, and some light weight lifting.

The good news is that I have definitely lost weight, and in three months have gone from a 36" waist to a 33", losing a good amount of the belly fat that has crept in over the last few years, of too much fatty food and not enough activity.

The thing is, I'm now noticing that once or twice a day, 30-60 minutes after eating, I feel really spaced out and have mild headaches. These are most often symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia, and mean that, if anything, my blood sugar is a little too low.

This is very odd, and I can't find any articles or comments about this. Has anyone else experienced this following the McDougall/Barnard program? It's almost like the program is working *too* well!

It's irritating, and a little worrying.

I haven't had another blood test yet (I'm in between doctors at the moment), but I'm quite sure that the number has gone down, as I've followed the program pretty closely, started regular exercise, and lost a nice bit of weight.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[veggiecat]

are you on any medications that would affect your BG levels?

[SactoBob]

You could get a glucose monitor and check your sugar during one of these episodes.

But you could be experiencing something else entirely, and something that should perhaps be checked soon with a doctor.

The McDougall diet is rich in carbs, and your b.s. one hour after a meal should be well elevated. Unless you are taking insulin, it would be very unlikely to have a blood sugar crash 30-60 minutes after a meal - especially a McDougall meal. That is not what blood sugar does after a meal. It elevates, and you are lucky if it gets back down to normal within 2 hours AFTER the meal.

So I am pretty skeptical that low blood sugar is the cause. Have it checked out.

[Green Man]

I'm actually not taking any medications at all, and I had never had this problem until very recently,

Indeed, it's only been happening since I've switched to the McDougall/Barnard diet completely. I'm definitely eating enough; I'm not starving myself, or anything...

[SactoBob]

An elimination diet could tell you if you have a problem with wheat, corn, or whatever. Or it could be a medical problem unrelated to food. The one thing that would surprise me greatly would be if it were a blood sugar problem.

Maybe you have a friend who is diabetic who could loan you his meter for a test next time you are feeling like this. (make sure to use a fresh lancet)

[Green Man]

The thing is, I've had no food allergies in the past (corn, wheat, etc.). It doesn't make much sense that I would develop any allergies in such a short time, especially to foods that are the same ones I've been eating. All I've done is subtract a few things from my diet.

When I was on a "standard" vegan diet (including things like olive oil, nuts, and a little too much sugar), I never felt bad, and never had this brain fog after eating.

This started about 5 weeks into the program (I began seriously following it at the beginning of February), and has been a an on-and-off problem ever since.

My blood sugar level wasn't that elevated to begin with, so it's not like this has been a drastic change.

[Suebee]

I've been known to have that happen to me also, because I have a slow digestion of foods like beans or brown rice. I once took a blood test after eating a full lunch of these foods and my blood sugar had dropped to about 54 or 56 as I recall. I have to be very careful to eat some kind of more readily absorbed carbohydrate in order to stop this from happening. That might explain why it happened to you. Just my thoughts.

[Green Man]

Interesting, Suebee.

What kinds of carbs do you eat that are more readily-absorbed?

[Suebee]

Basically, fruit, potatoes, whole-grain bread: If breakfast is oatmeal, I make it quick oats (not instant) cooked with fruit: such as dried apricots or dried cranberries with blueberries; if lunch has beans (usually does), I'll have cooked carrots or sweet potatoes or white potatoes AND whole grain pita bread with it (those break down to glucose far faster than those beans will); midafternoon will include fruit with a few nuts; supper is usually lighter but the same pattern. IF I decide to cut bread/fruit, then I'm liable to low blood sugar. I hope this helps--it's my own personal way of keeping my blood sugar level.

[Green Man]

Interesting, thanks!

[JeffN]

I have dropped white, refined foods significantly, and gotten rid of most sugar, except for fruit. I don't eat bread at all, except for a bit of pumpernickel, as recommended by Barnard. I tossed out my olive oil, margarine, and avocados, and bought McDougall's cookbooks (which I'd used in the past).

Also, I began brisk walking every day, and some light weight lifting.

The good news is that I have definitely lost weight, and in three months have gone from a 36" waist to a 33", losing a good amount of the belly fat that has crept in over the last few years, of too much fatty food and not enough activity.

Sounds like you have made some big changes and for the most part are reaping the benefits.

The thing is, I'm now noticing that once or twice a day, 30-60 minutes after eating, I feel really spaced out and have mild headaches. These are most often symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia, and mean that, if anything, my blood sugar is a little too low.

There are many reasons why this may be happening. In regard to blood sugar, there is one easy way to find out for sure and that is, the next time you are feeling this way, test your blood sugar right then and there. If you are experiencing reactive hypoglycemia, you will know by the numbers. If the numbers are normal, then it must be something else. My experience has been that when most people do this simple experiment, their blood sugars are normal or even a slightly elevated from the prior meal.

I haven't had another blood test yet (I'm in between doctors at the moment), but I'm quite sure that the number has gone down, as I've followed the program pretty closely, started regular exercise, and lost a nice bit of weight.

Any ideas?

Sometimes, the improvements come a little slower and/or we may experience mild symptoms, like you are, for a brief period. It can have to do with many things, including fluid changes, BP changes, changes in IR, etc etc and your body adusting.

But, without knowing more, t is hard to tell from here.

You may want to move towards the MWL program and cut out all the processed carbs, including pumpernickel bread, for a few weeks and see if that helps. If someone is very sensitive, as you may be, even the "healthier" processed carbs, can cause reactions.

In Health
Jeff