ASK GINGER - Do things like stress and getting my period really raise my blood sugar?

Dear Ginger,

Do things like stress and getting my period really affect my sensitivity to insulin?


-Amy


Hey Amy,

YES! Even though we only think of food, exercise and insulin as having major impacts on our blood sugars, there are a lot of other factors that a non-diabetic’s body automatically adjusts for that our bodies do not!

However, we all react a little different to different things. For some people, caffeine can have a huge impact on their blood sugars, but I personally don’t seem to have trouble with it. So you’ve got to pay close attention to how your body consistently reacts to different possible stressors or situations.

Below are a few common situations that can increase your blood glucose:


STRESS: Significant stress can really increase your BG because it causes insulin resistance, which means you’re going to need more insulin than usual to do the same job. This is really important for someone that may be just starting college, maybe your parents are getting a divorce, or you just broke up with your boyfriend: these are all going to cause stress in your life and your body. How do you treat it? If you’ve noticed this as a consistent problem, don’t just wait for the stress to go away! We can’t control everything in life…but we can control how we RESPOND to a situation: talk to your doctor about increasing your basal or long-acting insulin dose. And of course, then find a way to reduce or ease that stress by talking to a therapist or a friend, taking more time to rest, exercising more, etc.


MENSTRUAL CYCLES: A lot of women notice that their blood sugars are higher a few days before their period actually begins, because there are a lot of hormones being produced at that time that will increase your BG. It’s totally normal. But if you notice this as a regular pattern, talk to your doctor about setting up an alternative insulin dose for those few days that you can use when you know you’re a couple of days away from having your period.


INACTIVITY: This could be a common issue for someone who played a lot sports in high school, and then they go to college and are overwhelmed with homework and are not nearly as active anymore. Or you have stopped going to the gym (or haven’t been going at all) and it’s catching up with you!
    Regular exercise has a major effect on your blood sugars, so when you remove this from the equation you’re going to need more insulin because your metabolism will slow down and the number of calories you burn throughout the day will decrease, too. The best solution: getting moving again! If for some reason that’s not an option, it’s time to talk to your doctor about increasing your basal rates or long-acting insulin doses.


GAINING WEIGHT: A result from less exercise and possibly eating more food: weight gain! The more fat on your body, the more insulin you’ll need (this is often a cause of Type 2 diabetes). Losing or gaining simply five pounds of body fat can have a HUGE impact on your insulin needs. A year ago, I was taking 12 more units of Lantus insulin than I do today…because I had more body fat and much less muscle! A result of regular exercise, eating healthfully, gradually reducing body fat and adding muscle weight (not fat weight) to my body inevitably required me to slowly drop my long-acting insulin down 12 units.