tell me what did you eat during the day and what time did you stopp eating a regular meal. I am struggling with trying to get my fsting blood sugar below 100. I have attempted to watch what i eat and how much i eat but my fasting blood sugar level have been between 115 and 120 almost consistently in the am. o
Gosh, this is me all over again. No matter what I do, I have 110-120 in the morning even when every night it is under 100 when I go to bed. I have not been eating after six but help from contributers on another site have suggested either a teaspoon of peanut butter first thing in the am and/or a lite snack before bed. I have felt deprived at night so I may try the snack. The idea of an apple does not really work for me as fruit shoots me way up.
I have the dawn phenomena. When on insulin it consistentlly ran 200. After your suggestions and on glipizide it is about 157. I have tried wine and nuts, vinegar and cheese, and milk thistle. The only milk thistle I could find was 1000 mlg. yOU SUGGESTED 100 to 200. The best reading I GOT was 141 the first time I tried 2T vinegar and cheese. I have a wound vac on my foot with an open sore. Since i HAVE improved should I keep trying the above or do yooou have other thoughts. My doctor wants my fasting to be under 100(but offered no suggestions)-- and before meals less than 140. I have no trouble with the less than 140 and get really good readings before lunch and supper-- before bed it is not as good but less than 140. Need Help in Texas
Thank you for answering me. I had picked up from another comment about cutting out starch at dinner. I have cut it out at lunch and dinner, but did have beans. Fasting reading last two days with wine and peanut butter at bedtime is 125, and 122 considerably better for me. What could I eat for breakfast with no starch; right now toast, 1 percent milk an 8 oz glass and fruit is recommended? Thanks M in Texas. Love your site.
This reminds me to mention that for diabetic ulcers/wounds there is a Chinese medicinal herbal formula called Xanthium Relieve Surface made by Health Concerns and available on the web. (I have no financial interest in this company).
I've used it over many years for patients with the ulcers as well as for wounds from persistent osteomyelitis. Take as directed.
Tom Chi L.Ac. Dr. Acupunture
Hi there,
thanks for posting about the milk thistle I am so pleased to say it really seems to be working I have gotten 20 point decrease! YAY! I use the Natures Way brand I am on the east coast and got it from Whole Foods Market this brand was a reccomended brand that I used a few years back for highly elevated liver enzymes. Thanks again.
Susan M
I curious as to exactly what you and others refer to as your morning blood sugar reading. When I first get out of bed and test mine it's not usually too bad (130"s). After being up for an hour (still fasting) my blood sugar has gone up to 170 - 180. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat the night before, it still goes up after being up for an hour. Very frustrating and doesn't give me a lot of incentive to stop the junk food at night.
jmk
It was explained to me that your liver can dump sugar into your system any time you are up, active, and haven't eaten recently. So your BS rising is probably because you need to eat something soon after you get up. Even if you are no ready for a full breakfast, eat a piece of whole wheat toast, fruit, or yogurt. That way your body knows you are handling your body's fuel needs and the liver doesn't have to do it. Then you can finish your breakfast at your normal time.
That makes sense and is a good strategy. In fact, I have been doing that lately and am doing that right now as I write you at 6:21 am. I'm drinking GreensFirst with sparkling mineral water. I wrote about GreensFirst at http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/c/17/67280/drink-veggies
Best regards,
David
I'm 7.25 month pregnant w/my second and have gestational diabetes (GD) and can not get my blood sugar down in the morning down. Dr wants it between 60-90 and some mornings it's in the 90s or max 110.
I didn't have the problem at all w/the first.
I'm now on 3 metformins at night and can do a max of 4 then I have to inject.
I've seen that if I dont have a snack after dinner my numbers are good.
I've also noticed that if my husband snores and wakes me continusouly throughout the night my numbers are high but my high diabetic dr says he doesnt believe that thought.
I have about 2 months to go.
I'm just venting my frustration. Hoping there is another GD person w/thoughts or someone w/knowledge.
Very sensitive to carbs and fruit (GD people are more sensitive to these)
Thanks
Jeanne
ps, numbers are perfect during the day (110-120 - 1.5 hrs after meals)
I've been trying things that have worked for others -- sour apples, protein snacks, vinegar tablets, all at night. So far, I've not had any noticeable success in reducing my dawn phenomenon glucose levels.
What has corrected the problem, once it is discovered, however, is the vigorous exercise David recommended to me in a private e-mail. Ten (or even five) minutes of vigorous pedaling on my dual-action (Schwinn Airdyne) exercycle does the trick every time. This morning's 139 turned into 112 after just ten minutes on the exercycle. David suggested that the exercise needn't be for too long, but it must be vigorous. Walking for forty minutes in the morning does reduce my levels but not like five or ten minutes on the bike.
As I said in Comment #23, has been the persistent dawn phenomenon. Lately, I've begun eating about one ounce of very dark chocolate which I've read has some antioxidants that are good for cardiac health and, at the same time, I've begun snacking after dinner on about three tablespoons of peanut butter.
What a difference! My morning blood glucose numbers are down a consistent 20 points, and in three weeks I've had no reading higher than 111! For me, this is great news. I don't know if my success derives from the chocolate, the peanut butter or the combination and for now I'm loathe to experiment by cutting out either one. Maybe I'll get brave later and let you know.
My blood glucose reading before breakfast is ALWAYS higher than at bedtime, and as someone wrote, it's a bad start to the day.
But a year ago I had sciatica; very painful, couldn't sleep, well I must have slept some, but I was up & down all night in agony for almost a month.
Guess what? Pre-prandial blood glucose readings better than bedtime, all below 7mmol/L (I think below 126 in US money.)
Then, as I recovered from sciatica and got a good night's sleep, all readings were above that figure, too often 8 or slightly above.
I've considered setting my alarm to sleep for, say, 3 to 4 hours, then get up for a little exercise, then back to bed for another 3 to 4 hours sleep.
what is the big deal about morning BS of about 150-160?
I was told to keep titrating my Lantus until my BS came down...it actually went up along with my weight which is a cyclical problem. I used to walk intensly on the treadmil for 5-6 mins prior to bed and was fine in the morning but my Register, EDucator wasn't impressed. They wanted to keep increasing lantus and maybe start some other injection.
If this is a normal body effect to rising for the day, and eating and taking insulin at breakfast yields a fine
BS by noon, what is the big deal?
what is the big deal about morning BS of about 150-160?
I was told to keep titrating my Lantus until my BS came down...it actually went up along with my weight which is a cyclical problem. I used to walk intensly on the treadmil for 5-6 mins prior to bed and was fine in the morning but my Register, EDucator wasn't impressed. They wanted to keep increasing lantus and maybe start some other injection.
If this is a normal body effect to rising for the day, and eating and taking insulin at breakfast yields a fine
BS by noon, what is the big deal?
David, just found this site. My husband had been "pre-diabetic" for a long time..now he is waking up with blood sugar at 240 for several days. He has a doctor's appt. on Tuesday, but I am terribly worried. I read about the dawn phenomenon, but noone's blood sugar seems to be as high as his. He seems afraid to eat anything..should he try snacking before bed?
I don't think that a snack before bed will help your husband much. In fact, he needs to eat less, not more. Specifically, he needs to cut WAY BACK on his carbohydrates, particularly starchy carbs (grains, including of course bread, rice, potatoes) and sugar/high fructose corn syrup (particulary soft drinks). It is only the carbs (not fats or protein) that drive us to diabetes. I hope that he can get his diet on track before he joins us.
Best regards,
David
I have DP and I also travel globally for my job. When I experience significant time zone changes my DP goes away altogether. In fact my whole sugar issue disappears. I can eat absolutly anything I want (I enjoy those times). As I get over my jet lag the issue starts to creep back and in a week or so it's back to normal. Then I'll fly home and get another week of good times.
While I'm home I'll take a dose of GLY/Met at bed time and I'm OK.
Dear Contributors,
I only recently heard the term "dawn phenomenon" when ordered to a diabetes rehab program by my physician. My levels were indeed high in the evening, so adding more glyburide at dinnertime did bring them down. Before doing this, my waking BG would be 200 and even 300.
However, now at bedtime I would read (for example) 92 but on waking I would read 175. I asked about this at the diabetes rehab program and the nurse mentioned "dawn phenomenon". I immediately googled this term and found your site. This explains so much!
I will try some of the suggestions to see if I can bring down my waking BG levels.
Also, one of the most VALUABLE tips I've found is ..... Don't do your blood test labs first thing in the morning!!!
Again, thank you all and I will continue monitoring this site.
Janet (Type II)
But they want me to do my blood test first thing in the morning - before any exercise etc. to get an accurate reading. Even if it reads high, isn't it better to get an accurate picture of where my true fasting BS's are? Just curious how this works - I'm only temporarily diabetic with pregnancy...
I am interested in this DP topic because I can control all the other numbers, but definitely not the morning one. I am nervous because the higher sugars can mean complications with the baby - delivery etc...
Still reading all your tips, and wonder how safe is milk thistle in pregnancy? I'm 7 mos. along.
Any suggestions are helpful! Thanks!
But they want me to do my blood test first thing in the morning - before any exercise etc. to get an accurate reading. Even if it reads high, isn't it better to get an accurate picture of where my true fasting BS's are? Just curious how this works - I'm only temporarily diabetic with pregnancy...
I am interested in this DP topic because I can control all the other numbers, but definitely not the morning one. I am nervous because the higher sugars can mean complications with the baby - delivery etc...
Still reading all your tips, and wonder how safe is milk thistle in pregnancy? I'm 7 mos. along.
Any suggestions are helpful! Thanks!
I could use anyone's help here. It will be 6 years in Dec when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and all went well with diet, exercise, vitamins and other supplments until 3 years ago when dawn phenomenon began. I read all of David Mendosa's writings and did additional research and discovered that 1/4 cup of almonds and half a bagel worked for me. That was until 11 days ago when out of the blue I woke up at 142 and have been in constant hell with morning readings between 133 and 140! I can't figure this out. I began testing before my snack and discovered I was around and average of 120, when I used to be 100 so I am in some vicious cycle. Any suggestions from anyone would be apprecitated.
Chris
I can totally relate, dawn syndrome can be very frastruating, but first things first...how are your blood sugars round the clock? You need to work at keeping your blood sugars between normal levels...that is betwee 75 (fasting) to 120 (i.e. if you have eaten lots of carb). This way you gonna keep a healthy life and avoid all diabetic complications. This is by no means easy, but the benefits are enourmous. It takes a lot of discipline and eliminating lots of foods, especially carb and all sorts of sweets.
The thing is the body has a way of regenerating cells, and if you provide your body with the right nutrition and environment, you will start producing new healthy cells, including pancreatic cells. Which means over time, you will see that DAWN PHENOMENON will reduce or go away completely. For example, my current fasting sugars are between 75-83, after eating they may go up to 115, but most of the time they hover around 100. I usually wake up with 92-98. But this is not where I started, the situation was worse than this.When my morning sugars used to go over 100 (this would happen between 6-6:30am), I would wake at around 6am and give myself a shot (2units used to cover me for the dawn phenomenon). You will have to investigate how much insulin will bring you dawn. So that way I would keep my blood sugar levels within normal ranges throughout the day. These days since it doesnt rise that much, sometimes I skip giving myself a short early in the morning to cover morning rises.
But one main point, to take control of your health as a diabetic you gonna have to eliminate certain foods from your diet, and slowly you will see your health improving. If you need help on how to manage diabetes, buy DIABETES SOLUTION by Dr. Richard Bernstein, very good book with every details on how to keep your blood sugars within normal non-diabetic ranges.Most people think it is not possible, but I can assure you it is. I tried it and it worked for me...
Other two books which are very helpful in reversing your situation are The pH Miracle for Diabetes (Dr. Robert O. Yound) and Dr. D. D'Adamo (Eat Right for Your Type). Dr. Young argues that Diabetes is reversible. And I can testify that it is possible. I went on his diet and I reached a point where I did not need insulin at all. This was sometimes in Aug-Sept 2008. I would wake in the morning with no dawn phenomenon and I would have my meals as normal without taking any insulin. Dr. Young emphasises eating Alkaline diet, acidic diet makes your body very acidic which is a perfect environment for all kinds of bacteria and diseases to thrive. Dr. Young argues that, once we provide our body the right envrionment, then our body cells will start to slowly regenerate including Pancreatic beta cells.Well it did happen to me, so at least I can testify that it is it can happen..
Now my situation got worse, in October 2008 when I received news that I was gonna lose my job. Stress started to build up and all of a sudden my blood sugars started to go sky high...I guess you may be away that stress + diabetes doesnt go very well - and Dr. D'Adamo explains why and how you can sort out the situation. For one he emphasises Blood Type Diet, which I agree with as well to a great extent, and explains exercises which are right for different people in order to eliminate the effects of stress. For example, he argues that Blood Type As (which is what I am) have a very sensitive immune system and are susceptible to many cronic diseases including diabetes and stomach cancer. They strive better in a vegeterian diet than other diets. Well vegeterean foods (i.e. vegetables, with the exception of grains) are alkaline. Remember I was already on an alkaline Diet (which is suggested by Dr. Young), when I didnt know about Blood Type Diet. And my condition had improved so much. One more thing, Type As when stressed, they produce a lot of stress hormone Cortisol, which doesnt go away completely even after the stress is gone, so it keeps lingering on in your system which works very well in breaking down your body cells. Aparently, the best kind of excersise for Blood Type As to eliminate cortisol is Yoga.
Now that my stressing moment is over, and I am still on the diet, my situation has once again improved. Blood sugars are between 75-115 round clock, my morning sugars go up only to a maximum of 98. I have started to do Yoga and I enjoy it, it energises me so much. I think I will get back to levels I was at in Aug/Sept last year if I continue on the diet and lead a healthy lifestyle. The reason I wanna do it is because, it is so refreshing when you do not have to worry about insulin anymore...if thats possible...for sure I would trade anything for it!!
So I encourage you to buy these books, try out some solutions...and see how it works for you! Be patient, you will see outstanding results (if you are serious with the diet) after at least 4months.
I found your site very interesting and very informative, but there still seems to be some confusion, certainly on my part! I have been diagnosed as Type 2, though told probably treatable with diet change. I have done so and reduced my weight by 25lbs with about 7 more pounds to go. My readings are within range during the day, before and after meals, but in the morning I regularly hit 140 and as a consequence feel very tired etc. However, I note some indicate this is might just be normal? So my main question is - Is 140 in the moring an acceptable reading and if so why does it make me feel so lethargic? I was thinking of taking a protein shake to combat this - any thoughts please?
Levels of 140 can make you feel fatigued. While I have written about various strategies to combat the dawn phenomenon, my guess is that the best way is to deal first with what you eat the evening before. Generally it helps to eat your dinner early and then to have little or nothing after dinner. Also, if your dinner is very low in carbs, you will be able to prevent high blood glucose levels in the morning. And as you continue to lose weight you will notice that your morning blood glucose levels will also improve.
Best regards,
David
David, thank you for your prompt response.
I take it then that this reading is indeed high and what would be phrased as Dawn Phenomenon.
If that is the case, my eveing meal is usually finished by 7 pm and is very low in carbs. (This has been the factor in reducing my weight).
Is this something that can be controlled by medication or within the bracket that could be dealt with by diet?
Thank you for your time.
Does anyone know if there's a correlation between weight and DP? I'm type 2 but don't have the typical overweight couch potato profile. I'm 6ft 2 in and weigh 175 lb (190 cm, 80 kg) and exercise regularly. Between say 10 am and midnight my readings are usually acceptable (but very sensitive to diet), but I have not yet successfully been able to manage my sometimes horrendous waking readings. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, I'll try snacking before going to bed and see what it does. Any comments welcome.
can anyone answer this question for me? if someone has diabetes as a result of being overweight, if he loses the weight, can the diabetes disappear?
When we have type 2 diabetes (but not type 1) and we get our weight down to the normal range and we eat a very low carbohydrate diet (which doesn't spike our blood glucose) some of us (myself included) have been able to control our diabetes totally without drugs. We don't have any cure for diabetes, but as long as we control our weight and keep our blood glucose in a normal range (probably below an A1C level of about 5) our diabetes will be in remission.
David
My husband who hasn't been diagnosed T2 controls his higher than normal BG levels by not eating after 3.00 in the day. A bit harsh I know but it seems to work. He regularly does aerobic exercise but for 90 mins in the evening but when he eats this only raises his BG levels.He has a good breakfast and lunch and this seems to do the trick. He has tried, chromium, apple cider vinegar, lipoic acid but to no avail.
Best wishes and good health
In July I attended a health fair - my fbg was 169 and a1c was 7.8. After ridding my diet of simple (mostly white) carbs and eating complex carbs (substituting almond & coconut 'flour' for wheat), smaller meals, etc. I lost 30 lbs in 5 months & visited my dr. My a1c was 6.0. My fbg about 40% of the time was in the mid-upper 80s and the rest lower-mid 90s.
In the past 2 months I've lost an additional 5 lbs as I've tried to maintain my weight. Now my fbg readings are rarely in the 80s. I started testing at night and find there is usually little difference (not more than 10 pts) between readings before bed & my fbg. Sometimes my fbg it is up 5 pts in the am.
My dr avoids the "D word" (diabetes). So far the feedback has been I'm doing everything drs want their patients to do and my progress is wonderful - But there's no guarantee I won't need medication in the future.
I don't have trouble sticking to a plan... Diplomacy is nice, but I don't have any goals or guidelines. There are so many variables - seasonal, work related, trying to increase calories, that I feel a bit lost.
Any guidance would be helpful.
You are off to a good start in controlling your diabetes. Congratulations and keep it up!
My advice would be to gradually cut back on grains and fructose (including sucrose or table sugar) and do more exercise. Those are the best things for the long run. Some people find them hard to do -- but not those of us who are disciplined!
Best regards,
David
You are off to a good start in controlling your diabetes. Congratulations and keep it up!
My advice would be to gradually cut back on grains and fructose (including sucrose or table sugar) and do more exercise. Those are the best things for the long run. Some people find them hard to do -- but not those of us who are disciplined!
Best regards,
David
Hi All,
I was really getting depressed trying to figure out how to get these levels down. When I found this web site and started reading all the posts and suggestions I was even more overwhelmed because it seemed like there were so many different things and no two people had the same results. I tried the excercise, high protien snacks, not eating high carb dinner, peanut butter etc. Nothing worked, I think the lowest I got was a 130 reading.
NOW THE GOOD NEWS
I want to thank the person who posted the thing about taking Milk Thistle! When I saw this I got excited because I had problems with a fatty liver in the past and my liver enzymes were very high, I discovered Milk Thistle and I took it for a couple months and my ezymes dropped back better than normal! I had such success with it then I thought "great maybe this will work for me too" and so far the milk thistle combined with a spoonful of peanut butter before bed has brought me down to 120...not completely better but at least a change! Thank you! Thank you! I will keep working on it to try and get the best combination and an even lower reading, I will check back and update again.
Susan M
My Dr is watching my numbers. Have high triglycerides (just received scrip for Lovaza), not overweight, FBG has been slowing rising from year to year, so Dr checking glucose numbers. Have had a1c of 6.4,5.7, and 6.2. Lately have been seeing 115-125 in morning readings, after breakfast it will be 105. Is this DP? During the day numbers can occasionally go under 100 but not very often would they go over 140. Should I do more? Have tried snack at bedtime and no snack, usually protein like nuts or cheese or peanut butter, and doesn't seem to bring it down. How do I get FBG under 100 like Dr wants. If I test later without eating BG only goes up so I guess I will "fail" the FBG test.
Dear Judy,
Those numbers are not especially high DP numbers. Most people, even those without diabetes, have DP to some extent (where their fasting numbers are higher than when they go to bed). When you have as good a control as you do, it is the post-prandial numbers that are the more important ones.
Best regards,
David
Judy,
What worked for me was eliminating all grains. Once done I eliminated all processed foods. I then increased my intake of fats (just no transfats or omega 6 fats like those found in vegitable oils). I threw out all vegitable oils and use only real butter or coconut oil for cooking. And I started making my own salad dressing when I saw that tey all had sugar, artificial sweetener and soy oil in them.
At this point, all I eat is Real Food. If I can kill it or pick it, it's OK (except for fruit. It's FULL of sugar, so I just have a small handfull of berries every now and then as a treat) If it comes in a box and has ingrediants, I don't eat it. Sugar and carbs and grains are hidden everywhere in processed foods.
I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but I was on my way to being a diabetic and basically cured myself doing this. I'm an RN and did tons of research to see what people really should be eating.
One thing to remember is that fat, even saturated fat, is not the enemy. If conventinoal wisdom was correct I should weigh 300 lbs by now because of all the fat I eat, but I lost 30 lbs instead. Now with proper excersize I'm starting to gain lean muscle mass.
For a good place to start, read here: http://www.paleonu.com/get-started/
Good luck to you. You can do it. If you want more health tips, follow my twitter:
search for RealFood4You
Hello!
Glad to have found this page! Maybe someone here may have an idea about my situation? I am able to keep my FBG between 130-145 from having a bit of sardines or yogurt just before bed. Yes, very odd, but that is the lowest numbers I can get in the morning so far? I've tried peanut butter, nuts, cheese, but so far only the yogurt and sardines work.
However the problem comes AFTER I wake up. I take metformin 500 in the AM, followed with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I eat breakfast maybe 2 hours after I get into work and when I test, my numbers are up to 190/200. I eat a very low carb breakfast, usually eggs and maybe a turkey link? Is there any way of controling the numbers for post-breakfast? It seems that the dawn phenomenon just keeps on rising no matter if I eat or not, and doesn't start going down until after lunchtime.
Thoughts??
Thanks much for your help in advance!
- Grace
David,
I have noted that your information on diabetes is some of the best on the net. You write in a very clear fashion and provide oodles of valuable information backed up by scientific data. Thank you so much for all your contributions. I was diagnosed with diabetes not long ago and have (thankfully) been able to bring down my blood sugar normal range in a very short amount of time. Here is my blog: http://reverse-diabetes-naturally.blogspot.com/ and I've started a diabetic recipes blog as well: http://diabetic-recipes-123.blogspot.com/.
I AM 46 YR OLD FEMALE W/ TYPE 2. I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM W/ PRE-DAWN. MY GLUCOLSE WOULD BE 148, 150, 155 IN THE AM. I EXCERISE REGULARLY AND REALLY WATCH MY DIET, STILL AM ABOUT 15 LBS OVERWEIGHT. DID RESEARCH ON PRE-DAWN. DID SOME CHANGES. 1ST: STARTING EXCERSING IN THE PM, HAVE ALWAYS EXCERISED IN AM. 2ND: PAYED CLOSER ATTENTION AT DINNER TIME (EAT LOW CARB). 3RD: EATING A GRANNY SMITH APPLE BEFORE BED TIME. MY AM READING NOW IS 113-115 ALMOST EACH MORNING. SMALL CHANGES HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERANCE FOR ME. WANTED TO SAY THANKS!!!!! EDUACTION ON YOUR CONDITION IS YOUR BEST DEFENSE. READ,READ,DO!!! I HAVE MADE CONTROLLING MY DIABETES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS IN MY LIFE. 5-YEARS AGO I WAS 85 LBS HEAVIER. DON'T GIVE UP, THE ANSWERS ARE OUT THERE. REMEMBER YOU NEVER FAIL, IT JUST MEANS IT DIDN'T TAKE THIS TIME. YOU CAN NEVER FAIL IF YOU TRULY KEEP TRYING!!!!!!!
Is there anything I can eat/drink to lower a high reading (208)
I've heard/read conflicting stories on watermelons, are they bad or good for diabetics.
What about Activa yogurt?
Thanks in advance
Dear Vanessa,
The short answer is no, nothing that you can eat or drink will lower blood glucose levels. But exercise -- even just a few minutes of it -- definitely will.
The long answer is my first book that I wrote with Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller and Kaye Foster-Powell, What Makes My Blood Glucose Levels Go Up...and Down?
Best regards,
David
David, I am on a low carb very healthy diet. I do not take meds only supplements. My daytime glucose numbers are very good. If I get up from 3:00 am to 7:00 am and test my numbers are usually between 82 and 87. However, if I do not eat and retest at about 8:00-8:30 am I will be at about 103-108. I know these numbers are not terrible but they will probably stop me from getting insurance. Is there anything I can do to get theses numbers down to an acceptable level.(below 100) P.S. i have had my numbers jump from 81 at 4:00pm to 107 at 5:00 pm without eating, so i dont know if getting tested later in the day will help as my liver will "dump" when it wants. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Such an increase is not unusual. In fact, even people who do not have diabetes have higher levels during the day than in the middle of the night. So my advice for you in terms of insurance is that if and when they test your blood glucose it would be the gold standard -- an A1C test -- rather than a finger stick. On a very low-carb diet your A1C is bound to be excellent.
David
In the latest article on Dr. Allen King's presentation about "Long Dawn Phenomenon", David Mendosa states that Dr. Richard Bernstein in his book "Diabetes Solution":
"knows from experience that carbs at breakfast will raise our blood glucose level more than at meals later in the day, but his book doesn’t tell us why that is a fact."
In fact, Dr. Bernstein does explain why this is the case for those diabetics who encounter the dawn phenomenon --- it's because it causes more insulin resistance in the morning and we need more insulin to cover a lower amount of carbohydrate (6 gm) (306-307).
A higher dose of insulin is required to overcome this resistance for at least 3 hours after breakfast (page 173). He also suggests that a split dose of rapid acting insulin on arising and before breakfast may be required (page 306).
He states that "regular insulin you inject before eating will be perhaps 20 percent less effective at breakfast than at other meals" (page 291).
So, we have known about the "long dawn phenomenon" since Dr. Bernstein's book first came out over 10 years ago. It's good to know that Dr. Allen King has now confirmed Dr. Bernstein's findings.
typically, my morning nbr on waking is under 110, BUT on days that I have to have fasting blood work, by the time I get to the lab (I wake around 5 or 6 am, blood work usually done around 8), I'm up around 120-125. If I eat, it goes down, but on blood work days of course I have to be fasting. The extend bar didn't work for me, Ill try the vinegar.
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Hi
I have the Dawn Effect very high bood level in the am only I'm not a wine person what would you recommend
What kind of wine? Many thanks
Dear Rosemary,
I have written quite a bit about the dawn phenomenon, including some promising-sounding suggestions. But I tried them all and the only thing that worked for me was reducing my weight to a normal level.
Hi Rosemary
How about trying Apple Cider Vinegar or just ginger tea? If the former, I would suggest using a straw as the vinegar can weaken or erode tooth enamel. One lady tried ginger tea and found that it worked for her. Beware of commercial apple cider pills as these have been found to be faked or worse mouldy.
Cjuan
What I don't understand is this: a lot of people's advice falls in the circle of "eat less, eat lighter" while a whole other group is loosely suggesting "eat a snack late, eat slow burning food at n ight to fool the liver" - aren't these two camps really contradictory? Which one is correct?
Signed,
Dawn Phenomer
Dear Susan,
You are so right! They are indeed in conflict. But since some things work for some people and other things for others, I don't have a general answer. You need to try first what you think will work for you.
Best regards,
David
Thank you!
I've admired your work greatly for many years.
Your reply here makes a lot of sense.
My biggest problem these days is finding a doctor that will let me do things my way, e.g. refuse flu shots, refuse cholesterol pills, but work with me on exercise, nutrition, and Metformin when I need to go back on it. I know, I know.
I also recently figured out (for me) that in short term my weight lifting makes my blood sugar go up. But I'll keep it as part of my overall plan.
I usually have a snack in the evening, nuts or something low carb. ButI have about a 6 - 8 oz glass of skim milk just before bed. And if I wake up in the middle of the night, usually around 2:30 or 3 to use the bathroom, I will have a drink or two of milk then as well, not more than an ounce or two at most. I have been able to keep my morning numbers around 104-110 since starting this. Before that, and when I am unable to do that, they are usually around 150.