Correcting high blood sugars from stress/cortisol

(Erin Macfarland ) #1

Here I sometimes wake up after a night of less than optimimal sleep and my fasting BG is “high”, usually in the upper 90s or even - little over 100. This is following a night where I have woken up and my cortisol has spiked, my heart races and I feel “wired” for an hour or two before finally falling back asleep. I am very curious about how these higher BG levels that result not from food but from stress affect our bodies. Can or should they be mitigated through things like blood sugar lowering agents like ACV or cinnamon? Do they have negative metabolic affects similar to high BG that is the result of carb consumption?

(Jason Fletcher) #2

Trying to figure out how to get optimal sleep is important. Do you know what keeps you up at night or why you are not sleeping well? It is normal that your blood sugar goes up when you wake and yours is normal range. Your problem is the stress not the blood sugar.

#3

Oh I wish I could get optimal sleep! This is a very common problem for me. :weary:

Any higher level of BG certainly allows for more glycation, but I would speculate that since this is probably not a result of IR, the effects of BG elevation itself from stress are lower in the overall negative impact and instead the negatives come from the cortisol.

I would, and do, use ACV regularly to keep BG lower and if I could take metformin I would.

(Erin Macfarland ) #4

Oh I know about getting optimal sleep! But I do struggle with insomnia, a common theme for as long as I can remember, and stress definitely makes it worse. I’m a busy mom I try to lower stress but this happens to me several times per week. I see an acupuncturist too.

#5

Have you done a one week test of ZC? Just to see what happens?

(Erin Macfarland ) #6

Yes I got through a week but the digestive issues, hunger, and nausea were too much. I couldn’t look at meat without feeling nauseated! All I wanted were veggies, avacado…I don’t have any health issues so was trying ZC to see how I felt. I think I’m ok going for a few days on just meat but I realize I feel best with more plants.

#7

Ok, here’s another idea. Have you tried a glass of dry red wine with dinner at night? I understand it has blood glucose lowering effect. I have read different explanations for this. One is red wine occupies liver, which would otherwise process glucose, and another explanation slowing down small intestine absorption dynamics. So albeit not sure of mechanism of how it happens, but red wine is known to depress blood sugar.

(Meeping up the Science!) #8

What is the cause of the cortisol? Do you experience sustained stress?

(Erin Macfarland ) #9

I love wine but it really worsens my sleep. I have been trying kratom which seems to help. Stopping running has helped. It makes me wired but tired and stresses me out . So I’m finding things that work!

(Erin Macfarland ) #10

I think high levels of stressful exercise, having a busy family, work, it all adds up. I’ve greatly reduced my exercise and have been upping my food intake.