Very confused about my high BG. Help!

(Dave) #1

T2 on 2000mg metformin. Keto for 8 weeks. Last night I had Korean BBQ with the family. I ate steamed pork belly wrapped in steamed cabbage. I also had some kimchi. And I had a couple pieces of unmarinaded beef brisket dipped in sesame oil and salt.

I knew I wasn’t eating a lot of fat and probably too much protein but I don’t think I ate too many carbs. I concede there may be some hidden carbs in kimchi. Is that what’s happening? Is it the high protein?

This morning I woke up with my blood glucose at 196. I’m pretty discourage. I’m going to kcko. I’m having my bulletproof coffee this morning with a Italian sausage frittata. Tomorrow I’ll start a 36hr fast. I know I’ll be OK. But I’m sad about the thought of giving up Korean BBQ. As a Korean American I really don’t want to give up my ethnic food.

Please help me understand what triggered my BG. Also any thoughts about Keto friendly Korean food would be awesome!

(icky) #2

Who knows what it was? Seeing as Korean food is important to you, I’m sure you’ll work it out over time. Did you eat at home or did you eat out? Maybe the people cooking snuck some sugar into one of the sauces or into the kimchi as a flavour enhancer?

I think that as your T2 improves over time on Keto, you’ll be able to tolerate such meals better. I’m pretty sure you won’t have to give up Korean food!

Eight weeks is still super early days! : )

(Dave) #3

I ate out. I get so scared eating out now that I’m eating Keto. Thx for the encouragement!

(bulkbiker) #4

I’m just guessing that there was sugar somewhere in that meal… and that’s what caused your bloods to go up… any idea what your glucose level was before the meal?

(Todd Allen) #5

When you eat keto or fast your body cuts back on producing the transporters and enzymes for processing sugar resulting in a condition called “physiological insulin resistance”. It’s temporary and a few days of gradually reintroducing carbohydrates will reverse it while minimizing blood sugar spikes. Afterwards, most find their insulin sensitivity better than it was before.

#6

So she should raise her daily allotment of carbs?
Sue

(Todd Allen) #7

I think people with insulin resistance should monitor their blood sugar level and avoid eating patterns that spike their blood sugar. To heal insulin resistance one needs to get insulin low and keep it low long enough to reduce their visceral fat and intramuscular fat, ie the very low carb and moderate protein of a well formulated ketogenic diet. If taking a break from keto one can minimize blood sugar spiking by gradually reintroducing carbs over a few days.

(Ron) #8

Do you have something printed explaining this?
Personal experience is that any increase in carbohydrate consumption causes BG increases exponentially, so your statement raises curiosity.:thinking:

(Todd Allen) #9

https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00580.2013

(Omar) #10

In my case any little sugar whatsoever will spike my BG reading even after 6 months of very low carb.

I am not sure it is possible to heal IR

(Ron) #11

Interesting article, thank you @brownfat .

Given the test is very new and was done on lab rats, I am not inclined to suggest the method publicly as I still have reservations. :wink:

(Todd Allen) #12

Probably not possible for everyone, but many people have done it. Google “reverse insulin resistance”. I was borderline type 2 diabetic and after a year of keto achieved low normal fasting blood glucose and insulin. After almost another year of keto my post prandial blood glucose response to carbohydrates is much improved too. I haven’t taken an OGTT recently but am confident I would pass well below the threshhold of diabetes.

(Dave) #13

I didn’t check BG before dinner last night but my fasting BG was 128. My guess based upon my great food macros that day is it was between 130-140.

I just checked before lunch and it dropped to 138. I had egg frittata for breakfast, took no meds, no exercise. My IR is definitely improving.

Before going keto it would take a month of strict diet, exercise, and medication to bring down a spike like this. Kcko!

(bulkbiker) #14

That’s good news… I reckon there was definitely something dodgy in what you ate… glad its on its way down.

(Dave) #15

This may be what I’m experiencing. I did a 108hr fast last week. I realize I need to incorporate fasting with my Keto to improve my IR.

I’ll take a look at your link below. Very interesting!

(Candy Lind) #16

So, I Googled a bunch of Korean BBQ recipes. This is what they included that was not keto friendly: pear juice, white sugar, brown sugar, soy sauce (some use it, some don’t), honey, soda (7-Up or Coke), rice wine (some are high carb), kiwi fruit, soybean paste, whole apples and pears … so there it is. It is, after all, sweet and spicy.

The good news is, there are loads of low-carb foodies out there, and you can find practically any traditional food turned low carb/keto somewhere. The sweet is easily replaced with low-or-no-calorie sweeteners (if you are IR or T2D you should check sweeteners for insulin response), there are lots of flavor extracts out there to add an “apple” or “pear” flavor, cauli-rice or miracle rice can be subbed for real rice, and you have your Korean BBQ on your terms.

Here are some links I found:
Paleo Korean Beef - Low Carb Yum
(NOTE: lots of Paleo recipes fit keto, or are easily “tweaked,” but not all)

Bulgogi - Low Fat Low Carb

Bulgogi - Linda’s Low Carb

Keto Beef Bulkogi - Perfect Keto

Low Carb Korean Beef in the Slow Cooker - Low Carb Recipe Ideas

These recipes were not even close to everything that was out there. You don’t have to give up the foods you love on keto, you just have to “adjust” them. :sunglasses:

#17

Dude, Korean BBQ sauces have tons of brown sugar and many times cornstarch in them.

(Dave) #19

Thanks for the links!

(Dave) #20

I ate unmarinaded meats. They didn’t come with any sauces, unless you count sesame oil with salt as a sauce.

There may have been some sugar in the kimchi though. It would be easy to hide sugar in the pungent spicy flavor profile of kimchi.