I made some Fat Head Dough Bagels. They had cheese, 1/2 cup coconut flour, baking powder, and eggs. That 1/2 cup of of coconut flour was divided into 8 bagels. My blood sugar jumped to 130 after I ate one. I even felt heart palpitations. How is it possible for a food so low in carbs to cause such a jump? Does anyone else have a spike after eating a food that isn’t supposed to spike you?
Why Would a Keto Food Cause a Blood Sugar Spike?
amwassil
(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.)
#2
To answer your question find the glycemic load of each of the food items you ate. The way to find that number is to use Google thus: glycemic load [food item]
For example: glycemic load coconut flour
The first item at the top of the results is this:
Coconut flour appears to have a lower glycaemic index of 51 which means that it should cause less of a spike in blood sugar levels than wheat flour, which has a glycaemic index of 69. This is because coconut flour is high in fat and fibre, which work to slow down the release of sugar in the bloodstream. Dec 4, 2018
The glycemic load (GL) of food is a number that estimates how much the food will raise a person’s blood glucose level after eating it. One unit of glycemic load approximates the effect of consuming one gram of glucose.[1] Glycemic load accounts for how much carbohydrate is in the food and how much each gram of carbohydrate in the food raises blood glucose levels. Glycemic load is based on the glycemic index (GI), and is calculated by multiplying the grams of available carbohydrate in the food by the food’s glycemic index, and then dividing by 100. [Source]
kyarn
(Tracy)
#3
I never thought to check the glycemic index of coconut flour. I’ve always checked the GI for sugar alcohols. Another theory is there were hidden carbs in the cheese I used. It had potato starch because it was preshredded, something I normally don’t use but the recipe called for it. I’m going to experiment again and shred my own cheese and see if the same thing happens. It’s aggravating to think you are eating something that’s Keto only to have your blood sugar shoot up 40 points.
kyarn
(Tracy)
#4
Beware of hidden carbs, friends! I made the same bagels today using cheese I shredded myself instead of the preshredded the recipe called for. They were horrible. Obviously using cheese coated in starch helps turn it into bread. That explains the blood sugar spike.
Sue777
#5
This may not be the case for you, but protein spikes my blood sugar if I don’t have it with a lot of fat. For example, I can’t grab two hard-boiled eggs … I have a rise and crash in BG within the hour. Maybe not enough fat in your recipe? And not just eggs: chicken breast, almonds, etc. Protein without fat is a problem for me.
kyarn
(Tracy)
#6
I’m going to start testing before and after high protein meals to see if it’s a problem. I do know that bacon and eggs don’t budge my blood sugar. Anytime I feel like I’ve gone off track with my macros I always restart by fasting for at least 18 hours and having bacon and eggs.
lfod14
#7
130 isn’t high at all, what was it before? A rise and a spike aren’t the same thing. You’re always going to have a response to eating stuff.
Sue777
#9
Good question but one I can’t answer. I used to carry my BG meter with me everywhere so I could test SEVERAL times a day, trying to catch the spike and the crash, but I never could. My blood doesn’t show it, but the symptoms are there, consistent, and undeniable for years. The first symptom is the shakes, extreme hunger, wave of dizziness, then adrenaline/cortisol/something that raises my anxiety, and finally I have to rush to the bathroom with an IBS attack. Then, total exhaustion.
I used to live with this on a constant basis, never knowing what it was because the meter readings would never show anything out of the norm, but apparently my body is very sensitive to the rises and falls. So when I started eating keto, I figured my problems would be over since I wouldn’t be eating carbs and sugar. Wrong. If I get hungry and grab almonds, eggs, chicken, etc. I still get the shakes and other symptoms. I’m better off just putting some fat in my mouth and skipping the protein… lesson learned.
Sue
lfod14
#11
Gotcha, seems we differ on definitions. I wouldn’t call 50 a spike at all. I noticed when I used to eat a lot more fathead stuff I could feel it after though. I think all the copycat recipes at first sensitized me to the fake flours.