I've managed to get an appointment at an endocrinology clinic in a few weeks. I'm not leaving it at that.
No wonder I'm so tired.
All the advice says keep little sugary (but healthy?) snacks around to put me back over the line when I'm low sugar. But I'm not diabetic. I'm not taking insulin or Metformin.
I'm already pretty fat as my body likes tucking away my energy. Presumably my insulin is doing its job fine - or too well, even. I don't want to feed the beast.
It's so weird to be someone who clearly has energy reserves, lol. I'm covered in them. Yet my body lets me get to hypoglycemia instead of releasing it. Wtf?
I happen to have an old blood sugar meter and strips hanging around that someone gave me, and I'm like, no wonder I'm tired. I'm definitely getting low readings often.
I ordered more test strips (within expiry, unlike the ones I have) and control solution, to check these values are real. Then I can start researching when and maybe why it's happening to me.
I seem to have overactive insulin, with reactive hypoglycemia after meals (like sugar crashes), even after only an omelette for breakfast!
This is annoying tbh because all the advice on the internet about low blood sugar is based on diabetic people injecting insulin, which I'm not, or assuming it's a sugar crash after a high/refined carb or very sugar meal, which this also is not.
We have no white bread in the house, use mostly wholemeal pasta, cook as much as we can from scratch.
I do, when jittery and struggling, eat a little leftover Christmas chocolate - so I've effectively been doing what diabetics do when sensing a hypo.
I mean, very likely I am still eating too much carb for my body - whether wholegrain or not. So will work on that. I have done well on a low/no carb diet before.
So for anyone interested - maybe it is a sign of prediabetes after all, but not the usual route. Who knows. Glad I have an appointment next month:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7192270/
Sooo I've just flipped myself into a low carb diet.
So I get to enjoy the crash/keto flu/withdrawal in a day or two. Fun.
About time I try something, it's been a long time since I ate low/no carb, and it was indeed good for me.
Let's hope it helps push away the exhaustion that's been plaguing me for the last 6 months.
@sarajw@front-end.social
I will share with you what I know about #keto as I want you to succeed.
I've been doing it for a few years.
Think of it as the distillate of the knowledge.
1. Ketones replace Glucose as the primary fuel source for the body.
2. Ketones are amazing. They make your brain work approximately 10% better. I call it "hunter mode" for when our ancestors went hunting for the tribe. They had to be at their best. 10% does not seem much, but it's a lot when it comes to cognition. You will think better and faster and have more clarity.
3. Here is the important bit.
You need to be in NUTRITIONAL KETOSIS.
That's 0.5 mmol/L anything below that, and your body will not have enough juice to fuel itself so it will want you to eat carbs. You will feel depressed and lethargic. You will not know why.
"Why do I feel so shit? I am doing everything right?!"
4. The way to measure your ketones is with glucose blood tester with Keto strips (about .50c a pop).
You can measure it with a urine test strip. But it will only be effective at the start because your body will get really good at NOT pissing out ketones as it's premium grade aviation gas. But after a while you will know when you are in KETOSIS as you will be energised and motivated to do shit.
Get strips to start with.
5. The main risk why doctors don't want you to do keto is acidoketosis.
It can kill you but the risks are exceedingly small. You are far more likely to die from eating carbs. Know symptoms.
6. Supplements. You must take appropriate supplements. Chromium, magnesium, Q10, Vitamin B. Without which you will suffer Keto headaches. This is the main reason I stopped keto twice before I knew it.
7. You will have an intestinal upset for about 2-4 weeks when you start. You are killing all your gut bacteria that thrive on glucose. Eat a lot of low carb, veggies like lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onion (the green part)
8. You can pop in and out of keto.
It's not recommended. But you can.
Some folks "keto-cycle" every 4 weeks, they pop for 3 days or so into carbs. Your body will get better at getting into KETOSIS faster. It will take 2-3 days instead of 7-9
9. CARBS ARE EVERYWHERE.
Depending on your body, as little as 20g a day will pop you out.
10. There are many "hacks".
Spirits are ok to drink, beer is not.
Diary is bad (anything with -ose, lactose, fructose) is basically sugar after it gets converted in the liver.
But cheeses, especially mature cheeses are fine.
You can use pouring cream instead of milk in coffee.
It can be expensive as you will be eating a lot of animal protein.
Some folks (Scandis) respond super well to fish.
11. I would highly highly highly recommend you quit sugar before you do keto. It takes about 6 weeks to stop sugar addiction and for two weeks you will think you are dying.
If you throw keto on top of that, you will fail.
Feel free to ask me any questions about #ketogenic food regime.
Oh...and do eat fresh.
Processed food contains shit.
I'm presently out of keto as I poisoned myself with a steak that was in the fridge too long.
12. The conventional wisdom says you need to stop keto after 3-12 months. But the research is not there to support that claim, if you maintain NUTRITIONAL Keto.
Sara Joy :happy_pepper: