Stalls, plateaus, diabetes/blood glucose

Since it keeps coming up, I thought I would head this run-away pony off at the pass... Every so often someone decided to scream that if "this" or "that" is happening, you "better" get checked for diabetes...  

Well, ya, if we weren't specifically changing the way we eat, a.k.a. "dieting", then, yep! - a LOT of what is going on with our bodies might be signs we needed to get tested for diabetes! (And YES, if it runs in your family, get checked if you are worried.) And again, as with any change such as following the Atkins diet, you should be in contact with your family physician anyway....

Ok - These are the symptoms of adult onset diabetes, and how a weight loss diet could mimic them:

The need to urinate more than usual
(if you're drinking enough water, of course this will happen!)

Constant thirst
(eating too much salt? You're drinking enough water, finally, and your body
just loves it?)

Unusual weight loss
(uhhh... no duh!! LOL)

Feeling weak or tired
(not eating enough? Not enough potassium? Not drinking enough? Exercising, and need to eat a few carbs before your workout? coming down with the flu?)

Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
(not enough potassium? not enough water?)

Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
(vitamin c deficiency)

Extreme hunger
(not eating enough food, in general, not eating enough fats, oils)

Feeling nauseous and vomiting
(coming down with the flu, not eating enough, not drinking enough, electrolyte imbalance, not taking vitamins)

Other symptoms might include:

• Blurred vision
• Frequent and recurring infections such as urinary tract, boils, fungus
• Erection impairment in men, and unusual vaginal dryness in women

Which, of course, could ALSO have non-diabetes related causes... 

For instance - I know that now that I've lost a lot of weight, I need new glasses. Apparently,
according to my eye doctor, since my prescription is for near-sightedness, and that is based on the shape of my eyeball, changing my weight could have an impact... but I'm waiting until I'm at my goal, I'm not buying new glasses every three months!!! LOL

Let me emphasize this again - diabetes is a VERY serious condition, that could be life-threatening if left unchecked.  If you think you may be developing diabetes GO TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!  One or two of the above symptoms are probably not serious, but several might be.  If you have any concern AT ALL, call your doctor.  

Interestingly though, information regarding diabetes can also help us to better understand low-carb eating.  After all, we are deliberately modifying our eating patterns to prevent "insulin spikes" and "insulin reactions" - we want our food burned as fuel, not stored!

Diabetes is an impairment of the way the body produces and uses insulin. Those of us that are sensitive to carbohydrates also apparently don't use the insulin in our bodies very efficiently.  An interesting factoid - for centuries, diabetes has been known to mankind, and the only way to "control" diabetes was through a diet low in carbohydrate and sugar, and high in fat and protein. Sound familiar? 

Diabetics have to be very careful about monitoring their blood glucose levels. To this day they are advised to watch the carbs.  When your blood glucose rises, in a "normal" person, insulin will be produced to deal with it.  We don't want that, either.  Part of dealing with stalls and plateaus effectively then, is also part of learning what raises glucose levels in your bloodstream.

From www.diabetes.com :

"Your body breaks down the carbohydrates in food into glucose. When you eat, the amount of glucose in your blood rises. Different foods contain different amounts of carbohydrates, so the amount of glucose each adds to your blood will vary. Over time you'll be able to anticipate how much certain foods will make your blood glucose levels rise, and react accordingly. If you are on a low-fat diet, remember: you STILL have to pay attention how many carbohydrates you are eating, or your blood glucose level may jump. ALSO,
some "low-fat" and "no-fat" foods contain modified forms of carbohydrate used as emulsifiers or bulking agents that can push up your blood sugar. "  [italics mine]

For those of us with an adequately functioning pancreas and who's bodies produce insulin just fine, we still want lower blood glucose levels, because the insulin in our bodies does what? Snags the glucose in our bloodstream, and glycogon in our organs and muscles, and processes it into fat storage, if we don't use it all up, right? SO, keeping our glucose levels down is as important for us, in a way, as it is for a diabetic.

Factors that raise blood glucose, 
and may contribute to plateaus and stalls:

Stress - Stress produces hormones that cause glucose levels to skyrocket. When you're following your doctor's instructions to the letter and still find your blood glucose levels are too high, stress may be to blame.


Illness - Sickness often raises blood glucose level because the liver releases extra glucose in response to illness, and the body also releases hormones that counteract the effects of insulin. In addition, some cough and cold medicines contain ingredients that raise blood glucose levels (and blood pressure).

Dawn phenomenon - Very early each morning, the body releases hormones that wake you up and tell the liver to release stored glucose to give you energy to start the day. These hormones also make your body less sensitive to insulin action. The result is that glucose level rises between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., a reaction known as the dawn phenomenon. Dawn phenomenon is the reason why blood glucose levels are often unusually high when you wake up. 

Menstruation - In some women, cyclic changes in blood levels of estrogen and progesterone wreak havoc on blood glucose around the time of menstruation. One survey of 400 women showed that nearly 70 percent had problems controlling their glucose levels within a week before their periods. 

Contraceptives - Birth control pills and the IUD work by altering hormone concentrations in the blood. This, in turn, can affect your blood glucose levels. In some women these devices can increase insulin resistance. 

Certain medications - Some prescription and non prescription drugs may elevate your blood glucose level, altering your control of blood sugar levels. Nicotinic acid, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormone, beta-adragenic agonists, triazide diuretics, and Dilantin are among the more common drugs likely to increase blood glucose.


Factors that LOWER blood sugars and can help BREAK stalls and plateaus:

Besides taking the above factors into account, and, of course eating low-carb, exercise can help lower blood sugar. Glucose is found not only in the blood, but also in the liver and muscles, where it is stored in a carbohydrate chain known as glycogen. When you exercise, your muscles use glycogen for energy. When these reserves start to run dry, your muscles siphon glucose from the blood, causing blood glucose levels to fall. Exercise also makes the muscles and other tissues more sensitive to insulin, so you need less of the hormone to move glucose out of the blood. Also, by increasing blood flow, exercise speeds up insulin absorption.