dipitie Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Before reading the book and embarking on a Whole30, I was in constant battle with my borderline high blood sugar. I have been diagnosed in the past with metabolic syndrome, don't "have" it now according to doctors, and can manage my blood sugar pretty well during the day. However, I almost always have an elevated blood sugar in the morning when I wake up. In the past, doctors would tell me to keep trying new bedtime snacks to keep my blood sugar stable overnight, and my most recent recommendation from a real food nutritionist was to do a spoonful of coconut butter before bed. However, ISWF says to have your last meal several hours before bedtime. I was also excited because I thought whole30 would fix this issue. I have been refraining of the bedtime snack during whole30 but the blood sugar numbers haven't really improved much. It's above 100 at least 70% of the time. I'm on day 28 of 30 right now. Any thoughts, articles, or suggestions? How important is not having a bedtime snack? Incidentally, the only thing that seemed to work in the past for a bedtime snack was an apple with peanut butter, which is totally off the menu from now on (I cut out peanuts months ago). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyS Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 While I'm not a moderator, I'd hazard a guess that doctor's orders trump Whole30 in this case, at least for now. You could do apple with almond butter (making sure the almond butter is compliant) or another nut butter. You might also consider posting a few days' worth of meals here to see if any moderators or experienced Whole30ers have some other ideas for you. We do have several folks here who deal with blood sugar issues on Whole30, so I think you could get some support and information by posting meals and seeing what folks say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 If you have a bedtime snack, I'd do a template mini-meal, not an unbalanced snack (fruit & fat), that should have less impact on your blood sugar, while providing full nutrition. Coconut oil would have zero impact on your blood sugar, not sure why they'd recommend coconut butter. High fasted blood sugar may not respond to any kind of evening food intake before bed. I have insulin resistance and several doctors have told me they know my blood sugar is unstable from my crazy fasted blood sugar state. Fasted blood sugar should be your most stable, not crazy high on an empty stomach. Mine can be over 10, normally around 6. I've found keeping my blood sugar even through the day (no big spikes), makes the biggest difference on the next morning, not any single meal. It's been much more stable without grains and dairy Everyone is different, it's well worth keeping a log, so you can go back and review changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puppypower Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hi dipitie, I have a similar (but different problem) so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents in case it helps you in some way. I also have blood sugar issues, specifically, low blood sugar due to CFS and adrenal fatigue. Prior to doing a Whole30, I had a hell of a time stabilizing my blood sugar during the day (I was one of those people who had to eat something every 2-3 hours to avoid LBS). Because of this, I guess my body just didn't know how to go a whole 7-9 hours without food (ie: while sleeping). So I would wake up after about 5 hours of sleep with LBS, shaking, dizzy, hungry, etc. And there was no way I was getting back to sleep without eating something. Things were better if I ate a snack right before bed. Since doing a Whole 30, I have had the most even blood sugar I've ever had (still on the low side, but even) and am sleeping through the night 4-6 days a week (previously, I would sleep through the night 3-4 times a month, max.). I started out with 3 meals a day, and that was an absolute train wreck. So I did 4 meals a day spaced 4 hours apart (8AM - noon - 4PM - 8PM) and went to bed no later than 2.5 hours after I ate my last meal. Then I transitioned to 3 meals a day. When that happened, I had a really hard time finishing my meals, but I did it because I knew that that food would have to hold me over until the next meal. I have been logging diligently, and what I have found is that if I go for a leisurely hour-long walk at some point during the day, I need a mini-meal in between lunch and dinner. If I go for a strenuous 2-hr hike with my dog, that pretty much erases one of the meals, and I have to eat a 4th full meal. I tried the pre-WO and post-WO snack/meal thing, and that completely did not work for me. All of my meals (mini-meal included) follow the template though. I agree with praxisproject: keeping your blood sugar stable during the day is essential. I do know that I would never have been able to determine the above, if I didn't log my food/times, exercise/times, blood sugar levels/times, and sleep. I think only eating 3 meals and going to bed a few hours after dinner is completely reasonable - but maybe it's too much to ask of the body in such a short amount of time (ie: 30 days), especially given certain medical conditions. Have you considered extending your Whole30? I am still doing mine and am aiming for 45 or 60 days. When you think about it, we can be so hard on ourselves, expecting or hoping to undo damage done to our bodies in 30 days that have been years or a lifetime in the making. Sometimes we need to give our bodies a little more time to get to where they need to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipitie Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Thanks everyone! I have a really hard time staying compliant 100% in the winter, mostly because of my work schedule and the food available for me to eat at work. I do know I feel better after doing it this month, and miss very little. I already feel like I could do this long term I'm going to do a couple reintros and then eat mostly on plan, and then start a new whole30 after my schedule changes significantly after Easter Sunday. I also might start testing my blood sugar more often throughout the day and comparing it to the next morning. I'm lucky in that I rarely have such low blood sugar that I get shaky, in fact I have always been able to go hours and hours without eating with few ill effects. I don't think my doctors advice should really trump whole30 though, because I don't really trust that my doctor knows everything. If that were the case, I would still be eating lots of whole grains LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Oh sleep too, sleep helps a lot with metabolism & blood sugar. Without it, cortisol goes up. hehe, you could always have a mini-meal if you want to follow doctor and do Whole30. Easter isn't far away, if you've got the time, start meal planning (esp lunches). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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