Plaque is the stuff of coronary heart disease. It is CONTROLLABLE, it is STOPPABLE, it is REVERSIBLE.
But you must be equipped with the right information on diet, nutritional supplements, and hopefully the avoidance of medication.
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What happens when blood glucose hits 160 mg/dl?
A blood glucose at this level is typical after, say, a bowl of slow-cooked oatmeal with no added sugar, a small serving of Cheerios, or even an apple in the ultra carb-sensitive. Normal blood sugar with an empty stomach, i.e., fasting; high blood sugars after eating.
Conventional wisdom is that a blood sugar of 160 mg/dl is okay, since your friendly primary care doctor says that any postprandial glucose of 200 mg/dl or less is fine because you don’t “need” medication.
But what sort of phenomena occur when blood sugars are in this range? Here’s a list:
–Glycation (i.e., glucose modification of proteins) of various tissues, including the lens of your eyes (cataracts), kidney tissue leading to kidney disease, skin leading to wrinkles, cartilage leading to stiffness, degeneration, and arthritis.
–Glycation of LDL particles. Glycated LDL particles are more prone to oxidation.
–VLDL and triglyceride production by the liver, i.e., de novo lipogenesis.
–Small LDL particle formation–The increased VLDL/triglyceride production leads to the CETP-mediated reaction that creates small LDL particles which are, in turn, more glycation- and oxidation-prone.
–Glucotoxicity–i.e., a direct toxic effect of high blood glucose. This is especially an issue for the vulnerable beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. Repeated glucotoxic poundings by high glucose levels lead to fewer functional beta cells.
A blood glucose of 160 mg/dl is definitely not okay. While it is not an immediate threat to your health, repeated exposures will lead you down the same path that diabetics tread with all of its health problems.
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I don't doubt that high blood sugars are harmful, but I do wonder if when they are very transient if the effect is so terrible. I have always had poor glycemic control. In terms of going to 200 on a glucose tolerance test, I have diabetes. But my blood sugars have been lower on a low-fat diet than they were on a low-carb one. It also now takes me three times as many carbs to get to 175 or so than when I was on a low-carb diet and they are disposed of very quickly – I get down to 75-90 within an hour and a half. I do think I have a MODY-like form of diabetes – that I'm not particularly insulin resistant. I'm still not sure what all is going on, but I've been checking my blood sugar rather compulsively for 10 months, and this is what I've found.
I'm nearly 45 years old, have great blood pressure, triglycerides of 44 (this may be part of my particular MODY diabetes profile – a few types have genetically low triglycerides), high HDL and low LDL. I look young for my age. I don't have any microvascular complications. I'm still very concerned about my glucose levels, but whatever diet I'm on my BG goes up above 160 with nearly every meal (I can catch it if I test at just the right time), but transiently. A high-carb diet makes my fasting glucose and between-meal readings much lower, so the overall average is lower.
Perhaps M-Al is right, if you are storing fat in your liver, or if you are insulin resistant, it's a different story. Perhaps anti-oxidant status, overall diet quality, and other lifestyle factors have an impact that large-scale studies don't pick up, since the numbers and outcomes of those with a Dunkin Donuts diet are averaged in with those with a whole foods diet, one along the lines of what Stephan Guyenet suggests.
I do think I'm not normal, and a "normal" person with the blood sugars Dr. Davis cites is courting trouble. But I'm worried about getting too obsessive about my normal, since there's only so much I can do to control it. It might be that I can be healthy even given the givens.
I also think it's worth considering that someone on a low-carb diet often is going to have more trouble disposing of a sudden influx of carbs. It takes about three days of consistently higher carbs before the body adjusts. Some people clearly develop higher triglyerides and other trouble on a high-carb diet. My point is just that the context of one's particular phenotype is important – and sometimes tough to figure out.
Hi Helen,
I don't want to over step blog protocol, so this is just feedback. The blood test for glycated hemoglobin shows how the blood glucose dynamic is playing out the last couple of months.
HbA1c is that test and, I believe, Doc set a result over 5.5% is undesireable. Maybe it would give you some insight to how your ranges of blood sugar are playing out.
Someone here (thank you sir) recommended summitcountymedicalsociety.prepaidlab.com ; I recently used them. Credit card payment gets you an email prescription (to print out) for blood tests, they've cooperating independent
blood drawing clinics nationwide and lab results are emailed to you. (I needed their 800 phone # help some and they resolved every issue promptly.)
Charge = US$13 for HbA1c test plus +/- $16 for processing fee(one fee for unlimited tests, it seemed). Their prices were so much cheaper than other online options.
Thanks, M-Al -
At initial Dx, my A1C was 6.4. After seven months on a strict low-carb diet (like 60 g carbs/day) and a 20 lb weight loss (I'd only been 10 lbs overweight at Dx, for the first time in my life, but I lost 20 during that time. I've now lost nearly 30, not all for good reasons.) it was down to 6.0. I'm monitored quarterly and am due for another A1c. We'll see if my lower readings are borne out by the test. I don't expect miracles, but I'm doing the best I can. Some people's blood sugars only come down so much. Metformin was ineffective for me and insulin would probably be dangerous, since my BG dips so far on its own post-prandially after peaking.
DISCLAIMER, MY ENGLISH IS NOT VERY GOOD and this is loong SO BARE WITH ME ON THIS,I HAVE READ @ printed all this BLOG AND DROVE MY FAMILY(DOCTORS) and FRIENDS @ CARZY 1 ! THANKS!
So i finally got my glucometer: OneTouch Ultra (ahh) + brand new strips (ouch) not cheap here where i live… my old man (doctor, lives on a diet of coffee, diet soda, bread pasta, cookies, candy etc, etc, etc + a few drugs… and is tall and "lean") thinks im completely crazy. ( im 33, 78kgr, also lean and muscular)
so my pattern: OMP-day fasting
( 23h, 24h, 27h, 30 hrs regular fasts) + 3 day wrkts
(home, chin ups, push ups, squats) rest of the tm im mostly sedentary
my readings so far…
D1: 13-4
10:00 > 71mg/dL > FS@BS (prior that day ate a bit of candies… pascuas)
11:00 > ERROR (didnt put the right code, got pissed @ didn't test)
D2: 14-4 (no carb)
3:07 > 70mg/dL > FS@BS
EAT: meat (+)yolks(+) cheese (+) butter (-) water
4:05 > 81 mg/dL > AE@BS
5:05 > 77 mg/dL > AE@BS
D3 15-4 "workout" day (chin ups) + carb
ERROR, 2 little blood, !"ยท$%didn't test (assumed 70mg/dL FS@BS)
11:00 >EAT: (pWRKOUT)
meat(-) yolks (+) cheese(-) butter (-) tomato juice (+) 350CC Whole MILK+ 100G " 60% CHOCOLATE" ( 37g carbs. aprox 20@30g sucrose + milk sugars )
this baby
http://www.chocolatesaguila.com.ar/uploads/info_nutricional/tabletas_rellenas_3344.pdf
( copy paste if u care)
11:00 >EAT
12:05 > 75 mg/dL > AE@BS
12:20 > 72 mg/dL > AE@BS
1:06 > 82 mg/dL > AE@BS
( waited 2 long there?)
2:09 > 70 mg/dL > AE@BS
6:12 > 67 mg/dL > AE@BS
D3 16-4
("rest day" upped the carbs anyway)
"FS@BS" (didn't bother to test. low as usual, i guess)
1:00 > ??? mg/dL
EAT: salted peanuts… roasted in vegetable oil… 100gr (could not find my chocolate…)
2:00 > ??? mg/dL
EAT:
one lean, small cut of meat+ ham+ 6 yolks omelet fried in butter, the usual 100g cheeses- Roquefort, sardo, pategras,cuartirolo,feta, 6tbs tomato juice, salt, peeper, (napolitanta)
Dessert: -2- ice cold glasses of 300CC WHOLE MILK + 2 TBS of Cheap sugary cocoa powder (approx 20@30g sucrose total + milk sugars)
3:05 > 107 mg/dL (!)
- moved my arse a bit and did 2 slow sets of dumbbell squats, (40 reps with16k w total, super slow and easy)
3:36 > 83 mg/dL
4:37 > 66 mg/dL
ok, any comments ? are my number ok? what makes more sense , eating chocolate ( fiber, slower absrs possible less sucrose, or drinking milk? (talking desert here) i do not eat vegetables, ( just, pepers, tomato juice and mushrooms) do not eat fruit, and of course do not even touch gluten nor refined crap, and always try to limit my PUFA, and fructose load.
also im thinking i should test my BS levels differently? maybe eating one (large) H fat, H 2 moderate protein, meal per day changes things a bit? so maybe waiting 1 hrs is not enough ( thats why i used milk x 2 today, and did not wrkout to speed things a bit)
edit, im 68 kgr ( not 78) … always do the same mistake, maybe i need to gain weight!
OneTouch Ultra Meter
Eating pattern: OMP-day
( 23h, 24h, 27h, 30 hrs fasts)
D1 REST DAY
3:07 > 70mg/dL > FS@BS
EAT: meat (+) yolks (+) cheese (+) butter ( -) water
4:05 > 81 mg/dL > AE@BS
5:05 > 77 mg/dL > AE@BS
D2 WRK DAY
11:00 > 71mg/dL FS@BS
EAT: meat (-) yolks (+) cheese(-) butter (-) tomato juice (+) + 350CC Wf MILK + 100G " 60% dark chocolate"
12:05 > 75 mg/dL > AE@BS
12:20 > 72 mg/dL > AE@BS
1:06 > 82 mg/dL > AE@BS
2:09 > 70 mg/dL > AE@BS
6:12 > 67 mg/dL > AE@BS
D3 REST DAY (upped the carbs, + added liquid sugar, wrst case)
1:00 > ??? mg/dL
EAT: salted peanuts… roasted in vegetable oil… 100gr
2:00 > ??? mg/dL
EAT:one lean, small cut of meat+ ham+ 6 yolks omelet fried in butter, 140g cheese, 6tbs tomato juice, (napolitanta) 2 ice cold glasses of 300CC W MILK WITH 2 TBS of Cheap sugary cocoa powder (aprox 20@30g sucrose + milk sugars)
3:05 > 107 mg/dL (!)
-did 2 slow sets of dumbbell squats, (40 reps with16k w total, no effort)
3:36 > 83 mg/dL
4:37 > 66 mg/dL
Hypoglycemia?
any opinions about my numbers, (imm33) should i ditch the milk @dark chocolate and eat "healthy vegetables" and "fruit" (no)
should i wait longer 2 test my BS? (slower digestion time, one meal and all)
today
17-4 > WRKT
9:00 > 69 mg/dL
10:58 > EAT (6 YOLKS, CHEESE, BUTTER, 1TBS TOMATO JUICE – OMELET + 400GR MINCED MEAT, 6 STRIPS BACON, 5TBS TOMATO JUICE, BUTTER)
2:07 > END
DISHWASHING
2:16 > 350cc WHOLE MILK
2:21 > 100G 60% chocolate
2:34 > END
2:40 > 300cc WHOLE MILK + 1 TBS SUGAR (nesquik)
3:01 > 71mg/dL
3:36 > 74mg/dL
4:39 > 83mg/dL
5:42 > 74mg/dL
650cc milk + lots of sucrose… where is the zomg 160 blood glucose doctor? (btw i had been eating sucrose @ and grains like crazy 90% of my life, now im eating waay less sugar and 0 grains)
edit,
1:58 > EAT (not 10:58…)