Picture this, you’re living a healthy lifestyle, eating a clean diet comprising of homecooked meals, yet your test reports declare you to be diabetic. It’s a little surprising especially when you feel fine and don’t munch sweets every time you are hungry. So, what went wrong?
Just so you know, there are a hundred things that you could be doing wrong. In other words, there may be an array of things that can spike your blood sugar levels, without you knowing. This blog will mention some of those things so you can bring them, as well as your diabetes under control.
Things you didn’t know spike your sugar levels
Dehydration
Are you somebody who grabs a glass of water not more than twice or thrice a day? If yes, don’t be surprised if your blood sugar levels spike. Dehydration can have detrimental effects on your blood sugar levels.
It can lead to hyperglycemia, as the sugar in your blood circulation gets more concentrated. Furthermore, frequent urination that comes with diabetes makes matters worse by making you even more dehydrated.
Artificial sweeteners
Just when you thought you could makeshift with artificial sweeteners in place of real sugar in your tea or coffee, you were mistaken.
Artificial sweeteners don’t do your health wonders if that’s what you assumed. They may not always be neutral. A few noncaloric sweeteners which include sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol may increase blood sugar levels and cause diarrhoea, leading to dehydration.
In addition, research also indicates that prolonged use of artificial sweeteners may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and even death. More research is however needed for conclusive results.
Insufficient sleep
If you sleep at 2 am and wake up at 8 am, getting less than 7 hours of sleep every night can cause unstable blood sugar levels. Remember, insufficient sleep is a kind of stress for the body. Stress has a direct relationship with high blood sugar.
In case, you experience sleep disturbances, try out ways that can improve your sleep quality. If these don’t work, talk to a health expert who could help you out.
Dawn Phenomenon
Your sugar levels spike early in the morning when you wake up. This is called hyperglycemia which is most common between 4-8 am. There is no known cause of the dawn phenomenon but lifestyle habits are thought to be the cause. Nevertheless, you can experience this rise in blood sugar levels early in the morning because of some hormones that increase insulin resistance in the body. These counter-regulatory hormones, including cortisol, glucagon and the growth hormone can oppose the effect of insulin
Here are a few tips that may help deal with this phenomenon:
- Avoid carbs at bedtime.
- Talk to your doctor and change your dose or medications
- Change the time of medications
- Use an insulin pump that can supply extra insulin during early morning hours.
Meal intervals
Your meal timings matter more than you realise. Try to eat on a schedule to keep your blood sugar stable and energy levels up throughout the day. Refrain from going too long between your meals as it can cause blood sugar levels to crash down.
Blood sugar levels often reach their peak within 90 minutes of eating a meal, the duration it takes for them to return to normal varies from person to person.
Temperature fluctuations
Your body reacts to the temperature outside. Extreme temperatures can affect your blood sugar levels because they can add extra stress to your body. Consequently, they impact the way the body utilises insulin. Also, extreme weather can make your body lose more fluids, throwing your blood sugar levels off balance.
Try your best to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day and keep yourself hydrated at all times.
Travelling
Travelling can throw your body off-guard, disrupting the circadian rhythm and your blood sugar levels. Your sleep-waking-up times change due to time-zone changes, and you eat unhealthy food during travel, making the situation worse for diabetic patients.
It is recommended that you pack healthy carb-balanced snacks and water bottles. Aim to eat something every four hours. In case you take insulin and you’re shifting time zones, talk to your doctor who will advise you based on your medical condition.
Closing thoughts
When you are trying to manage diabetes, there are a lot of things that matter, including your meal timings, dehydration, use of artificial sweeteners, and other lifestyle habits. Managing diabetes comes with lifestyle changes and strategies that work uniquely for you. Talk to your doctor in this regard who can offer you approaches tailored to your medical condition and lifestyle.
