Benefits Of Nutritional Ketosis
In most people nutritional ketosis is beneficial.
Regularly achieving nutritional ketosis has been linked with improvements in:
- Blood glucose control in diabetes
- Overall metabolic health
Research also suggests that nutritional ketosis may have benefits for people with Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers disease and may help to reduce the chance of developing certain forms of cancer.
Using The Glucose Ketone Index
The Glucose Ketone Index, most commonly referred to as GKI, is a formula that details the ratio of ketones to blood glucose in your blood. This helps people track their level of ketosis, alongside metabolic health.
To determine your GKI, youâll need to start by knowing your blood glucose level and your ketone level. The best way to measure your blood sugar is by wearing a continuous glucose monitor . You can measure your ketones using one of the methods we listed above.
You can use an online calculator to determine your GKI, or you can calculate it yourself using the following formula: / Ketone Reading = GKI
For instance, letâs say your blood glucose reading is 100 and your ketone level is 1.8. You would divide 100 by 18 to get 5.56. Youâd then divide 5.56 by 1.8 . This would give you a GKI of 3.09.
Treating Severely Low Blood Sugar
Blood sugar below 55 mg/dL is considered severely low. You wont be able to treat it using the 15-15 rule. You also may not be able to check your own blood sugar or treat it by yourself, depending on your symptoms. Make sure your family members, friends, and caregivers know your signs of low blood sugar so they can help treat it if needed.
Injectable glucagon is the best way to treat severely low blood sugar. A glucagon kit is available by prescription. Speak with your doctor to see if you should have a kit. Be sure to learn how and when to use it. Let family members and others close to you know where you keep the glucagon kit and make sure theyve been trained in how to use it too.
Its important to contact a doctor for emergency medical treatment immediately after receiving a glucagon injection. If a person faints due to severely low blood sugar, theyll usually wake up within 15 minutes after a glucagon injection. If they dont wake up within 15 minutes after the injection, they should receive one more dose. When the person is awake and able to swallow:
- Feed the person a fast-acting source of sugar .
- Then, have them eat a long-acting source of sugar .
Its also important that friends, family, co-workers, teachers, coaches, and other people you may be around often know how to test your blood sugar and treat severely low blood sugar before it happens.
If any of the following happens, your friend, relative, or helper should call 911:
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Is Ketosis The Same As Ketoacidosis
Nutritional ketosis occurs when there is not enough carbohydrate in the diet to meet the bodys energy requirements. In this situation, the body switches over from burning sugar to burning fat as its main fuel.
Fat, whether from the diet or the bodys stores, is broken down into ketones in the liver. These ketones are an efficient energy source for many organs, particularly the brain.
Everyone has ketones in their blood at very low levels, under normal conditions. When the body enters ketosis, and so switches to burning mostly fat, levels of ketones in the blood increase.
Benefits Of Lowering Blood Glucose
The best argument for managing blood sugar? Probably the disease-risk argument.
Again: high blood sugar and insulin resistance are linked to every major disease, from cancer to Alzheimers to heart disease.
If you arent managing your risk for these diseases, you arent managing your health.
Ketosis can be part of this management program because when you dial down your blood sugar, you dial up your ketones.
To review: low blood sugar equals low insulin, and low insulin equals ketone production. Then you enter ketosis.
To stay keto, though, you need to keep a watchful eye on your blood sugar. If you feast on carbs, for instance, the resulting hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia will kick you out of ketosis. Not cool.
But once you enter a low-insulin, low-glucose ketogenic state the benefits really start to kick in, including:
#1: Enhanced Fat Burning
If you heard that keto can help you lose weight, you heard right. In fact, the ketogenic diet has been shown in study after study to stimulate weight loss.
This is partly due to increased fat burning. Blood glucose is scarce on the ketogenic diet and when blood glucose is scarce, your fat cells get burned to form ketones.
#2: Hunger Management
Appetite regulation also contributes to keto-induced weight loss. Eating a low carb ketogenic diet:
- Lowers ghrelin, your hunger hormone
- Lowers neuropeptide Y, a brain-based appetite stimulant
- Increases CCK, a satiating peptide
- Prevents spikes and crashes in blood sugar
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Insulin Resistance And Diabetes
People with insulin resistance or diabetes are unable to balance blood sugar when the process of converting foodspecifically carbohydratesinto energy takes place.
People with diabetes either don’t make insulin or have become resistant to insulin because too much of it has been circulating in the system. Those with type 1 diabetes inject insulin to manage blood sugar.
However, those with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance often need to find other ways to manage blood sugar because their body’s cells are unable to use insulin properly. As a result, their blood sugar levels stay elevated.
As the body tries harder and harder to bring blood sugar down, more insulin is released which makes the cells less sensitive to it and more resistant. Over time, the pancreas is permanently damaged and other bodily functions are affected such as hardened blood vessels, among other ailments.
In addition, when insulin levels are high, weight gain is more likely since a main function of insulin is fat storage. To avoid these health problems, keeping blood glucose within a normal range is important. Even people who do not have diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease with higher blood glucose levels. One of the primary ways to manage blood sugar is to consume a low-carbohydrate dietthat is, avoid the foods that can cause blood sugar spikes in the first place.
Where To Find Support
If youre still feeling unsure about your condition, dont worry – you are not alone. There are many people on our forum who have been in the same position. Read through their experiences, or sign up to have a chat with people who are also getting used to managing their diabetes.
If you need more help and support, give our confidential helpline a call. Our highly trained advisors are there for you, whether you have a question or just want to talk to someone who knows about diabetes.
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The Best Supplements For Hypoglycemics
- Sea salt or Himalayan salt sodium
- Berberine an ancient herb that controls blood sugar can be found in pill form
- Nutritional yeast full of B vitamins to help regulate insulin
It is important that if you feel like youre not eating the foods that have enough of these minerals and enzymes that you supplement them.
If you are eating healthy enough, you should be getting most of your needs met just through proper nutrition.
Personalize Your Carb Intake
There is no clear definition of what a low-carbohydrate diet is. For example, a ketogenic diet may restrict carbs to 10% or less of your total daily calorie intake, whereas other low-carb programs may allow 20% of your calories from carbs or more. The best number for you may take some experimentation. It’s best to work with your healthcare provider and/or a registered dietitian to determine a level that is not only safe and effective but also realistic for you to follow for the long-term.
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How To Lower Your Blood Sugar Naturally
Updated May 1st, 2022 Written by Craig Clarke
Can a ketogenic diet lower blood sugar? In short, yes, it can lower your blood sugar levels naturally and effectively if you follow it strictly. Below, youll find studies, information, and tips on how.
One cookie wont kill you but consuming high amounts of sugar every day will. High-carbohydrate foods like cookies lead to higher blood sugar levels. This is toxic to the body.
Luckily, we have a hormone called insulin that helps lower blood sugar by shuttling the sugar into cells before it has a chance to cause problems. Insulin is a cellular superhero, but it cannot keep up with all of the high-carbohydrate and sugar-laden foods that are abundantly eaten today.
This is why we need to assist our body in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels before its too late. Eating a ketogenic diet can aid in this by lowering your blood sugar and providing ample health benefits.
How To Cut Carbs When You Suffer From Hypoglycemia
So youre trying to lean out, and youre cutting down on carbs. But every time you swap out the rice for more greens and you hit the gym, you end up shaky, nauseous, cold, and clammy, and youre stuck with a killer migraine for the rest of the day.
Sound familiar? You could be dealing with low blood sugar, also known as reactive hypoglycemia. As a nutritionist, I have many clients who struggle with this issuebut theyre often unsure how to manage it.
When your blood sugar levels take a nosedive, dieting becomes difficult, if not impossible. Every time you try to eat less or exercise more, you crash hard and crave fast carbs to get your blood sugar up. If youre struggling with reactive hypoglycemia but still want to lose weight, heres how to make it work.
Reactive hypoglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels drop too low about 3-4 hours after eating carbohydrates. This can be a result of your body consistently releasing too much insulin for the amount of carbohydrates you eat. When thats the case, every time your body signals for insulin release, it removes more carbohydrates from your bloodstream than you need. When blood sugar drops too low, symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and headaches can occur. These symptoms are alleviated by eating carbohydrates.
The only problem: If youre cutting, eating more carbohydrates probably isnt part of your fat-loss strategy.
With reactive hypoglycemia working against you, how do you make fat loss happen?
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Can Keto Diet Cause High Blood Sugar
Yes, the Keto diet can result in high blood sugars.
In a study, it was discovered that going on a keto diet impaired the process by which blood sugar levels are controlled with the help of insulin.
When this process is affected after following a low carb diet, the liver grows resistant to insulin, and this can result in blood sugar levels getting high.
How To Balance Blood Sugar On A Low
There are different reasons that people follow low carb diets. In addition to weight loss, a primary reason is to manage blood sugar levels. Many of us follow a low-carb eating plan to keep our blood sugar normal and stable. To fully understand the connection between carb consumption and blood glucose, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with how the body processes blood sugar in a normal state and how the process changes if someone has diabetes.
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Check Your Blood Sugar And Ketone Levels
Check your blood sugar level if you have symptoms of DKA.
If your blood sugar level is 11mmol/L or above, and you have a blood or urine ketone testing kit, check your ketone level.
If you do a blood ketone test:
- lower than 0.6mmol/L is a normal reading
- 0.6 to 1.5mmol/L means you’re at a slightly increased risk of DKA and you should test again in 2 hours
- 1.6 to 2.9mmol/L means you’re at an increased risk of DKA and should contact your diabetes team or GP as soon as possible
- 3mmol/L or above means you have a very high risk of DKA and should get medical help immediately
If you do a urine ketone test, a result of more than 2+ means there’s a high chance you have DKA and you should get medical help immediately.
Impact On Blood Sugar Levels
A ketogenic diet may help some people with type 2 diabetes because it allows the body to maintain glucose levels at a low but healthy level.
The lower intake of carbohydrates in the diet can help to eliminate large spikes in blood sugar, reducing the need for insulin.
Studies on ketogenic diets, including , have found that they can be helpful in controlling levels of HbA1c. This refers to the amount of glucose traveling with hemoglobin in the blood over about 3 months.
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Test Out Keto Friendly Foods
Don’t believe those clever marketing labels! Not every “keto snack” is keto friendly. And if it is, not everyone responds well to them! Many keto-friendly foods are made with artificial sweeteners and highly processed starches that often raise glucose levels. If you have a go to “keto” food, definitely test it out! A CGM will help provide that insight to see how your body responds. Foods that cause elevated prolonged spikes , are foods we should reduce. For example, one customer at Nutrisense found that Costco rotisserie chicken was causing huge glucose spikes. This seems odd, since chicken is a go-to food in the keto diet. After looking into this further, we found that the rotisserie chicken had a lot of additional ingredients that were injected during the cooking process. These additional ingredients caused their glucose levels to spike. Without the CGM, we would have never been able to figure out that this particular food was causing their glucose to spike and kicking them out of ketosis.
Experiment with portion sizes
How Do I Test My Blood Sugar
Consider testing your blood sugar at the same time as your ketones to get a more holistic perspective of whatâs happening in your body. For instance, is that new low-carb protein bar going to keep you in ketosis without spiking your blood sugar? Thereâs really only one way to find out: Testing both ketones and blood glucose.
You can even use both of these readings to determine where you sit on the Glucose Ketone Index .
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Does The Keto Diet Cause Dka
Following a keto diet does not necessarily cause DKA. A keto diet leads to ketosis when your body breaks down stored fat to convert it into energy. You might think that more ketones in your blood this would increase your risk of DKA. But, this ketosis doesnt lead to DKA if your pancreas is still producing insulin, or you inject the right amount of insulin for your diabetes, and your blood doesnt become acidic. But if you are considering a ketogenic diet you should speak to your diabetes team first .
With DKA, the blood becomes acidic when ketones build up and blood glucose levels are usually high because there is no insulin. If you want to lose weight while managing your diabetes our information might help you.
Who Shouldnt Try The Keto Diet
Its not that ketogenic diets are inherently dangerous, they just may not be effective for certain conditions. For example, those with type I or II diabetes will need to work with a knowledgeable healthcare professional while implementing a keto diet. Before jumping headfirst into a keto diet, try to uncover the cause of your adrenal fatigue.
If your main stressors are coming by way of sleep issues or lifestyle stress the ketogenic diet will not cure your adrenal fatigue.
In all likelihood, trying to implement a ketogenic diet when youre dealing with sleep disturbances and/or high levels of stress at work will backfire. The extreme dietary changes involved with the keto diet will only add to your stress. This will often make your fatigue levels worse.
Even if you are dealing with inflammation and/or blood sugar issues, the proper implementation of the ketogenic diet is in itself stressful. Do your best to get a friend or your family on board. Having a support system is essential to your long-term success. Or, check out my digital course its a stress-free way to balance your blood sugar and overcome adrenal fatigue!
And, perhaps most importantly, take your time. If youre eating a Standard American Diet, dont try to go keto next week. Start with a fatigue reset diet. Start adding whole foods to your diet. Once you have a solid foundation, then look at implementing a keto diet.
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Create A Weight Loss Meal Plan For Hypoglycemia
Nutrient needs are very individualized and vary greatly from person to person, so I always recommend working with a registered dietitian to create a plan that works with your specific needs. But if youre looking for a starting point on how to stay healthy and fuel up for an active lifestyle with hypoglycemia, this sample meal plan can help.
Sample hypoglycemia meal plan:
Treating Low Blood Sugar
You are at risk of having a low blood sugar reaction if you:
- Skip or delay a meal or snack
- Take too much insulin or eat too few carbohydrates
- Drink alcohol, especially without eating carbohydrates
Check your blood sugar if you have any of these symptoms:
- Weakness and/or fatigue
If your blood sugar is less than 70 milligrams per deciliter :
- Eat 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrate
- Wait 15 minutes and then recheck your blood sugar
- If your blood sugar is still less than 100 mg/dl, take another 15 grams of carbohydrate and retest your blood sugar in another 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
Important: If you have frequent low blood sugars speak to your doctor. You may need changes in your medication and/or meal plan.
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