food

The highest blood sugar I’ve ever had

/ rivagreenberg / Leave a comment

I think this is the highest blood sugar I’ve ever had, or at least since I could see my blood sugars. I sent this to a fellow type 1 friend in an email with the heading: ‘Don’t ask!?’ She wrote back: ‘I’m asking!!! Something you ate for breakfast?, sugar got in your coffee, bad news/stress…. Detectives at work! 

Of course I’d already put on my detective hat and wrote back: ‘Could be any or all of those. I think the sensor was correct. I don’t know if my Fiasp (short acting) or Toujeo had spoiled as both were expired. Or, I didn’t cover breakfast correctly because I was at my friend’s house in NJ and she made oat muffins which I don’t ordinarily eat. Or maybe the heat tampered with my insulins or BS. Or I injected through scar tissue.  Or…or…or…

Because when I realized how my insulin(s) wasn’t covering my breakfast, I was in the car with friends just starting out on our two hour drive from visiting a friend in New Jersey, back to Brooklyn. We made one stop before getting on the highway; we stopped at a supermarket. You know city girls just wanna walk up and down the aisles of a real supermarket. So while my friends shopped I walked up and down every aisle and around the property outside knowing exercise now was the only way to stop my blood sugar from rising and hopefully get it down.  

And it did start to come down, from this high of 263 to 219, but then we got back in the car and it started going up again. By this point I’d likely taken 7 units of Fiasco in 1 or 1.5 unit shots and I was bouncing my feet up and down in the car to keep so blood sugar lowering motion going. Finally I chanced one more unit when I was 175 and half way home. Finally that knocked it down to 110 by time we crossed over to Brooklyn. 

I dumped the Toujeo and started a new one this morning. I watched my blood sugar all evening and the next morning and all seemed fine.

So what did this detective and my friend come up with. We figured the most likely scenario was seriously undershooting for the oat muffin. But truly who knows?! As the song goes, ‘Mama said there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this mama said.’ Luckily we now have the tools, my CGM, to watch what’s happening in real time, and the knowledge to run small experiments like taking 1 unit and seeing what happens. Luckily too, while I was somewhat distressed not to be close to home and able to just grab a fresh bottle of insulin, I was grateful I wasn’t alone.

Sweet, nutritious snacks with small impact on blood sugar

/ rivagreenberg / 1 Comment
Apple with Peanut Butter

I was sent the four snacks below by Ben’s Natural Health. They all look delicious and won’t spike your blood sugar, so I highly recommend giving them a try. Below them I share my favorite recent slow-rise sandwich.

  1. Grapes with Cheese

Because cheese has a lot of fat and protein, pairing it with any sugary food will slow the rise of your blood sugar. You can use grapes, peaches, cherries, pretty much whatever fruit you like. Remember, dried fruits like prunes and raisins are packed with more sugar than fresh fruit. If you’re using canned fruit, buy it packed in water, or if you can’t, rinse off the sweetened water it comes in.

2. Greek Yogurt with Cacao Nibs, Chia and Berries

“Greek yogurt is a fantastic base for a blood sugar-friendly treat,” says Oscar Scheiner from Ben’s Natural Health, “Adding cacao nibs for antioxidants, chia seeds for fiber, and berries for a natural sweetness creates a perfect combination for stabilizing blood sugar. ” A study published in Diabetes Care found that fiber-rich additions like chia seeds can reduce glucose spikes by up to 39%. Personally, I’d leave out the chocolate nibs and add fiber-rich nuts instead.

A variation of this recipe can be made with coconut and or almond milk instead of Greek yogurt and it’s called chia seed pudding. There are tons of recipes for chia seed pudding online so have a look around.

3. Apple Slices with Peanut Butter and Cinnamon

An oldie but goodie. Fiber and protein-rich peanut butter is filling and apples are the best way to keep doctors away, aren’t they? Just spread some peanut butter, or almond butter if you prefer, on a slice of apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Altogether this will give you a really satisfying crunch, super smooth mouth sensation and gradual sugar rise.

4. Dark Chocolate with Almond Butter

Lucky for me dark chocolate has been shown to have more antioxidants than milk chocolate so enjoy it. Personally, 92% is my bliss point which I usually get by pairing a square of 85% with a square of 95 or 100%. The almond butter as you know now will slow down the sugar rise due to its protein and fat. The key here is quality chocolate. The flavor sensation is so rich, you don’t need more than a square or two.

Thank you for these ideas Ben’s Natural Health.

5. My new fave sandwich: Peanut butter and banana on multi-grain toast

If you’re my age you might remember this sandwich was enormously popular years ago when hippies ruled the earth. Somehow it seems to have slid out of fashion, but recently I made it for myself and I can’t stop. I rarely eat bread at home, but a friend, and fellow type 1, recommended Dave’s Killer Bread, so I bought the PowerSeed loaf. Several varieties also come in “thin.” I toast the bread and only use half a banana and slice it thinly. I lay it down on one toasted slice of bread and slather the other with peanut butter. It’s mildly sweet, and sensuous in your mouth, and while I do have to take 2.5 units to cover the seedy bread and banana, it’s a slow rise.