False Hypoglycemia, Set Points and My New Blood Sugar Readings

I have an update on my blood sugar readings.  I typically range between 5.3 to 5.7 mmol (95 to 103 mg/dl)  during the day. My fasting blood glucose as tested by the lab in January 2010 was 5.3 mmol (95 mg/dl) and by the end of the year in December 2010, it was 5.2 mmol (94 mg/dl)- pretty much the same.  After meals it might be 7.3 mmol (131 mg/dl) depending on what I ate for the meal.

A few weeks ago, I broke into heavy, drenching sweats during the night while I was sleeping.  It was so bad I would wake up and have to take a shower before proceeding back to bed.  My research led me to suspect these were episodes of false hypoglycemia.  It was a mystery to me why this was happening as my blood sugar tends to be high and not low.  These episodes have not repeated themselves since.

I decided to start measuring my blood sugar levels again.

Lo and behold, the meter read 4.2 mmol (76 mg/dl) . Two hours after eating, 4.8 mmol (86).  One reading at 5 p.m. before food showed 5.0 mmol (90 mg/dl) and a post-prandial reading of 5.7 mmol (103 mg/dl).

Another day at 11:30 a.m. it was 4.6 mmol (83 mg/dl).  I would eat lunch, go boxing and read 4.1 mmol (74 mg/dl) before eating.  Two hours after eating, it was 5.3 mmol (95 mg/dl).  It goes on.

1:21 p.m. before lunch and its 4.8 mmol (86 mg/dl).  Today after cycling home from work, it was 4.4 mmol (79 mg/dl) after having a sushi lunch.  Its been like this since February 12 onwards.

How to make sense of this phenomenon?

What I believe happened was my body reset its blood sugar levels from the 5.x (90s mg/dl) range down to the 4.x range (70s mg/dl).  Those episodes of hypoglycemia during the night was the body reaching a new set point level during the circadian cycle where gene expression is rampant.

All I know at this point is that my blood sugar is lower than it has ever been ever since I started measuring it over a year ago.  All other things being equal, this is an improvement in a health marker for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

This was achieved with a Paleo\Primal Diet and regular exercise.


For further reading on blood sugar levels:
What is normal blood sugar: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16422495.php
How to lower your blood sugar: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
The 5% HbA1c club: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16535158.php



Victor