Keto Sugar Spike: Strategies To Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can be beneficial for people with diabetes. The keto diet can help manage blood sugar spikes by changing the way the body stores and uses energy, improving blood glucose levels, and reducing the need for insulin. However, it is important to note that the keto diet also comes with risks and should be carefully monitored by a doctor. One concern is that a “cheat day” on the keto diet may cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, which can have dangerous side effects and potentially undo some of the positive impacts of the diet. To avoid blood sugar spikes on the keto diet, it is crucial to maintain a consistent low-carb intake, as even a single dose of carbohydrates can have negative consequences.

Avoid cheat days on keto

Cheat days on the keto diet can be detrimental to your health and weight loss goals. The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can help with weight loss by burning fat and reducing blood glucose levels. However, a single cheat day can knock you out of ketosis, which is a state where your body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates or glucose.

When you consume too many carbs, your body produces more insulin, which can lead to an increase in blood sugar and a decrease in fat burning. This can interfere with your weight loss goals and other keto-related goals, such as fat loss. Additionally, cheat days can leave you feeling sluggish and craving more sugary and carb-filled foods.

To avoid the negative consequences of cheat days, it is important to be mindful of your food choices. Here are some tips to avoid cheat days on keto:

• Swap in keto-friendly foods: Instead of indulging in high-carb treats, opt for keto-friendly alternatives. For example, instead of regular pasta, try low-carb zucchini pasta. Instead of chocolate chip cookies, go for keto chocolate chip cookies.
• Keep portions small: By keeping portions small, you can prevent overeating. Make sure seconds are not easily accessible and rely on portion control rather than willpower.
• Space out cheat days: Cheat days should be a rare occurrence. The more frequently you cheat, the more likely you are to form bad eating habits. It is recommended to space out cheat days generously and not make them a daily or weekly thing.
• Choose your cheat meals wisely: Make your cheat meal count by indulging in the foods you miss the most. Don't waste it on a handful of stale tortilla chips.
• Avoid sugar: Sugary cheat meals will fuel sugar addiction and drive future cravings. Opt for keto-friendly sweeteners like erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit instead.
• Exercise after cheating: Exercise increases insulin sensitivity, so if you do cheat, try to time it so you can exercise afterward. This will help you get back into ketosis faster.
• Get back on track quickly: The longer you avoid your low-carb routine, the harder it will be to restart. So, if you do have a cheat meal or day, make sure to get back to your keto diet as soon as possible.
• Don't beat yourself up: Everyone makes mistakes, and it's important to be kind to yourself. If you cheat, don't dwell on it. Focus on getting back on track and making healthier choices in the present moment.

Monitor blood sugar levels

Monitoring your blood sugar levels is an important part of managing your health, especially if you are on the keto diet. Here are some reasons why you should monitor your blood sugar levels:

Personalized Nutrition Insights:

By testing your blood sugar, you can determine how your body responds to specific foods and make more informed dietary choices. For example, you can find out if adding beets or dark chocolate to your dinner is too many carbs for your body to handle while in ketosis. You can also see how your body handles higher-carb foods after a rigorous workout.

Play Ingredient Detective:

If you suspect that certain "keto-friendly" sweeteners or processed foods are too good to be true, you can test your blood glucose to see exactly how they affect your body. Not all keto-friendly foods are created equal, and some may cause unexpected blood sugar spikes.

Cheat Meal Recovery:

While you may not need to test your blood sugar to know that a cheat meal will kick you out of ketosis, monitoring your blood glucose can show you how long it takes your body to recover and get back on track. This information can help you decide if those cheat meals are worth it.

Understanding Glucose and Ketone Correlation:

Blood glucose and ketone levels are interconnected. Testing your blood glucose can give you a more holistic perspective on what's happening in your body. For example, you can determine if a low-carb protein bar will keep you in ketosis without spiking your blood sugar.

Identify Your Trigger Foods:

Everyone responds differently to carbohydrates. By using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), you can identify how specific carbs affect your glucose levels and optimize your keto diet accordingly. This way, you don't have to guess if a certain food is kicking you out of ketosis.

Test Out "Keto-Friendly" Foods:

Many keto-friendly foods are made with artificial sweeteners and highly processed starches that can raise glucose levels. By testing these foods with a CGM, you can see how your body responds and make more informed choices.

Experiment With Portion Sizes:

Staying in ketosis is a challenge, and the amount of carbs you can eat while maintaining ketosis varies from person to person. A CGM can help you understand your personal carb threshold and make more sustainable dietary choices.

Test Your Protein Threshold:

The amount of protein one can tolerate is highly personalized. By testing both ketone and glucose levels, you can find out what works best for your body and make any necessary adjustments.

Tips for Monitoring Blood Sugar on a Keto Diet:

• Test your carb threshold: Gradually increase your carbohydrate intake while monitoring ketone and glucose values through a CGM. This will help you find your personal carb threshold and maintain ketosis.
• Test your trigger foods: Record your pre-prandial ketone and glucose values, then eat your experimental food choice. Record your postprandial values two hours after the meal to see how quickly your body recovers.
• Test your protein threshold: If you suspect you're consuming too much protein at a meal, test your ketone and glucose levels in a fasted state and note the amount of protein in the meal. This will help you understand how excess protein affects your glucose levels.

Remember, monitoring your blood sugar levels on the keto diet can provide valuable insights, but it's not a necessity unless you're diabetic. Focus on keeping your carbs low, your fats high, and your electrolytes replenished.

Control insulin levels

To control insulin levels, you can make changes to your diet, lifestyle, and weight.

Diet

• Reduce your intake of refined carbs and sugar: Refined carbs include white bread, white rice, and fries. These are quickly digested by the body, leading to blood sugar spikes.
• Eat complex carbs: Opt for whole grain foods, most fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and legumes.
• Eat more low-glycemic index foods: These foods maintain a slower, steady need for insulin instead of causing sudden spikes. Examples include non-starchy vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cucumber), whole grains (e.g. oatmeal, brown rice), legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas), and low-fat or fat-free dairy.
• Choose a low-carb diet: Research shows that a low-carb diet can be effective in lowering insulin levels.
• Eat more soluble fiber: Soluble fiber helps slow the absorption of carbs in the gut, resulting in a steadier rise and fall in blood sugar. Good sources include fruits like apples, oranges, and blueberries.
• Drink apple cider vinegar: Vinegar may help prevent insulin spikes after eating, especially when consumed with high-carb foods.
• Drink green tea: Green tea contains antioxidants that may help fight insulin resistance.
• Add spices to your food: Cinnamon has been linked to enhanced insulin sensitivity and decreased insulin levels, especially in individuals with higher BMIs.

Lifestyle

• Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps lower insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
• Reduce stress: Stress can lead to excess insulin production. Measures to reduce stress include getting enough sleep and managing anxiety.

Weight

Reach and maintain a moderate weight: Excess weight, especially belly fat, can make it harder for your body to control blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Losing weight can help decrease insulin levels.

Reduce stress

While on a keto diet, you may experience a spike in blood sugar levels due to various factors, including stress. Stress can impair your health and affect blood sugar levels. As stress levels increase, the body releases certain hormones, triggering the release of stored energy in the form of sugar into the bloodstream as part of the fight-or-flight response. This can lead to a blood sugar spike, especially if left untreated.

Chronic stress can lead to high cortisol levels, which can cause issues with blood sugar regulation, even with a well-formulated ketogenic diet. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone, and during the fight-or-flight response, it can prompt the liver to secrete glucose (sugar) and fatty acids, providing energy to deal with the perceived threat.

To reduce stress and help manage blood sugar spikes, consider the following:

• Proactive planning, time management, and setting realistic goals.
• Incorporating calming exercises such as yoga and meditation, which have been proven to lower stress levels. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or tapping is another promising calming exercise.
• Engaging in outdoor activities in the fresh air.
• Spending leisure time with pets, friends, or family.
• Listening to soothing music and creating a relaxing ambiance with candlelight.
• Avoiding unhealthy behaviours like emotional overeating and finding comfort in alternative activities, such as a warm bath or a healthy ketogenic comfort food that doesn't spike your blood sugar.

Additionally, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking plenty of water can also help manage blood sugar spikes.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise is a powerful tool to help manage blood sugar spikes, especially when combined with a ketogenic diet. Here are some tips and insights to help you leverage exercise as a way to manage keto sugar spikes effectively:

Benefits of Exercise for Blood Sugar Control

Exercise is an essential component of blood sugar management. It offers multiple benefits that directly contribute to stabilising blood glucose levels:

• Increased Insulin Sensitivity: Exercise increases the sensitivity of your cells to insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb sugar from the blood, thereby lowering blood sugar levels.
• Muscle Sugar Uptake: Exercise stimulates muscle cells to absorb sugar from the blood, helping to further reduce blood sugar levels.
• Weight Loss: Both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercises aid in weight loss, which, in turn, helps manage blood sugar spikes.

Exercise Intensity and Timing

The intensity and timing of your workouts can influence their effectiveness in managing blood sugar spikes:

• Intensity: Both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercises have been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes. Very high-intensity exercise, however, may trigger sugar cravings, especially if your body is not yet adapted to burning fat for energy.
• Timing: The time of day you exercise can also make a difference. One study found that exercising before breakfast controlled blood sugar more effectively than exercising after breakfast.

Safety Considerations

If you are on a ketogenic diet and starting an exercise routine, there are a few safety considerations to keep in mind:

• Initial Adaptation Period: When first starting a ketogenic diet, it is recommended to take it easy on the exercise for the first two to four weeks, which is the period when your body is adapting to the new diet.
• Hypo Risk: If you are on hypo-causing medication, consult your health team about managing exercise on a ketogenic diet. Exercise can increase insulin sensitivity for up to 72 hours, which may increase the risk of hypos during this period.
• Sprinting and Upper Body Exercise: Certain forms of activity, like sprinting and upper body exercises, can initially increase sugar levels. If you know you experience this effect, you may not need to take carbohydrates or reduce your medication before exercising.

Long-Term Benefits

While there is a lack of long-term research on the combination of ketogenic diets and exercise, the individual benefits of each approach are clear. Together, they can be a powerful tool for managing blood sugar spikes and improving overall health:

• Blood Glucose Control: The ketogenic diet's focus on burning body fat, combined with exercise, can help accelerate fat loss and improve blood glucose control.
• Cholesterol Balance: Following a ketogenic diet and exercising can help maintain balanced cholesterol levels, particularly by increasing levels of protective HDL cholesterol.

Frequently asked questions