Resisting Insulin Resistance! How to combat your stress this summer!
Stress and fear go hand in hand. When the body senses stress, fear is often accompanied by it. The “fight or flight” bodily sensations will send a signal to the brain and adrenaline kicks in.
Adrenaline doesn’t get along well with insulin-35 years of diabetes and this is one of the dozens of blood sugar variables that I CAN usually pin point in terms of “why the rise?”
Your biggest takeaway from this article should be that sometimes the reason our blood sugars go up and stay up for a while isn’t because of a concrete visible carb miscalculation, or a sneaking of food, a missed bolus, or other easy-to-trouble-shoot answer.
Hormones are a beast, yet we need them. Feelings are real and some hormones force our bodies to go into resistant mode, just like the cortisol in the morning when some of us may experience the “dawn phenomenon” effect.
Here are some hopefully helpful tips to think about as it relates to hormones and managing the stress around it…
Here are a few tips to get ahead of the stress…
…is it before a baseball game, the morning of a big exam, right before a flight takes off?
Before you make any changes to any rates/ratios, etc. just observe. See what the blood sugar does. See if you notice a pattern.
How do you cope, what happens to YOUR body in times of significant stress and/or fear?
Acknowledge how you/your kids might be feeling BEFORE a big stressor triggers.
“I’ve been thinking you might be thinking about that exam you have tomorrow. When I was your age this is what I did to make me feel better.”
“Have you ever noticed that when you have an exam or a big new or scary experience coming up that your body gets nervous?”
I’ve noticed that sometimes I can see your blood sugars have a hard time staying in range. Have you noticed that?
If you feel comfortable making changes on your own, you can…
- Make sure you/your kiddo are plenty hydrated going into the stressful event.
- Set a temp basal/make sure you are in auto-mode of your closed loop systems, or give some extra insulin. (a lot of parents are afraid of low blood sugars during times of stress, etc. when in fact it is the opposite that is often likely to happen).
- Have a balanced meal or snack that will give you energy including one with protein and fat to help prevent an initial spike.
- As always consult with your medical team if you are noticing trends and patterns you just can’t get ahead of.
Need some help tackling your day-to-day stress?
Book your FREE consultation with me today!
Email anna@integrateddiabetes.com
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2 Responses
I have notice that hot temperatures when working outside tend to keep my glucose elevated.
The reverse is also true for me. When I take a shower, I use moderate temp water and my glucoses always goes down.
But why does my glucose always go down when I brush my teeth?
The foibles of human physiology are so numerous Jan. It is hard to say just why we see a specific pattern. Sometimes causes appear to be one thing, but are actually something else entirely. In this case it could be that you happen to be brushing your teeth at the same time mealtime insulin is peaking in action or a meal has completed digestion. It could also be that brushing your teeth is part of a bedtime routine that signals to your body that your day is done, so your stres slevel drops? Like the number of licks to the center of a tootsie roll pop, the world may never know.