Are you waking up to high fasting blood sugar levels despite your best efforts to eat healthy and stay active? If so, keep reading. We will explore some common reasons why your fasting blood sugar levels might run high and learn how to improve them. Watch our video if you want to skip the text!
Why Do My Fasting Blood Sugar Levels Run High?
Your Night Time Diet Needs Improvements
Your diet the night before affects your fasting blood sugar level the next morning.
If you eat too many carbs at night, your body might not be able to produce enough insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels throughout the night and into the next morning. This results in high fasting blood sugar levels.
On the other hand, if you eat too little carbs at night or skip dinner altogether, your body might perceive it as a stressful situation and will release stress hormones such as cortisol and glucagon that raise your blood sugar levels. Additionally, your body might also release stored glucose from the liver to maintain your blood sugar levels, resulting in high fasting blood sugar levels.
You Are Not Exercising
To visualize how insulin works in the body, imagine insulin as a key that unlocks the doors to cells, allowing glucose to enter and provide energy. Just like a key fits perfectly into a lock, insulin needs to fit precisely into the cells' locks for glucose to enter efficiently.
Regular exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, making it easier for the key to fit snugly into the cells' locks and allowing glucose to enter smoothly. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle can have the opposite effect, causing decreased insulin sensitivity, like a rusty lock that makes it challenging for the key to fit properly, which can can lead to elevated blood sugar levels.
You Might Need Adjustments in Your Medication
Everyone’s blood sugar will rise at night as a part of the natural human circadian rhythm cycle, but for people with diabetes, this rise might be more significant. Therefore, additional night time medications might be needed.
Your Hormones Are Imbalanced
When you have diabetes, you may be experiencing Dawn Phenomenon or Somoygi Effect that can both raise fasting blood sugar levels.
3 Tips to Improve Fasting Blood Sugar Levels
- Maintain a balanced diet that includes healthy carbs, proteins, and fats. Avoid overeating late in the day, but also do not skip dinner.
- Perform 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, along with two strength-training sessions to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in the muscle.
- Monitor and record your blood sugar at home and discuss them with your doctor during regular visits.
Takeaways
High fasting blood sugar levels can be frustrating, but they can be improved through proper lifestyle modifications and clinical interventions. If you have more questions, contact your Care Team. We are just one message away!