Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

How do I counter an insulin rush? I just broke a 23 hour fast with a small green apple and an ounce of some hard cheese. Within 1/2 hour I got jittery, shakey, heart palpitations, nausea, etc.

Can I eat or drink something to get rid of this horrible feeling? The chef hasn't finished preparing dinner yet (burgers and sweet potato chips) though...

flag	asked Jun 16 at 21:34 Sandra Brigham 670●1●7

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I sounds like you have hypoglycemia, me too. Try not to eat fruit without a full meal, especially after fasting. Actually, try not to fast too much, okay? You could black-out suddenly. Sipping beef broth can help you, if you need to skip meals. Get better, soon :) – Lyndsay Jun 16 at 21:56

scottts · Accepted Answer · 2012-06-16 21:44:14Z UTC

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Protein might help by raising glucagon. Otherwise just wait it out.

answered Jun 16 at 21:44

scottts
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Lyndsay · Answer 2 · 2012-06-16 21:43:38Z UTC

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Do you have any meat or avocado? meat+fat always works for me! If you don't have avocado, eat an egg, cooked with coconut oil! Failing that, eat some almonds!

answered Jun 16 at 21:43

Lyndsay
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Dan · Answer 3 · 2012-06-17 01:10:50Z UTC

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Look up nettles and cinnamon (separately, not together). They both control blood sugar and keep it low and steady.

answered Jun 17 at 1:10

Dan
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aseafish · Answer 4 · 2012-06-16 21:49:40Z UTC

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Are you sure it's too much insulin? Protein and fat are a good "gee my blood sugar seems a bit high" measure. If you need to reduce the insulin, you may need something more on the carb end. The symptoms you're describing could be serious.

answered Jun 16 at 21:49

aseafish
3,809●3●11

	I haven't had fat or protein (except the cheese) in 24 hrs so it's not a response to those nutrients. It's the apple. Bananas usually do this to me so I avoid them or have 1/4 of one. First time this happens with an apple. – Sandra Brigham Jun 16 at 22:05
	Just wanted to confirm that you had not injected insulin prior to eating. You've already gotten the protein and fat suggestion, and I'm hoping you followed it by now. – aseafish Jun 16 at 23:18

Sandra Brigham · Answer 5 · 2012-06-16 22:19:46Z UTC

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Sorry for posting as an answer to my own question but it wouldn't let me post through scottts comment box.

from another paleo site: "Glucagon"

"Glucagon is a hormone used to raise blood glucose by releasing liver glycogen and triglycerides stored in fat cells. Glucagon is also used along with cortisol for gluconeogenesis. Glucagon is the counter hormone to insulin; both regulate blood glucose and are needed in the same quantities to maintain weight. Glucagon is released in response to low blood glucose, free amino acids and cholecystokinin. It is blocked by insulin and free fatty acids."

So would glucagon released in response to high blood glucose (insulin spike)? If yes, would the insulin then block it? Something doesn't sound right there...

answered Jun 16 at 22:19

Sandra Brigham
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	As I understand it unlike carbohydrate, protein causes both insulin and glucagon release. The glucagon counteracts the insulins effect. – scottts Jun 16 at 22:27
	"in response to high blood glucose (insulin spike)" - a blood glucose spike and an insulin spike are too different things. Insulin counteracts high blood glucose and gets it out of the blood stream. When you eat protein, you get an insulin spike directly from the protein, but via glucagon, your body kicks out glucose out of the liver so that the insulin doesn't drop your blood glucose too low. Eating protein with carbs doesn't create a smaller insulin "spike", it creates a bigger insulin spike that more readily handles the blood glucose spike. – Paleo2.0 Jun 16 at 22:33
	As I understand it (I may have this wrong) Glucagon is the hormone that is used to release glycogen; the stuff your body stores in your liver or your muscles as emergency energy when food is scares and blood sugar begins to fall. The fact that you did a 23 hour fast maybe just means you may have depleted your body of any glycogen. If your blood glucose levels are low and there is no glycogen to help raise glucose levels, your body must resort to adrenaline and cortisol to kick protein into gluconeogensis. Insulin is then used to transport all the glucose into your cells. Your feeling... – Caveman formally known as Dan Jun 17 at 1:35
	...the adrenalin. – Caveman formally known as Dan Jun 17 at 1:35

jake · Answer 6 · 2012-06-16 22:35:11Z UTC

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exercise so the glucose has to go to work

answered Jun 16 at 22:35

jake
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How do I counter an insulin rush?

6 Answers