Blood sugar spikes and dips

[damian]

I'm on day 2 of the wai diet and everything is going well, except for the fact that I can feel my blood sugar rising (agitation) and falling (light-headedness). I'm drinking lots of orange juice with 4 tablespoons of olive oil per liter, and I'm trying to drink only a cup at a time and space it out relatively evenly throughout the day. However, I'm still feeling the blood sugar spikes and dips. I had lots of problem prior to this diet, but this was not one of them. I've read at various places on this board that eating only whole fruit results in too much fiber (and therefore bloating) and difficulty getting enough nutrients. In fact, I tried eating sashimi, nuts, egg yolks, and whole fruit for a day or two for a day or two before I switched to orange juice and could feel myself not getting enough energy and craving orange juice, which is why I switched to orange juice.

Anyway, all of this makes me wonder how natural this diet is. Lord knows our ancestors didn't drink tons of juice with oil added. They probably ate a lot more whole fruit. I know this will probably sound like heresy on this board, but could it be that our ancestors thrived on raw fruits and larger amounts of meats and vegetables, at least some of which were cooked? I've seen anthropologists make that argument more than once. I'm convinced that cooking causes problems, but could it be that the problems are at least sometimes outweighed by the benefits of making certain foods more digestible? I took an anthropology class at Harvard in which the professor (Richard Wrangham) argued that the advent of cooking coincided with an increase in brain volume, if I remember correctly, and said the most likely reason for this is that cooking makes energy more readily available from certain foods.

Is it possible to beat acne while also eating less fruit and fruit juice and adding some cooked meat and cooked vegetables? This is the essence of Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet (http://www.dietaryacnecure.com/), which I tried briefly last year. Eliminating dairy, grains, and legumes definitely helped, though I don't recall whether my acne went away completely on his diet (but I also don't recall how strictly I followed the diet). Honestly, I'm considering switching back to that diet because it seems in some ways more natural and I did not experience the problems I'm currently having with blood glucose while on that diet.

Still, I want to give the wai diet a chance, and am impressed with wai's research (in some ways more than Cordain's) and wonder whether I'm simply not pacing myself with regards to juice drinking well enough.

Thoughts?

[RRM]

I'm on day 2 of the wai diet and everything is going well, except for the fact that I can feel my blood sugar rising (agitation) and falling (light-headedness).

To prevent the up, take smaller protions.
To prevent the downs, try to notice sooner that your blood sugar level is going down, so that you can counteract that by taking another sip / bite.

I'm trying to drink only a cup at a time and space it out relatively evenly throughout the day.

Dont drink a cup at once, just a sip or 2.
And take a sip much more frequently.

However, I'm still feeling the blood sugar spikes and dips.

coz a cup is too much.

could it be that our ancestors thrived on raw fruits and larger amounts of meats and vegetables, at least some of which were cooked?

for millions of years they didnt cook, at all.

if I remember correctly, and said the most likely reason for this is that cooking makes energy more readily available from certain foods.

Nowadays we dont need to eat cooked foods to get plenty of energy all the time.
All you need to do is to drink less and much more often.

Is it possible to beat acne while also eating less fruit and fruit juice and adding some cooked meat and cooked vegetables?

You first need to know for sure that this diet works for you, or not.
the only way that you can make sure, is by trying 100%.
Once your acne is gone, you can try re-introducing cooked foods.
But first you need to make sure.

[damian]

Thanks, RRM, for your helpful reply.

[dionysus]

I like 25gs of OO with every 250ml of OJ. Makes me feel calm

[damian]

I like 25gs of OO with every 250ml of OJ. Makes me feel calm

That works out to about 8 tablespoons of OO per liter of OJ, according to my calculations. That's double the amount I've seen recommended elsewhere. Is that too much, or is it just right?

[claireelis]

are you really active? if so you probably need a lower fat:carb ratio as you won't need the large blood sugar buffer the fat provides, but if you're sitting most of the day then more fat may be just what you need to keep your blood sugar stable.

you could maybe first try RRM's advise and take smaller sips more frequently. if that doesn't work (you should notice a difference right away with regard to blood sugar), then try adding more OO - say a tablespoon per day - within a week you'll have found the right ratio for you.

and about cordain's research - i've had the same doubts, except i have been a vegetarian most of my life and despite no longer feeling guilty about animal products i really just don't like them (except of corse egg yolks nowadays ). the problem is that we don't know if it's the diet or the elimination of the main causes of problems (e.g. wheat/dairy) or something else that gives the positive effect - so is wai an even better version? there's a thread on this here:
viewtopic.php?t=924
and rrm's theory:
http://www.thijsklompmaker.com/acne.htm

[damian]

thanks, claireelis, for the helpful thoughts.

i have a hunch as to what might be at least part of the problem:

the spikes and dips tend to be worst in the morning. when i wake up, i'm usually quite hungry, but i sometimes get sucked in by the computer and don't have anything to eat or drink for an hour or two after waking up. at some point, the hunger motivates me to get up and drink a lot of orange juice. i take only small sips at a time, but over the course of maybe 20 or 30 minutes i take a lot of sips, since i'm so hungry, and this is around the time that i tend to feel agitated and then tired.

so perhaps at least part of the solution would be to have something to eat or drink as soon as i wake up.

have other people experienced this as well?

[Oscar]

The point is never to get that hungry. It takes getting used to, listening to what your body needs.

Anyway, all of this makes me wonder how natural this diet is. Lord knows our ancestors didn't drink tons of juice with oil added. They probably ate a lot more whole fruit.

This diet is based on what we believe was our natural diet (fruits and some animal protein), adapted to more the ideal circumstances (food availability) of modern life. Our ancestors didn't drink OJ, nor olive oil, and they might've eaten insects as a protein source. This doesn't mean we have to do exactly the same, but we can translate the body's needs into modern equivalents.

[RRM]

so perhaps at least part of the solution would be to have something to eat or drink as soon as i wake up.

Yes, because waiting so long in the morning disconnects you from your blood-sugar level. Instead you should bring that to your attention right after getting up, by taking a sip of juice.

have other people experienced this as well?

Its quite well known that after ingnoring your blood sugar level for a while your body will compensate for that by a series of hormone releases. Instead its much better to stay connected with your blood sugar level all the time.