Type 2 diabetes

I have searched the forums and have only found a Type 1 diabetes thread, which doesn't necessarily apply to my condition... I have found that when, during and after, I swim my blood sugar spikes. I normally swim between 2k to 4k yards at a time and am fairly aggressive in maintaining my pace. Yesterday my BS before I started was 92 then afterwards it was 220. All I had to drink was a coffee and a tablespoon of butter. (Blech) I have watched a ton of YouTube videos pertaining to exercise and how the body produces glucose from muscles, liver then body fat. I fear taking insulin before a workout and then my BS crashes... big fear. How do you cope with swimming and Type 2? What do you eat before, during or after swimming? Am I missing something biologically happening to me that I should be aware of? Am I asking the right questions? Today was my worst swimming session ever. I felt like I was drowning. I took 20 units of insulin before swimming thinking that might help. Any thoughts/experiences/sage wisdom will be very much appreciated.

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  • I've had type 2 DM for 15 years and have read and studied everything I can find about diet and exercise influences of blood sugar.  I follow a paleo diet because of allergies, and a keto diet to reduce carbs to lower my blood sugar.  In addition I do intermittent fasting to decrease blood sugar, increase the body's ability to use both glycogen and fat stores, and to increase healing through autophagy.  For anyone not needing to lose weight, carb calories can be replaced with healthy fats.  One of the central issues in DM II is insulin resistance. Insulin has to be low in order for fat to be mobilized from the body stores.  Many type 2 diabetics never have low insulin, regardless of diet.  Hitting the wall is related to having used up glycogen stores without having the metabolic flexibility to be able to start using ketones from fat stores. Intermittent fasting will over time allow cells to become more insulin sensitive.  Taking insulin, of course may be necessary for dangerously high blood sugar, but will worsen insulin resistance.  The Diabetes Code, byJason Fung MD, a nephrologist, describes all of this in a very accessible way. He also has many YouTube videos. Dr. Sten Ekberg, a decathlon Olympian, has a very good YouTube video on the autophagy healing process.  Good luck.  I know things can be easier for you.

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  • I've had type 2 DM for 15 years and have read and studied everything I can find about diet and exercise influences of blood sugar.  I follow a paleo diet because of allergies, and a keto diet to reduce carbs to lower my blood sugar.  In addition I do intermittent fasting to decrease blood sugar, increase the body's ability to use both glycogen and fat stores, and to increase healing through autophagy.  For anyone not needing to lose weight, carb calories can be replaced with healthy fats.  One of the central issues in DM II is insulin resistance. Insulin has to be low in order for fat to be mobilized from the body stores.  Many type 2 diabetics never have low insulin, regardless of diet.  Hitting the wall is related to having used up glycogen stores without having the metabolic flexibility to be able to start using ketones from fat stores. Intermittent fasting will over time allow cells to become more insulin sensitive.  Taking insulin, of course may be necessary for dangerously high blood sugar, but will worsen insulin resistance.  The Diabetes Code, byJason Fung MD, a nephrologist, describes all of this in a very accessible way. He also has many YouTube videos. Dr. Sten Ekberg, a decathlon Olympian, has a very good YouTube video on the autophagy healing process.  Good luck.  I know things can be easier for you.

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