With some people the fasting sugar seems to always remain high despite their best efforts. Why do this happen? Let us understand the fasting sugar cycle.

Our body produces some hormones every morning to prepare the body for the coming day. Hormones like growth hormones from Pituitary glands, glucagon from Pancreas, Cortisol from the adrenal glands get released everyday morning between 2am to 8am. These hormones have specific functions to perform in the body. These hormones spike blood sugar initially by triggering Glucagon and by 7 to 8 am, the sugar level balances in a normal person. But in some diabetes cases, the blood sugar continues to remain high. This position is attributed to something called Dawn Phenomenon. Simply speaking Dawn Phenomenon is, the natural morning hormone surge raises blood sugar; non-diabetics handle it with insulin, but diabetics cannot because of insulin resistance.

In certain cases, the Somogyi effect contributes to higher sugar level mainly because when the body goes low on sugar at night, it prompts release of more sugar from the stored sugar (glycogen).

It is the role of insulin which keeps the blood sugar level under control. In Type 2 Diabetes, because of Insulin resistance, the blood sugar level remains high during the fasting period.

How to control this ?

Take the following actions :

1. 1. Consume evening smoothie at 5.30pm. This keeps the body satiated prompting lower intake of food at dinner. Besides, evening smoothy, especially green smoothy helps to stabilise blood sugar by releasing energy slowly on account of fiber content in the smoothie.
2. 2. Do more exercises in the morning to ensure the excess blood sugar is consumed by the muscles
3. 3. Take dinner before 7.30 pm to keep in sync with Circadian cycle.
4. 4. Reduce quantity of grains in dinner. Do not completely avoid grains but reduce their quantity and stick to one grain per meal.
5. 5. Avoid screens like TV/Mobile/Laptop after 9.00pm
6. 6. Do anti-gravity exercises like climbing stairs after dinner. Do it 10 steps at a time for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. 7. Sleep before 10.00pm for 7 hours at night. Proper sleep provides time for the body to heal itself.
8. 8. Consume 50% greens in dinner including cooked vegetables and raw. These greens contains fiber and they promote fullness to prevent overeating of carbs during dinner, support digestion, and counter evening glucose rises from glucagon.
9. 9. Take 2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar in 20tsp of water before going to bed. It slows overnight glucose production in the liver.
10. 10. Get up before sunrise. Do sun bathing in the morning for 20 minutes. It boosts vitamin D production, enhancing insulin sensitivity and improves glucose metabolism.
11. 11. Chant Gayatri Mantra or do Surya Namaskar in the morning. Chanting Gayatri Mantra in the morning helps you to regulate the Cortisol level, keeps the mind calm and helps to keep the blood pressure and blood sugar level under check. Surya Namaskar is the best stretching exercise for the body in the morning.
12. 12. Consume more seeds. Seeds provide sustained energy from fiber, healthy fats, and protein, stabilizing blood sugar without spikes for diabetics.
13. 13. Consume more nuts like Almonds, walnuts. These contain healthy fats, protein, and fiber that stabilize blood sugar levels.
14. 14. Keep yourself happy and others happy. For this, express Gratitude and Forgiveness everyday. Be a Paropakari.

With the reduction in insulin resistance, the fasting sugar level becomes normal by 8.00am.