Q: Do you have any recommendations for
coffee consumption? My morning coffee
seems to make my blood sugar jump. Does
coffee contain carbohydrates?A: Sounds like a case of your blood sugar
“Jumping Due to Java.” Unless you’re dump-
ing a great deal of milk or sugar into your cof-
fee, what you’re seeing is most likely caused
by the caffeine in the coffee. Caffeine is a
stimulant—it causes the liver to release stored-
up glucose into the bloodstream. The same
thing can happen with other high-caffeine
beverages such as regular (non-herbal) tea
and some energy drinks. Foods that contain
small amounts of caffeine but large amounts
of sugar, such as cola and chocolate, tend to
cause a spike in blood sugar.
There are a number of ways to deal with
this. Switching to decaf (or a 50/50 caf-
feine/decaf mix) will lessen the effects on
your blood sugar, as will consuming smaller
amounts of coffee. However, if your basic
survival hinges on that morning cup of
full-leaded joe, you may be able to offset
the temporary blood sugar rise with some
physical activity such as household chores or
a short walk. If you take rapid-acting insulin
at mealtimes, talk with your health-care
team about the possibility of taking a small
amount of insulin along with your coffee.Q: I was recently diagnosed with “predia-
betes” (fasting blood sugar was 104 mg/
dl). I feel perfectly fine, except for feeling
a little sleepy after I eat. Is this something
I should worry about?A: Be thankful that your doctor cared
enough to have you checked. Yes, pre-
diabetes is something to be concerned
about. It is a sign that your body has devel-
oped “insulin resistance”—the insulin
you produce is not lowering your blood
sugar levels the way it should. At this
point, your pancreas can make enough
extra insulin to compensate, but it won’t
be long before your pancreas can’t keep
up with the increased demand and your
blood sugar levels start to rise.
This may already be starting to hap-
pen after meals. One of the symptoms
of high blood sugar is sleepiness, and
you reported that you are already feeling
unusually drowsy after you eat. Luckily,
you caught this early and can do some-
thing about it. Ask your physician to
refer you to a diabetes educator. They
can teach you about using exercise, stress
reduction, weight loss and a healthy diet
to improve your insulin sensitivity and
(hopefully) keep type 2 diabetes from
developing. Gary Scheiner, MS, CDE, is owner and
clinical director of Integrated Diabetes
Services (integrateddiabetes.com), a
private practice specializing in intensive
therapy for children and adults. He has
lived with type 1 diabetes for 30 years;
is a certified diabetes educator and
named Diabetes Educator of the Year
2014 by the American Association of
Diabetes Educators.Have a question about diabetes?
Send it to Gary Scheiner MS, CDE,
at [email protected].Q
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ANEWS &
NOTES
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nn14 September/October 2019