Lilacs & Managing Diabetes In The Morning

Another gorgeous morning in East Hampton, NY, is another reason to show my home state pride. When I was growing up in Rochester, my mother told me lilacs were the official New York State bush, but they weren’t designated as such until 2006. 

Checking your blood sugar in the morning, known as fasting glucose, can help you assess your diabetes self-care plan. This measurement shows how well your body manages your blood sugar overnight. If you take insulin, a morning test can also help you determine how much to take before a meal.

In people with prediabetes or diabetes, morning blood sugar can remain high as the body becomes less sensitive to insulin or produces smaller amounts. This is known as the “dawn phenomenon.”

Some researchers believe the overnight release of certain hormones naturally increases insulin resistance. That causes blood sugar to rise. The hormones are called counter-regulatory hormones because they have an effect that opposes the effect of insulin. They include growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon, and epinephrine.

High blood sugar in the morning may be caused by:

  • Not getting enough insulin the night before.
  • Not getting the right dose of diabetes medicine the night before.
  • Eating a snack with carbohydrates in it at bedtime.

Talk to your healthcare collaborators if your blood sugar is consistently higher than it should be in the morning.

According to Greek mythology, Pan, the god of fields and forests, fell hopelessly in love with the nymph Syringa. After endless advances from Pan, Syringa turns herself into a lilac shrub to protect and disguise herself from him, proving once again how some guys don’t get the message. 

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