Welcome to the club Joe, I have just been stuck for time, but this may help.
This subject is very very complex, so, this is quick rule of thumb assessment of one small part.
All the your cells in the body need glycogen (blood glucose) to do work, or they just die.
The body has to keep the level of glycogen, between 4 and 9 on the
glycogen index or we will die.
When we eat carbohydrate: glycogen soon begins to be released into the blood.
The body monitors this and begins to release insulin.
Insulin this vital it helps the cell-wall to open up and so absorb the glycogen from the blood.
The ideal is, a slow rate of increase; then a peak; then a fall at the same rate; over two hours.
Then the liver extracts the surplus insulin from the blood, job done.
When thing go wrong; this can happen in young and old,
We do not produce enough insulin, the doc will give you tablets, this is best left to him.
Or Insulin resistance: this can cause a delay, from 15 mins to 6hours the same thing happens
but the cell wall's just don't open.
This may cause you to go into an oscillation, of low and high glycogen levels.
This is why we feel like shoot, best way to deal with it is to lay down,don’t eat (just have a nibble) and drink lots of water.
New research has found that just a bad nights sleep can cause a delay of up to two hours.
This just may be caused by snoring, due to Hay fever say.
So Joe, best get a Blood sugar monitor, one test at the Doc's is not a conclusive.
What is probably happening, is that you blood sugar is hanging,
staying high, for what ever reason.
Sugar decisively throws my Glycogen levels, out of balance, one small spoonful is enough.
So, I have to go for carbohydrate at 50% of the G I index;
this is absorbed more slowly, but small portions only, as needed.
A squeeze of lemon on food will also slow down the rate of uptake.
Getting all of your carbohydrate from vegetables, is a good idea, but not always practicable.
Don’t go more than 8 hours without having a nibble.
I have a light breakfast, then a workout to burn up about 1000k, every morning.
This lowers your Glycogen levels, then just eat healthy and you will be fine.
In this country the government is very keen on this.
So, far they’ve not rounded up people of the streets but it's not far off.
Slowly build up to this level of activity, by small weekly progressive steps.
The Jim’s ideal for this, but swimming is the best,
just a constant steady gait without going anaerobic.
This puts no strain on the joints, like the Jim can at times.
Walking 4 miles in an hour, is enough, to bring down your sugar levels,
that's if the cop's will let you.
The bike plays a big part in this too, I just love it, road bike or mountain in the hills.
And that's is the key, you must make it all fun, at the Jim it's just a big social club.
Where insults and advice are hurled, with equal abundance, but that's the
kind of environment I am at home in.
Reward yourself, I always have a coffee afterwards made from the tastiest beans.
Let me know how you go on, I may be able to help with tricks of the trade. Zoof
