Why Glucose Tablets Work Better Than Food for Low Blood Sugar
Most people don’t hate glucose tablets because they don’t work. They hate them because they’re boring. No crunch. No comfort. No emotional payoff. In this episode, we talk about why glucose tablets actually outperform food when it comes to...
The episode, word for word
"How many snacks have I eaten that I didn't actually need?"
Not snacks you wanted. Snacks you didn't need. Snacks you ate because your blood sugar was 65 mg/dL and your brain was screaming at you to eat something, anything, right now.
And then 20 minutes later, you're 220 mg/dL. And you're frustrated. And you're wondering why this keeps happening.
Today, we're gonna talk about the snack you don't deserve. The one you ate because you panicked. The one that sent you on a blood sugar roller coaster for the rest of the day.
I'm Neil Greathouse, and this is Your Best T1D Year.
Welcome to Wednesday. We're in Week 2, and last week we built the foundation. We talked about glucose tablets versus food. We talked about the Rule of 15. And we talked about why almost nobody actually follows it.
This week, we're getting into the messy middle. The part where you know what you're supposed to do, but you do something else anyway.
Today's episode is about the psychology of overtreatment. Why we eat more than we need when we're low. And what happens when we do.
Let's dive in.
Picture this: It's 10:30 at night. You're getting ready for bed. You glance at your CGM, and you see it: 68 mg/dL. Arrow pointing down.
You're not that low. But you're low enough. And you're tired. And you don't want to deal with this right now.
So you walk into the kitchen. You grab the glucose tablets from the drawer. You take four of them. That's 16 grams. Perfect. Exactly what you're supposed to do.
But then you stand there. Staring at the pantry. And your brain says, "What if that's not enough?"
So you grab a granola bar. Just in case.
And then you think, "Well, if I'm eating a granola bar, I should probably have some peanut butter with it. For protein. To keep my blood sugar stable overnight."
And before you know it, you've eaten 16 grams of glucose tablets, a granola bar, two tablespoons of peanut butter, and half a sleeve of crackers.
You go to bed. You wake up at 3 a.m. You check your CGM. 245 mg/dL. Arrow pointing up.
And you're mad. Not at the low. At yourself. Because you knew this would happen. And you did it anyway.
So why do we do this?
Why do we eat more than we need when we're low?
Three reasons:
Reason #1: We don't trust the glucose. We take the tablets. We know they're supposed to work. But they don't feel like they're working. So we eat more. Just in case.
Reason #2: We're scared. We've been low before. We've felt terrible before. And we'll do anything to avoid feeling that way again. Even if it means overcorrecting.
Reason #3: We're hungry. Low blood sugar makes you ravenous. It's not just psychological, it's physiological. Your brain is flooded with hormones telling you to eat. And it's really, really hard to ignore that.
So we don't. We eat. And then we eat more. And then we end up high. And then we beat ourselves up for not having more willpower.
But here's the thing: This isn't about willpower. It's about survival mode.
When your blood sugar drops, your body goes into fight-or-flight. Your sympathetic nervous system kicks in. Your adrenal glands dump adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream. And your brain sends you one message, over and over: "EAT. NOW. EVERYTHING."
You're not weak. You're not failing. You're just human.
Here's what happens when you overtreat a low:
You eat too much. Your blood sugar spikes. You take insulin to bring it down. But now you've got insulin on board. And a few hours later, you're low again. So you eat again. And the cycle repeats.
All day. Every day. Over and over.
This is the blood sugar roller coaster. And it's exhausting.
Not just physically. Emotionally. Mentally. Because every time it happens, you feel like you failed. Like you should've known better. Like you should've had more control.
But the truth is, you didn't fail. You just didn't have a better plan.
And that's what we're gonna fix.
You know that "looking for a man in finance" TikTok trend? Where the woman keeps adding more and more requirements, 6'5", blue eyes, trust fund, drives a Range Rover?
That's us when we're low. We start eating something. But then our brain says, "Okay, but what if that's not enough?" So we grab the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. No bowl. No milk. Just handfuls straight from the box. And then maybe some Lucky Charms. And then whatever else is in the pantry.
We keep adding. And adding. And then we end up at 250 mg/dL wondering what happened.
Sometimes four glucose tablets is enough. Even when your brain is convinced you need to raid the entire kitchen.
Here's what I want you to think about this week:
"What am I really afraid of when I overtreat a low?"
Are you afraid you'll stay low? Are you afraid you'll pass out? Are you afraid you won't be able to sleep?
Just notice. No judgment. Because once you see the fear, you can start to work with it.
By the way, if you're just joining us, welcome. This is Week [X] of the Low Blood Sugar Challenge. For the next eight weeks, we're gonna completely change the way you treat lows. Not just what you eat, but how you think about it.
And yeah, it's gonna feel uncomfortable at first. But that's the point.
If you want to join the challenge, head to yourbestt1dyear.com. Sign up. Get the guide. And follow along. We're doing this together.
Friday, we're talking about the weight you didn't know you were gaining. And I'm not talking about pounds. I'm talking about the mental and emotional weight of living with type 1. The kind of weight that nobody sees but everyone feels.
That one's gonna hit different. Stick with me.
Here's something I wish more people knew, Blue Circle Health isn't just about managing your blood sugar. It's about managing the stress of managing your blood sugar. They've got mental health support, peer coaching, tech help, insurance navigation, all of it. Free. Available in 20 states plus Washington DC. Go to bluecirclehealth.org and see what's possible.
Type 1 diabetes is relentless, but managing it doesn't have to be. New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You're building something stronger than you realize. Keep going.
// Year 33 Day 12401 #YourBestT1DYear
Jan 16 - 145
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.