I’m distraught. I was recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I made Huel Black an even larger part of my daily routine - having it every morning. I’ve gotten a blood glucose monitoring system so I can check how I’m doing often. Looks like recently Huel Black has been doing my blood sugar by about 50 points. Everyone is different, so your mileage may vary. I’m going to pair Huel with avocado or something else to see if I can manage that spike a bit better since I do not want to stop using it. Hopefully, I’ll find a way. I adore Huel.
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How does that compare with other food though?
Do you take any meds to mitigate post-prandial spikes (after eating)
Have you looked at cinnamon (there may be other non-med supplements) for impact on glucose metabolism?
Like you said, everyone is different. Glad you have better measurements now so you can take more control. The only other thing I can think to add is information: become an expert on what works for you and be your own champion.
One more idea: mix the sweetened/flavor with the U/U to cut the glycemic load. I use 50/50 black flavor and white U/U because I feel like the oats keeps me feeling fuller for longer.
I am kinda curious how your numbers differ between a non-huel control food (or foods) vs 100% sweetened, 100% unsweetened, if a 50/50 averages those two extremes, and if black vs white makes any noticeable difference.
Science! 
I take Spring Valley Blood Sugar Support with dinner. It works for me.
Maybe I’ll try it before Huel to see if it prevents the spike in the morning.
Hey @edolecki - sorry to hear this!
If it’s alright with you, I’d like to learn a bit more (and feel free to DM me if you would prefer instead!):
- How long after consuming does this occur?
- How are you preparing it and how long does it take you to consume?
- Have you tried any other time of day and does the same thing happen?
- I know @miked mentioned this too, but just confirming - do you take any medications (not over the counter) to manage your blood sugar, such as insulin?
Once I hear back from you on the above, I can then assist further if you’d like.
Today I was 149 when I took it. I added some blueberries and used a blender. Two hours later 158. So it looks like for some reason I got no huge spike. I’m not sure what the other days were about.
I’m flummoxed. But happy!
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I take Lantus long-form insulin only. Jardiance. Early morning I’ve seen spikes. Today I consumed it in about 5 minutes, around 8 which is a lot later than usual. Only a very slight bump.
This is already a very interesting thread
If you are willing, I encourage you to share continued observations. I am personally interested because I helped build an insulin titration advisor for inpatient hospital nursing.
Anyone with diabetes could also find this “quantified self” data very useful too.
You might have empirically noticed what is called the dawn phenomenon:
I discovered that feature of physiology by noticing our patients’ glucose went down according to plan, but always bumped up between the 12th and 14th hourly measurement. I asked the doctor about this data and he shrugged, “you are seeing the dawn phenomenon” it seems most of our patients arrive at the hospital around the same time of day such that they’re waking up 12 to 14 hours later
Data is the fuel for analysis. More data, better analysis. Better analysis, improved understanding.
Lately, I’ve been waking up around 6:30 AM with a Libre 2 reading of around 100mg/dL. If I wait to have breakfast it will go up on its own to around 120.
Normal morning routine:
- Take a glass of Athletic Greens (AG1)
- Take my medications (diabetes and heart)
- Make my Huel Black w/24oz water so I get a little more water and it lasts a little longer. Two scoops.
I haven’t seen a spike in a while, which is odd. When I say spike, I mean over 40 or 50 points. But I would get them.
In the evening I take meds and have my 18 units of insulin (Lantus). I do not use short-form insulin (thankfully).
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To get the correct reading you should monitor your blood sugar 2 hours after a meal. Your blood sugar is going to be high after a meal but 2 hours later will have settled down and that reading is the correct one. So don’t panic. As a retired nurse practitioner that is the information given out to patients.
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Type 1 here. We all have those days where nothing seems to go right, or those special foods that seem to spike us but no one else. My best suggestion is to get a straw! Sip, don’t chug. Stretch it out over thirty minutes or even an hour. Report your results if you try it!
I put some ice, 24oz. of water (680g), and 2 scoops of Huel Black Cinnamon Roll powder into a blender. I took 30 minutes to drink it. I like using more water so I get a few glasses out of it and I get more water to boot. Tricks me into thinking I’m having more.
After one hour my CGM says that I’ve gone up only 7 points. In another hour I’ll scan again. Hopefully, it hasn’t moved too much. Thank you for suggesting I take it slower.
Update: after 2 hours my number is where I started. This time, patience prevailed. With diabetes, there seems to be no set pattern over time. I’m glad I got no spike today.
Does normal Huel also spike your blood sugar? I was planning on trying both black and normal to see how my body handles them.
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I never considered regular Huel since my diagnosis since the Black has more protein and fewer carbohydrates. I used to use regular Huel before there was a Black and long before my diagnosis. I never monitored my blood glucose back then so I can’t say.
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Because of the reduction in carbs, Huel Black is a better option, at least for me. I have noticed a small increase in my morning blood sugars however nothing to be alarmed about. I exercise 4-5 times weekly and take Invokana in the evening. If you’re counting carbs, 23-25 carbs is pretty low adding into a high protein diet. What pushed my numbers down is a combination of exercise, using Huel Black as an evening meal or a post workout supplement and intermittent fasting. But here’s my biggest *a-ha from Huel Black. As a T2 diabetic, my digestive system has given me trouble for years. I can’t take metformin and the LAIs like Trulicity made it where I could not have a meal and leave the house for fear of not having immediate access to a bathroom. Needless to say, travel was almost impossible. Huel has been instrumental (so far) in normalizing my gut. That alone is worth the cost in my mind and I’m grateful to have found a solution. As long as your A1c comes back within target, hourly and even daily numbers can fluctuate greatly.
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