hypoglycemia?

[katelyn]

I was wondering if anyone around here is hypoglycemic, and if so, what are your experiences with it and how do you treat it? I think I am hypoglycemic, although I have never been formally diagnosed. (The glucose test sounds not too fun, and doctors always have a really hard time drawing blood from me...often having to go through my hand. But my mother is hypoglycemic and we also have some history of diabetes in our family.) I have a lot of mood swings based on when I've eaten and what I've eaten. I am interested in treating it through diet, but cutting starches and sugars really limits the menu when my husband and I are already kind of picky eaters. Any ideas for healthy, low sugar snacks? Carrots get old after awhile. :o

 

[catalyst]

A GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) is about the only way to be sure if you are hypoglcemic or not. Many people experience mood swings based on the insulin response to their food and they are not hypoglcemic.

So if you are truly concerned, there really only is one thing to do. Sorry.

 

[katelyn]

A GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) is about the only way to be sure if you are hypoglcemic or not.

Yeah, I know.

Many people experience mood swings based on the insulin response to their food and they are not hypoglcemic.

That is interesting to know. Do people like that have a different condition, or just need to watch what they eat or what?

At any rate, I'm still interested in learning about how to cut some of the starches & sugars out of my diet, to see if maybe that would help my mood swings. They have generally not been too bad, but lately have been a little more frequent. Maybe I'll check out the recipe exchange to see if I can find anything there.

Thanks!

 

[catalyst]

http://www.mendosa.com/

 

[LN]

Hi Katelyn,

I've never had a hypoglycemic test, but in high school I used to get dizzy spells in the late afternoon. I would feel faint and out of energy. I'd be moody very quickly if I didn't eat.

I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a blood gluclose test but I picked up The Zone by a reccomendation of a friend about five years ago. As soon as I started eating in the zone the symptoms went away. when i start eating badly again, they come back. By badly I mean high carb, high sugar.

I'd get both these books and give them a try. If nothing else, they provide great instructions on how to eat better. There is a chapter on hypoglycemia in the hardcover book, but that book is very hard to read as it reads like a medical journal. The "week in the zone" book is an easy, quick read.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060391502/qid=1076509987//ref=pd_ka_1/102-3954241-1100955?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006103083X/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/102-3954241-1100955?v=glance&s=books

LN

 

[Sling of David]

I first became health-concious years ago when I found out I was hypoglycemic. It scared me to death because diabetes was rampant in my family.

Here are the simpliest solutions that I've found. Cut out all refined carbohydrates like white flour and sugar. Emphasize "high fiber" foods in your diet like whole grain bread & cereals, vegetables, legumes (beans), and fruit.

It worked for me!

 

[BeABerean]

I'm hypoglycemic and have to agree with Sling Of David, cut out refined processed food and eat a well balanced diet. Also eat three good meals and small snacks in between or eat more meals, 4 to 6 a day. The idea is to keep your blood sugar from getting low and eating frequently helps, so long as you are eating the right foods. Remember too that some fruit, like oranges are high in sugar so you need to be careful of these.
Do a search on hypoglycemia and you will get loads of info, there are some really good sites out there but be careful.

 

[LN]

cut out refined processed food and eat a well balanced diet. Also eat three good meals and small snacks in between or eat more meals, 4 to 6 a day.

Yup - that is exactly the advice given in the zone. It just goes into deatil and expalins why you should do that. I always like to know the "why" behind things so I found it fascinating. It also has meal ideas that incorporate lean protiens, low glycemic carbs and monounsaturated fats.

 

[BeABerean]

LN, I have not read that book, maybe I will check it out at the library.

I also wanted to add that I personally have to stay away from any sugar substitute as they play havoc with my system. I find that sugar is easier on my system but everyone is different. I have switched to a less refined sugar for my tea, it's called Sugar in the Raw. Also I can't have a lot of honey for the same reason, it plays havoc on my system. Just thought that may be of benefit to someone else.

 

[g4goddess]

Hi.... i have read a book called The Schwarzbein Principle which I found very informative. It teaches a lot about how your body processes etc. I think you can get it at Amazon What's interesting is it also describes how high stress and adrenalin burnout can really affect you body and your insulin levels. It was really helpful for me.

 

[ej]

Hypoglycaemia in a person who is not taking insulin is exceptionally rare, and usually due to an inborn error of carbohydrate metabolism.

There have been huge studies of people who claim to be 'hypoglycaemic' and their blod sugar is consistently normal or high, even when they claim to be having an episode of 'hypoglycaemia.'

 

[Living Vine]

I have been hypoclycemic for at least 10 years. Tried the glucose tolerance test, but it was misread - many doctors (at least at that time) didn't know how to read it right. They basically say any that isn't in a narrow band of results is not hypoglycemic. One of the clinic doctors where I took the test, realized that I had all the symptoms, so he suggested I read the Zone. I did, and it really turned things around.

At one point I actually had thoughts like I might be going off the deep end. The bouts of mental & physical depression were maddening, and interfering with every part of my life!

I really thank the Lord for that doctor's advice.

Probably the three biggest things that helped me is: 1) balance your meals with good ammounts of protien 2) A small snack every couple hours between meals on a balanced food (Zone Bars or Balance Bars are good) 3) Be careful of high glycemic carbs - those that hit the blood rapidly - like breads & sugars (many fruits too).

I could tell the difference within a few days, and have stayed doing kind of a modified Zone diet. Actually, it hasn't been hard to stick with, because with just a little adjustment, one can eat a lot of things. The benefit is huge in terms of energy & focus, so I never mind it much. Sure, an occasional binge on desert or something happens, and it hits me some. But after following this sort of diet for some time, the effects don't last as long as they used to.

 

[JOYfulbeliever]

I have severe hypoglycemia. My "normal" blood sugar rarely gets above 60 and I have had readings as low as 12 before.

The only sure fire way to know if you have hypo is to have the GTT done. It really isn't as bad as you think, and believe me, I have almost non-existent veins when it comes to having blood drawn! I've had it done twice and while it is far from pleasant, it is very tolerable.

There are 2 types of hypoglycemia - reactive and fasting. Most people have "reactive" hypoglycemia. Reactive generally occurs after meals because your body is producing the insulin needed to keep your body going. However, sometimes, we can produce too much insulin and it breaks down too much sugar, causing the blood sugar to drop off drastically. This is the "low blood sugar" that causes the shakes, fatigue, headache, irritability, anxiety, etc.

Fasting hypoglycemia is typically the result of something called an insulinoma and is a much more serious condition.

Chances are, you blood sugar is reactive - especially if you get the symptoms if it has been a while since you have eaten, if you get them just after meals, if you get them more often if you are eating sweets or carbs, etc. The best way to combat this is to get yourself on a well-balanced meal plan with lots of protein and minimal sugars. Eat frequently throughout the day. My rule of thumb is to not go more than 2 hours without "snacking" on something (I keep peanuts with me constantly!). Try not to make your snacks real high in sugar though. If you start feeling shaky, get something to eat. It doesn't have to be a lot, but again, try to stay away from sugar if at all possible. While the sugar will bring your BS up immediately, if you truly have hypoglycemia, often times, as fast as your BS will come up as a result of the sugar, it will spike back down because you are producing too much insulin for the amount of sugar. Which basically means...the sugar is only a very temporary solution.

I have to monitor my blood sugar daily. I've learned what foods I absolutely can not eat, and what foods I can get away with. One thing that I have learned the hard way...if I am going to eat any sweets at all, it can't be on an empty stomach! I don't know why that makes a difference, but for me, it really does.

I've dealt with this for several years...if you have questions or need to talk, feel free to PM me!

Hope all goes well...and talk to your doctor about getting the GTT done! They can use smaller needles if they need to.

 

[sammipher]

I have it. I was born with it, my mom had it. Its something you need to watch cause believe it or not as you get older it can put you at risk for diabetes. I have dizzy spells, fatigue...spells where things seem like they are going in slow motion. They do have glucose tablets available usually near the diabetes supplies...you can eat one and bring your sugar up...but they are not very good they kind of taste like a tums....diabetes also runs in my family so owning a blood test machine is not such a bad idea. It doesnt hurt to prick your finger esp with a lancet.