Hypoglycemia

[Ammanda]

Hello,

I have met with my endocrinologist last week and he told me I have hypoglycemia, at the time I was there he explained to me what it is, that I should avoid white bread, potatoes, rice, white floor and sugar. He asked me if I had any more questions and referred me to dietitian but, while I was there I didn't had any questions, I was in shock and I was confused.

He's now gone in vacation for 3 weeks, I have an appointment with the dietitian in a month, and I have no idea what I can do, eat, not do.

I read a lot online for the past week but some of the things I read are contradicting and to be honest. I'm lost.

 

Can anyone help me understand more about hypoglycemia food?

I also love to cook, and I would love to adapt my recipes to more "hypoglycemia friendly" recipes if I can.

 

Is chai tea ok? What about maple syrup?

 

I know potatoes are a big no for me, I've been cutting all the "bad" food for a week now and I was fine (a few nausea but nothing today) and last night I ate french fries, my head started spinning I thought I was gonna faint.

 

Thank you

[cafecomleite]

Chai tea is great, sans the sweetener. Maple syrup is not.

 

What you want are foods with a low 'glycemic index'. In other words, stuff that your body breaks down slowly. These are foods high in fibre and low in easily digestible starches/sugars. (You can find out what the GI is by looking for the food on link removed.) You probably want to cut out most grains, which means no bread - not even whole wheat or multigrain. Pasta, rice, potatoes, etc... are all bad as the doc has indicated.

 

What do you eat then?

If you want something close to rice, quinoa is a great substitute. You cook it the same way and it has a low GI... plus, unlike rice, it is super nutritious.

 

Beans and lentils are your best friend. Learn how to cook with them in every manner possible.

 

Non-starchy vegetables are great, *especially* in their raw form. Learn how to make green smoothies (google victoria boutenko).

 

Fish is excellent.

 

If you want a sweetener, seek out agave nectar. The sugars in it are extra long, so it digests slowly. And it tastes great.

 

Good luck!

[Sparkie]

Hypoglycaemia is low blood sugar. It is usually associated with diabetes. Did they mean that you have diabetes? Or that at that time your blood sugars were low? If he is suggesting a dietician, I'm guessing you may be developing type II diabetes - ie, difficulty regulating your blood sugars because of poor diet. Hence a change in diet.

 

If thats the case, then eat foods that have a low glycaemic index - ie, they break down into sugars slowly in the body, so you avoid sugar/insulin spikes. Avoid 'bad' fats / processed sugars, as these will continue the 'spikes' and lead you further down the diabetes path. Type II diabetes can usually be controlled with diet.

[SleepingKitten]

I've had hypoglycemia for years OP. It's not that bad, unless you allow yourself to not eat for an extended period of time. Then you may run into trouble, as you develop low blood sugar, you get weak, dizzy, light-headed.

 

I've found that as long as I keep my meals regular and not load up on things that dehydrate me.. like a big cup of dark roast coffee is a huge no-no for me on an empty stomach, and keep eating protein with every meal, I'm okay.

Now that doesn't mean you can never eat sugar again. I'm really not sure about the potatoes thing, though i can see why the white breads, etc, would be bad for your body, as your body would process that as sugar when it breaks down.

You can PM me..

Diabetes is a much more serious disease and needs medication. The two, hypoglycemia and diabetes don't necessarily go hand in hand. I've seen that being promoted before on this forum and it's not true.

My cousin has diabetes and has needed to inject insulin for years. Me, luckily, never had it.. and only have hypoglycemia but I need to stay more with a protein type meals and less sugary ones to stay in peak shape.

 

For instance, have you ever tried to NOT eat breakfast? That's one thing I could never do. my blood sugar would drop too swiftly and i'd probably faint before noon time. That doesn't mean I can never have cereal that's sweet, like Frosted Flakes for breakfast...

Just eat regular meals.. have say.. tuna fish, not cream cheese and jelly sandwiches for lunch... I have meals with sugar in them all the time, but also have protein with each meal to balance my blood sugar.

I'm sure your doctor will give you the proper diet..I don't want to advise you what to eat, as I'm not a doctor, but it's nothing to be scared of.

 

Just don't forget to eat each meal time.

[SleepingKitten]

I've had hypoglycemia for years now. It's not diabetes, nor a form of it. It's not that serious but you gotta make sure you eat regularly and eat protein with each meal.

[Sparkie]

Diabetes is a much more serious disease and needs medication.... My cousin has diabetes and has needed to inject insulin for years.

 

Not necessarily true. Type II diabetes doesn't require insulin injections and is diet / general health related. Type I is an endocrine disorder you are born with, and requires insulin.

 

OP, I'm not suggesting you have diabetes at all. Just wasn't sure from your original post. Hypoglycaemia is just low blood sugar. It can be from diabetes (inability or reduction in the ability to utilise / store sugars), but as sleepingkitten says, it can just be that your diet / eating habits are leaving you low in sugar at times. Either way, i'd see your doc again. Medical advice off forums is always fraught with problems. I'm sure the doc would have mentioned diabetes if that was the case so don't be stressin!

[amtjrtcet]

I have hypoglycemia....its not the same as diabetes..With diabetes your body either doesn't have enough insulin or doesn't use insulin correctly, and you have too much sugar/carbs....with hypoglycemia your body basically has enough insulin but not enough sugar....two completely different things....

 

My doctor never told me to stay away from the foods yours did though. I maintain my BS by eating small frequent meals through out the day. If my blood sugar gets too low I drink oj or take a few glucose tablets...table sugar works too. I always keep oj in my fridge at work, I've found it helps better then anything else for me. When I work out I make sure to eat something before hand otherwise I get dizzy.

If untreated hypoglycemia can cause serious neurological problems, so learn whats best for you and stay on top of it.

[SleepingKitten]

"I have hypoglycemia....its not the same as diabetes." that is what I said.. So OJ, is how you stay away from low blood sugar drops? Hmmm.. I have not tried that...

 

I find that protein tends to work for me.. like milk, cheese, some kind of meat...

 

What kind of nuerological diseases can you get if it's not treated properly?

[amtjrtcet]

"I have hypoglycemia....its not the same as diabetes." that is what I said.. So OJ, is how you stay away from low blood sugar drops? Hmmm.. I have not tried that...

 

I find that protein tends to work for me.. like milk, cheese, some kind of meat...

 

What kind of nuerological diseases can you get if it's not treated properly?

 

I'm also lactose intol, so I can't do the dairy.

 

Yep, oj is my savior. And it helps with stress.

 

And inadequate supply of glucose to the brain can cause neuroglycopenia, which can cause depression, amnesia, paresthesia, abnormal breathing, focal seizures, blurred vision, double vision...and in really bad cases coma and even death.