Reactive Hypoglycemia Diet Help

hey there, i may be able to help.

i was officially diagnosed when i was about 17, but didn't notice the effects of the condition on my body/energy levels till i was about 20 (being a teen, right?! immune to everything)

it was really bad when i was overweight, but since i've lost 50-60lbs i'm able to go longer without food and be less crabby when i am hungry.

you can PM me with specific questions if you want, or friend me good luck

I am prone to blood sugar crashes, but mostly if I've been eating too much refined sugar. (I have type II Diabetes, controlled with diet and exercise... no medications). I try to avoid it, but when I've eaten one cookie too many or, heaven forbid, maybe some candy, and I crash, I eat a hard candy to get back up to a normal level, then drink juice.... After that I remember how much is sucks and try to just stick with more complex carbs that take longer to digest and more protein. When I've overdone the sugar it can take a couple of days to get back on an even keel eating the right stuff. I LOVE sweets so it's not easy, but I so hate the way hypoglycemia feels that it's very motivating to avoid those simple sugars.

i guess my single concentrated piece of advice is, don't eat anything without a protein accompaniment!

I am also hypoglycemic. I break my meals into smaller meals. Instead of eating three times a day, I eat six times a day. The same amount of calories and everything, just broken into smaller chunks. It keeps my blood sugar from dropping out.

I have developed reactive hypoglycemia, and I find that I have the most problem when I eat a meal that consists of too many simple carbs. I do much better with frequent smaller meals and sticking with more complex carbs.

Hiya
I am trying to have unrefined carbs - wholemeal pasta, bread, basmati rice etc, fresh fruit, protein etc - trying to really limit sugars and refined carbs - even down to diluting fruit juice 1:10 water as the sugar is released really quickly. I've found a few almonds really help when I know my blood sugar is going down. Seem to be managing it ok with this and feeling much better than when I was eating what I wanted - and constantly wanting sugar as I was so tired. Hope you find what works for you soon.

bump to read later

Eat every three to four hours, base your day around nine servings of low sugar fruits and non starchy vegetables, far more veggies than fruit, add in three servings of reduced fat dairy, have protein, fibre and healthy fats at every meal and snack because these slow the digestion and stabilise the blood glucose, limit yourself to small servings of the lowest glycaemic index carbs such as beans, lentils and barley.

Processed wheat, corn/ maize, white potatoes and rice are all fairly high GI so avoid if you can. Spread your calories, macros and meals out through the day fairly evenly or give yourself slightly more when you are very active or at danger times. Never eat carbs on their own unless you are about to keel over, that is the fastest way to have your blood sugar peaks and troughs.

There are no special meals just choose a protein, think of a meal that uses that, or some veggies that you think will work. So if you are having eggs for breakfast the obvious is a vegetable omelette or frittata (check out the Slimming World version using eggs with cottage cheese, hold the starches). Or adapt recipes: if you fancy a vegetable soup for lunch be sure to use a ton of non starchy vegetables, lentils or barley not white potato or bread, include plenty of protein such as meat or cheese.

Nuts and seeds whole or ground are amazing for adding protein, fibre and healthy fats to any meal or snack. If you need the occasional sweet treat you might try a sweetener like xylitol, if you like chocolate use cocoa powder - packed with minerals fibre and healthy fats.

The final thing is manage your stress levels and sleep patterns - maybe try to prioritise urgent v. important, do some relaxation exercises, let others help you with household tasks, practice sleep hygiene. Certain nutrients can help with stress including magnesium and zinc, B vitamins, omega-3s so be sure your diet is nutritious and balanced.

I've suffered from hypoglycemia for over 20 years now. For me a Zone diet works best so, that's what I set my goals for. I'm definitely not perfect, but the closer I get to these goals the better I feel.

My food diary is open, Feel free to check it out for ideas and/or add me as a friend.

I have not formally been diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia but am almost positive that is what I have. I go to.the doctor 1/8/14 and hopefully I will get my answers. I am a 8.5 year post op gastric bypass patient and just in the past 2/3 years have been effected by low blood sugar. For the longest I have been going through some realll bad effects of reactive hypoglycemia. For one I get distorted vision and sometime have black outs where I can not see anything for a few seconds then.it clears up only to.happen again. I also get the shakes, confusion, sweats,hunger after just eating 30 minutesto a few hours earlier. I have just recently been checking my blood sugar with a blood sugar meter and at my lowest it has been in the upper 40's. The highest I have seen it was in the 130's and that was 30 minutes after eating lunch but soon afterwards went down to the 60's. I was wondering if anyone else on here that had reactive hypoglycemia is a post gastric bypass patient. I would love to here your symptoms..Also do any of you have any of the symptoms I have described? Please send me a fitness pal friend request
I would love to be your friend on here. I have gained about 40 pounds back since losing my.weigjt from surgery. I am working hard to.get it off but don't really know how to eat without effecting my reactive hypoglycemia. Any and all help and suggestions are appreciated nd welcomed.

I have really bad reactive hypoglycemia too! Feel free to add me.
Yes and celiac soy corn allergy so almost no grains.
Upping protein quantity at meals (even if has led to weight gain cause of sweet tooth which always hungers)
Has changed helped my blood sugar tremendously!! Wow I can for hours longer than before than in years.

My weakness is berries. I try to pair them always with plain greek yogurt to balance out the fructose but its still too much for my insulin tolerance and I get a rush crash. Sometes before bed that helps me fall asleep but otherwise not recommended.

Yeah protein has made a huge differrence! Sometimes I have to force it but the benefit is joyous. Not that I've reached anywhere near perfection but can endure a lot more.
Feel free to add me for support sharing ideas and camaraderie ????
Cheers!!

I've been hypoglycemic for almost 30 years. Here's what keeps my sugar in control:

- Eating every few hours. Protein heavy breakfast, veggies or yogurt for the morning snack, protein rich lunch, fruits in the afternoon (your sugar is naturally lower in the afternoon and the sugar boost will be used properly at that point), protein rich dinner, fiber snack (good one is popcorn!).
- Low carbs. Carbs cause sugar spikes.
- Dark green veggies like spinach, broccoli, okra, green beans, etc. will help.
- Lots of water!
- A form of protein nearly every time you eat.
- Avoid sugary foods as much as possible. If you have a piece of holiday pie, cut it in half and make sure you eat a lot of protein, too!

If you find you're crashing:

- Drink a glass of orange juice. It will bring your sugar slowly back into control and then eat something high protein.
- A spoonful of peanut butter will do the same thing.

Do not:
- Eat a piece of candy to stop a reaction--this will just make things horribly worse and take longer to recover.
- Choose fruits that are high in sugar naturally (watermelon is my biggest weakness).

Everyone is different, but this is what I generally follow and it works really well for me.

Hopefully that helps!

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Are you still on here? I have been dx with Reactive Hypoglycemia due to a adrenal gland disease. Its been the hardest thing I have ever been through. I have had it for 10 months now. Makes you feel terrible. Trying to eat right is the hardest, not knowing what to eat is my thing. I got my breakfast down to a science but the rest is a challenge because I am never hungry. Vision is Blurry Excessive Fatigue. I take steroids for my adrenal disease and it seems to make it worse. I too have had alot of test done all negative. I read it takes awhile of eating right without sugars and NO CAFFEINE before you level out. How does one eat when your not hungry? I am a part of a Reactive Hypoglycemia support group on Facebook and it has helped me alot. Join us