Help please - Reactive Hypoglycemia?

[Cmo95]

How are you getting on now? Hope you are starting to feel a bit better? The pancreas takes a good few months to calm down once you cut out sugar and stick to low carbs. If you can tolerate a small apple try to combine that with a few nuts for protein or with a bit of zero sugar peanut butter. I would not have fruit without protein to counter balance it.

Hi Karen,

I've been very up and down, but fingers crossed over the last few weeks I've felt slightly better, thanks for asking . To be honest I haven't been very good at avoiding carbs, this is something I need to work on. I've tested my blood sugar levels, after meals and when I'm feeling symptoms, and they are always around 4.2 - 5.2. I've had blood tests and an ultra sound scan on my liver, all come back clear which is good news. One of the issues at the minute for me is the complete intolerance to exercise, it makes me feel extremely fatigued. The doctor has diagnosed me with costochondritis which I believe is also affecting exercise..

Thanks for the advise, I really need to get back on the wagon and avoiding the carbs!

Hope you are coping well with your RH.

 

[Cmo95]

All lovely and normal levels. I run on 3’s and 4’s Have you tested before and at one and two hours after food?

You gave an example of your food intake and it seemed to be almost totally lacking in fat. You need good saturated fat, especially if you’ve cut carbs. What’s your normal food intake over a couple of days?

That's what's very confusing, especially when I'm feeling symptoms but my blood sugar level is showing as normal. How are you managing to cope? Your levels seem lower than mine

My normal food intake looks something like this:

08:00 - Breakfast biscuits and banana
11:00 - Apple
12:00 - Dinner (normally either a chicken salad sandwich, bag of crisps, yoghurt)
15:00 - Breakfast fruit and grain bar
20:30 - Tea (Can vary, usually cooked chicken curries, steak and sweet potato fries, stir frys etc)

 

[Cmo95]

You have had great advice here and just to add my 2 penny worth .I would also advise upping the good fats ,they will help you to feel full for longer and are kind to blood glucose levels .You could have avocados nuts cream ,cheese full fat yoghurt all of these are good snack s as well if you feel hungry when out or at work
Carol

Thanks a lot for your advice, I will definitely look at adding this into my diet (Minus the avocado!!) Really appreciate your help, thank you.

 

[Cmo95]

@Cmo95

Totally agree with @wiflib and @carty

If you are uncomfortably hungry on LC then you are either still too high in carbs, or you haven’t replaced them with good satisfying protein and healthy fat. Both of those will increase satiety, release energy slower, to prevent you getting hungry before your next meal.

Quick easy ways to achieve this is to bump up your protein intake a bit and add cream to coffee, butter to veg, scatter grated cheese on veg, olive oil to salads, and enjoy mayo whenever and wherever you like.

Thanks a lot Brunneria, yes I found the low carb really difficult but as you rightly say I haven't been eating great and I definitely wasn't getting enough health fats onboard. Thanks a lot for the advice, I really appreciate it.

 

[Lamont D]

That's what's very confusing, especially when I'm feeling symptoms but my blood sugar level is showing as normal. How are you managing to cope? Your levels seem lower than mine

My normal food intake looks something like this:

08:00 - Breakfast biscuits and banana
11:00 - Apple
12:00 - Dinner (normally either a chicken salad sandwich, bag of crisps, yoghurt)
15:00 - Breakfast fruit and grain bar
20:30 - Tea (Can vary, usually cooked chicken curries, steak and sweet potato fries, stir frys etc)

I agree with the others, too many carbs, not enough saturated fats. This is why you are struggling and keep going back to carbs to feel full or satiated.
Breakfast biscuits are full of carbs and not a good way to start the day, your blood sugar levels will take a quick rapid spike because of the wheat.
Banana or fruit in general could be okay but this is individual.
Bread, another full of carbs, even some lower carb bread, seeded bread will be too much. Crisps, avoid please!
Yoghurt, full fat only.
Grain bar, depending on the amount of grain, but usually too much.
Home made low carb curries are okay. But be careful of the portion size with sweet potatoes, unfortunately, not for me!

I would advise you to read up on the ketogenic diet and on the low carb forum, there are plenty of low carb recipes and ideas.

Your dietary intake for this day would make me very ill.

Best wishes

 

[KarenTh]

I agree with the others, too many carbs, not enough saturated fats. This is why you are struggling and keep going back to carbs to feel full or satiated.
Breakfast biscuits are full of carbs and not a good way to start the day, your blood sugar levels will take a quick rapid spike because of the wheat.
Banana or fruit in general could be okay but this is individual.
Bread, another full of carbs, even some lower carb bread, seeded bread will be too much. Crisps, avoid please!
Yoghurt, full fat only.
Grain bar, depending on the amount of grain, but usually too much.
Home made low carb curries are okay. But be careful of the portion size with sweet potatoes, unfortunately, not for me!

I would advise you to read up on the ketogenic diet and on the low carb forum, there are plenty of low carb recipes and ideas.

Your dietary intake for this day would make me very ill.

Best wishes

Agree with D Lamont. I would defo have problems with this list of food. Healthy snacks for me include raw veggies such as red pepper, baby carrots, baby courgettes etc with hummus or slices of apple with zero sugar peanut butter. A boiled egg with a bit of smoked salmon/trout is great too. Or full fat Greek yoghurt with a few chopped nuts/ raspberries if you can tolerate the sugar. Always eat before and straight after exercise as exertion lowers blood sugar.

The only bread I can eat is Ezekiel 4:9 which can be bought online and is delicious! Cereal bars have too much sugar in them and the food you list for breakfast, snack and lunch all contain too much sugar &/or carbs. Those will make you very fatigued and unable to function very easily.

Keep going - you’ll get there! It’s amazing when you find the right food intake.