RH and beetroot

[Giraffe 95]

Has anyone else had a particularly fast reaction to beetroot?
I had lamb, few new potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and quite alot of beetroot. Within an hour of eating, felt ravenous, within 2 hours my bs had gone to low 4’s. I don’t usually have low blood sugar for 3 hours after eating. Reading about it beetroot can lower blood sugar?

 

[Emerson]

It was probably the new potatoes and possibly the tomatoes rather than the beetroot. These would cause my levels to rise. Hope that helps!

 

[Emerson]

I should have said rise and then rapidly fall!

 

[Giraffe 95]

I eat a few new potatoes and tomatoes often with no effect. Was curious if it could be the beetroot

 

[Emerson]

Oh I see. Maybe try eating a small amount of beetroot separately. Then measuring your bs levels. I’ve found this helps to identify trigger foods.

 

[Lamont D]

Has anyone else had a particularly fast reaction to beetroot?
I had lamb, few new potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and quite alot of beetroot. Within an hour of eating, felt ravenous, within 2 hours my bs had gone to low 4’s. I don’t usually have low blood sugar for 3 hours after eating. Reading about it beetroot can lower blood sugar?

Have never had a problem with beetroot and have it with my salad bowl every day!
It was probably the spuds, but the beans may have nudged it up as @Emerson suggested.

How are you coping?

 

[Giraffe 95]

Ok thank you. Had endocrinology appointment last week, which was about 12 minutes long after months of waiting.
Said I have to have a 16 hour fasting test to rule out other things and will get referred to a dietician.
Trying to help myself by wearing CGM and testing different foods.
Survived a 2.5 hour work meeting this week by planning snacks. Not drinking alcohol is hard! I feel on a different planet to my friends now.

 

[Lamont D]

Ok thank you. Had endocrinology appointment last week, which was about 12 minutes long after months of waiting.
Said I have to have a 16 hour fasting test to rule out other things and will get referred to a dietician.
Trying to help myself by wearing CGM and testing different foods.
Survived a 2.5 hour work meeting this week by planning snacks. Not drinking alcohol is hard! I feel on a different planet to my friends now.

Are you sure it's a 16 hours test?
My fasting test was 72 hours! The idea of a fasting test, is to eliminate other conditions, and only a few days fasting can do that as a diagnostic test.
Use the CGM and keep the data for your own good diary.
You can get through this. It's not easy, and the benefits of not having hypo and symptoms is worth it.

 

[Giraffe 95]

Are you sure it's a 16 hours test?
My fasting test was 72 hours! The idea of a fasting test, is to eliminate other conditions, and only a few days fasting can do that as a diagnostic test.
Use the CGM and keep the data for your own good diary.
You can get through this. It's not easy, and the benefits of not having hypo and symptoms is worth it.

I thought that’s what the Dr said. Anyway, I haven’t had any letters through with appointments.
I have had hypos for over twenty years- previously they could be bought on by very intense exercise like swimming or cycling.
Is there any study of how RH affects exercise? I assumed it was because exercise increases insulin sensitivity?
Even if I walk a few miles now, my BS drops, it’s like my body runs out of glucose when I exercise.

 

[Lamont D]

I thought that’s what the Dr said. Anyway, I haven’t had any letters through with appointments.
I have had hypos for over twenty years- previously they could be bought on by very intense exercise like swimming or cycling.
Is there any study of how RH affects exercise? I assumed it was because exercise increases insulin sensitivity?
Even if I walk a few miles now, my BS drops, it’s like my body runs out of glucose when I exercise.

Exercising, is a bit funny with RH.
I cannot do strenuous exercise without triggering a reaction.
I can walk, and yes it does lower BG levels, not by much, but that is dependent on, and why the fasting test. You, as far as I'm aware, walking should not trigger a reaction., Because it doesn't send your BG levels high enough to do so.
Also, at this time, when you are trying to get your BG levels under control, you may be still having issues with stabilising your BG levels. And energy levels are not dictated by glucose levels. With T2, you can have hyperglycaemia and feel really tired. It is the conversion of the glucose by insulin into energy.
Because I'm in keto, my body doesn't need carbs for glucose for energy levels. Maybe, if you don't hypo during your test, the next step is trying a keto diet.
As a rule of thumb, and had this advice from others. When you have ate, a fifteen minutes walk, fifteen minutes after eating. Has worked for me. At a steady pace.
Always remember, it is the carbs that will trigger the reaction, if you have RH.

Keep asking, keep safe.
Best wishes

 

[Giraffe 95]

Thank you very much for your response. Yes exercise seems to be a funny one for me too.
You should be a RH consultant, very helpful

 

[Lamont D]

Thank you very much for your response. Yes exercise seems to be a funny one for me too.
You should be a RH consultant, very helpful

I have been tested many times with the variation of hypoglycaemic and other metabolic conditions.
It stems from, when first diagnosed, and even my endocrinologist was looking for answers. He found some, not all worked or would be logical. Because of the science, we found with the help of someone on here who had experienced RH along with T2.
A lot of research, mainly universities in the States that have tried to disentangle the science and actually gave me the intricacies of how the reaction was because of intolerance and excess insulin and how from normal you can go hypo within a few hours cos you eat!
And it was around the time, they changed the conditions name, from idiopathic postprandial hypoglycaemia to Reactive Hypoglycaemia. Idiopathic means unknown reason.
Also there was others who were looking for answers and why what was happening. I felt the need to hang around, cos of how this rare condition, doesn't get the research or knowledge in the health industry.
I only wish that some more doctors who have patients with RH, would understand the science and is a different condition than diabetes. The ignorance in the health service is alarming.
Hypoglycaemia is a misunderstood condition, that only endocrinologists can diagnose through tests.
Thanks.

 

[Lainie71]

I take a beetroot supplement to keep my energy levels up during works outs, it also helps with bp apparently so another reason why I take it. I have a few chunks of earthy beetroot in my salads. Does not spike me but tomatoes and new potatoes or any potatoes would.

 

[Lamont D]

I take a beetroot supplement to keep my energy levels up during works outs, it also helps with bp apparently so another reason why I take it. I have a few chunks of earthy beetroot in my salads. Does not spike me but tomatoes and new potatoes or any potatoes would.

I have the pickled beetroot in my salad, and absolutely love tomatoes, the bigger the better., Spuds rocket my BG levels.
Just shows how individual we are.

 

[Giraffe 95]

Rather than spike BS, I read that beetroot lows BS, which is why I wondered if anyone else had this reaction of a super fast drop.

 

[Giraffe 95]

Is Beetroot Good For Diabetes? Finding The Answer - Blog - HealthifyMe

The use of beetroot in salads, juices and medicinal purposes is widespread. People have been using beetroot to cure various ailments, such as fever,

www.healthifyme.com

Here and other articles say it improves insulin sensitivity, something we don’t need with RH!