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Slow release carbs work for you?

S

SJP23

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with RH. An absolute relief as I have spent most of my life on the rollercoaster ride of sugar highs and lows. I have always been very active and always relied on carbs for my fuel. Do you focus on slow release carbs as your fuel source? I have tried no or low carbs and had the worst hypos, double vision, confused, shaking etc, going home from work. So instead I'm experimenting with sweet potatoes, quinoa, freekah, wild rice etc and alongside this gradually reducing my addiction to sweets. I am buying a glucose monitor to fine tune as I go. But I have read posts on here about low, no carbs. Is this so, or do many of you focus on slow release carbs too? Ps last week I had a blissful day of 6 small meals with no rollercoaster. HEAVEN! I eat well - eggs, meat, cheese, pulses, slow release grains.
 
Hi @SJP23 welcome to the forum.
Isn't it good to get a diagnosis?
What tests have you had?
Have you any other conditions?
Are you on meds?

I really can't answer your questions.
I can give you my experience and of others. But RH is such an individual condition, what works for me, might not work for you.
However, I have found, that even low GI or so called slow release healthy carbs, has an effect on my blood glucose levels. But that is me. You may be able to have some.
It is great you are getting a glucometer to test.
I used mine with a food diary to record as much information I could, which after a lot of experimentation, lead me to the conclusion, that the more I avoided as much as possible any carbs, my body was healthier.
And it stopped the hypos.
Also carbs were the trigger for the reaction.
The quick higher blood glucose spike, triggers the excess insulin, and if you have insulin resistance as well, the amount of insulin in your blood stream is not good at all, and the hypos are to be avoided by not eating them in the first place.
My food source is protein, some veg and good saturated fats.
I am in ketosis, and I do not need to carb up at all.
My energy levels are brilliant, I have to do a lot in a day and never get tired, I am nearly seventy, and other than what's below, my endocrine health is so much better than it was decades ago.
Exercise is important, and if interested in how some athletes don't carb up and use ketosis. Then do read up on it.
I also found out that eating six meals a day is not sustainable, too much hassle, food and if not careful a big crash will happen anyway if you get past 3-4 hours without food.
I use intermittent fasting, I only have food in a window from late afternoon to early evening. My last food is four hours before bed, so I know I'm not going hypo overnight.

The way to treat RH, is not to hypo and get healthy. The amount of time in continuous normal blood glucose levels (4-6mmols, UK measurements) is so beneficial. So no spikes, no trigger, no reaction, no hypos. That is the best treatment.

RH is rare, the amount of research is very poor, only by experimenting and seeing which foods spike you. And very few foods that are carbs, don't spike you. Will you get answers you're looking for.
I have lived with this condition for over ten years now. My specialist endocrinologist agreed with me.
I can live without carbs.
And if needs be, you might have to as well.

Keep asking, read our forum, educate yourself on the science behind it. It is food. It can be controlled, you don't have to suffer the hypoglycaemia. The doctors are quoting from the text books, they are wrong!
 
Hi Lamont, thanks for your detailed reply and your insights and advice. Interesting that you have gone down the no carb route and you manage it so well.

I am very keen to explore eating carbs still and to experiment with various slow-release carbs. As mentioned previously when I tried to have no carbs before my diagnosis, I had some of the worst hypos I have had for years. Each time I ended up grabbing food from the nearest cafe or shop and scoffing whatever I'd bought - which were quick release carbs. However, I am very happy to do away with the quick release carbs and can already recognise just how rubbish a big plate of pasta has made me feel previously.

Has anyone else with RH found that middle ground of some carbs? I know it's an individual journey but it would be interesting to hear.

The GP was super efficient and helpful after listening to my symptoms. I did a three day fast, blood tests and don't have insulinoma. But most definitely RH with no cause identified. I know I've had it most of my life and in fact went to the doctors 25 years ago! But I guess less was known about it and the response was that modern diets mean most of us experience fluctuating sugar levels.
 
Hi, and good newbie knowledge.
Your doctor seems to be decent but, isn't there always, but, the idea of eating six times of meals blows my mind.
I tried it, it is just food all day, no rest from, thinking about and when you are trying to lose weight and get control more food on top of more food just isn't sustainable. And it also defies all my the science.
If you eat the amount I was told, the insulin and excess insulin created would likely not help with reducing weight.
I have no idea if you have weight issues, but I've lost over five stone, just by giving up carbs and doing keto.
And through fasting and reading about how we don't need to eat as much.
Eating less is so beneficial.
I will only eat fresh food cooked at home, no production foods, therein lies unknown sugars, ingredients, bad fats and oils. Some oils and industrial additives are so bad for me.

I am a believer in finding your own dietary control, hence the experimenting.
There may be a few, that have some low carbs, but it depends on your levels. Depends on your intolerance to carbs. I often quote my doctor when as a youngster, I was diagnosed as lactose intolerant, and to avoid dairy especially. So I have often said that I'm literally carb intolerant because my intolerance to carbs is very low.
So every doctor, dsn, dietician, nutritionist and one endo, who didn't have a clue, kept telling me to eat carbs!
Why?
It's not logical, is it?
But you might be able to eat some.

Keep asking.

Best wishes.
 
Than
 
Hi Lamont,

Thanks for your experiences of what works. I don't need to lose weight fortunately and am happy with multiple small meals as I have instinctively done this for years. I'm using an app to look at what I am eating as I reduce but keep carbs and eat more protein. A bit hit n miss on eating too many calories but that's just me figuring out what I eat.

I simply can't do without carbs. I have lots of hypos without them and with full-time work and exercising a lot I don't function well at all.

I am keen to hear from others re: how you have experimented with slow release carbs and what works for you re: carbs.
 
Don't get me wrong, I hope that you can continue with having the small meals with low carbs. I hope you continue to get good results and of course being as well as possible.
You say that you have hypos without carbs. This is something I have not come across with RH.
How low are you going or are you describing the sugar crash without testing your BG levels?
With reactive hypoglycaemia the hypo is result of the spikes from food, the derived glucose from carbs and sugars. The trigger is the spike for the overshoot of insulin. In turn, the cause for hypoglycaemia.
Unless it is another from of hyperglycaemia, as there is other types of hypoglycaemia, that would explain your symptoms and description.
I have RH and I'm carb intolerant, intolerance is another way of saying an allergy, but the reaction isn't as dramatic or immediate. But it will in the future.

And don't take this the wrong way, exercise and hard manual work are good for your physical health. However your body is designed to compensate needing energy levels from your exertions. This is done in two ways, replenishing by carbs, sugars, or by glucogenisis, a liver dump. Along with carbing up before, the depletion of energy levels and need to keep energy levels up is contradictory to your endocrine health.
You believe that you need carbs, to function with your lifestyle. I have seen this before.
I also know that, the calories are not an issue. With a low carb diet, calories do not factor.

I worked with a sports scientist. I worked for a pro sports club, and he agreed that I was doing the right way to control the condition by omitting as much as possible, to be in ketosis, is a wise decision.

Talk to your doctor, is it an endocrinologist?
Learn the science.
If I can live without carbs, and my energy levels are brilliant, it could be more beneficial in the long run.
You just cannot keep having episodes of hypoglycaemia.
I don't.

Best wishes.
 
Hi - we are all different, some people suit low-carbing or keto and others don't.
Yes, I think you can find a middle ground regarding the carbs. You need to use a meter to determine which carbs work for you. Personally, I find beans very beneficial because they give you a feeling of fullness and also contain protein that slows digestion. For example, we had a casserole yesterday and I added half a tin of butter beans to my portion instead of having potato like the rest of the family.
Secondly, consider the order in which you eat your meal. Start with the vegetables, then the fat and protein, and lastly the carbs. So for example, today I will be having a good portion of broccoli, then some chilli, then a tablespoon of brown basmati rice.
If you take a look at Zoe health podcasts (also available on youtube), they give you balanced advice rather than having an agenda. I got this idea about food-order from a writer called Jessie Inchauspe. Don't be put off by her being called the Glucose Goddess!
I had RH for many years before developing diabetes and there was no way I could low carb. We are not all the same
 
Hello, I first went to endocrinologist about 9 months ago after years of hypos, with suspected reactive hypoglycaemia. I had a 19 hour fast at the hospital today (didn’t drop below 3.8 mnol) which shows you how long the wait is for diagnostic tests where I live. Mixed meal was inconclusive.
I used to eat lots of carbs and sugar, over the last 9 months I have massively reduced them, but I also find I need some carbs to function. Best tool I found was wearing a CGM- order the freestyle libre. This shows exactly what spikes me. I can tolerate some brown pasta, brown rice, new potatoes, sourdough, even a few slices of pizza but only as previous poster said if a well-balanced meal. Zoe and Glucose Goddess are also the main sources of info that I use.
I think cutting carbs too quickly is too hard. Perhaps try a more gradual approach.
Avocado’s, nuts and cheese really help me.
 
Thanks for
 
 
Thanks this is super reassuring. I have found Glucose Goddess on Instagram and it's interesting to see how order of food consumed influences sugar spikes. I'll take a look at Zoe. Interestingly your post resonated re: pulses. In my 20's I exercised intensively and pulses was the mainstay of what I ate. Yet I usually felt satisfied and had far less hypos than now. I think tons of veg will be key too - my lunch today had lots and the 2 tablespoons of sweet potato with carrot at the end of the meal - I didn't have that racy, hyper feeling after.
 
 
Thanks Giraffe95. That was a long wait for testing! Mine dropped to 2.5 but that was after 40 hours! And it hovered in the 2.8-3.6 the rest of the 72 hour fast. . Ok, that sounds positively realistic to me. I think the gradual approach will work for me too - and your having success in reducing sugar and carbs over the 9 months is very encouraging. The freestyle libre arrives tomorrow on a 2 week trial and I guess it's paying there after and not through the GP as am not diabetic. I ate 3 breakfasts the other day to recover from no carbs the day before. I felt so dizzy and spacey. Rubbish. But I can see that carb reduction (doesn't have to be elimination) is very important and I can do that, along with experimenting with what sorts of slow release ones spike or not.

Onwards with the experimenting!
 
You’re welcome @SJP23
Yes I am exactly the same. I remember one Sunday eating hardly any carbs, had perfect blood sugar, but the next day I couldn’t do anything and having to eat several breakfasts. I had very bad carb withdrawal, would also be too woozy to stand up and crazy protein cravings. I remember having to work from home for a month because I couldn’t function. I did used to eat lot of carbs though, because I was always hungry!
It was a very confusing time, because I wasn’t instantly better from eating lower carb. I found I can’t even really tolerate apples. Now I get a sugar rush headache if I eat something sweet. Give your body time to adapt. My skin looks so clear now and don’t have such dark circles under my eyes.
Let us know how you are feeling in a few weeks. Good luck
 
Yes it is annoying having to pay for the CGM, it’s a shame NHS don’t use it at all as a tool for this condition. I have probably worn one for six months on and off. It has given me such an insight. For example I will crash after a stressful day, walking several miles, on my period and after lots of carbs.
I think wearing a CGM when you exercise will be interesting and perhaps you can read up on sports nutrition for people with diabetes to get some tips. I’m not sure if protein drinks work for me or not.
 
Sorry, last post- Alcohol- I find a glass of red wine lowers my blood glucose pretty quickly, even with a meal, and I have lower Blood glucose the next morning. Unfortunately I feel a lot better not drinking alcohol and caffeine.
I have had bad anxiety this last year because of this condition, and fear of hypos. I think it can take a mental toll, be kind to yourself.
 
Thank you giraffe - your experiences are very reassuring and certainly resonate in terms of gradually finding a happy me menu and being kind to myself. the glucose monitor is outstandingly useful though I already recognise I won't keep it long-term once I have worked out what works and what doesn't.

A couple of days in, and I'm really enjoying some of the discoveries I'm making, and small amounts carbs are definitely part of that.
 
Hi Giraffe,

I am really sorry to hear it is taking its toll on you. I hope there is more light on the horizon and it takes up this less mental space than it does now.
interestingly, I am realising I instinctively knew what was good for me before my diagnosis and it didn't dictate. I was just terrible at being disciplined because I needed to have the science to change my behaviour. But my hypos don't stop me in my tracks so I appreciate that may be different. Thank you again for being generous with your comments.
 
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