Hypoglycemia

3 Tips for a Hypoglycemia Diet Plan

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:49:03 +0000

Most people who have diabetes know that they will need to go on a specific diet but many people are still clueless about hypoglycemia dieting. In order to live a healthy life, your nutrition needs to be correct . This is why it is very important to have a simple yet effective hypoglycemia diet that will allow you to keep sugar levels normal. Hypoglycemia is actually the opposite of diabetes because it is only caused when the blood sugar is consistently too low. The hypoglycemia symptoms can be quite detrimental and so it is important to maintain a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. Here are a few tips to think about when trying to plan your diet.

1. Don’t Skip Breakfast

Though this is a tip for everyone, it is even more important for those who are hypoglycemic. Eating a hearty breakfast will also contribute to maintaining your weight and this is certainly beneficial for a lot of people. Studies have shown that eating a healthy breakfast every morning will help you avoid feeling hungry throughout the day and thus avoid the feeling of starvation. Eating breakfast will also help boost your metabolism but it is important that you do not start with foods that give too much instant energy. Simple foods like oatmeal or whole grains should do the trick. Boxed cereals certainly cannot be classified as a “health breakfast” as most people will know that they are simply just sugar in a box. The trick is to eat foods in their raw form as much as possible and avoid eating processed foods as this can lead to weight gain

2. Eat Often

This might make some people jump for joy as eating often sounds like you can eat whatever and whenever you want. However, this just means that it is a good idea to have healthy snacks in between meals because it will help you avoid that feeling of hunger and reduce the size of your meals. A good snack would be foods like nuts, fish or any form of meat as these are great sources for energy.

Avoid starchy foods as this will lead to a sluggish feeling that won’t get you anywhere throughout the day. These snacks will help keep your sugar levels in check and will keep you out of the danger zones. By taking snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon, you should start to feel more energetic and start to lose weight. Make sure that you stick to eating moderate quantities.

3. Avoid Sweets

As obvious as this may sound, some hypoglycemics still love to munch on the sweets. A typical hypoglycemia dieting program will not have any candies as this is the main culprit for bad sugar levels. Though sometimes a candy bar can help raise your sugar levels, it is not the healthiest and smartest choice. If you are stuck with just a candy bar, you will have to take it but as much as possible, go with the healthy choices. The temptation will always be there but always focus on eating foods that will burn slowly and give you steady energy.

Hypoglycemic Diet – Great Grub for You and Your Guests

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:56:11 +0000

I’ve decided to pass on this ever-so simple recipe which is great for a hypoglycemic diet and something that can comfortably be served if you are having guests around for dinner. The great thing is it can also be prepared in advance and popped into the freezer until that day when those guests arrive unexpectedly.

Marinated Spatchcock Chicken

Serves 4 – 6

1	Whole chicken	1
5 ml	Salt	1 tsp
65 ml	Lemon juice	¼ cup
10 ml	Minced Red chilli	2 tsps
250 ml	Low-fat plain yoghurt	1 cup
15 ml	Ground coriander	3 tsps
5 ml	Crushed fresh ginger	1 tsp
10 ml	Crushed fresh garlic	2 tsps

Remove the chicken skin, cut the bird open along the backbone and flatten it out using either a mallet or rolling pin. Place in a large dish and prick well with a sharp fork.
Combine the salt, lemon juice and chilli, and pour over the chicken. Mix the yoghurt, coriander, ginger and garlic and also pour over the chicken.
Cover and refrigerate to marinate overnight. (at this stage it can be frozen for later use).
Pre-heat the over to 200º C (400º F)(Gas Mark 6).
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a large roasting dish.
Set the marinade aside for basting.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basing with the marinade every 15 minutes. Grill to brown.
Place the chicken on a serving platter and thicken any remaining juices with cornflour, if necessary, to make a gravy.

This dish can be served with baby new potatoes and a tasty salad or a healthy selection of cooked vegetables.

I had raving comments when I served this dish to my guests and the best thing was that I could eat exactly what they had and still kept on track with my hypoglycemia treatment.

Learn to Recognise Hypoglycemia Symptoms

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:41:01 +0000

We keep seeing articles in the press about the rise in the numberof diabetics around the world. If only people would gain more knowledge so that they could recognise that the symptoms of low blood sugar are alerting them to the possibility of developing Type 2 Diabtes.

In a press release by Digital Journal the headline “According to Recent Studies 26 Million Americans are Living with Diabetes and 79 Million are Pre-Diabetic” says it all.

I would suggest you stop right now and take a read of this article and find out why more knowledge on hypoglycemia symptoms is so important. It can only increase your awareness and benefit your future health.

Low Blood Sugar Treatment – Keep On Exercising

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:19:52 +0000

by Sailor Coruscant under CC BY with wpseopix.com

Yesterday, after visiting friends I suddenly noticed as I walked out the door to wend my way home, that our days are getting longer and my heart did a little skip and jump. But, it is still pretty cold out there and keeping up the exercising is taking a lot of “self-talk” to get me out there. It made me smile when I read the blog Give your Immune System a Boost from The Nutrition Twins.

They give some very relevant advice for all you guys and gals out there that are working on their low blood sugar treatment to control those nasty hypoglycemia symptoms. You just can’t slack off even if the weather is lousy and you’d rather be curled up on the couch watching a video. Your health and nutrition need constant vigilance, so why not give their tips a try.

What Are the Signs of Hypoglycemia?

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:25:07 +0000

by Viktor Hertz under CC BY with wpseopix.com

Hypoglycemia is a medical condition that results from extreme reactions of the natural defense mechanism of the body to a sudden drop or rise of blood glucose levels from the normal level. The signs of hypoglycemia vary a lot and can be easily misdiagnosed as they resemble those of neuro-psychiatric disorders. Currently, blood glucose level tests are a very effective way of determining whether one has hyperglycemia even before the condition severely manifests itself. However, there are a number of signs and symptoms that can signal hypoglycemia even without necessarily relying on medical instruments. All people should know how to observe these signs, assess them, and find out how to control them.

Hunger Pangs

One of the many signs of hypoglycemia is feeling hungry even when one has just taken a heavy meal. In fact, consuming certain foods in large quantities may be one of the primary triggers. Eating meals that are high in refined carbohydrates and sugars is one of the chief ways of knowing whether a hypoglycemic attack results from dietary intakes.

Profuse Sweating

Sweating profusely is also one of the signs of hypoglycemia. A person with hypoglycemia usually sweats profusely regardless of the surrounding climatic conditions. Excessive sweating results from excessive demand of more energy than the body can supply. Apart from the above, a pale skin, discoloration or dryness of the lips, as well as the skin that surrounds them may identify a hypoglycemic person.

Slurred Speech

Hypoglycemic people are also characterized by slurred speech patterns in addition to frequently forgetting what they intend to say. These results from lack of enough energy to the brain, which makes it start adjusting to a lower energy state.

Drowsiness

Drowsiness is also one of the signs of hypoglycemia. Drowsiness leaves a hypoglycemic person experiencing sleepiness at inappropriate times as well as out of the normal sleep pattern. When a hypoglycemic patient reaches this stage, it is clear a indication that the body is unable to function normally due to low glucose (energy) levels.

Vertigo and diziness

Loss of balance, vertigo as well as dizziness is another major sign of hyperglycemia. This combination indicates that the brain is already struggling to function normally. This is usually a very risky situation since such a patient could result to immediately fatal accidents, which might be more dangerous than hypoglycemia. Once a patient exhibits these signs, it is important to have him/her sit or lie down while treatment or medication is being administered.

Nervousness and Panic Attacks

Nervousness and panic attacks are also other signs of hypoglycemia. This can also be further characterized by odd speech patterns, headache, tremors, as well as anxiety. If the above signs become extreme it can result in severe convulsions, loss of consciousness and retrograde into amnesia as the brain starts incurring temporary damage. Abnormal short-term behavior is also noticed, which in most cases results in further misdiagnoses, with some hypoglycemic cases being mistaken for schizophrenia.

First Aid Knowledge

If a person exhibits any or a combination of the above described signs of hypoglycemia, it is important for them to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis in order to avoid the affliction from worsening and causing long-term effects. It is also important for relatives and friends to familiarize themselves with the first aid procedures in response to hypoglycemia attacks, since they can help them, while getting them to a doctor or while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

Smoking Kills – Helpful Advice To Kick This Dangerous Habit

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:54:40 +0000

by ElvertBarnes under CC BY-SA with wpseopix.com

While most smokers realize that smoking is a risky and unhealthy activity, many of them are unable to quit successfully. A part of the reason is that the addiction is very difficult to break. However, there are effective strategies that have been successful for others.

This is an essential part of hypoglycemia treatment because nicotine has a very negative effect on your blood sugar. The nicotine stimulates the adrenal glands and unfortunatley, smoking also creates a desire for caffeine, sweet foods and alcohol.

This article provides several of these strategies. Follow the tips provided, and hopefully you will be able to quit successfully.

Do It

Quit smoking. How is “quit smoking” a tip to quitting smoking? Stop talking about it, stop thinking about it and just do it. Put up a mental barrier in your head where you are an ex-smoker and what the rest of the world thinks doesn’t matter. Don’t tell anyone you’re doing it, just do it. Don’t say you are trying or that you did quit in the past tense, just say you are quitting. Make an active state of mind.

Save the money you would have spent

Take the money that you would usually throw away on your cigarettes and spend it on yourself on something that you really want. This is sort of like a reward for your hard work. Treat yourself to an expensive coat, a nice jacket or even that pair of shoes that you have been eyeing.

Get Exercising

If you are worried about gaining weight as you begin to quit, then you should try to incorporate a moderate exercise regimen into your daily routine to help curb any weight gain that you might experience. Exercise is the best way to prevent any weight gain from your quitting and is also essential to control hypoglycemia symptoms.

Find an Alternative

Since after-meal is one of the most common times for someone to smoke, it is important to keep your mind occupied during this time. Instead of reaching for a cigarette, pull out a piece of sugar-free gum. This will help to subside that after-meal urge that many smokers go through.

For help after you quit smoking, you should keep around items that can be used to replace a cigarette. Normally people stock up with lollipops which is reall bad for your low blood sugar. Rather stock up on items such as toothpicks, sunflower seeds, and vegetable sticks from celery, bell peppers and carrots. All these items can help when dealing with cravings. Instead of a cigarette, replace it with something that is harmless and healthy.

Start a Journal

It can be easier to quit smoking if you are able to articulate exactly why you want to quit. Try writing down a list of all of the reasons that you should quit smoking. This can include the benefits you will experience, people in your life, or any reasons at all that are important to you. Carry that list with you at all times. One of the best place to carry this list is where you used to carry your cigarettes. Whenever you catch yourself reaching for your pack of smokes, pull out the list, instead, and read why you want to break the habit.

If you feel like giving in to your temptations to smoke, try writing down what you are feeling in your journal rather than smoking. Have this journal in your possession at all times, and read over it constantly. This will assist you in having the strength to keep going with your quest to quit smoking.

Join a Support Group

Join a support group to help you in your quest to quit smoking. A support group can commiserate with you about the difficulties that quitting smoking entails, and share their coping mechanisms. The leader of the group may also be able to teach you behavior modification techniques, or other strategies that can prove helpful.
You will find it hard to do some of your normal routines while you are quitting smoking. For example, going to a bar with friends who smoke. When your friend goes outside for a cigarette, resist the urge to go with them to keep them company. Everything that you once did as a smoker, you will be able to do again.

The majority of people who smoke do so with the knowledge that they are engaging in is unhealthy and dangerous activity. A lot of them also have difficulty quitting due to the addictive nature of smoking. However, there are strategies that have helped others quit that can help you quit successfully too. Use the tips that have been provided in this article as a start, and hopefully smoking will soon be a thing of the past.

Try What the Ocean Offers in Your Hypoglycemia Diets

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:58:04 +0000

When you are thinking of what to include in your small snack meals once you have started on the road to controlling your hypoglycemia symptoms, Cranky Fitness gave me an excellent idea. See if you can get hold of Trader Joe’s Roasted Seaweed Snack . This link will give you far more information on all the nutritional benefits of this unusual snack and best of all you won’t have any weight-gain problems with it at all………just great nutritional benefits.

I haven’t given it a go yet and unfortunatley we don’t have a Trader Joe’s so I’m going to go visit some of our health food stores and see if I can find something similar but I must confess I’ll probably have the same initial reaction as Cranky Fitness.

Hypoglycemia Treatments – Who would Have Thought?

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:31:24 +0000

by whologwhy under CC BY with wpseopix.com

Getting to grips with my hypoglycemia treatment and keeping my diet interesting has me searching for new recipes. I found this great recipe with all the “good stuff” and would never have thought to combine the ingredients that Kristen has used. I’m going to give Kiwi Black Bean Guacamole a try this lunchtime.

I’m sure it’s going to be great as I love all the ingredients that she has used. We’ll also see how it goes down with the rest of the family.

Hypoglycemia Diets That Will Improve Your Blood Sugar Levels

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:01:34 +0000

by missmeng under CC BY with wpseopix.com

Hypoglycemia is a medical condition where an individual’s blood sugar levels fall below the optimum threshold. It is caused by production of excess insulin into the bloodstream triggered by too much refined carbohydrates and other stimulants in the diet. Excess insulin converts digested food into glucose at a higher and faster rate than normal. Hypoglycemia will present with symptoms such as being tired, nervous and irritable as well as feeling depressed and suffering bouts of frequent headaches.

What is the best way to deal with hypoglycemia? Of course, the most effective way is making adjustments to your diet since it is the primary cause of the condition. Choosing the right hypoglycemia diets is therefore key to keeping hypoglycemia in check. Foods that are digested and absorbed fast into the bloodstream tend to worsen the situation and should be avoided. Simple sugars and processed carbohydrates are the main culprits.

Instead of completely cutting out carbohydrates, it is recommended that a hypoglycemic person should only avoid processed carbohydrates and simple sugars such as honey, sugar, molasses and cakes, and focus on complex carbohydrates. These are whole foods such as cereals, rice and legumes, which take time to be absorbed and therefore do not result into rapid dropping of sugar levels.

Hypoglycemia symptoms may be triggered by a feeling of hunger. To counter this, one should spread out one’s meals into five or six small meals to be eaten in intervals of two to three hours. Ideally, it is advisable to break the main meals with snacks in between. For example, one should take a snack three hours after breakfast, another one after lunch and the last one after dinner. The snacks themselves have to adhere to the requirements of hypoglycemia diets.

The recommended snacks are fruits, raw carrots, whole grain crackers, plain yogurt, ripe bananas and raw nuts among others.

Keeping away from beverages that have caffeine content will also help to keep hypoglycemia under control. This is because the effect of caffeine on the body will produce the same symptoms as hypoglycemia. Caffeine may therefore make worse your already bad situation with hypoglycemia. Withdrawal from caffeine should be gradual in order to cope with the withdrawal symptoms, which are usually terrible.

In addition to eating complex carbohydrates and healthy snacks, the ideal hypoglycemia diets would be those consisting of a small portion of proteins and fat, preferably olive oil. This combination of foods will prevent quick absorption by slowing down the body’s digestive system. This will in turn curb the sugar levels from dropping drastically. Two to three teaspoons of olive oil taken directly or added to food will also slow down the digestive system.

Another important adjustment to be made as regards eating habits is to make sure to never miss a meal. Missing even a single meal will cause trouble as the blood sugar will be plunged into very low levels. To keep hypoglycemia totally in control, ensure that you work with a personalized diet plan and include large amounts of vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Helpful Advice to Control Hypoglycemia Symptoms

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:48:25 +0000

by Ben+Sam under CC BY-SA with wpseopix.com

Having hypoglycemia is a trying time in anyone’s life, but you can make it manageable with the choices you make. It may seem like a daunting task at first but after you get it under control you can expect to live a full life. Following are some handy tips to help you make good decisions. Please read on.

Watch your Sugar Consumption

To better control your blood glucose levels, watch for hidden sugars. Sugar can be called many things. Examples are fructose, HFCS, and maltose. Whatever the name, these sugars can all have a negative effect on your blood sugar levels. The result could be the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Better to try and avoid added sugar under any name.

It does not mean that you must fully give up your favorite sweets, but it does mean that you must be more diligent in selecting and consuming them. To compensate for a sweet splurge, you may need to step up your exercise program and reduce your dietary intake of another sweet food.

Stress can cause problems

Stress can wreak havoc on a hypoglycemic’s mental health, but it also causes problems physically as well. Try to do stress-relieving activities like exercise, yoga, or deep breathing exercises at the end of the day or during any situation that is particularly stressful to keep yourself calm, cool, and collected.

You want to try your best to get a control of your hypoglycemia symptoms and learn as much as you can about how to start on hypoglycemia treatments so that you can start to enjoy life again. If you don’t take action you will most likely end up with diabetes and all the problems that go with it.

Advance planning when travelling

When planning a trip where you may be crossing time zones your eating schedule can be thrown right out of whack. Be sure to know when your meals and snacks should be and plan in advance so that you will have some food on hand at those times.

Take Action

One of the first steps of your diet change, apart from the sugar consumption mentioned above, can be the switch to high fiber foods. Try to eat only whole grains, they are packed with fiber that allows your body to digest foods without getting a spike in blood sugar which is what happens when you eat mostly refined carbs (white bread and any type of processed foods). It will help lower your risk for diabetes if you learn as much as you can about hypoglycemia dieting.

Remember, once you learn to how to control your hypoglycemia symptoms, it will become natural to you. It just takes a little time to figure out what is best for you.

So, why not start today?