How to Manage Hypoglycemia

The symptoms of hypoglycemia can come on suddenly: dizziness, sweating, pounding heart and others. If you experience these symptoms, you know that your blood sugar has taken a nosedive. If your hypoglycemia is not due to a disease or a glandular deficiency, the cause is probably poor eating and overall health habits. You need to learn how to manage the cause of your hypoglycemia rather than just the symptoms.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Menu planner
• List or book of good and bad foods for hypoglycemia
• Support from family and friends

Manage Hypoglycemia through Diet

1. Know where the sugar is. In order to cut back on simple sugars, skipping dessert might not be enough. Be aware of your daily sugar use, such as in coffee, in jelly on toast and in recipes you cook regularly.
2. Read labels. Products you don't expect (ketchup, some kinds of canned beans and others) may have sugar high on the list of ingredients.
3. Eat foods that your body absorbs slowly, including protein (eggs, cheese and meat), whole grains and vegetables. Avoid too much fruit.
4. Eat small amounts of food several times a day instead of big meals.
5. Plan meals. Know what you are going to eat, how much, where and when in advance every day.

Manage Hypoglycemia through Lifestyle

6. Quit smoking, or at least cut back. Nicotine raises blood sugar.
7. Skip caffeine. It triggers the absorption of stored sugar into the blood stream causing a sudden high and then a quick drop.
8. Limit alcohol. Watch out for alcohol (and sugar) in medicines like cough syrup.
9. Add exercise to your routine. Set aside the same time and the same amount of time every day so that eventually it will come naturally.

Tips & Warnings

• Some diet experts say that the only way to manage hypoglycemia is to cut out all sugar right away and never eat any again. This is impractical for most of us. A better idea is to plan in advance what you will eat. Save dessert for special occasions such as your birthday and turn it down at all other times.
• Anything ending in "ose" (glucose, sucrose, fructose) should be avoided.
• Managing hypoglycemia may be more urgent than you think. Excess sugar and poor diet can lead to dangerous weight gain and possibly to Type II diabetes.
• If you make diet and lifestyle changes and your hypoglycemia symptoms persist, see a doctor right away. It may indicate some other physical problem.
• Do not try to manage diabetic hypoglycemia by yourself. See your doctor and dietitian.