I’m also recently diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia. (Although I think I’ve always been hypo as I used to faint a lot as a child). I’ve been getting so much strange advice lately that am totally confused.
This is what I do know now: (please tell me if I’m wrong) Ketosis is BAD – they kept telling me to go buy ketone strips to check my urine to make sure it’s Positive! I now know the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. (I think.) My diet should be 1,470 calories a day according to you’re Healthy Body Calculator®. I’m twenty pounds over weight. I should eat at least 100 grams of carbs a day. If I start to crash, eat protein. Stay away from simple sugars. To eat a high protein diet 50% of my total caloric intake.
Now here comes the confused part: If the pancreas continues to secrete insulin you stated it usually hormonal, what hormone? Are all soft drinks bad even diet ones? Fruits – which ones should I stay away from? If hypo. is pre-diabetic, shouldn’t you’re GTT have a high level after 30 minutes to 1 hour? Mine stayed relatively low then drop dramatically after 2.5 hours. When I crash it happens very quickly, eating protein takes a while to break down 10 to 15 minutes. I don’t have that much time, as I pass out. Would you recommend a little orange juice with protein or stick to only protein. I have a lot of questions yet to ask but I think I will limit it to these. It will get me started on a really good foot. By the way I am going to see a registered dietician in two weeks.
Yes, ketosis is not recommended even for hypoglycemia.
If you chose to lose 1 or 2 pounds per week and my calculator reported 1470 calories given the data you entered, then yes that is how much you should eat.
No, you don’t want 50% of your calories from protein. The max recommended would be 20%.
Wait, I think you have something a bit mixed up. Insulin is a hormone. Your body over produces insulin in response to carbohydrate.
Sweetened soft drinks aren’t recommended, but diet ones are OK. I would recommend you limit diet soda to 2 cans per day.
You can eat any fruit (fresh, canned in fruit juice or unsweetened frozen) or unsweetened fruit juice. Three servings per day would be sufficient.
Regarding a GTT (glucose tolerance test), it is not recommended that a hypoglycemic, once diagnosed repeat this test due to the rapid drop in blood sugar and risk of losing consciousness. People with hypoglycemia do not usually have a sharp rise in blood sugar like a diabetic and actually have the opposite problem diabetics have – too much insulin. Hypoglycemia is generally considered a pre-diabetic condition in that the pancreas is not appropriately secreting insulin.
The OJ or milk would be OK, but why don’t you try glucose tablets that diabetics take. Each one has 15 grams of carbohydrate, just enough to bring your blood sugar up a bit before the protein kicks in.
Glad to hear you are going to see an RD. She or he should be able to read your chart and recommend the appropriate medical nutrition therapy while answering any new questions you have.
