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Last updated on April 19th, 2022
Hypoglycemia is a condition that does not happen to diabetes patients only but can trap anyone if the blood sugar level drops too low. To maintain blood sugar levels, it is a must to stay on a healthy and balanced and reactive Hypoglycemia diet plan.
When the insulin production increases to more than normal in the body, the blood sugar levels start declining. When a person consumes carbohydrates, they get broken down into glucose, which gets paired with insulin and gets transported to cells to generate energy.
Over production of insulin by the pancreas in non-diabetic and diabetic patients also causes hypoglycemia. Kidney problems, tumors, different medications, and under-eating can also lead to hypoglycemia.
Summary
Hypoglycemia doesn’t only affect diabetes patients but can affect anyone whose blood glucose levels drop below the normal levels. It happens when a person’s body starts producing more insulin than the required amount. Apart from diabetes, it can also result from some particular medicines, critical ailments, excessive drinking and hormonal deficiencies.
Also Read: Home remedies for diabetes
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
Some of the symptoms which can occur if a person is suffering from Hypoglycemia are:
- Fatigue
- Tiredness
- Trembling
- Hunger
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Confusion
It is advised to take immediate medical help in such a situation.
Hypoglycemia Diet Plan: What You Should Eat and What Not
Do Include Whole Grains
Whole grains contain a good amount of nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc. Carbs help in turning food into sugar and help in boosting energy. Fiber helps in regulating the release of sugar in the bloodstream which aids in keeping the blood sugar levels at the optimum levels.
Food You Must Eat:
- Brown Rice
- Millet
- Oatmeal
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Buckwheat
- Barley
- Whole-wheat crackers
- Popcorn
- Whole-wheat bread
Summary
Focusing on whole-grain foods can help you overcome hypoglycemia to a great extent. Including fiber, minerals, vitamins, etc is also a great option.
Do Not Eat a Lot of Carbs at Once
Whole grains are important as it helps in preventing the symptoms of hypoglycemia, but it is also needed to consume a balanced amount of carbs and reactive Hypoglycemia diet book fulfils the same requirement.
Consumption of a large amount of carbs helps in producing an excess amount of insulin, which eventually drops down the glucose levels. To regulate the glucose in the body, a balanced diet is required i.e. you must eat small meals at a gap of every three to four hours.
It is advised to eat 2-4 servings of carbs at each meal (30-60gms) and 1-2 servings (15-30gms) at snack times.
One carbohydrate serving that equals to 15 grams include:
- One Small Apple
- ½ cup of pasta or rice
- One regular slice of bread
- One cup plain yogurt
Summary
Eating a lot of carbs at once can affect your health adversely. Hence, taking them in small quantities spread throughout the day is highly recommended.
Do Eat Fruits As Whole
Being rich in minerals, vitamins, and fiber, fruits help in maintaining glucose levels in the body. It is advised to opt for whole fruit over juice and consuming whole fruit contains more fiber. Some of the fruits you must consume are:
- Apples
- Avocadoes
- Berries
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Kiwis
Summary
Experts recommend to eat fruits as a whole instead of having them in the form of juice. Fruits are rich in fiber and minerals which need to be consumed to get rid of hypoglycemia.
Don’t Drink Your Fruit
According to many types of research, drinking juice rises and hikes blood sugar levels rapidly.
High in Soluble Fiber Includes:
- Apples
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Pears
- Melons
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Plums
Summary
Many researches have proven that having fruits in the form of juice may impact your blood sugar levels. It sometimes may raise the blood glucose levels and sometimes, the levels may drop drastically.
Do Eat Your Veggies
Being a highly rich source of fiber, veggies contain only a small amount of carbohydrates that helps slow digestion. Here are some of the healthy veggies that will help help you to manage your hypoglycemia better:
- Sprouts
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Asparagus
- Corn
- Peas
- Legumes
- Mushrooms
- Eggplant
It is worth noting that beans help in providing double benefits as they are highly rich in proteins that take longer to digest. This can help us greatly in preventing the low blood sugar which is the result of reactive hypoglycemia.
Summary
Vegetables are rich in fiber and minerals and contain a small amount of carbs. Hence, you should always include these veggies in your diet to ensure healthy blood sugar levels.
Do Add Dairy Products
Dairy products are rich in carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals that help in balancing blood sugar levels. It includes:
- Milk
- Non-Fat Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
Hypoglycemia Diet: Breakfast
Patients with Hypoglycemia must make sure that they consume small meals as soon as they wake up. A healthy breakfast must consist of proteins, scrambled eggs and carbs.
Other items you can try are:
- Half-boiled eggs with a slice of whole-grain bread
- A small serving of oatmeal with blueberries, sunflower seeds
- Yogurt with berries, honey, and oatmeal
You are advised to drink juices that do not have added sugars or preservatives. Limit your intake to 4 to 6 ounces.
Summary
It should be a small meal right after waking up in the morning. This meal has to contain enough amount of protein to fulfil your body’s needs for the day.
Diet For Hypoglycemia: Mid Morning Snacks
Fruits are the right choice to opt for the mid-morning snack. They are rich in fibers and contain natural sugars for energy. To balance your blood sugar levels, it is suggested to pair fruits with protein and healthy fat to keep your body full for a long time.
Some of the options you can try as snacks are –
- Apple with cheddar cheese
- Banana with nuts or seeds in moderate quantity
- Whole grain toast with an avocado
- A can of sardines or tuna with whole grain crackers along with a glass of skimmed milk
Having a whole-grain, fibrous carbohydrate paired with a protein or healthy fat is also a great option.
Summary
This meal has to contain enough fiber and natural sugar to generate enough energy for your body.
Hypoglycemia Diet: Lunch Plan
If your lunch simply means an office takeout, you can pick tuna or chicken salad or sandwich made up of whole-grain bread and romaine lettuce.
On the other hand, if you prepare your lunch on your own, you can pick anything from the below mentioned options –
- A green salad, having some chicken, tomatoes, chickpeas and some more vegetables
- Grilled fish, baked sweet potato, side salad or side of cooked veggies
Potatoes of every kind are known to affect the blood glucose levels, however, some are less impactful than the others. White russet potatoes are ranked right at the top of the glycemic index, with boiled white potatoes at the second and sweet potatoes being right at the bottom. Moreover, sweet potatoes have a rich quantity of antioxidants which are helpful in regulating insulin.
Summary
If your lunch is an office takeout, you should only order tuna or chicken salad, and whole grain sandwich with romaine lettuce. If you prepare your lunch yourself, you can have other options also like green salad, etc.
Hypoglycemia Diet: Mid Afternoon Snack
In the mid-afternoon snack, you should focus more on complex carbs. It becomes even more critical if you have to travel for a long time while returning home from work. Your body takes more time in digesting complex carbs, which means the glucose production through these types of foods remains slower. This process helps you in keeping the blood sugar levels in control.
Here are Some Options of Complex Carbohydrates:
- Whole wheat bread
- Legumes
- Brown rice
- broccoli
If you have to work really hard during the day, here are some options for mid-afternoon snacking –
- No-sugar peanut butter with whole-wheat bread
- Brown rice along with kidney beans
- Veggies and hummus
To enjoy some healthy zesty-flavoured mid-afternoon snack, you can consider having cilantro-flavoured Mexican brown rice.
Summary
In mid-afternoon snack, your main focus should be on consuming complex carbohydrates as your body digests them slowly leading to moderate glucose production throughout the day.
Eating Options Before Workout
Physical activities lead to reduced levels of blood glucose, which may lead to hypoglycemia. Hence, you must have a snack right before your workout. Having a high protein snack which includes carbs is really important before exercising. Here are some good options for you –
- Fruits
- Greek yogurt and berries
- Apple and peanut butter
- Raisins and nuts
- Whole-grain bread sandwich with peanut butter and jelly
All you have to ensure is not to have any of these snacks in large quantities before going for work out. Plus, also have a glass of water after taking the snack.
Summary
Workouts reduce your blood glucose levels. Therefore, it is important to have a high protein carbohydrate diet right before any physical activity to ensure your blood glucose levels do not drop drastically.
Diet For Hypoglycemia: Dinner Plan
People usually tend to have a large meal at the end of the day, which isn’t a healthy practice. You should ensure that your dinner has to be as small as your earlier meals were during the day.
During dinner you should focus on having some protein and complex carbohydrates. Lentil and quinoa soup is not only easy to make but fulfills your requirements and is also filling and delicious. You can also add some parmesan cheese or have a glass of low-fat milk along with this.
Summary
The dinner should also be in a small quantity as all the previous meals of the day. You should focus on having protein and complex carbs in this meal.
Hypoglycemia Diet: Bedtime Snack
If you are suffering from hypoglycemia, it is really important to have a light snack right before bedtime. It will help you in keeping your blood sugar levels under controlled limits during sleep. Here are some of the options for the same –
- Greek yogurt, which is high in proteins and low in sugar, along with walnuts and berries
- A vegetable smoothie with no sugar
Summary
Having a light snack right before going to sleep is also very important to overcome hypoglycemia. This ensures that your blood sugar levels do not drop too much while sleeping.
Takeaway
First of all, hypoglycemia does not necessarily mean that you have diabetes, which is a very common misconception among people. If you have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia, it is really important to follow a strict Hypoglycemia diet book and keep in regular contact with your doctor to avoid any complications. If you workout frequently, you must have a reactive Hypoglycemia diet plan prepared so your blood glucose levels do not drop beyond the normal limits.
Also Read: Jaggery glycemic index
FAQs:
What drinks are good for hypoglycemia?
Drinks that are filled with fast-acting carbs should be preferred when you have hypoglycemia. Some of the best sources of it are fruit juice, soda, glucose tablets, or glucose gel.
Is banana good for hypoglycemia?
Glucose is the primary source of energy for every person’s body. The normal blood sugar levels in a healthy person should be within a range of 70-99 mg/dL. Whenever a healthy person’s blood sugar level falls below this level, he/she may have an apple or banana to regain the normal amount of glucose in blood.
What should I eat before bed to avoid hypoglycemia?
There can be plenty of options to choose from. Here are some examples you can opt for: 1- greek yogurt, which is high in proteins and low in sugar, along with walnuts and berries; 2 – a vegetable smoothie with no sugar.
How do you keep your blood sugar from dropping?
There are plenty of ways to stop your blood sugar from dropping. These, however, have to be followed only after consulting with your doctor. Some of the ways may include eating all the meals and snacks of the day on time, taking the right amount of insulin, having an extra snack after exercising more than usual, sticking to your diabetes management plan, etc.
What triggers hypoglycemia?
Diabetes is a very common cause behind hypoglycemia. Moreover, too much insulin production in your body or diabetes medications can lower your blood glucose levels, leading to hypoglycemia. It can also occur if you do not eat enough food after taking a diabetes medication or do too much exercise than you normally do.
References:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/hypoglycemia-diet#midmorning-snack
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320518
Last Updated on by Dr. Damanjit Duggal
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