Hypoglycemia Diet Rules
These rules MUST be followed if you are to fully recover from Hypoglycemia
Rule 1: Don't Skip Meals!
Because you suffer from Hypoglycemia, your body is extremely sensitive and will respond well or badly depending on how it is treated. If a sufferer waits too long to eat a meal then blood sugar plummets, bringing on symptoms.
Skipped Meals means stored body fat
Skipping meals also encourages your body to store fat. For anyone who has had trouble losing weight, skipped meals may be the reason behind this. When you skip a meal it tells your body that you are going through a starvation period. This is because the body processes only what you tell it to, so if you tell it there is no food available by not eating when it knows it should it be eating, it assumes that you are not eating for a reason; i.e., there is no food available.
Your body then kicks into survival mode and does its best to hold on to the existing fat on your body to get it through this ‘starvation’ period, making it nearly impossible for the hypoglycemic to shift stubborn body fat.
Rule 2: Eat at least 6-7 small meals a day
Eating too few meals will send your blood sugar plummeting
Although this seems like a ridiculously large number of meals, eating 3 times a day will not suffice for most hypoglycemics. Their blood sugar is always climbing and falling and so they must, eat regularly.
Each meal of a hypoglycemic must consist of Carbohydrates, Protein some good fat and a fibrous carbohydrate. For examples of each of these food groups please see the diet planning page which contains information related to how to put typical hypoglycemic foods together.
But for now you should remember that as Hypoglycemic eating 3 times a day is simply not enough- you must eat at least 6 or 7 small meals to ensure that your blood sugar does not drop too low.
Rule 3: Do not ever skip breakfast
A good breakfast sets the precedent for the rest of the day and gives your body the essential fuel it needs to function properly. A good breakfast can also fight off hunger pangs and blood sugar dips that you have become so accustomed to, providing you eat the remainder of your meals on time.
Breakfast should also be the biggest meal of the day
Many sufferers of hypoglycemia do often do not feel like eating breakfast (sometimes as a result of having slept so badly due to insomnia) however if they want to avoid that midmorning blood sugar crash then breakfast is essential.
So get up early and have a big healthy breakfast. For some breakfast ideas refer to the diet pages on this website
Rule 4: Eat every 2-3 hours without fail!
As hypoglycemics we should not only eat because we are hungry, but instead we eat because it is necessary in order to stop our blood sugar level from falling to an uncomfortably low level.
Never let 3 hours pass without eating
Although it may not always seem possible to eat this frequently we certainly should not let more than 3 hours pass without eating as this can cause havoc on our condition.
Rule 5: Eat Protein with each meal
You can find out more about this in the diet pages of this website. But for now it is important that you know:
Protein slows down the absorption of carbs such as sugars into our bloodstream.
Therefore if you eat a piece of bread for example, having tuna with that bread will be much more beneficial to one suffering from hypoglycemia, as the protein in the form of Tuna will ensure the bread does not cause a massive rise in the sugar levels of the sufferer.
For more ideas about protein and meal planning visit the diet page or see the Overcoming Hypoglycemia Ebook.
Click here for more Hypoglycemia diet rules
Click here to find out how to begin your hypoglycemia diary
