Hypoglycemia--advice needed

[dani_b]

Has anyone recovered from hypoglycemia? I would like to know some tips that I can try. I have severe hypoglycemia along with Candida and weak adrenals, which can cause or make the problem worse. What helps me is eating every 2 hours. If I don't do that, sometimes I can go a little longer than 2 hours but I start to get a headache. I start feeling very weak and irritable. If my blood sugar gets too low, I get a migraine which is extremely hard to get rid of. Nothing seems to work but sleeping it off, that is IF I can sleep with all that pain. Also, when the blood sugar is low, your body sends a message to eat. I get so hungry..going for 3-4 hours feels like I fasted a whole month.

By the way, I don't really have reactive hypoglycemia---meaning it's not only if I eat certain foods. I don't eat regular sugar or refined grains. Most of my days have been all raw since November. I had only a few cooked items during that whole time, yet no relief from my blood sugar troubles yet. Some people find that if they don't eat sugar, they don't get low blood sugar. That would never work for me. I get the worst headaches if my meal doesn't contain any sugar like a salad. I need to include fruit or sweeteners at each meal to keep it up. Adding fats or greens does help me go the full 2 hours. Without those, I can barely go 1/2 hour.

It is extremely inconvenient to have to eat every 2 hours on the clock all the time. I can't do anything active that takes longer than that and bringing tons of snacks with me all the time is a major pain. It's so expensive too. I would love to be able to go at least 5 hours without a meal just for the freedom it would provide. I feel like a slave to my health problem. I am forced to think about it all day long because I have to write down all my foods and what time I ate them so I know when the next meal should be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[walnutty]

Hello! I am Hypoglycemic and Hyperglycemic (Diabetes). Although the Diabetes is under control (cured) with raw food, my Hypoglycemia is not. I also have to take snacks with me whenever I am away from home for more than two hours. I don't find it a problem, though, I just grab whatever I have on hand....a banana, an ounce of nuts, a raw food bar, or anything else that I might have on hand. I take one thing for every two hours I will be away from home. So, I understand exactly how you feel. I have been Hypoglycemic since I was a young child (40 years) and before realizing I should take snacks along on outings, I would get migraines or pass out. So, taking snacks isn't such a big deal as opposed to the other two choices...:) . I have been raw for many years and this has not changed for me. Hypoglycemia runs in my family, so I figure it is just something I need to plan for so I do not get sick. I hope that helps. Take care!

[veggie luver]

I'm borderline hypo, and it's nice to know I'm not alone. I feel like I eat all the time. I even get up 1 - 2 x at night and eat. People that don't know me probably think I have an eating disorder! I always leave the house with something to snack on, or have something in my car. It's very inconvenient when traveling and visiting relatives for overnight stays. I'm only 5' 0" and guessing around 105 lbs., but I eat like a 200 lb. man at times!

[juliebove]

I had hypoglycemia for years. Diabetic now. Still get some hypos but not nearly like I used to before. Now I can go many hours without eating and my blood sugar is more likely to go high than low. But you just never know.

When I had hypoglycemia, like you, I had to eat something every two hours. But it didn't need to be a lot of food. Just a little bit of something. I wasn't on a raw food diet then, but I always carried food with me. One thing I always had in my purse was some trail mix that I made on my own. You could do the same with some nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, etc. Eating just a couple of bites of this was quick, easy and effective.

[eachpeachpearplum]

Yes I was.

I now find that I eat very little and often forget to eat. I cannot tell you what a relief not having to worry about getting the hot flashes and shakes followed by migrains because I have not eaten.

I have discovered that my body NEEDS a good quantity of greens & fats. The two that work the best for me are spinach & parsley. So for instance I cannot tollerate a smootie unless it has ample greens and then it carries me over until lunch no problem. My lunch must have greens too. Other items too but the greens are key. I also eat very little dehydrates foods. I do however never leave the house without a food.

I have also suffered from vaginal yeast since I was a kid and still get a flare up now and then. The main cause for me is if I have not eliminated properly. This causes gas which spreads the yeast to the vaginal area.

I treat this buy drinking lots of water and raw garlic and very little fruit for a time.

[walnutty]

Green smoothies work for me also!

I actually had one for lunch today and then went out shopping for four hours. I had food with me, but usually go on how I feel not on how long it's been since I last ate. I couldn't believe that it was 4 hours later when I started to feel crappy. I use a lot of greens also. Todays smoothie consisted of 4 cups packed spinach, 1 1/2 cups pure water, a couple packages of stevia and frozen, organic mango, pineapple and strawberries. It made a whopping 64 oz. smoothie! I haven't done smoothies for very long, maybe 3 months. I do have one every day, I just don't go out shopping for 4 hours right after them. I know what I am having now before I head out for a few hours!

[Burberry87]

I have hypoglycemia too which means dieting has always been a pain... I usually end up eating junk not because I am hungry but because I need to get rid of the shakes and bad mood. To echo the post above me, I've found that having a protein-packed smoothie to take with me places helps a lot, especially if it has a good amount of natural sugars. I always have a handful of nuts and dried fruit in my bag too. (or dehyrdated corn which I loveee)