This is a new thing for me. My blood sugar is never high, but darn it all if it doesnt take a dramatic fall in the late morning!
I have tried many things, including protein only breakfast, but I still crash about 10:30. Im not hungry, but I get shaky, sweaty and crabby- classic hypoglycemia.
I feel like its a bad road to go down (eating when Im not really hungry) and often I over eat at this time of day because I keep eating until I feel better, no portion control.
Anyone else struggle or has struggled with this? What have you done to help stay in control?
I used to struggle a lot with blood sugar spikes and crashes. It was horrible!
What has worked for me is using the principles of the Insulin Resistance Diet, which basically are (1) have no more than 30 grams of carbs in a two hour time period and (2) always link carbs with protein - 30 carbs to 14 protein. (You can always have more protein, less carbs, but never less protein, more carbs). Just those two little things keeps my blood sugar level.
Blood sugar levels are not only determined by the most recent meal. What you have been eating over time will have an impact as well. So it may not be your breakfast that is causing the problem, but what you had to eat for dinner or lunch the day before.
Some people do six small meals a day to manage blood sugar, but that never worked for me. (Not because of blood sugar, but because it was too much meal planning and I felt like I was thinking about food all the time.)
Also, exercise helps your body process insulin, so a good workout routine is essential.
It takes some experimenting and tweaking, but it is so worth because you will feel much healthier and balanced if your blood sugar isn't out of whack. Good luck!
Another thing.....artificial sweeteners. I avoid them like the plague because they send my blood sugar skyrocketing all over the place. If those are part of your diet, try eliminating them and see if it helps!
I, too, used to have episodes. I still do, but not as bad. What worked for me was eating every 4 hours, even if it was something small. I don't know if it ever got "better" I just learned to manage it better, without relying on bread and candy and soda.
I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia when I was two, and I second what Rochester advised. Also, when you do eat them, make sure you're eating complex carbs, nothing processed. There have been high stress times when I was very sensitive and only ate carbs once per day.
I also do much better when I eat low carb, but its just not a lifestyle I can maintain (clearly!)
This week Im going to pair high protein with every meal and see how I do. Im also going to eat a cheese stick/apple combo at about 10AM and hope thats enough to bridge to lunch time.
The short of it is to get more fiber in each meal from the carbs you do eat (complex fibery carbs) along with protein. Don't wait too long to eat. I don't recommend getting fixating on eating so often either. For me that is a nightmare I eat three times a day and a snack here or there if I feel hungry between meals. I really can't get into all that extra planning and thinking. I'm totally consumed with thinking about food already.
Sometimes coffee can cause a lot of people this problem too..caffeine in general. Caffeine imitates sugar. There was a study done stating that some diabetics would be able to leave their medication and maintain the glucose levels if they would stop drinking caffeine. I don't know if this is your issue, I'm just giving too much info hehe.
I am not eating bread hardly ever (today I did). I changed over to the Joseph's Pita bread made out of flaxseed/oats etc. There are two kinds. I use them for breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner. They are 50% fiber. 10carbs, 5 fibers in one kind and 8carbs and 4 fibers in the other. They really help.
The short of it is to get more fiber in each meal from the carbs you do eat (complex fibery carbs) along with protein. Don't wait too long to eat. I don't recommend getting fixating on eating so often either. For me that is a nightmare I eat three times a day and a snack here or there if I feel hungry between meals. I really can't get into all that extra planning and thinking. I'm totally consumed with thinking about food already.
Sometimes coffee can cause a lot of people this problem too..caffeine in general. Caffeine imitates sugar. There was a study done stating that some diabetics would be able to leave their medication and maintain the glucose levels if they would stop drinking caffeine. I don't know if this is your issue, I'm just giving too much info hehe.
I am not eating bread hardly ever (today I did). I changed over to the Joseph's Pita bread made out of flaxseed/oats etc. There are two kinds. I use them for breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner. They are 50% fiber. 10carbs, 5 fibers in one kind and 8carbs and 4 fibers in the other. They really help.
I am a type one diabetic and my Diabetic Dr said the opposite. Caffeine (in limited quantities) helps blood sugar. Caffeine definetely does not act like sugar -I would know as I have to balance my insulin injections in accordance with what I eat. The body does not know the difference between refined sugar or fructose etc.. any type of sugar whether good or bad will raise your blood glucose and if you are not a diabetic - crash it again. All carbs turn into sugar - its just the rate it does it. Therefore fruit can cause a crash. Most type one diabetics cannot eat bannanas and are advised against watermelon (very high in sugar),I need to inject the same amount of insulin eating a banana as a bar of chocolate. Always eat a carb with a protein - including fruit, to balance your sugars avoid whites (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread) Pasta is especially bad and eat high fibre carbs. Careful of breakfast cereals most are packed with sugar. I am only allowed to eat three small fruit servings a day.
I am a type one diabetic and my Diabetic Dr said the opposite. Caffeine (in limited quantities) helps blood sugar. Caffeine definetely does not act like sugar -I would know as I have to balance my insulin injections in accordance with what I eat. The body does not know the difference between refined sugar or fructose etc.. any type of sugar whether good or bad will raise your blood glucose and if you are not a diabetic - crash it again. All carbs turn into sugar - its just the rate it does it. Therefore fruit can cause a crash. Most type one diabetics cannot eat bannanas and are advised against watermelon (very high in sugar),I need to inject the same amount of insulin eating a banana as a bar of chocolate. Always eat a carb with a protein - including fruit, to balance your sugars avoid whites (potatoes, rice, pasta, bread) Pasta is especially bad and eat high fibre carbs. Careful of breakfast cereals most are packed with sugar. I am only allowed to eat three small fruit servings a day.
Everyone who has a problem should consult their dr.
My husband is a physician and I read this study in one of the journals that came across our breakfast table. I am not going to say on a public forum obviously what the results were because it's not my place and also it'd be very wrong.
So yes there are additional metabolic processes that many are not aware of.
[QUOTE=coad786;3536478]Everyone who has a problem should consult their dr.
My husband is a physician and I read this study in one of the journals that came across our breakfast table. I am not going to say on a public forum obviously what the results were because it's not my place and also it'd be very wrong.
So yes there are additional metabolic processes that many are not aware of.
Intersting reading but I am not a type 2 diabetic to which these trials refer and caffeine helps me, they are totally different metabolic disorders so that does make sense. I suppose a non-diabetic might be affected differently again but as it does not have a negative effect on a type one diabetic that might mean it might not have a negative effect on someone who suffers from hypos only. Perhaps its better if someone who is unsure speaks o their dr or tests their own blood sugars to see the effect food/drinks have on them.
Although the trials might be helpful to a type 2 caffeine has a good effect on me (Type 1) and that is information given to me by my Diabetic Consultuant (speciality in Diabetes) - in moderation of course.
Natgar, these posts were never directed to you for type I diabetes. I'm sorry if you somehow felt they were. They were for the original poster who never said she has type I diabetes. I replied to you to show you what I was talking about, briefly. My own RE has asked my to avoid caffeine due to hypoglycemia which caffeine does aggravate for some people. I'm not suggesting anyone do anything.
Hypoglycemia?
