Hypoglycaemia
is a condition in which there is too little glucose in the blood stream.It’s often caused by the pancreas secreting too much insulin in
response to eating sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, soft drinks or
caffeine.Symptoms of hypoglycaemia include:
fatigue
irritability
cravings for sweets and constant
hunger
weakness in the
legs
dizziness and
shakiness
fainting or feeling
faint
headache
anxiety and/or
depression
inability to think
clearly
aggression and loss of temper.
The time of onset of symptoms and their severity are related to the
quality of the last meal and when it was eaten.
Also
investigate adrenal insufficiency, thyroid or pituitary disorders and
pancreatitis.Candidiasis and
allergies may well be present also.
Interpreting
your score:
0
- 3
You
are unlikely to be suffering from blood sugar imbalance
4
-
8
If
you gave points to questions 1,2,3, or 7, blood sugar imbalanceis apossibility,but also consider food intolerance
9
or more
If you gave 4 points to questions 1,2,3, or 7, and can relate to one or
more
of the other questions too, hypoglycaemia is likely.Also consider food intolerance.
Nutrition Facts and diet advice for Hypoglycaemia
The
most important thing is to remove all refined foods, sugar, alcohol, soft
drinks, caffeine and fruit juices.
Eat
a diet high in fibre – lots of vegetables, beans, brown rice, lentils,
soy products.
Don’t
attempt ‘Food Combining’ (The Hay Diet) but instead always eat a
little protein with each meal.
Good
proteins include fish, nuts, seeds, skinless turkey or chicken, low-fat
yoghurt (preferably sheep or goats).
Reduce
saturated fats, but eat enough good quality oils, such as olive oil,
unrefined flaxseed or fish oil, unrefined walnut or sunflower oil.Apart from olive oil, do not use these for cooking.
Eat
little and often – about six small meals a day – do not allow yourself
to go hungry.Some people
with hypoglycaemia find it helpful to eat a small snack at bedtime.
During
a hypoglycaemic reaction, a good snack would be a couple of oat cakes with
nut butter (almond, hazelnut, cashew or peanut), or oat or rice cakes with
goats cheese or avocado.
Eat
foods which are low on the glycaemic index (see below).The lower number the better, although you can take a small
portion of food which is high on the glycaemic index if you mix it with a
protein food.
Often, a combination of supplements
may help in alleviating this
condition. You may wish to consult a
nutritional therapist for personal
advice. Supplements that may be
helpful in alleviating symptoms are
shown below:
