If you have diabetes, you're probably familiar with hypoglycemia, which occurs when your blood sugar falls too low. But many people who don't have diabetes sometimes have hypoglycemia. Your diet can help you to control your hypoglycemic symptoms if you eat frequent, small meals and focus on getting plenty of complex carbohydrates.
Causes/Symptoms
Hypoglycemia occurs when your blood glucose, or sugar, falls too low, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Glucose comes from food, and fuels your body's cells. Symptoms include hunger, shakiness, dizziness, nervousness, sweating and anxiety. Although some serious medical conditions can cause hypoglycemia, it's possible to have hypoglycemia without another serious medical condition, according to McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain. In that case, it's called reactive hypoglycemia, which occurs frequently in young women, especially if they're obese.
Diet Basics
If you have an incident of low blood sugar, you can bring your blood glucose up quickly to normal levels by snacking on a high-carbohydrate food, such as candy or a pastry, according to the McKinley Health Center. However, this may cause your blood sugar to rise too much and then fall again within an hour or two, causing renewed hypoglycemia. Instead, you should focus on eating complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, with some protein or fat at every meal. Ideal meals can include whole-grain crackers with cheese and some meat, a large salad with nuts on top, or a whole-grain bagel with cream cheese.
Meal Frequency
Frequent small meals will keep your blood sugar more stable than large meals eaten more sporadically, according to the Olin Health Center at Michigan State University, which recommends six smaller meals each day with only about two or three hours between each meal. Each meal should include a low-fat protein source, such as low-fat fish, and a high-fiber food, such as whole-grain products or beans.
Foods to Add/Avoid
You should consider adding foods to your diet that are high in antioxidants, such as blueberries, cherries, tomatoes, squash and bell peppers, since these may help you manage your symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Meanwhile, you should avoid highly refined foods, including pasta, soda, and foods made with white flour and sugar, since these can make your symptoms worse.
Considerations
In some cases, hypoglycemia can indicate a serious illness, such as diabetes, a tumor, critical organ failure, hormone deficiencies or an autoimmune disorder, according to the University of Maryland. If you have moderate to severe hypoglycemia, or if the condition occurs frequently, you should consider visiting your physician for a full workup.
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