Hypoglycemia is a condition marked by low blood sugar that causes symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, weakness, anxiety, shakiness, hunger and confusion. If you suffer from hypoglycemia, it is crucial that you follow an individualized hypoglycemic diet plan to help manage your symptoms. Although there are known hypoglycemic-trigger foods, it is best to conduct your own food allergy testing to ensure that you eliminate all foods from your diet that provoke hypoglycemia symptoms. (reference four)
Step 1
Purchase a food diary and write down the names of the food items you eat every day. According to Hypoglycemia.org, you may see a correlation between your favorite foods and your hypoglycemia symptoms. This correlation may be a direct link to your hypoglycemia or it may be a hidden allergy that is masked by your hypoglycemia symptoms, according to the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia. Either way, starting a daily food journal is a good way to eliminate foods that provoke hypoglycemic-like symptoms.
Start your hypoglycemic dietary diary by allocating one page for each day of the week. Separate the page into four columns: one for time of day, one for food details, one for reaction before you eat the food and one for reaction after you eat the food. After a few days you will notice a pattern emerging that will pinpoint which foods you may be allergic to. For example, if you feel great before you drink a glass of milk but feel confused, sleepy or anxious an hour later, milk may be a food you need to eliminate from your personal hypoglycemia diet.
Keep the food diary current for at least two weeks or until you have eaten all of the foods in your normal diet enough times to gauge consistent reactions to them.
Step 2
Eliminate the most hypoglycemic-suspect trigger foods. These foods include all white flours, white pasta, white rice, coffee, alcohol, refined sugar, milk, ice cream, fried foods, tea, fast foods and highly processed foods, such as deli meats and foods that come in a box. Don't attempt to give everything up at once or you will set yourself up for failure. Instead, give up one food a week for as long as it takes to eliminate these foods from your diet. (reference three)
Step 3
Replace the hypoglycemic-suspect foods with natural, whole foods such as raw vegetables, whole grains and skinless lean meats. Choose green, leafy vegetables, eggs, whole grain breads, cereals and pastas and white meats such as chicken and turkey
Step 4
Eat six, regularly scheduled meals per day. Eating at the same time every day will keep your blood sugar stable and prevent hypoglycemic attacks from occurring on a regular basis.
Step 5
Collect low-sugar or no-sugar cookbooks to help you expand your hypoglycemic diet knowledge. Focus on what you can have instead of what you can't have and you will be much more likely to stay healthy.
Tips and Warnings
- Experiment with raw food recipes to give yourself even more meal options.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Pen
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