Hypoglycemia is characterized by low blood sugar levels. When you eat, some of the nutrients are absorbed into your bloodstream as glucose, or blood sugar. Your body then produces insulin to convert the glucose into energy. In reactive hypoglycemics, too much glucose is converted too quickly, resulting in a blood sugar deficit.
Significance
Hypoglycemia is especially common in mornings, when your body has been deprived of food for several hours. Waiting to eat breakfast until late in the morning further depletes your body of glucose stores, and puts you at increased risk of health problems related to hypoglycemia. Eating a nutritious breakfast is necessary for restoring your blood sugar levels quickly and effectively. Proteins are absorbed slowly into the body, and therefore help stabilize glucose levels and reverse hypoglycemic symptoms.
Suggestions
Focus on filling your breakfast with protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. Combining these three nutritional energy sources will help raise glucose levels in your bloodstream and maintain those levels throughout the day. According to the McKinley Health Center, eating a protein source along with a fat source at breakfast will help stabilize your blood sugar. Avoid sugars at breakfast, because they increase your body's insulin responses and will aggravate your hypoglycemia. Fiber helps slow the digestion of foods, which helps slow hypoglycemic episodes.
Examples
A breakfast high in protein, fiber and whole grains can come in many forms. Wheat toast with eggs and turkey sausage is an excellent breakfast option. Oatmeal is one of the most nutritionally dense breakfast foods, and contains fiber, carbohydrates and protein. Choose rolled oats cooked in milk or water. An omelet filled with cheese and vegetables will provide vitamins and protein. If you're in a hurry, have a bowl of low-sugar cereal with milk and fruit. A low-sugar, high-protein breakfast bar can suffice until you are able to eat a larger, more nutritious meal.
Considerations
Understanding the specific needs of your body in the morning takes time and experimentation. Make notes of what breakfast foods keep you feeling full and energized, and what foods leave you hungry in only a few hours. Avoid sugar and excessive caffeine in the mornings; they negatively affect glucose levels. Talk to your doctor before altering your hypoglycemic diet.
