If it has been a while since you last ate and you start to feel shaky, dizzy or confused, you may be experiencing low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. While hypoglycemia is most often associated with diabetes, it can also occur in people without diabetes in the form of fasting hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia. Whatever the cause, you can manage your symptoms with dietary changes.
Regular Meals
Skipping meals and going long periods without eating can increase your risk of hypoglycemia. To prevent low blood sugar, it is important to get yourself on a regular meal schedule. Eating meals at the same time each day can help keep your blood sugar normal. In addition, you should go no longer than three hours without eating a meal or a snack. A healthy eating plan for hypoglycemia should include three meals and two to three snacks.
Carbohydrates
Through digestion, carbohydrates turn into sugar, acting as your body's primary source of energy. To maintain blood sugar, it is important to eat a source of carbohydrate at each meal and snack. However, not all carbohydrates are created equal. The simple carbohydrates found in foods like candy and soda digest very rapidly, causing a spike, then rapid drop, in blood sugar. To prevent this, limit your intake of simple carbohydrates and instead include more complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads and cereals. While fruits and milk are also primarily comprised of simple sugars, the fiber in fruits and the protein and fat in milk delay digestion, allowing for a slower release of sugar into the bloodstream.
Fiber
Fiber in food is also an important component for hypoglycemia. Again, fiber slows digestion and absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping prevent low blood sugar between meals. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. In general, adult men need 30 to 37 g of fiber daily, while adult women need 21 to 25 g.
Limit Fat Intake
Following a low-fat diet --- less than 30 percent of calories from fat --- can also help you manage your hypoglycemia. To limit fat intake, choose lean cuts of meat such as beef eye of round, pork chops, white meat poultry and fish. Include more low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. In addition, avoid fried foods and foods covered in high-fat sauces such as meat gravy or Alfredo.
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