No Carb Diet For Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia means low blood sugar, and it can occur if you have diabetes and have either taken too much medication or insulin, have exercised too much, or have delayed your meal. Reactive hypoglycemia can also occur in people without diabetes who tend to have large fluctuations in their blood sugar levels. If you suffer from hypoglycemia on a regular basis and have diabetes, contact your doctor to adjust your treatment plan. Dietary changes, such as following a no-carb diet, could also help you better control your blood sugars and prevent future lows.

No Carb Diet

A no-carb diet consists of eliminating carb-rich food groups, which include grains, such as bread, rice, pasta, pizza dough, breakfast cereals, granola bars and baked goods; starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn and peas; fruits; dairy, such as milk, chocolate milk and yogurt; and added sugar found in soft drinks, candies and desserts. Most Americans get the bulk of their calories from these carb-rich foods, but if you decide to try a no-carb diet to control your hypoglycemia, your diet will be based on non-starchy vegetables, protein from eggs, meat, poultry, fish, seafood and cheese as well as fats from butter, mayonnaise, salad dressing, nuts, avocado and olive oil.

Blood Sugar Roller Coaster

Hypoglycemia is defined by a blood sugar level below 70 mg/dL, accompanied with dizziness, sweating, shakiness, hunger, weakness, irritability and confusion, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. One of the main problem with the standard American diet is that consuming a high amount of carbs can result in large fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. The more your blood sugar levels raise after your meal, the more likely your blood sugars are to drop too low in the following hours. If you have trouble controlling your blood sugar levels, whether you have diabetes or not, restricting your carb intake can help you stop your blood sugar roller coaster and help you stabilize your blood sugars throughout the whole day.

Regulating Your Blood Sugar Levels

If you go on a no-carb diet and eliminate grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, milk, yogurt and sugar from your diet, your blood sugar levels will become more stable. On a high-carb diet, your body mainly burns sugar to obtain the energy it needs, which contribute to quick and frequent changes in your blood sugar levels. The switch from a standard high-carb American diet to a no-carb diet requires your body to become a fat burner instead of a sugar burner, which helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels between meals. Use a blood sugar meter to check your blood sugars at regular interval throughout the day and see the difference between a high-carb and a carb-restricted diet. Keep notes on your calendar, along with the frequency of your hypoglycemic episodes to see what diet works best for you.

Special Considerations

If you have diabetes and take blood-sugar-lowering medications or inject insulin, modifying your carb intake could lead to hypoglycemic episodes. Always consult your doctor or diabetes team before making significant changes to your diet because your diabetes treatment plan will require adjustments to maintain your health and ensure the transition is safe. It is also very important to include sufficient amounts of fat in your diet, because they will replace carbohydrates to become your main source of energy. You will not be successful at preventing hypoglycemia on a low-fat no-carb diet. Choose full-fat cheese and salad dressings as well as fatty cuts of meat and add extra fat from cream, butter, olive oil, avocado or nuts at each of your meal to get enough energy and stabilize your blood sugar levels.