Exercising, Diet and Reactive Hypoglycemia
If you have been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycemia or Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome, hopefully by now you understand the connection with diet and how important it is to eat the right foods on the right schedule.
If not, I will give you a compact version of what you should be doing. Cut out all sugars, refined foods, starchy carbohydratess, alcohol and caffeine from your diet. Yes, it is a big change for a lot of people, but it is essential for you to feel good and to be healthy. You will need to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index that will not spike your blood sugar/glucose levels. You want to eat a diet high in fiber and protein, with fats and a very small amount of complex carbohydrates. Eat small meals every two to three hours and do not skip meals! Be consistent!
Also, when you do eat your complex carbohydrates, make sure you eat them with some fat and protein. For example, if you eat a half a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, eat it with butter and a serving of cottage cheese, or maybe even mix in a tablespoon of coconut oil. This will slow your body's absorption and keep your insulin from spiking. And as I'm sure you know, spiking your insulin is the root of this problem. Personally, this approach has been the key to me feeling my best and being able to live a normal life and exercise.
Now, it took me quite a while to get my diet down, knowing what to eat and when to eat it. There was a lot of trial and error, research and consultations with dietitians, doctors (which didn't help at all!) and nutritionists. Once I got the diet down (for the most part what I described above), that was just for everyday living. Now I needed to provided proper nutrition for my intense workouts that I was doing such as 1 hour weight training sessions and 2 hour martial arts sessions. I had to get my diet down to an exact science. In short, my diet had to fit my activities, and my activities had to fit my diet.
So on the days that I weight trained and did martial arts, I ate a quarter cup of oatmeal in the morning with butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil; and at lunch time a quarter of a baked sweet potato with butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Then, when it was training time, immediately before training, I would take 2 glucose tablets just before training, and 2 to 3 more tabs during training depending on how intense the workout was and how I felt. In the end, I learned that approximately 5 glucose tabs worked perfectly for me.
If you are have just been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycemia or Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome (my diagnosis), I know that it can be very frustrating, but hang in there. I suggest keeping a food journal with detailed information on what you eat and the times that you eat. This will help you identify what is and is not working. Good luck in your journey to feeling better and remember that your diet means everything!
If not, I will give you a compact version of what you should be doing. Cut out all sugars, refined foods, starchy carbohydratess, alcohol and caffeine from your diet. Yes, it is a big change for a lot of people, but it is essential for you to feel good and to be healthy. You will need to eat foods that are low on the glycemic index that will not spike your blood sugar/glucose levels. You want to eat a diet high in fiber and protein, with fats and a very small amount of complex carbohydrates. Eat small meals every two to three hours and do not skip meals! Be consistent!
Also, when you do eat your complex carbohydrates, make sure you eat them with some fat and protein. For example, if you eat a half a bowl of oatmeal in the morning, eat it with butter and a serving of cottage cheese, or maybe even mix in a tablespoon of coconut oil. This will slow your body's absorption and keep your insulin from spiking. And as I'm sure you know, spiking your insulin is the root of this problem. Personally, this approach has been the key to me feeling my best and being able to live a normal life and exercise.
Now, it took me quite a while to get my diet down, knowing what to eat and when to eat it. There was a lot of trial and error, research and consultations with dietitians, doctors (which didn't help at all!) and nutritionists. Once I got the diet down (for the most part what I described above), that was just for everyday living. Now I needed to provided proper nutrition for my intense workouts that I was doing such as 1 hour weight training sessions and 2 hour martial arts sessions. I had to get my diet down to an exact science. In short, my diet had to fit my activities, and my activities had to fit my diet.
So on the days that I weight trained and did martial arts, I ate a quarter cup of oatmeal in the morning with butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil; and at lunch time a quarter of a baked sweet potato with butter and a tablespoon of coconut oil. Then, when it was training time, immediately before training, I would take 2 glucose tablets just before training, and 2 to 3 more tabs during training depending on how intense the workout was and how I felt. In the end, I learned that approximately 5 glucose tabs worked perfectly for me.
If you are have just been diagnosed with Reactive Hypoglycemia or Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome (my diagnosis), I know that it can be very frustrating, but hang in there. I suggest keeping a food journal with detailed information on what you eat and the times that you eat. This will help you identify what is and is not working. Good luck in your journey to feeling better and remember that your diet means everything!
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