Friday, February 20, 2004
Hypoglycemia Symptoms – Diet, Supplements and Elderberry Wine
Hypoglycemia Symptoms – Diet, Supplements and Elderberry Wine
I’ve dealt with low blood sugar most of my life, however until three years ago it was mainly just a nuisance. Today, I watch everything I eat and make sure that I’m careful not to accidentally get something that is loaded with carbs.
It is important to understand that there are multiple causes for Hypoglycemia and the diet that I describe is used to treat Hypoglycemia diagnosed as 'Reactive Hypoglycemia of Unknown Cause'.
The hypoglycemic diet plan I describe in this article developed over time from the initial instructions given to me by my doctor and through trial and error.
First of all, I am not a doctor or any type of heath care professional. I’m simply posting this information because I have found a very limited amount of helpful information on treating Hypoglycemia. Please before following any diet plan seek the advice of a doctor or health care professional.
My History:
As I said above I’ve dealt with Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) all my life, but beginning around three years ago my body begin to change and the affects of Hypoglycemia worsened. For as long as I can remember, I’ve gotten shaky when my sugar levels dropped, typically between meals. I would treat these symptoms with a piece of bread or some peanut butter crackers and with ten to fifteen minutes I would feel much better.
During my mid thirties, I worked in a very stressful job and I begin to notice that I was always exhausted. Even when I received eight to nine hours of sleep, I would struggle to stay awake. Later, after moving to a new lower stress job, I found that besides developing high blood pressure, I had also developed sleep apnea. After being tested and equipped with a CPAP machine I did begin to sleep better, however I still had difficulty with fatigue.
After visiting my doctor and having a battery of test completed, it was determined that I was Hypoglycemic, and my doctor prescribed a low carb diet similar to the Atkins diet. The logic behind the diet was the fact that my body responded negatively to quick spikes in my blood sugar levels. Foods that are high in carbohydrates turn to sugar quicker than foods high in protein and caused sugar level crashes when I ate them.
After adjusting to the Atkins diet I quickly felt better than I had in a long time, but after a few months I noticed the fatigue and shakiness returning. It was not as bad as before, but it was depressing. I reviewed what Dr. Atkins wrote about Hypoglycemia and found that he recommended Chromium Polynicotinate to treat these symptoms. I began using Blockade III from the Milexium International Corporation containing 100mcg per capsule and I consume nine capsules on average in a 24-hour period.
The Chromium Polynicotinate not only helped with the shakiness and helped to rebuild my endurance, it also reduced my general hunger and appetite, which had grown since beginning the Atkins diet. Some of the fatigue and a foggy headed feeling persisted. I noticed over time that I felt better after sleeping nine to ten hours at night and napping during the day, but this is difficult to accomplish while holding down a job.
The fatigue and foggy headed feeling continued to plague me until I read an article online that dealt with wine and the Atkins diet. The article explained how alcohol lowers blood sugar and the alcohol itself is converted by your liver into a substance called acetate which replaces fat as a source of fuel. My typical night’s sleep was short catnaps lasting normally about 30 minutes. If I ate before going to sleep I would enter a dreamless unconsciousness for two to three hours and awake as tired as when I when to bed. I begin to experiment with a small glass (approximately four ounces) of Elderberry wine before going to sleep and found that I sleep soundly but with dreams and I awoke with a rested feeling and a much clearer head.
After three months of drinking the Elderberry wine before going to sleep, I’ve continued to feel better and have received comments from friends and family on how much sharper I seem.
Recap:
I’ve been on the Atkins diet for 18 months.
I’ve been taking Chromium Polynicotinate for 15 months.
I’ve been drinking 4 ounces of Elderberry wine before going to sleep for 3 months.
Diets, supplements and alcohol all represent risks to your health and you should seek the advice of YOUR doctor before implementing anything that is described in this article. If your doctor approves trying these procedures be sure to maintain periodic checkups that include cholesterol, liver enzymes and blood pressure checks on a regular bases.
posted by Anonymous
PermaLink @ 1:19 PM
I’ve dealt with low blood sugar most of my life, however until three years ago it was mainly just a nuisance. Today, I watch everything I eat and make sure that I’m careful not to accidentally get something that is loaded with carbs.
It is important to understand that there are multiple causes for Hypoglycemia and the diet that I describe is used to treat Hypoglycemia diagnosed as 'Reactive Hypoglycemia of Unknown Cause'.
The hypoglycemic diet plan I describe in this article developed over time from the initial instructions given to me by my doctor and through trial and error.
First of all, I am not a doctor or any type of heath care professional. I’m simply posting this information because I have found a very limited amount of helpful information on treating Hypoglycemia. Please before following any diet plan seek the advice of a doctor or health care professional.
My History:
As I said above I’ve dealt with Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) all my life, but beginning around three years ago my body begin to change and the affects of Hypoglycemia worsened. For as long as I can remember, I’ve gotten shaky when my sugar levels dropped, typically between meals. I would treat these symptoms with a piece of bread or some peanut butter crackers and with ten to fifteen minutes I would feel much better.
During my mid thirties, I worked in a very stressful job and I begin to notice that I was always exhausted. Even when I received eight to nine hours of sleep, I would struggle to stay awake. Later, after moving to a new lower stress job, I found that besides developing high blood pressure, I had also developed sleep apnea. After being tested and equipped with a CPAP machine I did begin to sleep better, however I still had difficulty with fatigue.
After visiting my doctor and having a battery of test completed, it was determined that I was Hypoglycemic, and my doctor prescribed a low carb diet similar to the Atkins diet. The logic behind the diet was the fact that my body responded negatively to quick spikes in my blood sugar levels. Foods that are high in carbohydrates turn to sugar quicker than foods high in protein and caused sugar level crashes when I ate them.
After adjusting to the Atkins diet I quickly felt better than I had in a long time, but after a few months I noticed the fatigue and shakiness returning. It was not as bad as before, but it was depressing. I reviewed what Dr. Atkins wrote about Hypoglycemia and found that he recommended Chromium Polynicotinate to treat these symptoms. I began using Blockade III from the Milexium International Corporation containing 100mcg per capsule and I consume nine capsules on average in a 24-hour period.
The Chromium Polynicotinate not only helped with the shakiness and helped to rebuild my endurance, it also reduced my general hunger and appetite, which had grown since beginning the Atkins diet. Some of the fatigue and a foggy headed feeling persisted. I noticed over time that I felt better after sleeping nine to ten hours at night and napping during the day, but this is difficult to accomplish while holding down a job.
The fatigue and foggy headed feeling continued to plague me until I read an article online that dealt with wine and the Atkins diet. The article explained how alcohol lowers blood sugar and the alcohol itself is converted by your liver into a substance called acetate which replaces fat as a source of fuel. My typical night’s sleep was short catnaps lasting normally about 30 minutes. If I ate before going to sleep I would enter a dreamless unconsciousness for two to three hours and awake as tired as when I when to bed. I begin to experiment with a small glass (approximately four ounces) of Elderberry wine before going to sleep and found that I sleep soundly but with dreams and I awoke with a rested feeling and a much clearer head.
After three months of drinking the Elderberry wine before going to sleep, I’ve continued to feel better and have received comments from friends and family on how much sharper I seem.
Recap:
I’ve been on the Atkins diet for 18 months.
I’ve been taking Chromium Polynicotinate for 15 months.
I’ve been drinking 4 ounces of Elderberry wine before going to sleep for 3 months.
Diets, supplements and alcohol all represent risks to your health and you should seek the advice of YOUR doctor before implementing anything that is described in this article. If your doctor approves trying these procedures be sure to maintain periodic checkups that include cholesterol, liver enzymes and blood pressure checks on a regular bases.
posted by Anonymous
PermaLink @ 1:19 PM
