Reactive Hypoglycemia Diet

Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by sudden low blood sugar (glucose) levels after having a meal.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this disease vary from person to person according to his/her constitution and the level of drop in the blood sugar level. The common symptoms are as follows:

• Panic Attacks
• Unconsciousness
• Numbness or Coldness
• Runny Nose
• Unnatural Hunger
• Flushing
• Heart Palpitations
• Lightheadedness
• Hypoglycemia Chronic Fatigue Coupled With Dizziness
• Depression and Irritability
• Nausea and Vomiting

As you can see, the symptoms are varied and similar to the symptoms of many other maladies. An accurate determination can only be made through a measure of the blood sugar levels.

Causes
The exact cause of this disease is still a matter of controversy. But there are three theories of what may cause a lowering of blood sugar after a high carbohydrate intake. One theory states that the reason might be oversensitivity to secretion of the hormone epinephrine as the symptoms match the effects of epinephrine. Second theory states that it might be caused by a pronounced deficiency of the hormone Glucagon which normally prevents blood sugar level from dropping down. A third theory identifies one more cause, which might be an excess production of insulin by the pancreatic ducts, which leads to sugar level drops in the blood. One more possible reason other than these three is deficiency of certain digestive enzymes, which can cause an imbalance in insulin levels.

Reactive Hypoglycemia Diet Plan & Treatment
If you have been confirmed to suffer from this malady, then you have to make way for a major restructuring of your diet plan. The treatment lies in following a properly designed diet plan coupled with an exercise regimen. Here are some tips:

• Space out your meals over the whole day. Instead of having heavy meals, stick to eating small meals with roughly a three hour interval.
• Regular exercise which burns calories is an effective deterrent that can prevent bouts. Chalk out your exercise regimen and stick to it.
• Make high fiber foods a part of your diet, as they have a low glycemic index. Low glycemic index foods like fruits are broken down more slowly, which causes a gradual increase in blood glucose levels.
• Avoid high sugar foods at all costs as that makes you more prone to an attack, especially on an empty stomach.
• Let a variety of foods constitute your diet like milk, poultry, fish, vegetables and dairy products.
• Reduce your consumption of alcohol and caffeine in all its forms. Also exclude starchy foods like white rice, corn, popcorn and potatoes that have a high glycemic index. Basically, reduce your intake of carbohydrates to less than 140 gm per day.

Make a balanced diet plan that would incorporate all the suggestions presented above and follow it regularly. One needs to be careful about what one eats, especially when vulnerable to this condition.