Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) usually occurs most of the time while fasting or when a person has interrupted his or her regular eating schedule. Ideally, a person should eat regularly enough that the blood sugar levels have very little fluctuation all day long. However, reactive hypoglycemia is low blood sugar that occurs usually one to two hours after eating a meal. Often, the cause of reactive hypoglycemia isn't clear.
It would appear that some people may be overly sensitive to normal release of the hormone epinephrine, which causes many of the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Another possibility is that people with reactive hypoglycemia may have a deficiency of glucagon which is a hormone that normally offers protection from low blood sugar. Still yet another possible cause may be the result of excessive pancreatic production of insulin.
Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include:
-Shakiness
-Clumsiness
-Dizziness
-Weakness
-Sweating
-Hunger
-Anxiety
-Pounding heartbeat
-Confusion
What can I do for it?
Avoid simple carbohydrates. These are foods that break down quickly
Avoid sugar including soft drinks or foods that have added sugar. Avoid caffeine.
Eat smaller amounts more often through the day. The idea here is to avoid big meals which may trigger big spikes in blood sugar levels and big reactive spikes triggered by the big meal.
Think of your body as a car engine. If your car is on the verge of running out of gas, picture what happens if you pour a quart gasoline into it just as it's sputtering on fumes. Now it suddenly revs up and runs until it uses up the quart of gasoline and begins to sputter and clank. You quickly pour in another quart of gasoline and start the cycle over again. Now picture this same engine running smoothly with a steady supply of fuel.
Your body works much better with a steady supply of fuel supplied by frequent meals all day long. Less frequent meals , even though they may be bigger, allow enough time in between fueling that the fuel (blood sugar) runs out and your engine begins to sputter. This is the case in a normal metabolic system. Now if you have reactive hypoglycemia, not only do you experience the dip when your tank runs empty, you also experience an abnormally big dip right after refueling in reaction to the fueling. Your metabolism literally runs like a roll-a-coaster. Smaller, more frequent meals, eliminate the empty tank dips and minimize the reactive dips.
It would appear that some people may be overly sensitive to normal release of the hormone epinephrine, which causes many of the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Another possibility is that people with reactive hypoglycemia may have a deficiency of glucagon which is a hormone that normally offers protection from low blood sugar. Still yet another possible cause may be the result of excessive pancreatic production of insulin.
Symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include:
-Shakiness
-Clumsiness
-Dizziness
-Weakness
-Sweating
-Hunger
-Anxiety
-Pounding heartbeat
-Confusion
What can I do for it?
Avoid simple carbohydrates. These are foods that break down quickly
Avoid sugar including soft drinks or foods that have added sugar. Avoid caffeine.
Eat smaller amounts more often through the day. The idea here is to avoid big meals which may trigger big spikes in blood sugar levels and big reactive spikes triggered by the big meal.
Think of your body as a car engine. If your car is on the verge of running out of gas, picture what happens if you pour a quart gasoline into it just as it's sputtering on fumes. Now it suddenly revs up and runs until it uses up the quart of gasoline and begins to sputter and clank. You quickly pour in another quart of gasoline and start the cycle over again. Now picture this same engine running smoothly with a steady supply of fuel.
Your body works much better with a steady supply of fuel supplied by frequent meals all day long. Less frequent meals , even though they may be bigger, allow enough time in between fueling that the fuel (blood sugar) runs out and your engine begins to sputter. This is the case in a normal metabolic system. Now if you have reactive hypoglycemia, not only do you experience the dip when your tank runs empty, you also experience an abnormally big dip right after refueling in reaction to the fueling. Your metabolism literally runs like a roll-a-coaster. Smaller, more frequent meals, eliminate the empty tank dips and minimize the reactive dips.
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