I’ve known that I probably have low blood sugar for a while; it runs in my family and – trust me – I get the symptoms of hypoglycemia when I go too long without eating or eat the wrong thing!  But lately, due to pregnancy, it’s really been exacerbated. I knew I had a big problem when two cupcakes caused me to fall immediately asleep/pass out on the couch – talk about a sugar crash!  Oh – and the headaches.  The mood swings.  The shakes.  Ugh.

 

My midwife and OBGYN are trying to figure out what’s up, but in the meantime, I’ve been instructed to eat more protein and less refined carbohydrates/processed sugar, eat a lot more regularly (every two hours), and drink a small glass of orange juice or take a spoonful of honey when I feel symptoms hit.  It’s this weird balancing act with trying to get my blood sugars up without causing a crash later.  I can do some fruit but not others.  And some carbs but not others.  And some of these foods, I can eat at certain times but not others.  It’s actually all very confusing – and it’s doubly confusing because I’m a vegetarian so my protein options are kind of limited.  I’d love for others with hypoglycemia to weigh in.  I always learn so much from you!

 

So – some of these foods I ate to prevent my blood sugar from dropping, and some I ate to make myself get off the low blood sugar rollercoaster.  And some of it I ate because we still have it in the fridge and I don’t want to waste food.   Hah.  Like I said – so confusing.  BUT – and this is pretty awesome – I already feel waaaaay better after eating like this for a few days.  It’s enough to make me {almost} not crave a cupcake.  Here’s to hoping this funky blood sugar issue resolves itself soon.

breakfast

I started my morning off with a protein powder almond milk drink.  Later, I had a three-egg veggie omelet with fruit.

PicMonkey Collage

Before my run (2.2 miles – whoop whoop!), I felt kind of off, so I had a glass of orange juice and felt immediately better.  Later, we went to the park, and I ate potatoes, tofu, and ghee while pushing the swings.  I shared some orange slices with a group of toddlers, and I munched on almonds on and off all morning long.

photo 2 (6)

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

lunch two

In the afternoon, I had my imitation Luna’s sandwich (twice, so four patties), and a HUGE bowl of chia seed pudding (sans maple syrup) with a nectarine.  It was freaking delicious.

dinner

Kristien recently made me a bunch of Salads-In-A-Jar. I saw them on Brittany’s blog and showed him – it was so nice that he remembered how cool I thought the idea was!  It was fun to dump out my salad and eat it.  Later, I had some watermelon with two sweet potatoes with cheddar cheese on top (that’s not butter, but it’d be awesome if it was).

{ 61 comments }

 

  • Monica June 24, 2014, 8:12 am

    I hope you do find what is causing it. I have similar symptoms and it is what prevents me from going vegetarian full time. I can’t get my blood sugar stable certain days unless I have a small amount of turkey or chicken. I have kept a food diary and have noted that certain foods/fruits or food combos really cause me to crash. Like you it was also exacerbated by my pregnancy. Unfortunately my boy is 20 months old and the symptoms have stuck! Good Luck & you look fabulous!

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:32 am

      Are you still breastfeeding??

      • Monica June 24, 2014, 10:59 am

        Nope I am not. BTW-I do also really well with sprouted bread that tends to keep me steady as well.

    • F Khat February 18, 2015, 10:57 am

      Hello! I have dealt with something similar for a long time, and although I am not a vegetarian, I can share some things that have worked for me. Nuts if you can handle them are excellent at keeping blood sugar up. You have more options if you go lacto/ovo, as you can get Protein powder from whey, whey, and cottage cheese. cottage cheese especially seems to be more stomach and bloodsugar friendly. Eggs are good, but they don’t stick around like the cottage cheese. If you don’t like the taste plain, you can put it in recipes instead of cheese. KOREAN and JAPANESE sweet potatoes are GREAT boosters/holders if you pair them with nuts or other protein…regular sweet potatoes and yams just don’t cut it though. Coconut oil is also a great booster/holder..mix it in just about anything, you get used to the taste. Hope this helps someone!

  • Victoria June 24, 2014, 8:12 am

    I have to very carefully manage my blood sugar stability because of my PCOS, I tend to do best with only 1 serving of fruit per day, keeping the glycemic index of everything I eat as low as possible, and taking in the majority of carbohydrates either right before or right after my workouts. Oranges have a pretty high glycemic index, and orange juice is ever worse, so maybe swap those out for another fruit that has a lower glycemic index – berries are great. An alternative to orange juice before a workout might also be Generation UCAN if you can get your hands on it. It’s my go-to pre-workout fuel before super long workouts, and I don’t need nearly as many calories before or during the workout when I use it, which is key for me because I need to lose weight.

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:31 am

      Thanks!!!! This is super helpful. Yeah – the oranges were to raise me from a crash I had that morning. I hit like 52 on my blood sugar monitor! Ugh.

      • Sarah June 24, 2014, 10:36 pm

        I’m an Rn and we always give pts milk that have low blood sugar bc it’s a better carb sugar fat ratio to not crash. Then within the next 15 mins another 15 grams of carbs and protein for ex a graham cracker w pb. Always balance your carbs w fat and protein just like everyone should really do!

  • Beks June 24, 2014, 8:40 am

    I’m almost positive I’ve got low blood sugar. Shakes, mood swings, dizziness, sugar crashes. I’m familiar with it all. Good luck with finding vegetarian protein sources!

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:51 am

      You can get a tester at Walgreen’s or CVS. It’s not too bad… like $40 for everything for a starter kit. It could help you rule it in and rule out other things and give you info to talk to your doctor about.

  • Laura June 24, 2014, 8:43 am

    Bahahaha I thought it was butter and I was like “good, glad I’m not the only one that slathers it on.”

  • Katie D June 24, 2014, 8:46 am

    I also have suffered from hypoglycemia since puberty and I find I do best avoiding refined sugars, simple carbs, and high sugar fruits as much as possible. If I do eat them on the occasion, I try to pair with a protein. I try to eat complex starches before workouts, and a more simple carb after a workout to fuel. My lows are almost always in the mid-morning, so I always avoid eating anything sugary or high glycemic for breakfast or before lunch.

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:51 am

      My lows are the morning too! I feel so much better by the afternoon. Do you find eating something specific before bed helps?

      • Sara June 24, 2014, 12:52 pm

        Ooo, this reminds me. If I go to bed too hungry and wake up too hungry, I crash hard. Making sure you eat well at night before bed helps!

  • MB June 24, 2014, 8:52 am

    Hi Caitlin…I’ve been commenting a lot lately! Haha. You’ve been striking good chords.

    I’m wondering how your doc diagnosed you with hypoglycemia. I’ve had a ton of scary episodes with low blood sugar while teaching (to the point where my co-workers gave me an “award” for “lowest blood sugar”), but my doc has never said anything about low levels in my blood. That said, I’ve never had a blood test done after fasting…the thought alone makes me lightheaded.

    Did your doc do something specific? My fam and I have been looking for an answer for a while…they stuff food in my purse whenever I go anywhere…

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:58 am

      I have an appointment next week and we’re going to talk firmer stuff (like the five hour test). I’ll shoot you an email after my appointment and let you know what they say, maybe it can help you too. Do you have a blood sugar monitor? That won’t diagnosis you obviously but it can be helpful to have that info, too.

      • MB June 24, 2014, 9:03 am

        That would be awesome, thank you 🙂 I’ll have to acquire a monitor.

        I’m also a vegetarian, and I find that if I snack on nuts (like you were all day in your post!), they help keep me full. Hummus usually does the trick, too.

        I hope today is a GOOD day! I know how swings can really put a damper on one’s mood.

  • Elle June 24, 2014, 9:04 am

    Hi Caitlin, I used to have your same problem – sugar crashes all the time, also related to various levels of diabetes on my dad’s side of the family. In February a friend of mine (who has thyroid problems) asked me if I had ever heard of the Zone diet. I frankly thought it meant a diet targeted to a zone of your body, and thinking that it would help burning my belly fat, I got hooked! Well, nothing of that sort really; it apparently is a way of eating to keep your sugar levels in the right “zone”, but I got interested anyways. I invested in a recipe book and, no reason to hide it, the first few days were a headache – you have to measure everything; the pro side of it, though, is that it’s not a restrictive diet, per se: you have to eat frequently, have all your meals and snacks, even when you don’t feel hungry, so I thought, “a diet that makes me it? I’m in!”. What I could see after a few weeks were not dramatic weight losses (this is not a weight loss eating regime, though if you’d been eating badly/you were over your right weight, the body would adjust itself), but heck, I didn’t feel nauseous/bloated/sleepy all the time! The hardest part, as you were saying about yourself, was the protein part (where do I find a protein for a snack? I can’t have a burger at 11am!), but I discovered that yoghurt is a protein, and I could eat my weight in yoghurt, so there I had it! Four months in this eating regime I can tell when I’ve gone “astray” and had too much of a high sugar thing like bread, pasta, potatoes or rice, because I feel I could fall asleep and stay there for a century, Sleeping Beauty-style. Otherwise, I feel great!
    I don’t know whether this would be appropriate to you but I did read in my recipe book that the eating regime can be used during pregnancy, too, with the proper amendments (Btw, I’m not going to give the title of the book because 1. it’s in Italian – yup, you have an Italian fan-base! and 2. I don’t want this to sound like I’m advertising anybody!).
    Hope this can be of any help for you!

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 9:11 am

      Oh maybe I will look in the library for this recipe book! I could definitely use some new recipes. And I LOLed at falling asleep Sleeping Beauty style because that’s how it feels!

  • Jules June 24, 2014, 9:19 am

    Ask your midwife about blackstrap molasses as a sugar option. I don’t know what it does for blood sugar but it is packed with iron–which was very important during my vegetarian pregnancy. Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone!

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 9:34 am

      Awesome!!! Thanks! I forgot about molasses.

  • Allie June 24, 2014, 9:35 am

    I’ve dealt with some pretty frustrating hypoglycemia in the past, but luckily I’ve been able to correct it though diet modifications (thanks to my training as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner ;).)

    Hypoglycemia happens when we eat too many carbohydrates and sugars (and snack a lot), our pancreas overcompensates and releases too much insulin (think of it as a key that unlocks our cells to store glucose), which in turn, makes our blood sugar dip too low. You’re off to a good start by cutting out a lot of sugars (please be careful with juice!) and eating heavier breakfasts.
    Eating stuff like sweet potatoes can be good fuel sources if you’re working out without sending your body into a sugar coma. I don’t usually recommend protein powders/shakes, but used them a lot when I was battling my low blood sugar because I could just sip on them throughout the day without having to stop and eat every 2 hours. I typically add some coconut oil to them to help keep me satiated.
    You need to make sure you’re getting a good amount of fat in your diet (I recommend 30% fat, 30% protein, and 40% non-starchy carbs at each meal). Our body have this wonderful ability to utilize fat as energy, which is ideal because relying on sugars and carbs for energy constantly overtaxes our pancreas, liver, and adrenals and puts us at risk for insulin resistance and diabetes. With hypoglycemia, our bodies kind of forget how to run on fat, but the good news is, you can retrain it!
    You’re right that it is more challenging to fight hypoglycemia as a vegetarian, but it can be accomplished! I hope you start feeling better soon.
    (Sorry to get all science-y on you, I am SO passionate about this stuff.)

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 9:45 am

      Such a great comment. Thanks!

      • Allie June 24, 2014, 9:53 am

        Sure thing :). Oh also, adding supplements like B12, chromium, and some digestive enzymes really helped me a lot as well. In particular, I used Glysen by Apex Energetics to help with sugar cravings/balancing. (Here’s the link if you’re interested: http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/glysen-K01-p-apex-energetics.html).

  • Aerevyn June 24, 2014, 9:53 am

    Have you tried yogurt with a little maple syrup in it? You get the quick hit on the sugars, and then protein to keep you evened out.

  • Liana@RunToMunch June 24, 2014, 10:14 am

    that mason jar salad looks great!

  • Verna June 24, 2014, 10:25 am

    I’ve struggled with low blood sugar in the past. I had to give up my beloved spin classes because they were just making the situation worse. It’s actually been a lot better lately and thankfully haven’t had too many issues during pregnancy. Hope you get it straightened out soon! Not fun at all!

  • Kaella (KaellaOnTheRun) June 24, 2014, 10:50 am

    Those salads in a jar are so cute!! What a GREAT idea!!! Hope you feel better soon and get to the bottom of what’s going on!

  • Tricia June 24, 2014, 10:56 am

    Oh man I struggle with this too and ended up with gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy. It really wasn’t that bad. I was able to control it by getting certain amounts of carbs at meals. I even liked taking my blood sugar. I had to eat so much too! And once I was on that plan, I actually gained less weight. I wonder if they’ll screen you early. Now that I’m pregnant again, they will be screening me early.

  • Wendy H. June 24, 2014, 10:59 am

    Sorry you have to deal with this! I am in the same boat (minus pregnancy lol). Greek yogurt has been a HUGE lifesaver for me! I buy full-fat, plain organic greek yogurt. The fat makes it tasty enough that you don’t need much sweetener (if any). When I’m feeling my blood sugar dip too low I have about a 1/3 cup of the yogurt with fresh berries and maybe nuts or oats. Instant goodness for my body! Hope you get it figured out. 🙂

    • Shannon June 24, 2014, 1:11 pm

      Low blood sugar runs in my family as well and was passed down to me from my mom. I do okay with whole fruits and vegetables, but I can’t do juice. I also found that cutting out dairy completely from my diet has really helped me. The last thing I would say is that gluten-free breads/baked goods tend to have a lot of starches added to them, and for me, I have to try to mostly avoid starches (including all-purpose wheat flour, too). As long as I am usually good, I can have the occasional treat without too much trouble, and I make homemade, naturally sweetend bean-based energy bars and keep them in my purse for emergencies. Hope you feel better!

      • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 1:53 pm

        it’s so interesting how some foods (dairy) work for some people but not others!!

  • Zana June 24, 2014, 11:24 am

    The link is not working, which brand of protein powder do you use?

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 1:54 pm

      Oh darn, its Standard Process Perfect Protein.

  • Emily @smilemilegirl June 24, 2014, 11:37 am

    Hi! I have Type 1 Diabetes so I have low blood sugar because well, a person can’t be a perfect pancreas. I’ve learned that the very best thing you can do is combine FATS with carbs at every meal. When I eat only simple carbohydrates, such as a fruit smoothie, my blood sugar spikes and then crashes, hard. However, snacking on almonds while sipping the smoothie keeps my blood sugars stable and prevents the crash.

    I know protein is important as well, but fats are where I really see the difference. I’m recovering from an eating disorder and learning to love healthy fats- hello peanut butter, coconut oil, olive oil, pistachios!- and I am seeing a very positive change in my blood sugars since making sure I ALWAYS have a healthy fat whenever I snack. I’m the same way, small meals work much better than big ones! 🙂

    • Jess Bee June 24, 2014, 9:49 pm

      As a fellow Type 1 Diabetic, I totally agree with fat with your carbs. I am loving fresh cherries with PB or blueberries with sunflower seeds!

  • Jennifer June 24, 2014, 11:41 am

    I’ve dealt with mild hypoglycemia in the past. It really only happens to me if I eat too much sugar too early in the morning or if I eat a light breakfast and a late lunch. I have to eat a pretty hearty breakfast every morning…..we go thru lots of eggs at our house. I can also usually do greek yogurt with fruit if I know I have a pretty flexible day and can stop to eat lunch whenever I need to. I rarely eat cereal, pancakes, waffles…so sad. Donuts and pastries in the morning will knock me out for the day. I try not to eat carbs without protein during the day as a snack so I try to keep nuts and cheese in the house at all times to pair with fruit for snacks.

    When I was pregnant with my first and it was time to do the glucose test, I scheduled my appointment for the morning, drank all that sugary drink and went in for my blood check. By the time they took my blood my blood sugar was 55 and dropping. The doctor came in with juice and crackers and wouldn’t let me leave until I was back up to normal.

    I hope you figure out the system that works for you soon. The moodiness, dizziness and headaches are no fun.

  • Shannon June 24, 2014, 12:01 pm

    I had this when pregnant as well, some of my favorite snacks were cereal with milk and some protein powder, graham crackers with peanut butter and milk, granola bars (kind had full nut pars with 7 grams of protein) or even nature valley with some almond butter on top. Sliced apple and cheese, greek yogurt with strawberries….hope you like some of these

  • Catherine June 24, 2014, 12:20 pm

    I have trouble with low blood sugar as will. Caffeine is a major problem for me. I can predict a crash 2 to 3 hours post caffeine intake. For me, this even means tea which has less caffeine than coffee but still has the same impact. I am caffeine free now (have been for years) and my blood sugar is quite stable. I read somewhere that caffeine causes insulin secretion so it makes sense. White potatoes are also hard for me. Three hours post potato and I am starving. Anyway, your body might be different but it would be an interesting experiment to see if eliminating caffeine has an impact!

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 1:54 pm

      I have really, really cut down on caffeine since getting pregnant and I’ve pretty much stopped it in the last week. It’s rough. But I notice a definite drop in blood sugar even with Earl Grey 🙁

  • Sara June 24, 2014, 12:49 pm

    I get like that too! If I eat too much sugar in the mornings (my breakfast needs to be not as sweet or carby or I crash) and I keep nuts to snack on in case it feels low between meals. I generally know what is going to do it to me and what isn’t also. Like if we have doughnuts at work and I eat it in the morning–not good. If there are sweets during the day, if I overindulge, I pay for it later, but if I keep the portions small and sandwiched between protein, it helps. Too many carbs impact me too (like too much bread). Protein and veggies for the win!

  • Lynn June 24, 2014, 1:00 pm

    I have issues with low blood sugar, too, and the same difficulties with figuring out how to really manage it. Would love to hear what tips and tricks you develop!

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork June 24, 2014, 1:23 pm

    I’ve also had sugar problems before and it’s no fun. It’s been better since I balance out my meals and snacks more (always balancing carbs and protein) and eating a little less frequently actually has helped me. I used to think I had to eat every two hours or so, but that actually made it worse. Now I do every 3-4. But I’m also not pregnant, so that’s a whole ‘nother story. Good luck and I hope you figure it out!

  • nancy June 24, 2014, 1:57 pm

    I have had low blood sugar issues my whole life. It runs in my family– my mom had it, my siblings have it as do my children. The key for me is protein at regular intervals. I need a solid protein in the morning (eggs or greek yogurt) so carb based breakfasts are a no no. I need a good lunch (usually veg based with fish) and a snack around 3:30 or 4:00 is a must. Snacks include nut butter, nuts, cheese stick paired with a carb or a higher protein bar (like Luna or certain Kind bars). Dinner needs to be balanced and have a good protein source too (can’t do pizza, etc). I can’t drink juice any time of day for any reason or it really messes with my blood sugar. Sugar/desserts only work for me after a solid dinner, never during the day. Each person has to figure out what works for them but getting regular protein really is key. It can be a pain needing to eat this way sometimes (my sisters says she’s a pain in her own ass with her eating habits) but I know what I need to do in order to feel my best. Pregnancy can really magnify the issue as you are experiencing. It will likely be easier once LO is here so hang in there 🙂

  • Steph June 24, 2014, 2:40 pm

    I am sorry you’re having blood sugar issues! I’m also pregnant (21 wks, 1st pregnancy). I’d love to hear your (or anyone else’s) opinion on consuming soy products during pregnancy. I am vegan, so I do consume organic tofu about once per week & watch my soy intake closely in other products. I would eat it more if it weren’t for all of the confusing info out there… Thoughts?

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 3:23 pm

      I am also so confused by everything re: soy while pregnant. With Henry, I didn’t pay attention to it at all and just focused on getting enough protein. This time around, I’m still eating soy but I am trying to get a greater variety of protein food sources. I’m kind of an everything-is-okay-in-moderation when pregnant person, so take that with a grain of salt.

  • Erica June 24, 2014, 2:42 pm

    I have hypoglycemia too (which I didn’t have prior to becoming a vegetarian and runner and reaching a healthy weight – go figure). Almonds with orange slices usually does the trick for me, or some other nut/fruit combo. Citrus or berries work better for me than an apple or banana.

  • Andrea June 24, 2014, 3:49 pm

    I don’t normally comment on posts but I think it’s important for everyone to know that you can’t just be diagnosed with hypoglycemia, it’s usually a symptom of an underlying problem. It’s most commonly associated with diabetes but can also be caused by thyroid problems or an insulinoma, among other things. I would urge everyone to see their provider to make sure there isn’t something bigger going on.

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 3:51 pm

      You are totally right, it usually is a symptom of an underlying issue. Luckily, my thyroid is good. Hope it’s nothing else serious. Thanks for weighing in!!!

  • Susanna S. June 24, 2014, 4:26 pm

    Thanks for writing about this! Hypoglycemia is something I’ve struggled with since I was a kid. Peanut butter is my go-to when I start having symptoms. Justin’s packets or almonds are great to keep in my purse!

  • Katie June 24, 2014, 5:02 pm

    I am a nurse and our hospital policy is to give patients peanut butter + graham crackers/saltines with 8 oz. milk when they have a blood sugar below 80. The ADA says milk is better than juice because the sugars are more slowly released into the blood stream and won’t give you that “spike.” Granted, we don’t keep many fancy foods on our floor kitchen at the hospital but it always seems to do the trick!

  • Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope June 24, 2014, 7:20 pm

    Have you ever really even checked your blood sugar to see if it really is low? it’s pretty rare to just be hypoglycemic without being diabetic. A lot of people just assume their glucose is low, but it would be interesting to see if you really checked it what it’d be.

    • Caitlin June 24, 2014, 8:17 pm

      Oh yup definitely! I have a monitor.

      • Michele June 25, 2014, 9:02 pm

        You probably know this but you can’t diagnose yourself with hypoglycemia with a monitor. I mean, I’m sure your sugar is low for some reason but unfortunately, you have to go through that horrid 5 hour GTT to actually be diagnosed. Been there, done that, got the diagnosis. I can’t drink orange juice at all. It makes me really, really sick. Protein is the only thing that keeps my blood sugar where it should be.

        • Caitlin June 26, 2014, 7:48 am

          Yes. I’m probSbly doing the give hour test soon. My doctor told me to use a monitor just to keep myself in check. Thanks!!!

  • D'Laine June 24, 2014, 8:10 pm

    Hi, I find that incorporating a bit more fat into my meals helps a lot with keeping my blood sugar more steady as it keeps me full longer as well as helps me crave less sugar. i.e. avoiding the crash.

  • Bonnie June 24, 2014, 9:00 pm

    I also suffer from low blood sugar, and it can be scary (feeling faint or shaky)! I have worked with a nutritionist on this, and, in addition to the things that you have already written about, her main advice was to “never eat a carb alone”. You always need to pair it with some healthy fat– this is the macronutrient that really helps stabilize your blood sugar for longer periods of time. So, always eat carbs with things like nuts, avocados, olives, olive oil, coconut oil, nut butters, butter, etc. This has really helped me!

  • Bre & Ree June 24, 2014, 9:11 pm

    That’s wonderful that you’re already feeling better and getting it all figured out, even if it means making significant changes. I hope maintaining it throughout the pregnancy isn’t too difficult.
    ~Bre

  • Meghan June 24, 2014, 11:12 pm

    If you’re having blood sugar problems, make sure you’re not getting too much fruit. I’d that’s a three egg omelet, that is a LOT of strawberries and may contribute to sugar spikes. Even though it looks delicious, I have to watch how much fruit I eat.

  • Hannah June 25, 2014, 6:51 am

    Hi Caitlin! I’ve been hypoglycemic my whole life and wanted to share what I’ve learned. My grandmother taught me how to take care of hypoglycemia when I was a kid – she eats constantly and walks carries around snacks in her fanny pack – including cheese and crackers, peanut butter and crackers and nuts. Oh, and put peanut butter on all fruit! Peanut butter on watermelon seriously does work. Almond butter is also amazing for filling you up and leveling out blood sugar. She also always has a snack before bedtime.

    A few years ago I experimented with a strict candida diet (and started eating meat again as a result) and as a side affect it erased my hypoglycemic. That was way to strict to follow on a regular basis, but I learned from that that I feel best if I don’t eat any fruit until later in the day. If I have fruit in the morning, it throws off my blood sugar for the rest of the day.

    Good luck!

  • Charise June 25, 2014, 11:08 am

    I’m hypoglycemic, and diabetes runs in both sides of my family. I find that averaging 1.5 servings of fruit/day (always 1 w/ breakfast, 1 w/ a snack on some days), eating lower carb for breakfast (lots of eggs, only 1 piece of toast instead of the two I’d have way back in the day), and always balancing carbs, especially sugar, with fat + protein really helps. Examples: snacks might be cheese with an apple, or nuts with raw veggies. Or, if I’m at a party and want to have half a cupcake (what I’ve learned is my limit that doesn’t make me crash hard later), I make sure I have it right after also eating a more substantial/healthy plate of food.

    I like to eat vegetarian “part-time”. Unfortunately, I’ve really found that without meat several times a week, I just don’t feel my best. I hope you are able to get things under control while maintaining your usual diet!

  • Christina June 25, 2014, 1:38 pm

    I do not have blood sugar issues – atleast that I am aware of, however, I do have low blood pressure. I used to eat only 3 meals a day or sometimes eat very light meals and not be good about getting protein after a hard workout.

    Within a few weeks of completing my second 1/2 marathon ( I usually do one a year) I passed out and discovered that my electrolytes were out of balance because I was not getting enough sodium in my diet. I was eating plenty of foods with sodium and fueling with electrolytes and protein after long or hard runs but I needed to increase the amounts with all of stress the training had on my body. I have always been a fit and eat a relatively healthy and balanced diet so I was a little surprised when this happened.

    The other issue to combine with the low blood pressure is that I am naturally low on B-12 (no amount of leafy greens/etc. would get absorbed during digestions) which if your B-12 level is low it can create some of the symptoms that you are experiencing (fatigue, nerve issues, headaches, mood swings etc.). I get a monthly injection (doctor subscribed) and supplement that with sub-lingual tablets. I have to eat every 2-3 hours and always have coconut water/salty snack on hand. The reason why I am mentioning this is to give you something to think about if either you have low B-12/b-vitamins or naturally low blood pressure.

    This has not prevented me from training or running but it certainly has been an eye opening experience as to what my body needs to function in the best way possible.

    I am confident you will get in under control! Best of luck to you!

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