Step 2 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Eliminate Sugar!

The most important thing you can do to combat R-Hypoglycemia is to eliminate sugar from your diet. This is easier said than done because sugar is addictive and you may experience withdrawals, but if your true goal is to eliminate hypoglycemia, you must eliminate sugar!

Read: Why Eliminating Sugar is Crucial in Treating Hypoglycemia 

After reading Why Eliminating Sugar is Crucial in Treating Hypoglycemia you should have a better understanding of why sugar in its simple form is considered a toxin to the body, the difference between natural and refined processed sugars, how the body processes and uses sugar, and why many people are confused about sugar and its role in reactive hypoglycemia. Your knowledge will enable you to make better decisions in regard to your diet and health.


Step 3: Correct Your Diet

Step 8 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Increase Physical Activity

Use it or lose it! That's a common expression when one encourages another to exercise, but there are many reasons why exercise is important. It controls weight, helps improve stamina, increases strength, enhances flexibility, improves your overall quality of life, and the one we're going to focus on here is it helps prevent disease. How so?

How so?
Our bodies need regular movement of the joints and muscles to maintain strength, flexibility, and improved circulation of oxygen to body tissues in an effort to push lymph fluids carrying waste products back to the blood where it filters through the lungs, liver, kidneys and spleen to excrete those toxins from the body. We excrete toxins through the bowel, urine, and pores/follicles (sweat). Without proper circulation, those toxins will use the body as a host to breed illness and diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease and others.

For persons with reactive hypoglycemia, exercise is a secret weapon. It lowers stress (major trigger), gets your heart pumping, improves brain function and mood, helps the body respond better to insulin, and strengthens the body's control systems to function better and get things moving to maintain blood sugar levels. Physical activity is a must but Properly Planning Exercise is Essential With Hypoglycemia.

Healthy weight.
Exercise helps you build healthy lean muscle, pump up your metabolism, and lose inches. Maintaining a healthy weight decreases a person's risk of developing certain diseases including diabetes. Anything that decreases risk for diabetes, decreases risk for hypoglycemia.

Happiness.
Exercise benefits every part of the body including the mind. It helps our body to release endorphins, which are chemicals responsible for making us feel happy (smile).

Walking.
If you're considering exercise for the first time in a long while, you'll want to take it slow initially. With hypoglycemia you won't be able to go hard. Exercise does use energy so the body's blood sugar levels will decrease without proper nutrition before hand. Walking is a great way to get your body moving again and get you on track to improved health. A daily walk will go a long way in encouraging improved circulation and  reduced stress. Here are 10 Reasons to Start Walking.

Read: How Do I Start to Exercise?


Step 9: Permanently Change Your Lifestyle
 
Linked recommended readings are for informational and learning purposes only. This blog post is based on the personal experiences and expressed opinions of its author. The information is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations and advice. If you experience severe low blood sugar, seek emergency help.

Step 1 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Educate Yourself About Hypoglycemia

The first step in overcoming R-Hypoglycemia is to educate yourself. Understanding how a person develops hypoglycemia, the difference between hypoglycemia, fasting hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia, how the body processes glucose and stores glycogen, how the body produces and uses the insulin hormone, what role the digestive and endocrine systems play (liver, pancreas, thyroid, adrenals, etc.), how the brain is impacted, and how food triggers symptoms.

You will undoubtedly come across information online that will not be helpful in your journey to reverse your condition. You'll also notice that most resources you find regarding blood sugar will refer to type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Hypoglycemia (without diabetes) is rarely recognized and discussed. The more you read and learn, the more likely you will be able to identify which information to retain and which to ignore. WARNING: One piece of advice you will most certainly want to steer clear of is treating reactive hypoglycemia with more sugar!!!

The following articles will guide you:

What is Hypoglycemia?
What Causes Reactive Hypoglycemia in People Without Diabetes?
The 5 Biggest Myths of Reactive Hypoglycemia
What Are the Symptoms of Reactive Hypoglycemia?

Other Sources:

Do You Have Undiagnosed Hypoglycemia?
Low Blood Sugar Pamphlet
What is Reactive Hypoglycemia vs. Fasting Hypoglycemia?
Reactive Hypoglycemia or Afternoon Slump? 
The Pancreas: Anatomy and Functions
Natural News Video: Hypoglycemia and Liver Malfunction

You can begin your own research by Googling the following key words and terms that may include hypoglycemia or low blood sugar:

Hypoglycemia
Reactive Hypoglycemia
Low Blood Sugar Treatment
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia
How to Treat Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemic Diets
Foods to Eat for Hypoglycemia
How to Cure Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia Forums


Step 2: Eliminate Sugar

Step 7 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Correct Other Related Contributors

Reactive hypoglycemia can go unnoticed and undiagnosed. If you're smart enough to have figured it out or lucky enough to have come in contact with a health care professional that has knowledge about this condition, you're one step ahead. Hypoglycemic symptoms can mimic other illness and diseases and can be very confusing. Once you gain insight to the what, how, and why of reactive hypoglycemia you will be amazed by the  new way you begin to think about food and your health.

Because reactive hypoglycemia is often not diagnosed but instead the person experiencing the symptoms realizes they have a reaction of low blood sugar usually within a few hours of a meal, it is important to rule out other health conditions that may need immediate attention. It is equally important to educate yourself and learn about potential related conditions or causes that may benefit you to treat. Here are a few that may be worth a look:

Step 6 for Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Use Nutritional Supplements

Once you have targeting the underlying problem of your bout with reactive hypoglycemia you can then begin your journey to heal. As mentioned in Step 5: Target Your Underlying Problem you learned that the body's control systems; digestive and endocrine, are negatively impacted by years of excessive refined sugar and carbohydrate intake due to a typical diet of processed foods - packaged, canned, frozen - , fast foods, and foods containing refined sugar such as candy and desserts. This type of diet weighs heavily on the pancreas, liver, and adrenal glands.

You can use diet, vitamins and minerals, herbs, and body detox/cleansing to rebuild and restrengthen the functions of the systems responsible for managing the glucose in the blood. Let's get started!

Step 5 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Target the Underlying Problem

Symptoms are the result of an underlying health issue and can be subtle. If you are in tune with your body you will notice minor changes such as a slight but constant headache, vision becoming a little blurry, weight gain (fat) around the abdomen that may not be noticeable to others, light headed, and other symptoms that can go unnoticed.

Symptoms indicate the existence of a disease or illness. Treating your symptoms is necessary to help you feel better but getting down to the root of the symptoms is critical in reversing your condition. Reactive hypoglycemia is the recurring episodes of low blood sugar that occurs shortly after eating. The control systems of the body responsible for balancing blood sugar are the endocrine system and the digestive system. When one gland or organ in either system malfunctions, the others are affected as well. Here we go!

Step 4 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Recruit Your Support Team

Dealing with Reactive Hypoglycemia can be a lonely venture. With this condition, the body is riddled with so many symptoms such as dizziness, blurry vision, irritability, inability to think clearly, and fatigue. It is difficult for others to understand your moods and behaviors yet alone sympathize with them if they are not properly informed. It is up to you to gain their support by being open and honest about your challenges.

For years I couldn't figure out why I had no energy and was always exhausted no matter how much sleep I got. As it worsened in 2013 I could barely function or get out of bed. I neither had the strength nor the mental energy to have a normal day. It impacted my mood, my personality, and my overall relationship with others. Feeling alone and deprived of life was a common feeling for me and I was lacking the support I needed.

Support from family, a loved one, friends, people who have experienced reactive hypoglycemia and health experts who can support you along the way to better health is crucial.

Family.
Your family should know what you're going through. You must inform them of your failing health immediately and ensure they understand your need to make a change. Providing them with reading material or asking them for help with research is a great way to help educate them about reactive hypoglycemia and the ramifications of not taking the steps needed to reverse it. Not only will family support help you feel better about your choices but it may initiate a chain reaction leading to a healthy family.

Loved one.
Your significant other, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or partner is the closet person to you. This person will ultimately love you enough to help you through your moods and irritability or they will choose to walk away. That's a hard fact to consider but unfortunately in my case it wasn't the outcome expected. Like most doctors, a loved one may not believe or understand that your symptoms are real and may think your using them as an excuse. Forgetfulness, mental confusion, ringing in the ears, inability to focus, a foggy brain, and a mental distance are all real symptoms that your loved one may have to endure. Ask your loved one for their continued love, patience and support and ensure them that with the right decisions you'll be on your way to good health and feeling better soon.

Friends.
Your friends may suffer the most although they may be furthest away. They don't have insight into your life like your family and loved ones do. Your friends see you when you're out enjoying food, drinks, and being social. Your eating habits must change to reverse your condition, you will have to eliminate alcohol and you may not be in the best of moods. True friends deserve an explanation of your lifestyle change and they will stick around to see you through it. You may even be able to educate them about reactive hypoglycemia and give them advice on how to make some changes themselves to prevent pending health issues. Ask friends to check on you often and be understanding of your need to improve your health so that you can be a great friend to them. One that is fun, energetic, and full of life!

Peers. Support groups.
Your peers are other persons who either currently have or have experienced reactive hypoglycemia. They truly understand what you are going through and may have great insight to reversing your condition. They can give you tips, recommendations on books to read, recipes, food ideas, and just be there when you need someone to chat with even if they live on the other side of the globe. This is a resource you'd want to start building today and you can start with me.

Health experts.
There is no doubt that you'll need the advisement of a health expert at some point along your journey. It is recommended that you rule out any serious health conditions that need immediate attention; other than this one of course. Reactive hypoglycemia is not easily recognizable by medical doctors and your condition can and may have gone undiagnosed for years. Finding a medical doctor that specializes or has experience dealing with individuals with reactive hypoglycemia is important.

Herbalism. Alternative medicine, such as herbalism, is popular for healing the body with natural remedies and herbal medicines. My experience with herbs has been positive and beneficial to my treatment. This is a personal decision that only you can make.

Iridology. Iridology is an alternative technique whose proponents claim that characteristics of the iris can be examined to determine information about a person's systemic health.

Who else?
Your support system can include anyone you trust and can go to for help, advice, or any other type of emotional support. As you build a support team, you'll have access to more tools, resources and love that you need to maintain mental health; how you feel, think, and act in life.


Step 5: Target the Underlying Problem


Linked recommended readings are for informational and learning purposes only. This blog post is based on the personal experiences and expressed opinions of its author. The information is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations and advice. If you experience severe low blood sugar, seek emergency help.

Step 3 of Reversing Reactive Hypoglycemia: Correct Your Diet

Changing your diet is an absolute necessity for someone dealing with reactive hypoglycemia. There are no if, ands, or buts about it. This is where you draw the line between improving your health and ending your escapade with hypoglycemic symptoms and becoming diabetic. This is also your biggest challenge!

The tricky part about reactive hypoglycemia is that only you will know which foods are best for you and which ones send you on a whirlwind of symptoms within 2-4 hours of eating. I see this question on every hypoglycemic health forum - What should I or can I eat with hypoglycemia? Answers come pouring in from people who have this condition and they have wonderful suggestions on various foods to try and which to stay clear of. I also see the rude behavior of others bashing someone else's suggestion because it does not mimic their experience. The problem with this is that the foods being suggested and advice given are from people who are basing it upon their needs and body's reaction to food. They could be in a mild, moderate, or severe stage of hypoglycemia. Taking on someone else's diet is counterproductive. You're going to be smart! Right!?