Tag: Low Blood Sugar

Low Blood Sugar Cause

Skipping meals is just one low blood sugar cause you need to avoid. When you skip meals your body is starved for nutrients and doesn’t really know what to do with itself. When your body does not know what to do with itself it will eventually tell you it needs food by sending signals that it needs to eat.

Some symptoms that your body sends out are blurred vision, dizziness, mental confusion, sweating, weakness, and abnormal behavior. When you experience these symptoms the only thing that should enter your mind is to get something to eat to raise your blood sugar as fast as you can.

Hard candy, a glass of milk, or a peanut butter and honey sandwich are all good choices to raise your blood sugar quickly. Peanut butter and honey is my favorite because the honey will bring your blood sugar up quickly and the peanut butter will hold it there. You can also try orange juice with some sugar dissolved into it too. If you do the juice thing you need to make sure you eat something more substantial afterward to keep your blood sugar within normal limits.

Normal levels of blood sugar are supposed to be between 70 and 110 mg/dl. When you consistently fall below the level of 70mg/dl then you are considered hypoglycemic and must get treatment started right away. Hypoglycemia is considered a forerunner of diabetes. Your doctor will no doubt have yoiu start checking your blood sugar and keeping a log every day. After a month or so of keeping this log then he or she will want to see it to see where your blood sugars tend to be at certain times during the day. This will help your doctor personalize a treatment for you.

If you are diabetic, low blood sugar cause may be attributed to your medication. If you have been on the same dose of insulin for some time you need to discuss with your doctor a medication adjustment if you have been having episodes of hypoglycemia especially during the night or first thing in the morning. There are a number of different types of insulin that you can use to control your diabetes.

Other causes that contribute to hypoglycemia are eating too many carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are converted into sugar very quickly after ingesting them and this causes a spike in your blood sugar. With your blood sugar spiking, your pancreas responds by flooding your bloodstream with insulin to take care of the increased sugar level.

The only problem is that the sugar spike caused by carbohydrates is short lived and the amount of insulin pumped into your bloodstream ends up to be too much and when the sugar is metabolized then you are left with a sharply dropping blood sugar and you find you have to eat again very shortly to bring your blood sugar back up.

Eating several small meals throughout your day is the best way to combat and control your low blood sugar problems. No more missing meals, not eating enough at a meal, drinking in excess, or even strenuous exercise can be low blood sugar cause.

Alcohol And Hypoglycemia

What do alcohol and hypoglycemia have to do with one another? Well, alcohol can be a huge contributer to hypoglycemia. Alcohol behaves just like those processed carbs after you ingest them. They convert to simple sugars and then your body has to counteract with insulin. Insulin lasts longer in your body then the sugar does so you then have a low blood sugar incidence.

The numbers and range for normal blood sugar are from 70mg/dl to 110mg/dl. If you fall below 70mg/dl then you can be considered to have low blood sugar. Don’t be too concerned if it only happens once or twice because anyone can have a low blood sugar incidence at any time based on what they have decided to eat. Do be concerned if it happens everyday for an extended period.

If you experience low blood sugar everyday for an extended period then go see your doctor and let him know. He will probably have you start to keep a food journal so he can see where your trouble spots are. He will also want to know about your consumption of alcohol and hypoglycemia incidences that may or may not follow your drinking.

Symptoms vary and you may not experience all of them all at the same time. Mild to moderate hypoglycemia can cause nausea, nervousness, chills, clammy skin, sweating, hunger, rapid heart rate, irritability, anxiousness, confusion, blurry vision, unsteadiness, and have trouble walking. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, and even death.

Based on these symptoms and the severity, you can be sure that hypoglycemia is not a laughing matter and should be taken very seriously. Alcohol may give you what is referred to as a sugar high for a little while but if you drink heavily and would rather not eat food then you will have low blood sugar at some point. Even days later. I know that when you have an addiction or even just a bad habit, it can be hard to break. But, if you want to have a normal life and not have to worry about hypoglycemia then just quit drinking. If you need help to quit then go find it, there are places that can help you.

If you have to drink then make sure to eat some food that is low in carbs and high in protein. The protein will help maintain good blood sugar levels. Stay away from fried foods, they are very high in carbs. A high carb meal will only make things worse for you in the long run.

If you are already diabetic and are taking antidiabetic agents as your medication or have to inject insulin every day then alcohol is not your friend. Your doctor should know if you are drinking. Some medications cannot be taken if you are consuming alcohol. If you drink tell your doctor, he may allow you to have the occasional glass of wine or beer. You won’t know if you don’t ask.

Another way to combat the effects of alcohol and hypoglycemia is to alternate the alcoholic drinks you have with glasses of water. Staying hydrated will help your body get rid of the alcohol sooner and you probably will not drink as much so you will be less likely to have an incidence of low blood sugar.

Title:

Title:
The Whole Nine Months: Low Carb Diets and Pregnancy

Word Count:
524

Summary:
Its very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for twowhich doesnt mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your babys only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.

Keywords:
low carb diets, low carb food, low carb books

Article Body:
Its very important to watch what you eat. You are eating for twowhich doesnt mean that you eat more (so say goodbye to that second slice of cake), but that you eat smart. You are your babys only source of nutrients, and you need the proper balance of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates.

That being said, most prenatal dieticians strongly advise against adhering to a strict no-carb diet. Without sufficient carbs, your body will produce a by-product called ketones during your blood stream, which can put your baby at risk for brain damage.

But what about low carb diets? Aside from the risk of mental retardation, there are some aspects of low carb diets that can worsen the discomforts of pregnancy. For example, low carb diets tend to have low levels of dietary fiber, which exacerbate the constipation that many pregnant moms suffer because of the required iron supplements. Also, most prenatal dieticians recommend taking a lot of fruit because of its rich vitamin content, but most of the items youll find in a typical shake are banned by Atkins and South Beach because of the sugars.

But some doctors may recommend taking modified low-carb diets, especially if you are obese, suffer from gestational diabetes or low blood sugar. All three conditions have been proven to have adverse affects on the baby (including prematurity, birth defects, and early rupture of the membranes) so losing weight or controlling intake may actually be the best thing for your baby.

If you are asked to go on a low-carb diet during pregnancy, you will probably be told to go on the maintenance phase of the Atkins Diet, or the second phase of the South Beach Diet. Here, you are allowed a controlled number of carbohydrates, usually from whole grains and fruits, while minimizing white bread, white rice, and pasta. That is fine, as you are still giving your baby the adequate nutrients, while removing processed foods.

If you are not allowed to go low-carb, but still need to control your weight, there are some options open to you. First of all, eat small but frequent meals. If you want a snack, instead of taking junk food or processed meats (which have a lot of calories, but significantly less nutrients), take salads, fruits, nuts and crackers. Choose lean cuts of meat, and minimize salt and rich sauces during cooking. And while you do need carbohydrates, take in moderation. One plate of pasta is good, three servings of it smothered in white sauce is not.

But the most important thing to remember is that before you go on any diet during pregnancy consult your obstetrician-gynaecologist. She or he can properly determine the best course of action given your particular medical history and the condition of your baby. Do not go on any weight management program without the advice and the approval of your doctor. Whether its low carb or Zone or the Mediterranean Diet, the point is that there is a proven link between prenatal nutrition and the babys health. Complications can include low birth weight, birth defects, and early delivery.