Hypoglycemia. It sounds so innocent, yet those who suffer from it feel its horrible effects every day. In our society people with high blood sugar, those with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, get a lot of attention in the media and in healthcare. But what about those people with low blood sugar? Don’t those people with hypoglycemia (reactive or otherwise) need some help also? I certainly believe that they do!
You can take it to the bank that people with low blood sugar suffer IMMEDIATELY while those with high blood sugar suffer far into the future. In the case of high blood sugar it may take years or decades for the symptoms to show up; yet in hypoglycemic the symptoms show up right from the start. And I should know – I used to be the worst hypoglycemic around.
It truly takes one to know one in this case. As a young boy when I visited friends’ houses I would eat two or three times as much food at as everyone else. My appetite was ravenous, my stomach always growling, but I was skinny as a rail. Little did I know that low blood sugar was to blame. For years this caused me a great deal of stress, depression, social anxiety, athletic injuries and made it very hard to gain weight.
Did I mention this makes your brain slow, foggy and completely dysfunctional?
But thanks to diligent study and countless hours of education with world-renowned clinicians, I no longer suffer from the chronic pain of hypoglycemia. I encourage anyone with symptoms of low blood sugar to try the supplements and diet advice below for 4 weeks. These supplements support digestion, insulin, adrenal, and methylation pathways to give the body what it needs to respond to changing blood sugar levels.
Recommended Eating Habits for Hypoglycemia:
The goal with the supplements and diet advice is to balance your blood sugar by eating frequently throughout the day. This means you must eat every 2 hours – always snacking on low-glycemic food options and making sure to NEVER let yourself feel hunger. The only time of the day it is appropriate to be hungry is when we are waking up from sleeping (12 hours of fasting). The rest of our day should include time for eating and snacking throughout. Just know that when you leave your house for the day, for an errand, etc. you should always leave with some food and water. This way you are never caught unprepared.
There are many popular diets today – paleo, GAPS, SCD, vegetarian, vegan, etc. I personally prefer a modified paleo diet – organic meat, vegetables, nuts/seeds, healthy fats, and small amounts of rice or gluten-free grains. But everyone is different and there is no single diet that works for everyone! Regardless of what type of diet a person chooses, to support hypoglycemia three rules must be followed:
- Eat frequently throughout the day.
- Avoid excess fruits, sugars, and carbohydrates that spike blood sugar leading to crashes.
- Make sure to eat protein and healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil and avocado with every meal.
If you want a good “paleo-style” diet to follow, I recommend you use this Modified Elimination Diet as your guide. I have made notes in red that I always share with patients in my office. You may view and print my notes and diet recommendations below:
Recommended Supplement Protocol:
Stress Essentials Adrenal B1/B6 – 1 am w/ food, 1 noon w/ food. High doses of B1 and B6 and Vitamin C necessary to produce Coenzyme A (CoA), a key energy molecule; also helps with adrenal hormones and supports healthy response to stress and low blood sugar.†
Alpha-Lipoic Acid – 1 2x day with meals. Powerful antioxidant that assists the liver in a healthy response to low blood sugar and the negative side effects of elevated stress hormones.†
HCl Support – HCl stomach acid that will support the digestion and break down of your food. Take this product right at the end of the meal. To find out what dose is best for you, please see the HCl stomach acid instructions page.†
Dynamic Cardio-Metabolic – 1/2 to 1 full serving 2x day, taken with meals or between meals as a snack. This medical food is designed to digest slowly, leading to a balanced glucose and insulin response and prolonged satiety. Formulated with MetaReleaseTM-a proprietary blend of slow-release, complex carbohydrates (UCAN SuperStarchTM) and fiber-and high-quality proteins and branched-chain amino acids, Ultra Glucose Control supports a balanced glucose response and sustained energy release.†
Essential Multi – 1 tablet 2x day with food. Excellent, cutting-edge multi-vitamin that contains high levels of antioxidants and offers methylation support along with a complete vitamin and mineral profile.†
OmegaPure EPA:DHA 720 3 2x day w/ meals. Potent anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids that help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Effectively replenishes the body’s needs for omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.†
UltraBiotic Daily – 1 am, 1 pm away from food. A well-rounded, dairy-free probiotic capsule to help optimize your gut flora, get rid of yeast and pathogens while supporting digestion of vitamins and other nutrients.†
I recommend that my patients with hypoglycemia issues use the nutrition listed above for 4 to 12 weeks. Typically results are seen in a short period of time. However, due to the chronic nature of low blood sugar issues, it may take several weeks for the body to self-regulate and for changes to be seen.