Diabetics: What do you eat when your blood sugar is low?!
Question: I want to know what all you diabetics eat when your blood sugar is low. I know a lot of diabetics drink orange juice (including myself), do you drink/eat anything else? Anyone got any ideas that I could put in my school bag (I'm a college student) to bring to school in case I go low? I'd rather not bring OJ that will get warm...lol. I also need it to be smash proof (meaning no sandwich type things)
one more thing (before anyone says anything about it), I do bring a bottle of regular pop with incase I go low, but I want something else besides that.
Answers: I want to know what all you diabetics eat when your blood sugar is low. I know a lot of diabetics drink orange juice (including myself), do you drink/eat anything else? Anyone got any ideas that I could put in my school bag (I'm a college student) to bring to school in case I go low? I'd rather not bring OJ that will get warm...lol. I also need it to be smash proof (meaning no sandwich type things)
one more thing (before anyone says anything about it), I do bring a bottle of regular pop with incase I go low, but I want something else besides that.
I carry around little mini 15 carb juice boxes, they don't need any refrigeration. Juicy Juice makes them, and so does apple & eve. And we keep the glucose tabs too. The tabs only have 4 carbs each. Both are very quick acting.
MamaSmurf is totally wrong. For one, you can't always feel when you're low. I found that out from my daughter, and this board. For another, when you get low, whoever you are, you want some fast acting sugar. And type 2's, or even a non-diabetic who gets low, will also need the protein and complex carb combination a little bit after the quick acting. The whole idea is you want it to go up fast, which is what causes the "spike" ... you just don't have a lot of it. And then the complex carbs and protein will get rid of any residual symptoms, and keep your sugars at a normal level for longer.
And lastly, it appears that MamaSmurf is saying she is a nutritionist or doctor. She is far from it.
Get a roll of lifesavers or other hard candy.
try some honey. you can get in a small container.
Chocolate digestive biscuits are good. They have the immediate sugar effect of the chocolate and the longer lasting biscuit.
hard candy, I also carry a sugar pack
my hubby eats peanut butter crackers. also, you can buy 2 oz. containers of JIF to go. they are small, individual servings of creamy peanut butter. he keeps those in the glove box of his ambulance, incase he starts getting low before they get a chance to eat.
i've also heard of people getting the ready made icing (cake frosting/gel) in the tubes and keeping it with them. it would make you spike fast, since it's nothing but sugar. the peanut butter at least has protein, so it will sustain the balance longer.
good luck with school!
To begin with, you should know what you feel like when your sugar is going low. Always carry glucose tablets with you, but only use them if your sugar is really low and you are really getting bad. Always carry a protein bar or some peanut butter crackers with you. The carbs will raise your blood sugar and keep it level for a longer period of time. The sugar (including OJ) will spike your sugar and let it fall quickly. Use carbs when you start to feel low blood sugar coming on. Peanut butter crackers (in the individual bags), protein bars, granola bars, or peanuts are good things to carry with you. This is for type 1 and type 2
When we go out on short trips, short enough where I dont need a whole snack bag, I throw a tube of frosting in my purse for an emergency. It's lighter and more portable than a coke or juice, and can be at room temperature. And peanut butter crackers to follow the treatment.
If your sandwiches are getting crippled, get one of those tupperware containers, they make'em exactly the size of bread.
I carry the glucose tablets. You can get them in a tube of 10 or a container of 50. I have tube in my purse and just keep refilling from a large container. I also keep a container in my car and one in my night stand. I like them because they work really fast, they are easy, convenient, and you know exactly how many carbs you are getting; plus I know I'm not going to be tempted to eat them when I don't need them.
At Halloween and Easter, Skittles sells those "fun size" packets. I stock up on several bags of those to get me through the year. Each packet has about 16g of carb (perfect), and chewing on them releases the fruit juice into the membranes of your mouth to give you head start on absorption. They are compact and easy to carry, they don't melt or goo up in heat, and they are tasty without being so tasty that I'll eat them before I need them. But since Easter is already over, just use the individual packets of Skittles and count out 17 of them, or put groups of 17 into little Ziplocs that you can tote around.
i eat whatever strikes my fancy
I like those Oatmeal to go bars. they have some protein in them to go with the carbs and work very well with your coke! You might also carry some of those little cheese rounds in the red wax coating? they help me to stay focused so I don't do the yo-yo thing of going low, high, low, high which can be very dizzying.
I am a grandma whose other half won't stop to feed me when I need fed! He just keeps going on down the road. I have learned to carry lots of stuff in my purse for these occasions!
Granola bars. Balance the amount of meds taken with the food eaten.
Visit my free website for more information on hypoglycemia
http://www.reddiabetes.com/Hypoglycemia....
http://diabetes-abc.blogspot.com
The key to a successful hypoglycemia diet lies in its "individualization". Each one of us is different. Each one of us is biochemically unique. Therefore, every diet must be tailor-made to meet our individual nutritional requirements.
The list of foods your physician gives you or the list you may read in your favorite book on hypoglycemia, even the suggested food list in the back of this book, are basic guidelines. Variations come with time and patience, trial and error. Don't be afraid to listen to your body. It will send you signals when it cannot tolerate a food.
So basically, stick to the suggestions in the following do's and don'ts, and hopefully, with just a few adjustments during your course of treatment, a new and healthier you will gradually appear.
DO -- Keep a daily account of everything you eat for one week to ten days. In one column, list every bit of food, drink and medication that you take and at what time. In the second column, list your symptoms and the time at which you experience them. Very often you will see a correlation between what you have consumed and your symptoms. When you do, eliminate those foods or drinks that you notice are contributing to your behavior and note the difference. DO NOT STOP MEDICATION. If you believe that your medication may be contributing to your symptoms, contact your physician. A diet diary is your personal blueprint: a clear overall view of what you are eating, digesting and assimilating. It can be the first indicator that something is wrong and, perhaps, a very inexpensive way of correcting a very simple problem.
DO -- Start eliminating the "biggies" -- those foods, drinks and chemicals that cause the most problems: sugar, white flour, alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.
DO -- Be extremely careful when and how you eliminate the offending substances. Only YOU, with the guidance of a health-care professional, can decide. Some patients choose to go at a steady pace. If you drink ten cups of coffee a day, gradually reduce consumption over a period of days or weeks. The same is true for food or tobacco. If you are heavily addicted to all of the aforementioned, particularly alcohol, then withdrawal should not be undertaken unless you are under the care of a physician.
DO -- Replace offending foods immediately with good, wholesome, nutritious food and snacks as close to their natural state as possible. Lean meats, poultry (without the skin), whole grains, vegetables and allowable fruits are recommended. We want to prevent deprivation from setting in, especially the "poor me, I have nothing to eat" attitude. There is plenty to eat.
DO -- Eat six small meals a day or three meals with snack in between. Remember not to over eat.
DO -- Be prepared to keep your blood sugar stabilized at all times, whether at home, office, school or traveling. At home, you should always have allowable foods ready in the refrigerator or cupboards. Always keep snacks in your car or where you work.
DO -- Watch your fruit consumption. If you are in the early or severe stages of hypoglycemia, you may not be able to eat any fruit. Some patients can eat just a small amount. Your diet diary will help guide you. Avoid dried fruits completely.
DO -- Be careful of the amount of "natural" foods or drinks you consume. Even though juices are natural, they contain high amounts of sugar. Whether or not the sugar you consume is "natural", your body doesn't know the difference. Sugar is sugar is sugar...and your body will react to an excess of it.
DO -- Be aware of the fact that some medications contain caffeine. If you're having reactions to the following medications, bring this matter to the attention of your physician: Anacin, APC, Caffergot, Coricidin, Excedrin Fiorinal, Four-Way Cold Tablets and Darvon Compound, etc.
DO -- Start a library of cookbooks. They don't necessarily have to be for hypoglycemics. Many good books with no or low sugar recipes are available.
DON'T -- Panic when you first hear about all the foods that you must eliminate from your diet. Keep repeating all the foods that you CAN eat -- there are plenty.
DON'T -- Forget that being PREPARED with meals and snacks is the key to a successful hypoglycemia diet and a healthier you.
DON'T -- Skip breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day for a hypoglycemic.
DON'T -- Compare your results or progress with anyone else's. Each body's metabolism is different.
DON'T -- Be obsessive about your diet. The CONSTANT focus on what you can and cannot eat will only instill more fear, stress and frustration.
Hope this helps you.