Hypoglycaemia is a condition in which there is too little glucose in the blood stream. It’s often caused by the pancreas secreting too much insulin in response to eating sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, soft drinks or caffeine. Symptoms of hypoglycaemia include:

fatigue
irritability
cravings for sweets and constant hunger
weakness in the legs
dizziness and shakiness
fainting or feeling faint
headache
anxiety and/or depression
inability to think clearly
aggression and loss of temper

The time of onset of symptoms and their severity are related to the quality of the last meal and when it was eaten.

Also investigate adrenal insufficiency, thyroid or pituitary disorders and pancreatitis. Candidiasis and allergies may well be present also.

Click the appropriate box below, in respect of each symptom,

which describes the severity of the symptom:

When you haven’t eaten for a

few hours, you get dizzy or shaky

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

When you haven’t eaten for a few

hours, you get irritable

Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

When you haven’t eaten for a few

hours, you get fatigued and can’t

think clearly, or feel ‘spaced out’

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

When you’re hungry, you usually

crave sweet things

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

You crave coffee, tea or sweet

snacks in the afternoon

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

You are prone to headaches

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

You wake up during the night

feeling anxious, or needing a snack

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

Your hands and feet often feel cold

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

You get attacks of sweating

for no reason

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

You eat sugar, cakes or biscuits

most days, and/or like to drink

alcohol or several coffees or

teas per day

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

Physical fatigue or lethargy

(Tick one only)

rarely or never have the symptom---------------------

the symptom is mild and only occasional or mild------

the symptom is frequent------------------------------

Your total is:

Interpreting your score:

0 - 3	You are unlikely to be suffering from blood sugar imbalance
4 - 8	If you gave points to questions 1,2,3, or 7, blood sugar imbalance is a possibility, but also consider food intolerance
9 or more	If you gave 4 points to questions 1,2,3, or 7, and can relate to one or more of the other questions too, hypoglycaemia is likely. Also consider food intolerance.

Nutrition Facts and diet advice for Hypoglycaemia

The most important thing is to remove all refined foods, sugar, alcohol, soft drinks, caffeine and fruit juices.
Eat a diet high in fibre – lots of vegetables, beans, brown rice, lentils, soy products.
Don’t attempt ‘Food Combining’ (The Hay Diet) but instead always eat a little protein with each meal.
Good proteins include fish, nuts, seeds, skinless turkey or chicken, low-fat yoghurt (preferably sheep or goats).
Reduce saturated fats, but eat enough good quality oils, such as olive oil, unrefined flaxseed or fish oil, unrefined walnut or sunflower oil. Apart from olive oil, do not use these for cooking.
Eat little and often – about six small meals a day – do not allow yourself to go hungry. Some people with hypoglycaemia find it helpful to eat a small snack at bedtime.
During a hypoglycaemic reaction, a good snack would be a couple of oat cakes with nut butter (almond, hazelnut, cashew or peanut), or oat or rice cakes with goats cheese or avocado.
Eat foods which are low on the glycaemic index (see below). The lower number the better, although you can take a small portion of food which is high on the glycaemic index if you mix it with a protein food.

GLYCAEMIC INDEX TABLE

CARBOHYDRATES with High glycaemic index(‘bad’ carbohydrates)		CARBOHYDRATES with Low glycaemic index (‘good’ carbohydrates)
Maltose	110	Wholemeal bread or bread with bran	50
Glucose	100	Wholegrain rice	50
baked potatoes	95	Peas	50
Very white bread	95	Wholegrain cereals without sugar	50
Mashed potatoes	90	Oat flakes	40
Honey	90	Fresh fruit juice (without sugar)	40
Carrots	85	Wholemeal rye bread	40
Cornflakes, popcorn	85	Wholewheat pasta	40
Sugar (sucrose)	75	Red kidney beans	40
White bread	70	Dried peas	35
Refined cereals with sugar	70	100% stoneground wholemeal bread	35
Chocolate bars	70	Milk products	35
Boiled potatoes	70	Dried beans	30
Biscuits	70	Lentils	30
Corn (maize)	70	Chickpeas	30
White rice	70	100% stoneground wholewheat pasta	30
Brown bread	65	Fresh fruit	30
Beetroot	65	Fruit preserve (without sugar)	25
Bananas	60	Dark chocolate (over 60% cocoa)	22
Jam	55	Fructose	20
Non-wholewheat pasta	55	Soya	15
		Green vegetables, tomatoes, Lemon, mushrooms	less than 15

Health Supplements

Often, a combination of supplements may help in alleviating this condition. You may wish to consult a nutritional therapist for personal advice. Supplements that may be helpful in alleviating symptoms are shown below:

6-9 capsules AquaSource Klamath Lake Blue Green Algae. Spread them throughout the day – can be taken at any time, with or without food.

BioCare Patrick Holford Advanced Optimum Nutrition Pack with GL Support

Recommended Health Books

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HYPOGLYCAEMIA (LOW BLOOD SUGAR)

Characteristics of Hypoglycaemia

Interpreting your score:

Nutrition Facts and diet advice for Hypoglycaemia

Health Supplements

Recommended Health Books

HYPOGLYCAEMIA (LOW BLOOD SUGAR)