Reactive Hypoglycemia

Shortly after Christmas, my energy levels decreased rapidly. Yes, pregnancy causes you to become more tired, but this was a bit ridiculous! I literally slept all day and all night for weeks. Not normal.

Having the previous history I do with fatigue, I knew something wasn't right.

Thankfully, James began a rotation that month with Dr. Similario, a diabetic. James shared with him some of the sugar issues I've had and that I was struggling with food and my energy levels. He referred me to one of the best diabeties clinics in the US located at Penn University Hospital. Although I don't have diabeties, no where close to it, they know their sugars and how to deal with imbalances.

It was truly a blessing from heaven to be sent there! I met with a wonderful doctor, Dr. Cardillo, who just had her own baby this month, and was diagnosed with "reactive hypoglycemia," which just means that my blood sugar drops below 70 when I eat simple sugars. The treatment, stay away from too many simple sugars and combine every starch I eat with a protein & fiber. Truthfully, it's the same diet I've had for years, but now I have a name for it! ;)

Dr. Cardillo sent me to see the clinic's nutritionist, Linda, to help me expand my food intake and make sure my pregnant self was getting all the calories it needed... which I wasn't, and still struggle with eating as much as I need to eat. Living on a tight budget and having to actually make almost everything I eat can be a bit of a deterrent.

I love Linda! She was most helpful and gave me so much liberty!! ;)

Here's what my eating life consists of now:

Breakfast: no more cereal without eating extra protein with it. I can have eggs and toast, peanut butter and pancakes, cereal with greek yogurt (with some extra protein from nuts or such)... Usually I have a couple of eggs with toast or cereal/milk and save the peanut butter and greek yogurt combos for snacks.

Lunch: left overs, usually. But I have to make sure I eat 3-4 oz of protein combined with some kind of carb (bread, pasta, rice, fruit, etc.), plus eat plenty of veggies!

Dinner: Again, 3-4 oz of protein combined with a serving of carbs, plus veggies.

Snacks: I eat snacks at 10am, 2pm, 4pm, 8pm ...ish. Basically, you eat every two hours! Especially being pregnant, I can't eat a whole lot at one time, so I eat smaller snacks throughout the day. This is what Linda helped me with the most. Here's my snack ideas:
     ~peanut butter with fruit (best with apples and pears - they have less sugar than oranges and bananas)
     ~greek yogurt - love it! Chobani is my favorite. Carb to protein ratio is almost equal. Add a few nuts and you're set!
     ~Blueberries have hardly any sugar, so I can eat them by the handfuls and not have much of a reaction! ;)
     ~Protein bars, mainly Luna or Purebar. Chocolate's not good for me or the baby so I stick with nuts & berries. And these actually taste good, amazingly.
     ~Cheese (cottage or ricotta or any type of block cheese) with crackers, bread, cereal, fruit, etc.
     ~more leftovers is always good

I try to rotate so I don't get too sick of any one thing, but these snack ideas have been a life saver for me! Much of my energy has return, although I still have the normal tiredness that comes from pregnancy... but it's not over-the-top exhaustion... most of the time. ;)

One great thing I learned from Linda is that I don't have to completely avoid sugar! As long as I eat it with protein I do alright. I still feel a bit of an affect from actual sugar, but it's getting better.

I also learned that eating a protein source all by itself (like just an egg or a handful of nuts) also causes a drop in the blood sugar. They must be combined... when you eat sugar, the body absorbs it quickly into the blood stream; when you eat protein, the body takes time to absorb it so your body doesn't get the sugar it needs quick enough. When you combine the two, the body doesn't absorb the sugar too quickly to spike your blood sugar, but it sustains the level of blood sugar over the course of two hours or so, hence why you must eat small meals all day long. ;)

Summary: Combine protein with every starch you eat! Eat small meals every two hours or so to maintain energy levels. Be creative with meal combinations to add variety and try new flavors!