If you have recently been diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia or idiopathic postprandial syndrome, I am sure that your lifestyle has changed or is changing drastically. For those of you who have always exercised, you may find yourself frustrated with your training (and your diet!). I know I was when I started having problems with reactive hypoglycemia. Aside from trying to figure out what you can and can’t eat, the biggest challenge seems to be getting your diet right so you have enough energy to exercise and not have a hypoglycemic episode. This will take some time to finalize. You have to keep detailed diaries of what you eat and when you eat, but maybe it can speed up your learning process.
A little bit about me, I am a four time cancer survivor and believe it or not, I have been very active most of my life. I lift weights, train martial arts and enjoy walking. My experience with cancer in the past and all of its effects, both short term and long term, have helped me to know my body better than anyone. Sometimes I think even better than my doctors.
When I started having my problems with reactive hypoglycemia, or in my case idiopathic postprandial syndrome, the doctors first said there was nothing wrong with me. That’s because he was having episodes consistent with idiopathic postprandial syndrome, which is a little different than reactive hypoglycemia. In short, after eating carbs, you would have all the same symptoms of someone diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia (low glucose levels 1-4 hours after eating) such as tremors, confusion, anxiety, palpitations, cold extremities, etc. However, my blood glucose levels would not be medically defined as “hypoglycemia” because they would not go below 50.
My journey through having the symptoms, learning what the problem was, and finding a way to fix the problem was a pure nightmare! It took nine trips to the ER, a seizure with my heart racing at 160, severe panic attacks, multiple hospitalizations, and doctors just missing the major red flags before I was able to determine for myself what was going on and what I needed to do to fix it. my problem… and in the end, how funny, the doctors agreed that I was right that I had Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome and they were amazed that I solved it myself with diet and exercise! However, this was not easy!
Once I knew what my problem was, idiopathic postprandial syndrome, I started doing important research. I talked to nutritionists, dietitians, personal trainers, and professional bodybuilders. I learned that simple carbohydrates, refined foods, sugars, caffeine, and alcohol would trigger an episode. I also learned how and what to eat! This was key and would eventually allow me to enjoy my intense workouts again!
The diet was simple! Eat every 2 to 3 hours a day. Eat foods high in protein, fat (Yes! Fat!), and fiber, avoid the foods I mentioned above, and eat only a small amount of complex carbohydrates (raw oats, sweet potatoes) depending on your physical activity…and be consistent Everyone up!
If you are wondering why you should eat fat, the reason is that fat slows down the absorption of carbohydrates. Remember, this whole problem, reactive hypoglycemia and idiopathic postprandial syndrome, occurs when your insulin levels rise. And what increases insulin levels? An instant rush of sugar from, say, a candy bar, white rice, a baked potato. Also, if you’re eating a low enough level of carbs, your body will start burning fat for energy. Nice huh?
So after making all these changes and having to completely relearn how to eat, I became my own test subject. I guess you could say I did clinical trials on myself! I kept detailed journals of what I was eating and the times I was eating. At first I was pretty tired due to cutting back on my carbs, but then a week later it got easier. Everyday life has become much easier. The challenge now was to find the right nutrition for my training.
There I was again, me and the internet going for it! I was doing research to figure out how to give myself the nutrition I needed to exercise without the blood sugar drops… and I found it! At the time, the only carbs I had per day were about a quarter cup of raw oatmeal each morning. The rest of my diet consisted of meats, cheeses, and salads. Which is a great diet if you don’t plan on exercising or being as physical. However, for me, this diet did not give me enough energy to exercise, and if I exercised, I was definitely going to have a hypoglycemic episode.
So now I knew I had to increase my complex carbs even more. It went something like this, a quarter cup of raw oatmeal in the morning, then a quarter cup of sweet potato about an hour into my workout. Then immediately before my workout I would take two glucose tablets and two more glucose tablets during my workout. My training lasts an hour. Well that seemed to work.
When I took them, the glucose tablets were used immediately for energy and never caused my glucose levels to spike, which would cause my insulin levels to spike. Eventually, my blood sugar level stayed almost even the entire time. She had occasional hypoglycemic episodes, but they were minor and easily resolved with 2-3 glucose tablets.
Now, I’m not a doctor, but I will say that there is a good chance that you can overcome your problem of reactive hypoglycemia or idiopathic postprandial syndrome with diet and exercise. Always check with your doctor before beginning any new diet or workout. Stay focused, determined and hopeful!
