Hypoglycemia, also known as low glucose level, is a condition where a person’s blood glucose drops below normal level. Glucose is an important source of energy for humans and without it, the body cannot function properly. Hence, when blood glucose level falls below normal level, hypoglycemia symptoms will kick in.

A few known symptoms of hypoglycemia include fatigue, hunger, mental confusion, dizziness, sweating, etc. Extremely low blood glucose level can even lead to seizure, coma and even death.

Reactive hypoglycemia is a special type of hypoglycemia that occurs in non-diabetic people. Reactive hypoglycemia is also about low blood sugar level, but the symptoms are triggered 2-3 hours after food. The reason is due to the pancreas releasing insulin well past the digestion period of the meal. This excess insulin is the main culprit for causing low blood glucose in people with reactive hypoglycemia.

Hence, treatment for reactive hypoglycemia should be based on two core objectives: Avoid “overloading” the pancreas and reducing insulin production. To achieve the above objective, sufferers are usually advised to follow a special diet plan and avoid food comprising mainly of simple carbohydrates.

There are two types of carbohydrates, simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are foods that are easily converted into glucose, ready to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This rapid absorption of glucose will cause a sharp spike in blood glucose and this often the main cause of reactive hypoglycemia. Thus, avoid intake of food with simple carbohydrates. A few examples would be: white rice, white bread, candy, chocolates, ice cream, cakes, etc. Generally, highly processed foods are also foods that are high in simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates, unlike simple carbohydrates, are more difficult to digest and breakdown. Thus, the conversion and absorption of glucose is also slowed down. For these reasons, complex carbohydrates are especially beneficial to reactive hypoglycemia. A few examples of food high in complex carbohydrates would be: brown rice, whole grain bread, oatmeal, vegetables, etc.

Diabetes can be one of the consequences of overindulgence and bad eating habits. These bad food choices creates an environment in which this disease can develop and progress. Unless better eating habits are formed, diabetes, as well as other diseases, could be part of your future.

However, there is a simple practice that you can start that can help to prevent this disease from forming, and this is to eat foods that have a low glycemic index. What are low glycemic foods? These are foods that have a minimal effect on the raising of your blood sugar or insulin levels. It is the constant spiking of insulin levels that can lead to insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes.

Low Glycemic Index Food Sources

There are an abundance of these low glycemic food sources. Many sites, including this one, have lists of glycemic foods with their values. However, even though the list are helpful with finding the foods with the lowest index, they are not entirely necessary in order to determine which foods probably have low indexes.

An easy way to determine this is to ask yourself has the food been processed or not. Processed foods are those food items that have been prepared in a manner that may destroy or removed important nutrients from the foods. If foods have been processed, then in all likelihood these foods do not have a low glycemic index. Therefore they should be avoided are at least severely limited in your diet.

Instead, the foods that you are looking for are just the opposite of these processed foods, namely whole grains or foods in there natural state. This includes whole grain breads, the majority of legumes or beans, certain fruits, and of course the majority of vegetables.

However, just because it is a whole food does not mean that it is going to have a low glycemic index. For instance, baked potatoes have a high index, especially when the skin is not eaten with it. Also, tasty as it might be, watermelon also has a high index.

So to help lower your risk at developing diabetes, consume more foods that have a low glycemic index. And for a general means of determining whether or not a food may be considered to have a low index, just ask yourself if it is in its natural state or not.

Hyperglycemia is a condition in which the blood plasma contains too much sugar. Many of us don’t know the normal range for blood glucose levels. In fact, many of us don’t know that we have high blood sugar until we are already experiencing symptoms. Some of us don’t find out until it is too late.

A high blood glucose level is anything above 180. You might not notice any symptoms until you reach 270 and above. After you reach these levels you can experience a number of different health problems. If you don’t know what these numbers mean, you aren’t alone. Blood sugar levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter.

Moreover, blood sugar rates vary depending upon the time of day, what you have eaten, and when you last ate. Still, a normal range for a healthy person who took a fasting test would be in the 80 to 120 range. A person who tests at 126 most of the time would be considered Hyperglycemic.

Having high blood glucose levels can seriously damage your body. However, you can have high blood sugar levels without being hyperglycemic. As state before, blood sugar ranges change according to what your body is doing. However, it is when you are consistently exposed to those high levels that you start to damage yourself.

Some of the smaller symptoms may include dry mouth, and fatigue, among others. In extreme cases, you can damage your kidneys, or even end up in a coma. If you suspect that you have high levels of glucose, you should see your doctor and get tested. Knowledge is the best fight against any medical condition and this is also true for hyperglycemia.