Low Blood Sugar

[Ol' Blue Eyes]

Hey Forum Friends,

I am a pre-med and have been recently finding that I sometimes get hungry (after a meal), say, almost every two hours--yes, every two hours, and unfortunately often in the middle of a three hour lab or a lecture. I try to eat a lot of cheese and also drink coke. I understand that those two foods alone will not make for a good day of studying, and I do eat lots of other things(i.e. sandwiches as meals, some fruit, etc.) Can anyone give me / tell me the antidote to an often grumbling stomach?

Any input would be appreciated. I know that small frequent meals are a good idea, and I do keep this all in mind; however, realistically, I need a good healthy(or unhealthy if need be) [miracle] food that I can quickly eat and go about my work. Any thoughts?

Ol' Blue Eyes

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[virilep]

Hungry? Grab a Snickers..... or an apple.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hey Forum Friends,

I am a pre-med and have been recently finding that I sometimes get hungry (after a meal), say, almost every two hours--yes, every two hours, and unfortunately often in the middle of a three hour lab or a lecture. I try to eat a lot of cheese and also drink coke. I understand that those two foods alone will not make for a good day of studying, and I do eat lots of other things(i.e. sandwiches as meals, some fruit, etc.) Can anyone give me / tell me the antidote to an often grumbling stomach?

Any input would be appreciated. I know that small frequent meals are a good idea, and I do keep this all in mind; however, realistically, I need a good healthy(or unhealthy if need be) [miracle] food that I can quickly eat and go about my work. Any thoughts?

Ol' Blue Eyes

Substitute the Coke & Cheese for Green Tea and a Protein Bar. I promise it will boost your energy. I eat them daily. Also consider actually being evaluated for hypoglycemia if you think that is the problem.

 

[Agent Splat]

more carbs? refer to food pyramid

 

[Stitch626]

Maybe the sugar in your soda is bringing you down. The empty calories aren't very filling and only serve to further stimulate the metabolism, making you hungrier. Like OSUdoc said, protein is good (esp nuts) - physiologically speaking I don't know why.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Maybe the sugar in your soda is bringing you down. The empty calories aren't very filling and only serve to further stimulate the metabolism, making you hungrier. Like OSUdoc said, protein is good (esp nuts) - physiologically speaking I don't know why.

A good protein intake stabilizes fluctuations in blood sugar throughout the day.

 

[uclabruin2003]

eat some complex carbs like rice, pasta and bread...forget the simple sugars in coke, candy,etc.

 

[stinkycheese]

eat some complex carbs like rice, pasta and bread...forget the simple sugars in coke, candy,etc.

bread's actually not all that complex. Eat brown rice with a protein choice to stabilize blood sugar. Also, if this symptomotology has come up in a sudden manner, you should get worked up. Constant hunger is actually a symptom of hyperglycemia as well, but would have come on suddenly and would accompany extreme thirst and polyuria.

 

[Fusion]

You may have a case of what is called "reactive hypoglycemia." Do you eat a lot of complex carbs like pasta? If you eat too much in one sitting, you could be overloading your system with a lot of glucose at once, kind of like a flash flood of sugar. As a result, your insulin levels spike and may overshoot, thus lowering your blood sugar really fast (below normal levels), making you feel hungry. This used to happen to me quite frequently actually, so I am careful not to overdo the carbs for this reason.

 

[adoggie]

you can drink a lot of chicken noodle soup

 

[bewitched1081]

proteins and fats stay in the stomach longer, but it wouldn't be a good idea to eat too much fat. also, you might be going through some hormone fluctuations. why? i wouldn't know, but it might stabilize later on.

 

[bewitched1081]

also if you really want the full feeling (ie bloating), then go for something salty and wash it down with plenty of liquid. not the best way to go about it, but it gets you feeling full.

 

[Law2Doc]

Substitute the Coke & Cheese for Green Tea and a Protein Bar. I promise it will boost your energy. I eat them daily. Also consider actually being evaluated for hypoglycemia if you think that is the problem.

Protein/power bars or shakes are totally the way to go. Much easier on the stomach than coke & cheese. There are some protein bars out there with close to 50% of the USRDA of protein. Also comes in handy if you lift.

 

[crimsoncash]

...go for something salty and wash it down with plenty of liquid.

hmmmm, what would that something be?

 

[Ol' Blue Eyes]

Protein/power bars or shakes are totally the way to go.

Thanks for your comments. I do tend to eat a giant sandwich a couple times a day, so maybe that was spiking my insulin levels? Also are there any shakes out there that aren't loaded with sugar?

Ol' Blue Eyes

 

[OSUdoc08]

Thanks for your comments. I do tend to eat a giant sandwich a couple times a day, so maybe that was spiking my insulin levels? Also are there any shakes out there that aren't loaded with sugar?

Ol' Blue Eyes

Try a fruit smoothie with soy protein.

 

[Law2Doc]

Also are there any shakes out there that aren't loaded with sugar?

Ol' Blue Eyes

Go to GNC etc. and look at the protein shake options. Lots of flavors, but the taste tends to be lacking. The stuff that comes in the big plastic tubs from which you scoop out the powder and just add cold water are often fairly low in sugar/carbs. You can add nutrasweet/saccharin to make it more palatable if you need to.

 

[PineappleGirl]

I try to eat a lot of cheese and also drink coke.

Ahhh, me too! Two of my favorite, um, foods.

More carbs in your diet will certainly give you more energy, however, be careful not to overload on the carbs if you're trying to lose weight. If you're experiencing low blood sugar orange juice is the best thing you can have to restore normal blood sugar levels.

Exercise will also help a lot to boost your energy levels, even if it's just walking 30 minutes a day.

 

[Scrubz67]

can I suggest that you see a doctor?

are you assumming you have low blood sugar or have u been diagnosed as having it in the past? either way, any drastic changes to eating/excercise patterns should be consulted with a doctor first. if it is just that you are hungry (not dizzy etc) then any of the suggestions posted suffice.

 

[rockstar2525]

If you are hungry all the time, you probably need to eat more frequently. Everyone's metabolism is different, some people can make do on 3 meals a day, but I do well eating 6 or more small meals throughout the day. I try to make sure I eat a protein, a complex carb and a fat everytime I eat and that helps my blood sugar stay stable.
When choosing what to eat keep in mind that all carbs are not created equal, and refined sugar is the worst, so I'd stop drinking coke. It has zero nutritional value and while the carbonation will make you feel full for a second, the resulting insulin crash will make you feel hungrier soon after. For carbs things like oatmeal, brown rice, ezekiel bread, kashi go-lean cereal, grapefruit, apples, pears and veges are good choices. For protein I'd try lean protein sources like eggs whites, low fat cottage cheese, yogurt, chicken, fish and turkey. Also remember that fats are a very important part of the diet, they keep you feeling full, don't affect insulin levels and help you absorb fat soluable vitamins. You need to eat fats; fats are not "fattening" as long as you are staying within your calorie limit for the day (the same goes for carbs). The important thing to remember about eating fat is that all fats are not created equal; go for unsaturated fats like raw almonds (and other nuts), olive oil, natural peanut butter and fish oil. Eating a balanced diet and eating often is the key to avoiding the ups and down in your insulin levels, which is what makes us crash at certain points in the day.

For quick, easy snacks other than what I listed above I'd recommend protein bars that are sugar free/low carb. EAS makes some good ones, as does Kashi. You can get them at any Walgreens or Osco Drug. I'd recommend protein bars rather than shakes because the body processes liquid calories in a different way than solid foods. It absorbs/processes liquid protein more quickly, which is good for athletes after a tough workout, but not good for feeling full. Really, I think real food is always better than supplements, so try not to rely on them too heavily, but if you want to supplement protein bars for convience read the labels and look for ones that have no sugar, or have sugar low down on the ingredient list.
Hope that helps!

 

[Quentin Quinn]

Try a fruit smoothie with soy protein.

Not good advice for dudes; soy protein inhibits testosterone production.

 

[uptoolate]

More whole grains and whole foods, even if its just a bowl of whole grain cereal- and ditch the coke.

 

[rugirlie]

Why is this thread even here?? Go to WebMD or something...

 

[OSUdoc08]

Not good advice for dudes; soy protein inhibits testosterone production.

Actually, soy protein mimics estrogen. If there is a very large excess of soy protein, then it may competivitely inhibit some testosterone production, but only in a partial manner.

The benefit is that there is a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The large excess required for any effect would greatly exceed the serving size per day. A soy protein smoothie would only contain 1/4-1/2 the daily serving size.

However, if it still bothers some, whey protein can be used. Whey protein is better for muscle building, but soy protein is better for cardiovascular health.

 

[Ol' Blue Eyes]

Thanks again for the advice, all. I will try to eat more whole grains, buy some protein bars, and ditch the coke.

 

[Kevbot]

Hey Forum Friends,

I am a pre-med and have been recently finding that I sometimes get hungry (after a meal), say, almost every two hours--yes, every two hours, and unfortunately often in the middle of a three hour lab or a lecture. I try to eat a lot of cheese and also drink coke. I understand that those two foods alone will not make for a good day of studying, and I do eat lots of other things(i.e. sandwiches as meals, some fruit, etc.) Can anyone give me / tell me the antidote to an often grumbling stomach?

Any input would be appreciated. I know that small frequent meals are a good idea, and I do keep this all in mind; however, realistically, I need a good healthy(or unhealthy if need be) [miracle] food that I can quickly eat and go about my work. Any thoughts?

Ol' Blue Eyes

I have the same problem actually. I get tired while doign work, and when I eat something, I feel much better and able to focus. I have diabetes in my family, so I worry that my blood sugar is fluctuating as well. I don't think that's the case though.

What I have found is that vitamin C drops work miracles. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe they temporarily increase [sugar] in the blood. But be careful, at one point sophomore year I was almost addicted to them, taking up to 10 a day so I could get all my work done.

PS I'm eating one right now...

 

[scrappysurfer]

Hey.

I'm a triathlete with the same problem -except that I will actaully get dizzy, irrational, and have tunnel vision. Its pretty frightening for me and for anyone who sees it get out of control, but I've been able to keep it well managed with a proper diet. I eat about every two-three hours and keep simple carbs to a minimum (exception: right after a long workout simple carbs will be used to replenish muscle/liver glycogen stores).

The cheese you eat isn't actually such a bad idea. I've had a doc suggest keeping string cheese around since it contains protein, fat, can calcium. Hard boiled eggs and peanut butter work well too.

One thing that will really help is having protein with breakfast. I frequently throw an egg onto whole wheat toast. Try swapping white pasta for whole grain pasta. Olive oil based sauces are actually good for you in moderation.

I try to keep a protein bar around for when I do crash. At this point, you do need carbs along with something that will digest more slowly to stablize you. The key is to prevent crashing at all.

Last word of advice: SWAP YOUR COKE FOR WATER. Dehydration will make everything worse.

 

[seev99]

yo playa, drink sum gatorade; it workz pretty good yo...holla!

 

[OSUdoc08]

yo playa, drink sum gatorade; it workz pretty good yo...holla!

Gatorade has twice has much fructose as a Coke.

 

[fateema368]

I had the same problem, tried the wheat-whole grains, soy, protein crap, and finally went home complaining to my mom and she suggested I switched to beans, yams, squash, south beach veggies,kale-anything that gives you gas. They trick your stomach into feeling full, have the energy, and clean you out nicely....however if you want to keep friends/significant others BENO IS A MUST!!!!--It's the diet of the poor, they live on little and have tons of energy to boot!

 

[OSUdoc08]

I had the same problem, tried the wheat-whole grains, soy, protein crap, and finally went home complaining to my mom and she suggested I switched to beans, yams, squash, south beach veggies,kale-anything that gives you gas. They trick your stomach into feeling full, have the energy, and clean you out nicely....however if you want to keep friends/significant others BENO IS A MUST!!!!--It's the diet of the poor, they live on little and have tons of energy to boot!

Pasta & Bread will do the same without the gas. Just make sure there is some protein in there.