Rebecca

Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) usually occurs while fasting or in between meals. Reactive hypoglycemia is low blood sugar that occurs after a meal – usually one to three hours after eating.

Hypoglycemia occurs when:

• Your body’s sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly
• Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly
• Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream

Glucose, an important source of energy for the body, comes from food. Carbohydrates are the main dietary source of glucose. After a meal, glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the body’s cells. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in response to increased glucose levels in the blood and reduces blood sugar. If a person takes in more glucose than the body needs at a certain time, the body stores the extra glucose in the liver and muscles as glycogen, which the body can then use for energy between meals. Extra glucose can also be changed to fat, which is stored in fat cells, and which the body may also use for energy.

When blood glucose begins to fall, glucagon (another hormone made by the pancreas) signals the liver to break down glycogen and release glucose into the bloodstream. Blood glucose will then rise toward a normal level. Normal blood sugar levels range between 83-75 mg/dL.

Offenders That Offset Blood Sugar Levels:

• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Fruit Juices
  
• Soft drinks
• Refined sugar (ice cream, chocolate, candy)
  
• Stress
• Artificial sweeteners
• White flour (bread, pastry, donuts, pasta)