FAQs: Hypoglycemia

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1. Diets For Hypoglycemia
2. The Strict Hypoglycemia Diet
3. The Liberal Hypoglycemia Diet

1. Diets For Hypoglycemia
by R. Paul St. Amand, M.D.

Both the Strict and Liberal diets work to correct hypoglycemic symptoms. Choose the Strict diet if you need to lose weight. Choose the Liberal if you do not want to lose weight.  Where no limits are mentioned, there are no limits set. You do not need to count carbohydrates, it is done for you in the way the diet is written. Adhere to the diet (no cheats at all) for two months to reverse the symptoms of hypoglycemia.

If cholesterol is a problem, avoid cold cuts (except turkey,) cheese, cream, solid margarine, hollandaise sauce, and macadamia nuts. Use egg whites or Egg Beaters instead of whole eggs. Use liquid margarine only. Nuts should be dry roasted only. Trim all visible fat from meats and remove skin from poultry. Use canola or olive oil.

This information comes from R. Paul St. Amand, M.D. It is not meant to be a medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult your physician before making any changes to your diet or treatment. R. Paul St. Amand M.D. recommends a basic work-up that includes a blood count to rule out anemia or infections that mimic FMS. In addition, include a thyroid test.

FOODS TO AVOID STRICTLY:
Alcohol (Most hypoglycemics can tolerate one drink after 2 months on the diet - individual tolerance levels vary), Baked beans, Refried beans, Black-eyed peas (cow peas), Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), Bananas, Lentils, Lima beans, Potatoes, Corn, Dried fruits, Fruit juices, Barley, Rice, Pasta (all types), Corn tortillas, Flour tortillas, Tamales, Sweets of any kind, Products which contain: Dextrose, Glucose, Hexitol, Maltose, Sucrose, Honey, Fructose, Corn Syrup or Starch, Caffeine. top

2. The Strict Hypoglycemia Diet
Choose any foods from the following list:

Meats and Fish:
All meats except cold cuts that contain sugars. All fowl and game. All fish and shellfish.

Dairy Products:
Eggs, any style. Any natural cheese (bleu, Roquefort, cheddar, cream, gouda, Swiss, etc. Cream (heavy and sour), Cottage and ricotta (1/2 cup limit). Butter and margarine.

Fruits:
Fresh coconut, Avocado (limit 1/2 per day), Cantaloupe (limit 1/4 per day), Strawberries (limit 6-8 per day), Lime or lemon juice (limit 2 tsp. per day) for flavoring.

Vegetables:
Asparagus,Bean Sprouts, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage (limit 1 cup per day), Cauliflower, Celeriac Root, Celery, ,Chard, Chicory, Chinese cabbage (limit 2 cups per day), Chives, Cucumber, Daikon (long, white radish), Eggplant, Endive, Escarole, Fennel Bulb,
Greens (Mustard, beet), Jicama, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce (any type), Mushrooms, Okra, Olives, Parsley, Peppers (green, red, yellow, etc.), Pickles (dill, sour, limit one), Pimiento, Radicchio, Radish, Rhubarb, Sauerkraut, Scallions (green onions), Spinach, Squash (yellow or summer only), String beans (green or yellow), Snow peas, Soy beans and Tofu, Tomatoes, Water Chestnuts, Watercress, Zucchini.

Nuts (12 per day limit):
Almond, Brazil, Butternut, Filbert, Hazel, Hickory, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Sunflower seeds (small handful), Walnut.

Desserts:
Sugar-free Jell-O, Custard (made with cream and artificial sweetener).

Drinks:
Club soda, Decaffeinated coffee, Weak or decaffeinated tea, Caffeine-free diet sodas, Alcohol (Bourbon, cognac, gin, rum, scotch, vodka, dry wine after a month on the diet).

Condiments and spices:
All spices including seeds (fresh or dried), All imitation flavorings, Horseradish, Sugar-free sauces such as hollandaise, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup;
Sugar-free salad dressings; Oil and vinegar (all types);
Worcestershire sauce.

Miscellaneous:
All fats; Caviar; Tofu;
Dr. Atkins diet Advantage snack bars (all of them); Ultimate Lo Carb Protein Bar w/Stevia. top

3. The Liberal Hypoglycemia Diet
You may add the following foods to the strict diet:

Fruits:
(limit to one piece of fruit every four hours. No fruit juices.) Apples; Apricots; Blackberries (1/2 cup limit); Blueberries (1/2 cup limit); Boysenberries; Casaba melon (1 wedge limit); Grapefruit; Honeydew melon (1 wedge limit); Lemons; Limes; Nectarines; Oranges; Papaya; Peaches; Pears; Plums; Raspberries; Strawberries; Tangerines; Tomato juice; V8 Juice.

Vegetables:
Artichokes; Beets; Carrots; Onions; Peas; Pumpkin; Squash (winter); Turnip.

Nuts: (remove the quantity limit)
Cashews; Peanuts; Soy Nuts.

Dairy products:
Whole, non-fat, low-fat milk and buttermilk, unsweetened yogurt.

Desserts:
Sugarless diet puddings (1/2 cup a day limit)

Breads:
Three slices a day of sugar-free white, whole wheat, sourdough or light rye. No more than two slices at one time.

Miscellaneous:
2 tacos or 2 enchiladas (2 corn tortillas only)
Carob powder
Flour, gluten or soy only
Gravy made with gluten or soy flour only
One cup popcorn (popped)
Puffed rice, shredded wheat or other sugar-free cereals
Wheat germ

Low Carb bake mixes, snack bars and other products are usually okay on the liberal diet. Check ingredients to make sure.

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