Hypoglycemia: Is This Causing Allergies?

According to Alternative Cures, t reating the symptoms of allergies may provide temporary re­lief. Allergens are the triggers of allergic response, but they are not the ultimate cause of the problem. An unhealthy diet can leave your body so weak that it can't cope with common substances such as pollen and cat dander.

One doctor has found that many patients with allergies also have hypo­glycemia, or low blood sugar. "Often, upon treating and effectively controlling the person's hypoglycemia, the original allergy also clears up," she says. And hypoglycemia isn't hard to fix. "lf all conditions were as easy to treat as hypoglycemia, the world would be an Eden of wellnesss."

Step by Step process

First, cut out refined sugar. Eating lots of sugar, in cakes, candy, cookies, soda, and other sweet foods, floods the bloodstream with glucose, or blood sugar. The body then pumps out the hormone in­sulin to usher the glucose into the brain and muscles.

Refined sugar, which is a simple carbohydrate, triggers such a flood of insulin that blood sugar levels plummet 30 minutes or so after consuming the sweets. There's only one way off this roller coaster of sugary ups and downs, all refined sugar must stop. That includes fruit juices and dried fruits, both of which deliver high levels of concentrated sugar.

Worried that your craving for sweets will overwhelm you? Hang in there. "Going sugar-free for I to 2 weeks is usually enough to knock out sugar cravings," says Dr.Weintraub.

Second, reach for complex carbohydrates. These foods, which include vegetables, whole grains, and beans, are digested slowly by the body, keeping blood sugar levels on an even keel. "In order to avoid hypoglycemia, the majority of food in your diet should be in the form of complex carbohydrates," Dr.Wein-traub says. Because fruits are too high in quickly digested sugars, she recommends eliminating; all fruit at the beginning of this pro­gram. Most people can usually add some whole fruit to their diets later, she says.

Third, remember protein, which also provides a slow and steady supply of fuel/To clear up hypoglycemia, the diet must also consist of adequate protein," says Dr. Weintraub. Aim to make protein foods like fish, lamb, turkey, chicken, brewer's yeast, tofu, nuts, and seeds about 20 to 30 percent of your diet, she advises.

Finally, eat early and often. Eating two or three big meals a day can cause the same up-and-down variations in blood sugar levels as eating refined sugars, says Dr. Weintraub. The best approach is "five or six smaller feedings, with plenty of fresh foods," she says. She recommends a small breakfast, a good midmorning snack, a light lunch, a midafternoon snack, dinner, and a small snack before bed.