Hypoglycemia in the workplace: Im 19 and i was... - Thyroid UK

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Hypoglycemia in the workplace

tidalpine profile image
58 Replies

Im 19 and i was recently hired as a hostess at a sports bar. I was diagnosed as Hypo in October. When I'm at home, i have little symptoms. I try to eat every 2-3 hours. I have a relatively healthy diet. Nuts, fruits, yogurt and milk. I eat lots of chicken. I make my own oatmeal. I buy the oats and add my own ingredients so i can manage my sugar intake. I do have a weakness for fried foods. but mostly chicken nuggets and stuff. I try to eat healthy as much as i can.

I eat before work. Usually some oatmeal or fruit or yogurt. about nearly 2 hours after work, i had eaten about a handful of almonds. Being a hostess, i don't get a break. but i can keep my snacks at the hostess stand with me. so i snack whenever i can.

An hour after i had the almonds, i began to experience anxiety (i do have an anxiety disorder) and shakiness and some feelings of "unreality" though, this can be associated with the panic attacks i have, i never really do get shaky with panic attacks. So I wrote the situation off as anxiety. I began to have vision distortions. I couldn't really focus on an object without feeling like it was somehow moving a little. I didn't have the ability to form sentences really.

So one of my managers was being really nice and i had asked to sit down so i could eat some peanut butter crackers. a waitress got some orange juice for me, and it took about 20 minutes for my body to come out of it. I don't remember a whole lot about the situation.

My general manager sat me down and (he knows about my condition) and he told me that i needed to prepare better and that i didn't need to wait until it got too late to do something. (however, i had been snacking throughout the evening. and he knew this) and he said "if you can't handle this job, be honest with me" and he was being slightly condescending and harsh and somewhat rude. "we don't need to be calling an ambulance on you."

Is there any way i can approach my manager about this, or anything i can do to make it easier at work? I do take a lot of snacks with me. But being a hostess, i don't get a break. Ive experienced a bit of "belittling" in the workplace before with my condition. A manager had said to me "if you hadn't eaten in the last five minutes ya better do it now" and "well you always gotta carry those snacks around" in a rude way. I don't appreciate this behavior, nor do i have any control over my condition, except for my eating. I want to be able to perform well at work, and not have to worry about condescending behavior.

What can i do?

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tidalpine profile image
tidalpine
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58 Replies

I dont know if this helps but my hypoglycaemic attacks have more or less stopped since I gave up caffeine. I tried to drink coffee again a couple of months ago and the attacks were back within 2 days.

Are you in a union. It sound like one of your bosses is a pig.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply to

I cut out caffeine due to heart issues

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply to

How much coffee you were drinking? Asking just out of curiosity as I seem to react to coffee same way , it worsens drop of blood sugar but I do know that even just black coffee decreases blood sugar at first and then naturally drops fast.

Just wondering were you drinking a lot? One and half cup seems too much for me/day. My cup is small :D

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toJustiina

I havent drank caffeine in almost a year. actually. maybe some sips of soda here and there. but thats it :) i don't drink coffee

in reply toJustiina

I was only drinking a couple of mugs a day. I am also very sensitive to pepsi I cant touch the stuff, even a few sips.

phoenix23002 profile image
phoenix23002

I am just guessing here but it you might be hypoglycemic. This is a condition where your blood sugar can drop like crazy. I have it and I keep the symptoms at bay (shakiness, light-headedness, sicky feeling, flushy, weak) by eating plenty of protein and never anything by itself without it being balanced with some protein.

If it is not that... often struggling adrenals or hypo thyroid that isn't optimal yet can cause blood sugar fluctuations. Have you been checked for diabetes or pre-diabetic?

I am trying to think of something you can eat at work that is high protein and doesn't require refrigeration. All I can think of is high protein snack bars like Zone or Adkins bars. Maybe snack on some at home and see how you do? Ck the labels for protein content. Some so-called high protein bars are a joke... way too many carbs to protein ratio. You want at least 7 grams of protein or more for each 9 grams of carbs. And yes, they should have a few fat grams in them.

You might try eating a boiled egg (good protein and handy to grab when fixed ahead and kept in the the fridge) or a few rolled up slices of deli turkey or some of your chicken when you eat your fruit at home.

The nuts that you eat are good since most have good fats in them. Fat is neutral when it comes to our blood sugar but good fats can help stabilize or 'buffer' blood sugar unless you have other health conditions (like diabetes). Fruits alone can spike your glucose (especially bananas) and most yogurts don't have enough protein in them but they are milk based and that is good. Don't get the fat-free... you need the fat.

By the way, your boss is a jerk ! Your health is important so I wouldn't make a fuss necessarily but, no matter where you work, you have to get a handle on this and find someway to manage your condition.

ps. I thought of something else that is handy and that is the liquid snack drinks like boost (sorta like a milkshake)? Again, read the labels and try to find some that are remotely healthy.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply tophoenix23002

Yes I've been diagnosed with hypoglycemia. and my a1c levels have been checked and are normal.

he is a jerk. i just don't know how to handle him . i don't want to lose my job, or my temper. and I've dealt with a lot of issues in the workplace with this condition

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply tophoenix23002

but thank you :)

phoenix23002 profile image
phoenix23002 in reply totidalpine

You are most welcome. Yes, hypoglycemia can be hard to handle sometimes. Just try to eat good amts of protein with your snacks/meals and that may help. I agree... how do you handle an idiot boss??? lol...

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply tophoenix23002

Very much so. especially when not many people understand.

denvajade profile image
denvajade in reply totidalpine

Hi there all info given to you is great! I had it for 12 years so bad I needed injections for the migraines I continually got. The advice I was given finally by a great doctor absolutely NO sugar including fruit, fruit juice and no tea or coffee as this affects your adrenaline. Eat protein every 2-3 hours, eat protein before you go to bed to keep stable over night.

Wishing you well.

Bodil333 profile image
Bodil333

What is your weight?

How tall are you?

Have you lost weight recently?

What is your HbA1c (apart from "normal")?

Has Insulin been measured?

Fasting glucose?

If you live in the UK, it is your right to have a printout of your blood tests.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toBodil333

i weigh 110. and I'm 4'11. Ive gained a bit actually. maybe 2-3 pounds. and I'm not sure about my a1c.

and I'm not sure about the rest. but I'm from the US

in reply totidalpine

A couple of things worthy considering:

1/ Have you had your ferritin/iron and B12 levels checked? if not, best to start there, as you could be anaemic.

2/ take magnesium supplements (bisglycinate is highly absorbed) - magnesium deficiency triggers panic attacks and there is a strong link between magnesium deficiency and hypoglycemic episodes.

I hope you'll feel better soon.

helbell profile image
helbell in reply to

Gosh..interesting. Hypoglycemic too since hypo t

Justiina profile image
Justiina

Again I have to suggest histamine issues. Causes symptoms like that. There are many people who think they have hypoglycaemia and in the end it is histamine build up. Causes panic and anxiety too.

I started low histamine diet to fix my coughing but ended up not just getting rid of it but getting rid of many other symptoms like anxiety and low blood sugar symptoms.

Histamine issues seems to be more common with hypo/hashi.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toJustiina

Is that so?? What are histamine issues exactly??

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply totidalpine

When your body cannot break down histamine you might end up having many different symptoms from panic to flu like symptoms.

The reason why histamine might build up can be anything. Low DAO enzyme caused by low stomach acids ,or low bacteria in your gut. Certain bacteria helps to break down histamine.

Eating something fermented, yoghurt etc can cause histamine build up. Some food releases a lot of histamine.

Trying lowering histamine might not be the worst thing to do. Just requires a bit of effort to plan eating. Takes about a month to feel full benefits and then one can try adding some food back and see if it causes symptoms. Taking certain strains of probiotics might be beneficial. I am taking bifidobacterium longum and avoiding lactobacillus.

So it is one thing you could try. In the worst case you might have a combo of many things going on like adrenal fatigue (flower007 explains adrenal issues very well in her message) and histamine intolerance and then you need to fix them both.

Daffers123 profile image
Daffers123 in reply toJustiina

Hi

was very interested in your comments about histamine as I am sure this is one of my problems. Can histamine make your heart feel like it's racing ? Sort of allergic reaction symptoms ? Do you have any good sources of info I could look at ?

Many thanks

Andrea

Justiina profile image
Justiina in reply toDaffers123

Symptoms can be pretty much anything so yeah racing heart can be one.

I updated my progress two weeks ago. There you can find some links too from me and other members.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

It might require some fine tuning to figure out the working solution for each. I did a lot reading and searching and mistakes.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

It is not at all clear what thyroid issues are involved.

You write: "I was diagnosed as Hypo in October." - Is that hypoglycaemic or hypothyroid?

If hypothyroid, have you been prescribed anything like levothyroxine?

Hello tidalpine

Welcome to our forum and sorry to hear of your troubles.

Adrenal hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, DHEA and cortisol play a vital role in blood sugar regulation and if you have low cortisol levels, the liver can have problems converting glycogen (sorted blood sugar) into glucose (active form) compromising balanced sugar levels.

When stressed (at work ? ) the cells require even more energy and insulin levels will increase and because cortisol is low, these extra requirements are not met causing blood sugar levels to fall further.

Eating sugary snacks will initally ease the feelings of spaciness and shakiness as blood sugar is quickly raised but a big insulin spike (produced to balanced the sugar spike) a short while later will bring blood sugar levels crashing back to low and the symptoms start again . This can also cause a dysfunction in the hormone leptin that is usually secreted to tell the brain there is adequate fat storage ( in a similar way to insulin resistance.)

Hypoglycaemia will stress the adrenal glands further making the situation progressively worse, unless sugar levels are kept more balanced by eating regular meals that include foods low on the glycemic index.

Always eat protein with every meal, fats and carbs. In between meals I have whey or pea protein powder in smoothies for snacks. Protein takes longer to digest and will balance sugar levels in your foods preventing the insulin rush.

Also balance sweet fruit with protein. ie grapes with cheese, apple with nuts, banana with natural yogurt.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) which is a antioxidant helps the body use glucose and lowers high blood sugar levels. (Be aware large amounts may lower thyroid hormones).

Milk Thistle ( another antioxidant) is being proven to helps with sugar level control.

I have also supplemented Glucofit which contains Corosolic acid, involved with glucose and carbohydrate metabolism.

When caught out, I snack on Pulsin' protein bars which are sugar, dairy, gluten and trans fat free. At £1.59 each they are expensive but being packed with protein they are heavily dense so may be broken into two pieces. These would be convenient when you are working as are small, easy to eat and will help to keep blood sugar levels balanced.

Low vitamin D has also been associated with both insulin and leptin resistance and is an important anti-inflammatory that is often low in people with hypothyroidism. By ensuring all nutrients are optimal you give thyroid meds a better chance of absorbing and converting, easing stress on the adrenal glands.

If you have unbalanced thyroid hormones post any recent blood test results complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.

It is important you learn to manage this condition otherwise it could develop into full blown diabetes. I hope you feel better soon.

Flower

Milk Thistle Silymarin effects on the glycemic profile.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/170...

ALA & blood sugar control

diabetesaction.org/site/Pag...

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..................

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....................

Hi, it does sound like hypoglycaemia as the nuts don't have much sugar. How about having a banana instead and some dried fruits, likes dates or apricots.

Beverleyb profile image
Beverleyb

Hi Flower007, I just want to say how helpful your advice has been for me too. You are so knowledgeable on every health problem, I am always jotting down notes from your advise. I have had low blood sugar problems since I was about 13 , now I am 61, I just eat carbs to keep mine at bay, as I have never known how to control the problem, problem is I don't have the energy I used to have to keep my weight off!

thyr01d profile image
thyr01d

Hi Tidalpine

Here's a thought that's at a tangent, relating to your relationship with your boss.

My daughter had trouble with condescending-appearing bosses until we realised that sometimes what they were saying was coming over badly, not how it was intended, we all sometimes have this trouble. You might be in a similar positon, you are obviously attractive and I expect good at your job. Your boss probably feels anxious when he sees you unwell, worried about you and also worried about keeping everthing going well without you. He is unlikely to be considering how he is speaking and taking time to make his voice is expressing concern, he probably feels rushed to get everything sorted out before something goes wrong and might therefore use short sentences spoken sharply.

Could you explore trusting a little that he might have not just the business but also your best interests at heart and be struggling to marry up the two, especially if he likes you and wants you to keep working but is worried it might be too much for you?

Lilian15 profile image
Lilian15

You need to have more carbohydrate, but not the rubbish stuff. Things like tomatoes, carrots, bananas, beetroot, onion, oranges, even apples and pears. You seem to be eating the foods a diabetic would eat to keep their blood sugar low. Is this because you are trying to lose weight and on a low carb diet? Obviously this kind of diet is not for you. I think you might do better on a Slimming World diet.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Could it be your Almonds are interfering? This is an extract from the following link:-

Because certain foods impair thyroid function, we suggest that you consume only small amounts of these until your thyroid is normalized. These foods include: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, maize, turnips, sweet potatoes, lima beans, bamboo shoots, mustard greens, onions, green tea, peanuts, pinenuts, walnuts, almonds, sorghum, cassava, millet, grapefruit and apples. Although many of these foods have a reputation for being health promoting, they can be counterproductive for the individual striving to boost a sluggish thyroid.

drdebe.com/articles/revivin...

This is another extract:-

However, there is another reason why some people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions need to be cautious about eating nuts and seeds. In past articles and blog posts I’ve spoken about how an increase in intestinal permeability (a leaky gut) is a potential cause of Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Nuts and seeds contain lectins and phytic acid, which make them very difficult to digest. And there is evidence that lectins can cause an increase intestinal permeability. As a result, most people with gut problems will want to consider avoiding nuts and seeds until the health of their gut is restored back to normal.

naturalendocrinesolutions.c...

ScotsLassLondon profile image
ScotsLassLondon in reply toshaws

Also if you eat a lot of just almonds then you may have developed a temporary intolerance (I did) good to rotate the nuts you're eating.

KateAllies profile image
KateAllies

Hi Tidalpine I really get where you are coming from here and the comments people have posted are really helpful for me too so thanks for posting the question!

The blood test advice is really important - I am hypo thyroid too and also have the vitamin deficiencies and adrenal stress and after a few years of experimenting I am really well, feel fine most of the time, work full time, go dancing and swimming with only occasional hypo disasters! My friends/ colleagues know what to do it make a big difference on the rare occasions it happens to me. The nut comments and fat comments are particularly interesting to me. I couldn't eat nuts for ages but now I am stable I can. And I definitely need a lot of fat and protein, as much as the carbs in fact, to stay stable. Cheese is great as it has equal fat and protein and keeps fine out of the fridge all day.

You are new to it, once you have found your own balance work will be fine. I agree with the reassurance about your boss too - and never react to 'ambulance' or 'can you hack it' comments like that when you are coming out of a hypo your brain is all messed up and it is easy to take things the wrong way. You can get some quite good leaflets to give to friends and family about hypos too. Get one for your boss!

I have the same problem only my workplace is more of a business environment I have become quite brazen about getting a snack out in the middle of a meeting, main problem is if I have to go offsite for a day/ days trying to make sure I get my proper meals as well as snacks.

So this is what works for me:

staying stable: 3 substantial well-balanced meals/ day (have you seen the 'eat well plate - UK health service'). I usually have big bowl of porage; egg/potatoes; meat or fish and veg/rice; then snacks in between.

For snacks I don't get on well with processed food or nut/veg protein although peanut butter is ok but this is what I have worked out:

apple/ pear / grapes good 1-1.5 hrs after big meal to keep you stable ie BEFORE you start to feel dodgy!

Dry whole grain toast and lump of cheese. Toast is better for me than crackers or bread. 2-3 hrs after meal. Then next meal due about 1-2hrs later. Again, don't wait til you feel dodgy.

Monitor your weight, if you start to put it on then reduce your snack volume slightly. A tiny difference per day in snacks makes a big difference in weight over a month or so.

If your shifts are long you will need a meal break, even if just 15 mins. I take omelette and cooked potato to work and either eat cold or heat in microwave plus salad. If you can't have a proper meal break then a peanut butter and cheese sandwich with a banana is a good start but I would only be able to manage a couple of shifts without meal breaks then I would start to de-stabilise and have more hypos.... You need to work out what you can physically do then tell your boss.

If hypo at work: if you start to feel dodgy ask for a cup of milk. Then have your snacks. All the posts about sugar /caffeine are true.

Also if you have 'bad' food like a piece of cake or some processed nuggets or veg protein (bad for me!) then sometimes there is a knock on effect a day or so later, just be extra prepared.

Here's what else I have worked out:

Potato best carb (for me). Any sort except mcDonalds fries is better than any other carb.

Basmati rice (white or brown) is better than any other rice.

Wholegrain is supposed to be better than processed rice/pasta/bread but it makes no difference to me with rice or pasta, only bread.

Heinz tinned soups are very good but be very careful of restaurant soups - some are bulked out with flour, fill you up then you get an unexpected hypo a couple of hrs later.

Buffet food is disastrous for me - fills you up then about 3 hrs later I faint, massive hypo, yuk. I always ask for potato to go with any buffet I have to endure!

As you get more used to it you develop a sixth sense of how much you need to eat and what your body needs at any particular time (eg carbs/ protein) and ask for extra potatoes (or whatever works for you) if you need them eg in a restaurant! I eat a lot and that is what I need to be well, but my BMI and weight are completely normal.

Good luck getting sorted and I look forward to getting some more tips myself from everyone else particularly what to do when you go on holiday (big sigh) my bag generally has more food in it than clothes....

jazzanne profile image
jazzanne

is there any treatment for Hypoglycemia or is diet x

in reply tojazzanne

Diet, diet, diet jazzanne.

We are what we eat ... along with a healthy life style, moderate exercise, eliminating stress, etc, etc..

Of course some are more predisposed than others to the other factors (high BP, cholesterol, insulin resistance, inflammation, obesity, etc) that (might) accompany hypoglycaemia.

Flo

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

MsLR profile image
MsLR

Here in the US it is illegal for an employer to fire an employee due to a medical condition especially if it was disclosed up front and manager knows about it. I don't know if hypoglycemia is a certified "disability" but with looking into. Diabetes is a disability and hypoglycemia can be considered a type of diabetes. You definitely can't be fired if you have a disability (at least here in US). Also in US wage earning employees are required by law to be given two 15 min breaks and 30 min lunch break for each 8 hr shift. Not sure what the rule is for Resturant workers so check it out. I agree with previous posts: The most important thing is communicating with your boss so they know when you need a break so you can eat. If you are a good worker most bosses want to keep good workers and will make accommodations for the need for breaks. If you feel their behavior is rude or condescending it's ok to ask them to clarify their concern and what they expect from you. I know when I am sensitive about a topic, especially my health or job performance, I assume every thing anyone says to me is rude or belittling. It can be hard to stand up for yourself but you must let your boss know your health needs. He is right: you don't want to be hauled of in an ambulance -- the paperwork is murder :-). Good luck. Post again to let us know how you are doing. We are cheering for you!

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toMsLR

As a hostess, i don't receive breaks. Which is kind of frightening because my condition and my well-being depends on my food intake. I don't want to dread work, worrying that I'm going to develop symptoms or be belittled due to my condition. I asked my managers today if i could have at least a 10 minute break every 2-3 hours so i can be stable and work efficiently.

They said it should be okay. but i havent cleared it with my jerk of a manager

phoenix23002 profile image
phoenix23002 in reply totidalpine

tidalpine... No one can keep you from going to the bathroom, right? Take a bathroom break every two-three hours and eat a high protein snack bar or 1/2 bar. Try them at home first to make sure that they work well for you. Not the most appetizing place to grab a bite but... no muss, no fuss.

Justeffit profile image
Justeffit

I think u need to ditch the yogurt and juice and chicken nuggets--avoid processed foods. Eat more fat!!!! Look up Banting diet it's what stellar athletes use to perform.

Your diet does have a lot of sugar. Yogurt is essentially candy and most is junk! Try eggs (if u don't have an autoimmune disease) with sausage or steak for breakfast-- this will fill u up for hours.

Read more and educate yourself on Banting diet--you will see a dramatic improvement I promise !!

Also the anxiety could be magnesium deficiency!! Yes lack of magnesium can cause anxiety and insomnia and add and on and on. Get. Copy of mannerism miracle but magnesium ought to be taken in liquid form.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toJusteffit

I didn't really clarify which yogurt i get. I get greek. which has less sugar, more protein. My yogurt typically has 4g sugar and 12g of protein.

Justeffit profile image
Justeffit in reply totidalpine

Greek yogurt only means it has less water and is thicker--either by straining it adding a thickening agent.

I hope you have more of a take away from my post than just the yogurt part....

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply toJusteffit

About eggs, though. I tend to develop nausea after eating eggs, so i stay away from them .

and i've heard soooooo many people mention magnesium. I heard that getting magnesium naturally from a diet is more beneficial than supplements (or so I've heard) but it really is hard to find foods that are high in magnesium. Pumpkin seeds is one, that i did eat a lot.

I asked my doctor about a magnesium supplement, and she said that the supplements can cause brain fog and all of that. she said a multivitamin with added magnesium would be best. But those are definitely hard to find.

Justeffit profile image
Justeffit in reply totidalpine

Your Drs comments are puzzling and misinformed and honestly make no sense.

Food isn't going to offer you consistent sources of mag due to the poor quality of soil --over farming has lead to nutrient deficiencies.

I can tell you that liquid magnesium can turn your life around. Pill form is inadequate as it won't have enough (rda has not caught up with data which shows majority of population are deficient ) plus most have too much calcium. Mag needs to be ingested with calcium at a 1:1 ratio. When it's not (usually too much calcium is taken) it San block the absorption of magnesium and cause many symptoms.

Borrow the book from the library and u can read for yourself what I'm telling you. "The magnesium miracle " is worth it!

Better health takes research.

kalel profile image
kalel

I have not read all of the replys but please be careful if you are eating foods that contain dairy in them. Dairy can actually create a mucas reaction in the body, among with other things. There is a lot of info online which will explain why we should stay away dairy.

youtube.com/watch?v=0O-ehIk...

youtube.com/watch?v=gVcvjdU...

youtube.com/watch?v=xT99P5O...

Dunkenb profile image
Dunkenb

I'm type one diabetic, and when my blood sugar drops fast I get very similar symptoms ( shaking, brain fog, etc) I always carry fast acting glucose tablets. 2 or 3 of them and my sugar levels rise rapidly and I can carry on with my day.

kalel profile image
kalel in reply toDunkenb

Dunkend if you have not done this already I would check out someone called the mindful diabetic he has type one diabetes and has some great info on fb, you tube, periscope and instagram.

victoria1000 profile image
victoria1000

Dairy ruins the cells in the pancreas. So my advice is to try to avoid dairy.

Avocado is good and Brazil nuts. If you can make a smoothie with a blend of nuts seeds and green vegetables that will sustain you. Fast foods never make you feel full.

If you focus on a job that makes you happy it will come to you

Warm regards

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply tovictoria1000

victoria1000,

You wrote "Dairy ruins the cells in the pancreas.".

That is a big claim. As it stands, it would appear to cover all dairy sources - cow, goat, sheep, camel, donkey and even human breast-milk. Fermented and non-fermented. Is that what you mean?

victoria1000 profile image
victoria1000 in reply tohelvella

Why is it normal to have the milk of another animal. Also for cows to produce so much milk they are given hormones which affects our hormone levels.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply tovictoria1000

I am not claiming anything about "normality" of consuming the milk of another species. I am claiming normality of consuming milk of one's own species - at least until weaning. However, what I was asking was for clarification of your statement so that we can understand what you are saying and more precisely what you mean.

Please let us know which hormones are given to cows in the EU. So far as I am aware it is illegal to do so. (That is not to say that it never, ever happens. Illegal activities do take place. But I do believe that there are some checks in the system to try to prevent it happening without being detected.)

victoria1000 profile image
victoria1000 in reply tohelvella

When I had the most aggressive breast Cancer I read Professor Jane Plant's book "Your Life In Your Hands". Her book empowered me.

Since then I have avoided all dairy products.

Cows do not normally produce the amount of milk that they are currently producing. Their udders are so heavy.

Then they are slaughtered when they are 6 years old

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply tovictoria1000

victoria1000,

Do you mean that I have to buy that book in order to understand what you posted? "Dairy ruins the cells in the pancreas."

Please note: I am trying to understand what that means.

Yes - dairy cattle do supply prodigious quantities of milk. Yes - dairy cattle do get slaughtered at some point. But I still don't get your point.

victoria1000 profile image
victoria1000 in reply tohelvella

As a nurse to stay registered I had to read research to stay on the register. So therefore it difficult for me to find that particular research paper. However you can Google it or order it from the British library. Also you can Google Update Magnesium and Krispin shows so many research papers

faith63 profile image
faith63

If you have hashi's, many people have food sensitivities to nuts and dairy and it makes them worse.

tidalpine profile image
tidalpine in reply tofaith63

Can you elaborate on what that is? I would like to know more. How is it diagnosed?

faith63 profile image
faith63 in reply totidalpine

Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease, responsible for about 90% of all hypo cases. It is tested for by antibodies testing. I know you are really young, but you really have to find out why you have low thyroid and not to just except a doctors word for it or except feeling ill. I suspect your thyroid treatment is too low, too. Hashi's is a problem with your immune system.

Heloise profile image
Heloise

Clinical trials have found many medicinal benefits from cinnamon. Cinnamon protects mitochondria after stroke and may help reduce blood sugar. It's also known to blocks angiogenesis which cuts off the food supply to cancer...

suzycohen.com/articles/cinn...

ScotsLassLondon profile image
ScotsLassLondon

I don't know if this is something that might interest you or not - I'm on a no/extremely low carb diet (gut probs) and doing well. But when I'm out and about it's difficult to find snacks to fill me up and to keep dizziness at bay. Nuts just weren't getting digested quickly enough (and properly) to get the energy into my body.

Out of desperation to make something like a biscuit I've been making a sort of hard biscuit like an oat cake. I think you live in the USA so don't know if you have them there. But Google "Scottish oatcake".

But mine doesn't have oats in.

I use a coffee grinder

And grind

Chia seeds

Pumpkins seeds

(And sunflower seeds - if you fancy it)

Into a fine dust (like flour) it will be moist because of the natural oil content

Add a sprinkling of sea salt to taste

a couple of eggs

And then olive oil so that it all sticks together

You can play around with the measures.

If it's too wet grind some more chia seeds

Or you can buy almond flour and add that

The chia seeds produce a jelly like consistence when damp so it helps it all stick together.

It will be like biscuit dough.

You can roll it out in a big flat circle on a baking sheet.

Cook it in the over on 180 centigrade for 10-12 mins the oils will bubble out of it and look green. Don't be alarmed.

Take out and check there is very slight browning/toasting and when you prod it it's hard.

Let it cool and then you can break it up into big biscuit shards.

The amount of energy and sustenance I get from these biscuits have blown my mind.

I was at a party/staying at a friends the other day and I couldn't eat any of the carb filled dishes. But with my secret biscuits I had a full tummy and felt really strong/energized.

Worth a try, I think.

Play around with the measures, but I recommend that you do grind the chia seeds rather than leave them whole as your body with absorb them much quicker.

And of course you could make little individual biscuits instead.

Depending on the ratio of chia seeds to pumpkin it will be more brown looking with more chia and more green with more pumpkin. Don't toast the pumpkin seeds before grinding them - just use them green.

Zxx

KateAllies profile image
KateAllies in reply toScotsLassLondon

wow brilliant!

rosemaryanne profile image
rosemaryanne

Poor you, if you were diabetic people would have some idea of your condition. Hypoglycemia? Most people have never even heard of it.

I was diagnosed at the age of 22 after a 5 hr fasting glucose blood test in a London hospital. I don't know what the drs were looking for but when they decided it was "only" hypoglycemia, they sent me home telling me to make sure I ate regularly, at least every 4 hours.

That was 35 years ago so I've had a while to find out what does and doesn't work!

Your post asks for help with your work situation. That's tricky not knowing the personalities involved but I can empathise with you feeling patronised. I was made to feel like a stupid neurotic young woman. That kind of stress just makes the condition worse.

You say you have a healthy diet but it sounds like you are snacking a lot to try and keep your blood sugar stable. What works for me is the low GI traffic light diet. It's easy to learn which are red light foods and to avoid them altogether to begin with. I eat 3 regular meals every day and rarely snack although the diet recommends 3 snacks a day. Like you I'm not tall , 5 ft, so any extra pounds really show. The slow release sugars in the diet give me 5 to 6 hours without needing to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal - homemade muesli, with probiotic yoghurt, blueberries and banana.

I go months now without problems but on the rare occasion that I do, I have learned to spot an attack well before it gets critical. The temptation is to reach for something sweet, dried fruit or a fizzy drink, for example. In my experience that is the worst thing you can do. Yes you'll get a quick sugar rush, followed by an equally dramatic dip leaving you worse off than before. If you can find food bars of around 200 calories with 20-30 grams of cars, 12-15 of protein and 5 of fat. These are the ones to go for. Fresh fruit is good too and the GI diet has recipes for muffins and fruit bread which are great as well.

It will take trial and error but hopefully you will find what works for you. Good luck!

hose1975 profile image
hose1975

I would suggest heading over to the forums at the diabetes.co.uk website. They're specialised in abnormal blood sugar conditions in the way this forum is to thyroid disorders and they have many people in the same boat as you (both in terms of your condition and employment situation).

angelaat27 profile image
angelaat27

hi, hypoglycaemia is really the earliest stage of type 2 diabetes and therefore extremely common. You get low blood sugar because you are having insulin spikes due to the amount of carbohydrate you are eating. You therefore have to work at preventing excessive insulin production. Carbohydrate causes an insulin spike but so does protein in a less extreme way. Only fat has no effect on insulin. You may have heard the expression LCHF. This is a low carb high fat diet which will cure your symptoms. If you are on Facebook check out "reversing diabetes". There is 10,000 members on there and you will find all the help you need. Somebody else mentioned the Banting diet which is the same thing. Check out Tim Noakes.

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