Eating enough

Ever wondered, why after an hour or two of eating, you again feel like gorging on food? The reason is phenomenon called reactive hypoglycaemia. Usually, people who eat large meals or meals high on carbohydrates experience this condition. After eating a high carbohydrate meal, the pancreas may over-react by releasing too much insulin (a hormone that regulates the uptake and utilisation of glucose by our body), causing blood sugar to fall below normal. Chronic starvation, strenuous exercise, severe stress or consuming alcohol while eating a high carbohydrate meal, could also lead to reactive hypoglycaemia, at times. Reactive hypoglycemia may also be of concern in athletes following a consumption of a high carbohydrate meal 30-60 minutes prior to an athletic event.

In reactive hypoglycaemia, because the overproduction of insulin is delayed, the blood glucose levels first rise too high and then fall too quickly to going below the normal level. Hypoglycemia is often the reason for typical midmorning and mid-afternoon slumps. It can impair the normal function of the brain and you may experience poor concentration and confusion. Fatigue, weakness, craving for food, hunger pangs, drowsiness may also be observed in such situations. In some, this form of glucose intolerance may also indicate a potential or pre-diabetic situation and may induce obesity.

The way to prevent this is to eat small frequent meals, high in proteins along with complex carbohydrates to maintain a slow, steady release and uptake of glucose. Complex carbohydrates with low glycemic index include unrefined and minimally processed foods like whole grains, brown rice, oats, pulses, legumes, fruits, vegetables etc.
Glycemic Index” (GI)- estimates the potential of different foods to raise blood glucose. Foods with low glycemic index are digested slowly and cause a slower rise in blood sugar; however, foods with high glycemic index trigger a sharp increase in blood glucose, followed by a dramatic fall.

It is also important to restrict intake of simple carbohydrates and sugars to minimise the sudden increase in blood sugar levels. This restriction includes sugar, honey, jaggery, corn syrup, fructose (fruit sugar), polished rice, corn flour, refined flour (maida) etc. White bread, cakes, cookies, pizzas, burgers, wraps etc. prepared from refined wheat flour and sweetened beverages also come under the umbrella of simple carbohydrates. Caffiene and alcohol must be avoided as it may worsen the symptoms of hypoglycaemia. Regular exercise and stress management through meditation and yoga can also help keep sugars in balance. If you think, eating more or eating high carbohydrate foods will fix your low energy levels, think again!