Preventing Hypoglycemia While On Keto And Working Out

How to Avoid Hypoglycemia When on Keto and Working Out

Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a condition where your blood sugar drops below 3.9 mmol/L (70 mg/dL). While it is more common in individuals with diabetes, those without diabetes can also experience hypoglycemia. For those on the keto diet, which involves eating very low levels of carbohydrates, hypoglycemia can be a risk due to lower blood sugar levels. Additionally, intense exercise can also lead to hypoglycemia if carbohydrate (glycogen) stores are not replenished. Here are some strategies to help avoid hypoglycemia when on the keto diet and engaging in physical activity:

- Don't cut out all carbs: While the keto diet involves reducing carbohydrate intake, completely avoiding carbs can be dangerous for those with hypoglycemia. Your body needs time to adjust to using fat and protein as a source of glycogen, so a gradual reduction in carbs is recommended.

- Choose the right types of carbs: Focus on consuming whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, which are high in fiber. Fiber helps slow digestion, keeping blood sugar levels consistent and preventing spikes and crashes.

- Limit refined carbohydrates and alcohol: Refined carbs, such as candy, cake, cookies, and white bread, provide empty calories and can cause dramatic blood sugar spikes and drops. Alcohol can also lower blood sugar levels and interfere with weight loss goals.

- Avoid intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting can be dangerous for individuals with hypoglycemia, as it may worsen symptoms and lead to fainting. Instead, aim for smaller, balanced meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels stable.

- Eat several smaller meals throughout the day: Eating every 3-4 hours can help stabilize blood sugar levels and provide energy for exercise. Include a source of lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains or starchy vegetables at each meal.

- Pay attention to timing and composition of meals: Ensure that you are eating small meals and snacks no more than 3-4 hours apart. Include high-fiber foods, lean proteins, and healthy fats in your diet. Limit or avoid simple high GI carbohydrate foods, especially on an empty stomach.

- Consider dietary supplements: If you still struggle with hypoglycemia, certain botanical medicines and minerals can help improve how the body deals with carbohydrates. Momordica charantia and Gymnema sylvestre slow glucose absorption, while chromium, vanadium, zinc, copper, and magnesium improve the cell's ability to absorb and utilize sugars.

Eat small meals throughout the day

Eating small meals throughout the day is a great strategy for managing hypoglycemia. This approach helps to keep your blood sugar levels stable, giving you the energy to exercise without experiencing a crash. Here are some tips to implement this strategy effectively:

• Aim to eat a meal or snack every 3-4 hours to maintain consistent blood sugar levels. This frequency is particularly important if you are physically active, as exercise can lower blood sugar levels.
• Ensure that your meals are balanced and include a variety of food groups. Include a source of lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains or starchy vegetables at every meal. This balance will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and prevent drastic spikes or drops.
• Choose healthy sources of protein and fat, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil. These foods will help you stay full and satisfied without causing blood sugar spikes.
• Include non-starchy vegetables and some starchy carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes and plantains, in your diet. These foods provide essential nutrients and can be included in moderation without causing significant blood sugar spikes.
• Avoid or limit refined carbohydrates, such as candy, cake, cookies, and white bread. These foods provide empty calories and can cause rapid increases and subsequent drops in blood sugar levels.
• If you choose to consume alcohol, do so in moderation and preferably with a meal. Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels and impair your awareness of hypoglycemia symptoms.
• Listen to your body and adjust your meal timing and composition as needed. If you find that you are still experiencing hypoglycemia symptoms, experiment with different types and amounts of carbohydrates to determine what works best for you.

Choose the right types of carbs

While it may seem counterintuitive, cutting out all carbs is not the best way to avoid hypoglycemia. If you have hypoglycemia, avoiding carbs altogether can be dangerous. Your body can transform fat and protein into glycogen, but if you have hypoglycemia, your body may not be able to release glycogen fast enough, meaning your body won't be able to achieve healthy blood sugar levels through the release of stored carbohydrates alone. Turning fat and protein into glycogen is inefficient and slow, so if you experience a hypoglycemic episode, eating foods without carbohydrates won't alleviate your symptoms quickly.

Keeping some carbohydrates in your diet is important for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, but make sure to choose the right types. Opt for whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, which are high in fibre. Fibre helps slow digestion, keeping your blood sugar levels consistent while keeping you full, so you can eat less without feeling hungry or experiencing hypoglycemia.

In addition to choosing high-fibre carbs, it's important to limit refined carbohydrates, such as those found in candy, cake, cookies, and white bread. These foods provide little nutritional value and can cause dramatic spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. Instead, stick to nutrient- and fibre-rich carbohydrates, which are key for both weight loss and blood sugar management.

If you're following a ketogenic diet, it's especially important to be mindful of your carbohydrate intake. The ketogenic diet involves eating very low levels of carbohydrates to keep your body in a fat-burning state, also known as ketosis. However, because you're not consuming many carbohydrates on a ketogenic diet, your blood sugar levels will naturally be lower. If you've been on a ketogenic diet for an extended period, your glucose stores in the liver may be low, and your liver may not be able to release enough glucose into your bloodstream, leading to hypoglycemia.

To summarise, here are some tips for choosing the right types of carbs to avoid hypoglycemia:

• Include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes in your diet, as these are high in fibre.
• Limit refined carbohydrates and simple sugars, such as those found in candy, cake, cookies, and white bread.
• If following a ketogenic diet, be mindful that your blood sugar levels may be naturally lower, and adjust your carbohydrate intake accordingly.

Limit alcohol and refined carbs

Alcohol and refined carbs can cause your blood sugar levels to drop, so it's important to limit your intake of these substances, especially if you're on a keto diet and working out. Here are some tips to help you avoid hypoglycemia:

• Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach and limit your intake. Alcohol lowers blood sugar levels and can make you less aware of any hypoglycemia symptoms. It also provides calories without significant nutritional value, which isn't helpful for weight loss.
• Limit refined carbohydrates, such as those found in candy, cake, cookies, and white bread. These foods are mostly empty calories, providing little nutritional value but lots of sugar and refined flour. They can cause a dramatic rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a dramatic release of insulin and a subsequent drop in blood sugar.
• Choose nutrient-rich carbohydrates instead, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are high in fiber, which helps to slow digestion and keep your blood sugar levels consistent.
• Be mindful of the timing of your alcohol consumption. Alcohol intake can disrupt normal glucose homeostatic mechanisms and result in significant hypoglycemia. If you choose to drink, it's best to do so with a meal to avoid dangerous drops in blood sugar.
• Be cautious of combining keto and alcohol. Following a ketogenic diet for a prolonged period and consuming alcohol can increase the risk of hypoglycemia. This combination may disrupt normal glucose homeostasis and impair your brain's response to hypoglycemia.

Avoid intermittent fasting

If you're on a keto diet and want to avoid hypoglycaemia while working out, it's important to note that combining keto with intermittent fasting can be dangerous and may worsen symptoms of hypoglycaemia, leading to fainting. Here are some tips to avoid hypoglycaemia while on a keto diet and working out, without resorting to intermittent fasting:

Choose the Right Fasting Time

Choose a fasting time that suits your health. Avoid fasting if you are sick, stressed, or physically weak. If you're feeling unwell or your body is giving you signals that it's not ready for a workout, it's best to listen to those cues and avoid exercising.

Eat the Right Foods

When breaking your fast, opt for foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, potatoes, and vegetables. These foods help maintain stable blood sugar levels. Avoid high-sugar foods like candy or sugary drinks, as they can cause blood sugar spikes and drops.

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated is crucial, as dehydration can affect your blood sugar levels. Drink enough water during your fasting periods to prevent dehydration. This will also help with overall health and ensure your body can function optimally during workouts.

Monitor Your Blood Sugar Levels

Routinely check your blood sugar levels, especially while fasting and working out. If you start feeling unwell or experience any symptoms of hypoglycaemia, immediately check your blood sugar and take appropriate action, such as drinking water or consuming complex carbohydrates.

Avoid Strenuous Exercise

Intense exercise can accelerate the decrease in blood sugar levels, so it's best to avoid strenuous workouts while fasting. Instead, opt for low-intensity exercises such as walking, cycling, swimming, or yoga. You can still break a sweat, but at a gentler pace that won't deplete your glucose reserves too quickly.

Focus on Glycogen Depletion

Both fasting and working out deplete glycogen levels, which is our body's stored form of glucose. When these stores are depleted, the body starts burning fat for energy. This is a key aspect of keto, so by understanding this process, you can better manage your blood sugar levels and avoid hypoglycaemia.

Optimise with Keto Adaptation

Keto pairs well with fasting and working out because it keeps your body in a fat-burning state. If you're already keto-adapted, combining it with fasting and exercise can be a powerful strategy for all-day fat burning. Just ensure you're consuming enough calories and protein to support your energy needs and muscle maintenance.

Remember, it's crucial to listen to your body and adjust your approach as needed. Consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns or underlying health conditions, especially diabetes, as they can provide personalised advice and guidance.

Eat a balanced diet with protein, fat and fibre

Eating a balanced diet with protein, fat, and fibre is key to managing hypoglycemia while on the keto diet and working out. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Choose the Right Types of Carbohydrates

While the keto diet restricts carbohydrate intake, keeping some carbohydrates in your diet is crucial for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Opt for whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes, which are high in fibre. Fibre helps slow digestion, keeping your blood sugar levels stable and preventing spikes. It also makes you feel fuller for longer, aiding in weight loss.

Limit Refined Carbohydrates and Alcohol

Refined carbohydrates, such as those found in candy, cakes, cookies, and white bread, are nutritionally deficient and can cause drastic blood sugar spikes and drops. Instead, stick to nutrient-dense, fibre-rich carbohydrates. Additionally, alcohol lowers blood sugar levels and can increase the risk of hypoglycemia, especially when consumed on an empty stomach. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation and with a meal.

Eat Balanced Meals Throughout the Day

Instead of eating large meals with long gaps in between, opt for several smaller, balanced meals throughout the day. Include a source of lean protein, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, or beans, a source of healthy fat, such as nuts, seeds, avocado, or olive oil, and a source of whole grains or starchy vegetables. This helps keep your blood sugar levels stable and provides sustained energy for your workouts.

Increase Your Protein Intake

Protein is essential for managing hypoglycemia. It affects insulin and blood sugar levels much less than carbohydrates, so including healthy sources of protein in your meals will help stabilise blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Aim to increase your protein intake, as most people do not get enough in their daily diet.

Focus on Healthy Fats

When following a keto diet, it is crucial to focus on healthy fats. Choose sources that provide mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as avocados, instead of saturated fats like butter. Healthy fats will help you stay satiated and provide your body with the energy it needs during workouts without spiking your blood sugar levels.

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