People Avoiding Simple Carbs

[futurehope]

I've avoided simple carbs in the past, and it did not help my POTS. I lost weight, became weak and eventually went back to simple sugars.

Are you sticking with complex carbs and is it helping with your POTS symptoms? What happens when you eat simple sugars? Thanks in advance.

[iheartcats]

I'd love to know. I'm looking for anything that will help me at this point due to my situation.

It's interesting it didn't help you though --- did you eat a lot of carbs to begin with?

[Sophia3]

Avoiding "simple carbs" does not do SQUAT for me.

However learning about the glycemic index of foods helped me more than anything.

I need to eat pure protein (preferably lean beef for the carnitine and other properties) or chicken or sometimes fish. And watch how much I eat in one sitting of any food, period.

What I NEED TO AVOID is the "fat free junk food" rubbish. I need fat to SLOW rise in my bodie's blood sugar so I don't have reactive hypoglycemia. Some of the SICKEST I ever felt in my life was when I tried FAT FREE soft yogurt (Remember that craze 20 years ago??) I am better off eating real ice cream. So are diabetics as fat free sugar junk can jack up your blood sugar.

I NEED to eat junk food to keep my weight up, too. It's either eat junk food or drink Ensure which is ALL SUGAR and way overpriced. So I make my own cookies or cakes which is concentrated forms of 'simple sugars' but the eggs/fats and or dairy products help it all work for me. Or buy treats to keep in the house.

If I try to avoid simple sugars or candy or other sweets, I can lose 10 lbs in 2 week!! I eat small amounts of food period.Try eating HIGH VOLUME Of healthy food with gastroparesis. I can't stomach salads except in tiny amounts...or veggies. Thus I need high calorie foods in tiny packages.

So my endocrinologist aka ANS doc said WHATEVER I need to keep up my energy. And my triglycerides are 57 (fifty something) and my Cholesterol is like 145.

So I don't do any of the health nut/purist/avoid 'things white' diet as I do not want to get below a 100lbs.

Years ago I bought a CFS Diet book to help with Chronic Fatigue. HA, I felt horrible on it...I think it had 'no salt' in it..this was 15 or so years ago..and we know now we need EXTRA salt.

But whatever works for individuals. We need to find our own thing but don't let others push their health agenda on you. Do what makes YOU feel better in the long run.

[iheartcats]

I'd like to try avoiding the glycemic jump. I saw an Endo once and she said it could really help.

I am just not sure what to eat...I could stand to lose some pounds so cakes/sweets can be avoided for now.

I do eat pretty bad, I think, because I seem to be sensitive to things.

Does anyone know of an overall healthy diet/eating plan that helps keep sugars under control?

[Kitsakatsa]

I heart carbs- all of them.

Carbs (and post-it-notes) make the world go around.

I eat carbs whenever given the choice because of nausea- but I have found one wonderful thing for my protein deprived life.

Instead of candy or candy bars, I eat chocolatey protein bars: powerbars. Most taste like candy anyway and they will sustain you for a very long time. I think it keeps sugar consumption (not necessarily sugars) under control because there doesn't seem to be a glycemic crash. Some have lots of vitamins-another good thing.

Its just helped me. If I get protein then I tend to not think about carbs as much.

Kits

[futurehope]

Sophia,

You really encouraged me. It feels good to hear that I'm not the only one who needs carbs. I positively get weak without the simple sugars, though I totally agree with you about the glycemic index. That's probably why I do so very well on the Balance Bar. It has protein, fat, and carbs and I feel great on them....better than on plain candy. You've given me permission to keep on keepin on with what my body needs to feel best.

Kitsakasa,

Thank you for your input. I agree that carbs are great. I think my body need all kinds, not just the complex carbs because every time I've tried removing them, down goes my energy, and down goes my weight.

Believe me when I say I've tried on multiple occasions to remove simple sugars from my diet, and I felt worse, unhealthier and too thin.

[jjb]

Ava does a medical dietary treatment for her epilepsy, LGIT (low glycemic index treatment). This is different than just LGI.

LGIT seems to have helped some of her aut issues.

In general, simple carbs or high GI carbs will absolutely exacerbate any or all of my aut symptoms.

I am curious though, since we are talking about sugars, is anyone else sensitive to fructose? Fructose is low GI, but for me it causes bladder & gut irritation.

[Sophia3]

Aside from epilepsy issues, low glycemic eating is low glycemic but it's COMPLICATED.

The food mixing or combining can affect a 'meals glycemic index' or even cooking methods will also.

i.e. cooking pasta to al dente (soft but firm) is slower to raise blood sugar than over cooked mushy pasta.

Mashed potatoes will raise blood sugar QUICKER than boiled.

So there are many nuances to the Low Glycemic index. But I feel TERRIFIC after cakes and cookies or ice cream provided it is portion controlled.

I don't eat a pint of ice cream or 10 cookies in one sitting...or raw cookie dough (ok try not to eat much raw choc chip cookie dough.)

.

[Broken_Shell]

Hi,

I have a lot of problems with hypoglycemia. I do find that I do better if I avoid potatoes and white rice and "white" pasta, but like many people who have posted on this topic, I NEED to eat a lot of carbs. I tried eating low carb (meat, vegetables, and grains like quinoa and aramanth) and I felt absolutely AWFUL. My blood sugar stayed SO low I could barely even get myself dressed after a breakfast of eggs and vegetables. I feel MUCH better as long as I eat a lot of carbs, but I do better with a lot of fruit and brown rice, brown rice or whole wheat pasta, etc. It works best for me to combine the carbs with either meat, eggs, or nut butter.

~ Broken_Shell