Q: I have a healthy breakfast every morning — granola, almond-milk yogurt and fruit, but by 10:30 a.m., I am feeling exhausted. It’s like my blood sugar is low. I have to eat something sweet to perk back up. (I don’t have diabetes.) What’s going on? — Katy J., Iowa City, Iowa
A: You’re describing reactive hypoglycemia, or a carb/sugar crash. The carbohydrates and sugars in fruit, the carbs in the grains in granola — along with the added sugar it often contains, and the carbs and sugar in even unsweetened almond yogurt all can add up to a pretty big dose of sugar (carbs are converted into sugar in your body) and a rapid rise in your blood glucose level. If that rise stimulates an insulin spike (that can happen in prediabetes and diabetes, with a rare enzyme deficiency or for no known reason), you end up over-clearing the glucose from your blood. Your blood sugar level tanks, along with your energy. Symptoms can include shakiness, sweating, anxiety and fatigue.
When that happens, a quick dose of half a banana, ½ cup of applesauce or ½ cup of apple, orange or pineapple juice can make you feel better. But a better approach: Eat so you don’t crash. Try the following techniques, but if they don’t work, see your doctor to be tested for pre- or full-blown diabetes or other issues.
• Include 15-20 grams of protein in every meal. You can get 7.2 grams in two egg whites (omelet); 16 grams in 2 ounces of tuna in water; almost 7 grams in 2 ounces of nondairy cheese; 6 grams in ½ cup of granola with nuts.
• Eat smaller meals, more frequently. Have a high-protein snack midday (try some tuna, walnuts, almonds or peanut butter celery sticks).
• Eliminate all foods with added sugars from your diet.
• Stick with complex carbs, 100% whole grains (not most cereals!), fresh and frozen veggies and fruits. No fast or highly processed foods.
Q: I try to make myself eat less and work out more, but I end up not doing anything that I promised myself I would. How can I stay motivated? — Steph F., San Francisco
A: Motivation — it’s the most elusive ingredient in any get-healthy plan and the most essential! Dr. Mike considers it to be the most important factor to determine for each patient he sees: “It’s key to helping people change habits.” So think about why you want to become healthier: To protect brain function? To dodge disease? To feel more confident? To not break a hip? Or to not be a financial drain on your family? Whatever your motivation, recognize that when you drop the ball you’re really saying, “I don’t matter that much.” But you do! So ...
1. Inspire yourself. Write out what it will mean to you if you stick with your plan to become healthier. Refer to it frequently, especially when in the vicinity of cake, fries or the couch!
2. Set reasonable goals — don’t plan on going from zero to 100 in a flash. When it comes to wellness goals, small changes can have a large impact. Add one serving a day of a vegetable to your diet in week one. Add another each week until you reach five or more servings a day. Plan on walking 20 minutes a day for a week; 30 minutes daily the next week; 60 minutes a day in a month.
3. Cultivate consistency. Set a reminder on your phone for each day’s physical activity — beep, beep, beep! It’s 7:30 a.m. (or whatever works for your schedule); time for a walk. Every Sunday, write out your week’s healthy menu plan; stock the house with the food you need.
4. Get support. That can come in the form of an online therapist, a trainer, a diabetes educator (if you have diabetes), a nutritionist, an exercise group — say a cycling or walking club, a friend, family member or gym pal. Remember, you matter!
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August 08, 2021 at 11:00AM
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Drs. Oz & Roizen: What's a carb crash and how to avoid it; staying motivated - The Union Leader
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