Hypoglycemia and Tea

"Kristen" wrote in news:1170088869.709116.178360 @s48g2000cws.googlegroups.com:

Hi Kirsten,

I'm not hypo (except hypochondriac), but I know how hard giving up a substance that enters into so many foods can be (let alone such popular stuff as ice cream, white rice, etc.). Hang in there -- it's almost two (long) months, and that's something to be proud of.

It's very hard indeed giving up tea, not only the unique, subtle tastes but esp. now when you have so few things to get your blood sugar up quickly.

(BTW, you might try limiting your tea intake (though to cut out is sometimes easeir than to cut down), or using decaff tea (shudder), or equivalently giving everything a brief first steep in boiling water (don't know about pu-erh though), or you could try teas which are said to naturally have less caffeine, like Kuki-cha...)

Whatever (within your reason) keeps your hypo under control and makes life on the whole more worthwhile, I guess. They are difficult, these "for- life" diet mods. I repeat, hang in there.

Ozzy

I am hypoglycemic and actually, I found this out when joining the Navy and I was told to go eat a plate of pancakes with syrup by a medic at the MEPS (check in station) and come back for a re-test so that I could pass. Be careful with fruit juices as well. I need to eat 'something' every two hour (apples are good sugars and filling) and that helps me keep levels up and stable instead of rising (when my sugar has dropped and I didn't eat anything and I had to suck down some a snicker's bar or a slushie, or something) and falling and getting irritable and cloudy-clumsy So, just being sure to have something, no matter how small in my stomach at all times works for me, I.E. don't go hungry

I don't think tea will suppress or accentuate your glucose levels. If anything I am hyperglycemic and it doesn't do anything to suppress my food cravings. MSN had a big article on caffeine and coffee the other day. The first page debunked the myth that it was a diuretic. I didn't read the other pages. I think if you keep your condition under control, tea in moderation will be more positive than negative. The way I look at it if my medical condition is so grave then tea won't make any difference. There was a previous post on tea interfering with chemo. If it was me, I'd say up the chemo but never been there. I do know my enjoyment of tea is part of my psyche. I want to check out with a cup in my hand.

Jim

I agree with Jim. And, you can always do a quick soak and wash some of the caffeine away. With my hypoglycemic patients, I often recommend that they follow a tiny caffeine jolt with some protein 20 minutes or so later - a handful of almonds or a tiny bit of cheese or toasted soy nuts. This, of course, is a suggestion and not to be used in lieu of conventional medical care. Shen

I was diagnosed with the same thing about 20 years ago. I've dropped a lot of the "bad" stuff from my diet, but I'm also having trouble with tea. For about the last month or so I had managed to cut it out altogether, then I started to slip. My theory now is that if this is my one vice, if I go easy and it's not affecting me too badly, then I can live with it.

I find it helps to only take in caffeine on a full stomach. On an empty stomach it will do me in.

Bill

Kristen Wrote:

Tea Guy,

Have you ever tried any herbal tea? Most of them have very very little or no caffeine in them so that might be something for you to try.

Also, try so white tea. It contains under 10mg of tea and you can even make it have less caffeine by steeping it for about 30 seconds, pouring the tea out, then steeping again and drinking.

Jeremy

I was writing based on your first sentences... but then i got to where you say you 'gave up sugar...'

Do you mean you're HYPO(low)glycemia(blood sugar) or HYPER(high)glycemia(blood sugar)(diabetes) Caffeine somewhat lowers glycemia so you do not have to abstain from it , in diabetes. And tea should have no problem with diabetes. (plain tea no sugar).

~~~~~~~~ this was regarding hypoglycemia:

Depends on how 'sensible' you are to caffeine. Do you have a blood sugar monitor and you know how low you go? Do you feel when your blood sugar goes down? Is it a very incapacitating effect = dizzy, blackouts? You should have glucose tablets or something like that with you at all times then. I'd say test around your limits and adjust accordingly. You dont have to be off tea completely. Less black tea. Coffee probably should be off.

Caffeine is one of a long list of things that can cause blood sugar levels to be unstable. I'm still learning about this whole thing. I am particularly vulnerable to what I eat in the evening and later. If I were have some chinese food for dinner, followed by some ice cream, I could count on having some nasty symptoms the next day. That's just how my body works...I get brain fog, shaky, irritable. Apparently it's probably an overreactive pancreas. I never became aware of it until I had children...having a two year old boy makes it very important to avoid added irritability. Most people have a sip of OJ, followed by a good protein snack if they're having symptoms. I try not to let it get to that point, obviously. I'm considering getting a glucometer so I can see exactly what my levels are doing.

I did a short first steep when I made my green tea yesterday. I also got some lovely ginger lemon herb tea, which I really like. I combined it with some decaf green and it was even better.

Kristen

This may interest all who like the sweet taste but can't take sugar....

I discovered this pretty cool tea when I was visiting my friend's family farm in China. First sip is bitter but subsequent sips - sweet! Even the water tastes sweet afterwards.

Needless to say I had to stock it - started my own tea business about a year ago, one of the main reasons being to supply myself with gd quality Chinese tea (at one point, I had to resort to teabags from Chinatown!) after relocating to the UK. It's White Dawn or Bitter then Sweet green teas on

Best, Hazel