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Hallie	Apr-01-02, 10:05 AM (CMT)
"Low glycemic diet?"
Petey, could you explain this diet? and have you lost weight on it? Thanks, Hallie
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RE: Low glycemic diet?, petey, Apr-01-02, (1) RE: Low glycemic diet?, Hallie, Apr-01-02, (2) RE: Low glycemic diet?, CrazyDaisy, Apr-01-02, (3) RE: Low glycemic diet?, Steve B , Apr-01-02, (4) RE: Low glycemic diet?, CrazyDaisy, Apr-01-02, (5) RE: Low glycemic diet?, Norma, Apr-02-02, (6) RE: Low glycemic diet?, Steve B , Apr-02-02, (7) RE: Low glycemic diet?, CrazyDaisy, Apr-02-02, (8)

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petey	Apr-01-02, 06:14 PM (CMT)
1. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
Hi Hallie, I suspected after reading alot of Steve's posts about hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), that was a factor in my migraines. If I even go a few hours without snacking, I get real weak and shakey. But it's more than skipping meals. Eating sweets or simple carbohydrates can send my blood sugar to real low levels within an hour or so after eating it. I feel shakey and hungry all over again. It can be a vicious cycle for some people. Each food product we eat takes a certain amount of time to digest and release sugar or glucose into our system. Foods that release too much sugar, too quickly tend to cause the most problems for people that have hypoglycemia. Steve has posted excellent information on the subject of hypoglycemia if you want to check the archives on the subject. Hypoglycemia is closely related to diabetis and many people have hypoglycemia before becoming outright diabetic since it is the pancreas working overtime producing insulin. Too much quick sugar in the system can in some individuals cause the pancreas to produce too much insulin, hence the "low blood sugar" syndrome. Now, to answer your question about what a low glycemic diet is; it's basically eating alot of small meals throughout the day and eating whole foods as opposed to highly processed foods. Cutting out the sweets and junk food is usually a wise thing to do. Eating lots of raw fruit and vegetables is suggested. There is a ton of information on this type of diet on the Internet. Type in "low glycemic diet" into your web browser and see how much info comes up. I believe many people that get migraines may have this condition and need to address the problem in order to get better relief. Steve was completely cured of his migraines. I'm working towards mine. Unfortunately, I have severe menstrual symptoms that seems hard for me to avoid, so I can't say I'm cured of migraines. But I am getting far fewer sinse I addressed the dietary aspect of my life. I haven't lost weight on the diet but I haven't tried sinse my weight hasn't been an issue for me. Weight loss certainly can happen if you keep the saturated fat down and keep your portions small. Drink water instead of juice too. Juice is loaded with sugar. If I really need a juice drink, I mix it half and half with water. I also take a supplement of magnesium, B2, and feverfew called "Migra-lieve". Hope this helps you. Petey
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	Hallie	Apr-01-02, 09:03 PM (CMT)
	2. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	Many thanks, Petey, for the detailed response. I will research this further. Hallie
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CrazyDaisy	Apr-01-02, 09:53 PM (CMT)
3. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
I would like to thank you for the information too. I've also decided to give the low glycemic diet a try. I've always experienced those same feelings if I go several hours without eating--I get shaky, dizzy, and see black spots. At work, I've got a whole drawer full of fruit and stuff, and my boyfriend is always bringing me bottles of water and reminding me to nibble! I've always been a fairly healthy eater--all whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables--but on Saturday, I went to a party and binged on junk food (four brownies!), and I am really paying for it now in the form of a major migraine. So, I've decided to take the next step. I've ordered a couple of books from Amazon, and while waiting impatiently for them to come, I've gone two whole days on a diet of whole grains, protein and fruit. I'm craving sugar like crazy--please tell me this gets easier!--but I really want to give it a good-faith effort. I'll let you all know if it helps. --Daisy
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	Steve B	Apr-01-02, 10:27 PM (CMT)
	4. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	Hallie and Daisy- I hope you don't mind if I butt in here- The really rotten thing about a carbohydrate addiction is that it can take up to 12 weeks to kick it. So if you start to feel worse in about 2 to 4 weeks, don't give up the diet. You will eventually start to feel better again! Also- be careful about cutting calories on your new diet. Some weight loss is expected but try to keep it slow. And a careful evaluation of your calorie requirement is essential in preparation of your diet plan. You don't want to trigger new headaches because of a calorie poor diet. But overeating is also likely to cause problems too. Also, be sure to NOT add any exercise when starting your diet. I had to cut out my exercise for about 3 months in order to get a good balance of calorie levels vs headaches. As headaches go away, you need to know why, and also the reason you do get new headaches. ie, Was it the exercise I added, or the new b-fast foods that caused the headache? Wishing you a pain free day! Steve
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	CrazyDaisy	Apr-01-02, 10:36 PM (CMT)
	5. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	No exercise?! I'm at the gym 4-5 times a week, unless I'm housebound with a migraine. I've found that exercise can actually help distract me from moderate pain. Also, when I don't work out, it really affects my overall sense of well-being, which could possibly make me more suceptible to a migraine. I'm always very careful about eating something small before and after a workout. Isn't there some way it can be worked into a healthy diet?
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	Norma	Apr-02-02, 07:10 AM (CMT)
	6. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	Daisy--I think what Steve meant was not to start a new exercise program. When you are making a major dietary change like starting the low glycemic way of eating you can avoid some of the pitfalls by keeping other metabolic factors reasonably stable. So if you normally work out several time a week, then just do what you normally do. At least that is my take on it. Maybe Steve will weigh in with something different. Norma
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	Steve B	Apr-02-02, 07:32 AM (CMT)
	7. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	Daisy- You are absolutely right about the benefits of exercise, and it is essential to proper carbohyrate metabolism. I too exercised 45 minutes a least 4 times a week prior to starting my diet, and I exercise reglularly now. However exercise burns calories and depletes glucose and if you are suffering undetermined fluctuations in glucose levels, than this is not a good thing to do at the start of a diet whose purpose it to determine if LBS is your migraine trigger. Initially, you have to be very careful about exercise, calories burned, peak effort etc. Perhaps a very measured and non variable routine MAY be acceptable, but you run the risk of inconclusive results on your diet. Once you have your glucose levels well under control and know how each physical symptom relates to a particlar glucose level, you can add all the exercise you want, with great benefits in health and BS control. The first few months of a new diet may bring about a lot of changes in how you feel and sleep. And if you are lucky enough to reduce your migraine frequency greatly, you may find that the migraines you do have will become much more intense for a while. Which for me, was all the more reason not to trigger a new migaine by adding a variable like exercise at the start of the diet. IMHO! Wishing you a pain free day! Steve
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	CrazyDaisy	Apr-02-02, 05:52 PM (CMT)
	8. "RE: Low glycemic diet?"
	Oh, okay, sorry to freak out like that! Thanks for the information! --Daisy
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