Healthier Sugar and Lactose Free Diets for Nursing Mom

I have hypoglycemia, too, and have found having peanut butter helps. Honey makes is more palatable. Lots of granola bars work well, too, but you have to watch the makeup of it so you don't get that sugar crash later. Sometimes just staying away from a food long enough takes the cravings away, so you might try that for the sugar, too. It would also help with the hypoglycemia.

Try more protein rich snacks like raw nuts and boiled eggs. You can boil a few eggs at a time and have them handy when you are busy with kids. Hope this helps.

Dear K., I enjoyed a book called The Macrobiotic Way by Michio Kushi ISBN number ###-###-#### It has a nice recipe section included for your convenience. All recipes are dairy and white sugar free. My children did very well with this nutritional path. They were very rarely sick, recovered quickly when they were sick and they have nearly perfect teeth. Warm Regards, R.

Healthy sugar may be an oxymoron! Why do you crave sugar? Check out the book The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. Sugar Cravings are a symptom of something more(Serotonin?)...As a hypoglycemic you are probably aware of the importance of eating healthy food every 3 hours (4-6 small meals/ day)Protein is very important to stabilize blood sugar. Sugar actually does not help with hypoglycemia, makes it worse. Everything you eat goes to your baby. My son is lactose intolerant, and been on Goat Milk since weaned from the breast.Once you understand the cause of "sugar cravings" you can eliminate it from your life! Good Luck.

Do not use Splenda, Aspartame or Saccharin. There are many natural, healthy alternatives.

I personally have used Stevia for 20 years. I recommend it for my patients as well. You MUST use a tiny, tiny amount and then add small amounts to taste. Too much will turn you off. Stevia does not spike the glycemic index, and is safe for diabetics.

For those who do not like it, there is always, Agave Nectar, which is more slowly absorbed than other sugars.

Be aware that the sugar alcohols, ending in ol -- xylitol, mannitol, etc., can cause painful bloating and gas.

Goat milk and goat cheese products are wonderful. You can also check out sheep's milk cheeses. Trader Joe's is a great source for healthy, well priced foods.

Soy has its own share of problems. It is very hard to be sure that the soy you buy is not genetically modified. Most of the world's corn and soy crops have been contaminated.

Protein takes longer to digest and leaves you feeling full, as do fats.

First you have to make a list of what you like and what you don't and focus on the healthy options.

Beets, carrots and potatoes, as well as fruits, should provide the sugar you need for treating hypoglycemia. Carbs convert to sugar, so use high quality, unprocessed grains.

is it just processed sugar or all sugars. im alsohypoglucemic and i eat every 2 hrs. but if i have to be away from food i always carry a peanut butter and honey sandwich on sheat or seven grain bread. i make a couple of sanwiches and cut them up into 4 pieces and jsut opa a piece into my mouth when im craving sweets of my blood sugar is going down. the peanut better has carbs that will last longer than the sugar

I used to be a major sugar addict. I switched over to agave and stevia and also make sure to eat them in conjunction with protein rich foods such as nuts so that I don't end up with a major carb crash after eating a treat. I have a website with recipes full of protein rich sweet foods:

http://www.elanaspantry.com/

The cookies are especially easy to make and tasty too.

I also find that a nice warm cup of tea with some stevia can stave off a craving for sweets. I like to boil up roibos, cinammon sticks and orange peel and add a couple of drops of stevia --this fends off those late night sugar attacks and is very soothing and warming as well for the winter months.

I hope this helps!

Hi Kristen,
I had the same sugar cravings and lots of things helped me and my daughter when nursing. First I started taking probiotics- that helped me and her at the same time. If you need names I have some to share. THe second thing that I found is splenda has some really bad side effects on us and our children, sometimes later on in life. I switched to Stevia. It is completely chemical free and has no side effects. It is from a plant and is very sweet. They also have a cookbook for using it too. Stevia is so strong compared to sugar that you only use a very small amount. This so helped me to not have craving anymore. My homeopath helped me tremendously with the craving issue and now it is so amazing but they are not like they used to be. I needed a handful of chocolate chips all day long- sad huh?
Best of luck- If you have any more questions I would love to help you- I know it is no fun:)
D.

Do you ever shop at sprouts? I'd go there and check out there food options. When I did no dairy, wheat, or soy, when I was nursing, this was a life saver!!!

I also went to a naturopathic dr. with my son (Dr. Kail) and he desensitized him to foods in my diet so I didn't have to avoid anything any more!

My daughter and I both have dairy allergies, so we do alternatives. I prefer Almond Milk to Soy Milk. Almond Breeze even makes an unsweetened version in plain, vanilla and chocolate. We eat the soy or almond cheeses rather than the rice cheese (the rice cheese tastes pretty bad).

I've been doing non-refined sugar baking for years now. I use granulated fructose, 100% maple syrup, non-sugar applesauce, frozen pineapple juice concentrate and frozen apple juice concentrate. I haven't tried the Stevia, but I know people who use it and swear by it.

I agree with the other posts regarding whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The fewer processed foods you ingest, the better you'll feel. The more high fiber foods you eat, the more full you'll feel. A good web site for all this is: www.RealAge.com. You can even take their test and see how your lifestyle, eating habits and exercise are affecting your longevity.

Good luck!

Hi K.!

Stevia is just the ticket for you... It's so super sweet, it signals the pancreas that blood sugar is level, and cures the sweet tooth! You can find a wide selection of the plant-based sweetener at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Sunflower Market or Sprouts... I like the variety of flavors of the liquid form at Whole Foods.. They have flavors such as Milk Chocolate (great in your morning coffee or in a glass of non-fat milk), Grape, Lemon Drop (excellent in a glass of water with fresh lemon!)Apricot, Root Beer and more! You can get Stevia in a granulated form to add to a Bob's Red Mill baking mix or to sprinkle on some whole grain toast with cinnamon!

I hope this helps a little, Stevia was my life saver!

Best Wishes,

E. F.

Splenda probably won't help your blood sugar issues since it's just a sugar alcohol - although it starts off from a sugar molecule, after all the processing and chemical additives it's nothing like sugar! A better bet is Stevia, it's from the Stevia plant. It's sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. Research has shown it can even help control blood sugar level for diabetics (so probably will for a hypoglycemic). I love it in my iced tea and coffee. How does your baby do when you eat veggies and fruits? These are your best choices for natural 'sugars' - baked sweet potatoes are yummy and quick & easy to 'bake' in the microwave, then add a little butter or margarine and a dash of cinnamon. Are you sure it's the sugar itself that makes your daughter spit up, or is it the foods it's contained in (i.e. chocolate, pudding, etc.)? It could be she's actually reacting to hidden dairy or other types of foods or additives she may be sensitive to.

M.
Married, mother of a 6 year old daughter

For the sweet factor try Stevia. You can get it at any health food store including Sprouts. I use the liquid because it's easy to control with a dropper. Xylitol is another option. Both are natural with no caloric value. These are not synthetic like Splenda, Sweet N Low and Equal. The key to feeling full is fiber. Lots of fruits and veggies. I buy breads, cereals, tortillas etc. all with high fiber. Read the labels. It makes a big difference.

Hi K.,

Your young daugther is pretty smart! She knows that sugar and dairy aren't good for her! :o) Sugar is known as “The Enemy” or "Killer White". All the good stuff has been cooked out of it, no enzymes. Heavy use causes obesity. To find out # tsp. of sugar in a product – divide grams by 4.
Raw Sugar goes through 17 processings
White sugar goes through 37 processings!!!
Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (highly processed fructose) – very unnatural in the body
Avoid Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, NutraSweet, Splenda etc.) – synthetic - The Worst!!!!! Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is appearing under the name splenda. The manufacturers of sucralose are promoting it by informing consumers that their product is made from sugar. This is true, but what they are not telling you is that it is made by chlorinating the sugar ... chemically changing it by substituting 3 chlorine molecules for 3 hydroxyl groups. In other words, the company starts with a natural food and adulterates it! As with so many products, the FDA approved sucralose with very little in the way of evidence of safety. I encourage you to stay away from it!
Alternatives to White Sugar: Stevia - no processing, no calories, very concentrated.
Raw Honey & Real Maple Syrup - no processing
Sucanat “SUgar CAne NATural” - only 2 processings- great for baking! (1:1 ratio for sugar)
When you are in the mood for something sweet eat dried fruit (sulfur free), they're almost like candy, dates, figs, raisins (organic), apricots, fruits of any kind, frozen grapes, fig bars, healthy graham crackers, Juice Plus+ Gummies and or Juice Plus+ Thins. I love my JP+ chocolate Thins with raw almonds. When I eat them I've had my healthy Hershey candy bar for the day! :o) Want to learn more? Give me a call ... ###-###-#### or go to our website; www.yugo4health.com. Eating fruits and vegetables will keep you full! So many other foods are empty calories.

D.

Try using Stevia instead of sugar or chemical alternatives to sugar. It is a completely natural and safe sweetener and according to research will not effect your blood sugar levels. It tastes good too! :) You can get it in health food stores in a liquid form or I've seen it in the same form as sugar.

Hi K.,

I was a major sugar addict when I tried Body Balance about two years ago. After about a month of drinking this liquid, whole food, multi-mineral, multi-vitamin I opened my freezer and thought, " What the heck is that chocolate bar still doing there and how did it survive the last two weeks!?" I started noticing that I wasn't craving sugar at all any more. Many people have reported that Body Balance has helped them with their sugar cravings and blood sugar levels. The way I see it, when my body finally had all of the nutrients that it was supposed to it stopped saying, " Keep trying! Put something else in your mouth." I love the stuff. It you'd like some more information check out www.lifeforce.net/20542440

Good luck,
L.

Hi K.!
I don't recommend Splenda, I don't trust those fabricated sugars. Agave Nectar tastes just like sugar and has a consistency similar to honey. It also has fewer deterimental affects to those of us who are hypoglycemic. For your hypogylcemia, the best way to take care of this is to eat protein- all the time. You should never have anything sweet without also having some protein; be it nuts, cottage cheese, an egg, peanut butter, etc. I also recommend eating frequently to keep your blood sugar in check. I have severe reactive hypoglycemia, but since making simple dietary changes and adding Glucose Regulation Complex to my supplement regimin (From Shaklee), I have had no issues. If you are craving sugar, I think you should consider starting a supplementation regimin- it's one thing to want a cookie now and then, but craving sugar is an indication of something else- usually missing vitamins and minerals in our diets. To help you feel fuller, longer, look for high fiber along with the protein. This means going to a more whole-foods diet, which is far better for you and your family than the junky convenience foods. I have done a bit of research into this as I am also hypoglycemic, so if you need to talk more about it, just let me know. My email is ____@____.com
Hope this helps!
H. Gaitten

I would always run this by your Dr. The sugar free stuff has chemicals that could not be good for passing on to baby.

When you crave sugar try protein instead (i.e., nuts, turkey, cheese). Protein will be much more effective at stabilizing your blood sugar than actually eating sugar, plus it will help you fill full longer. Also, complex carbohydrates (i.e., whole grains)are a better choice than simple and can be combined with your protein choice (45 g complex carb, 15 g protein is a good ratio to shoot for). For sweet, try a piece of whole fruit (maybe an apple with a date) instead of sugar or splenda.

C. F.

Hi K.,

A few thoughts. My kiddo was allergic to everything as a baby (wheat, soy, dairy, nuts, eggs, and about 20 other things) so I feel your pain. Through my experiences with his allergies this is what I learned.

First, while soy as a lot of phytoestrogens in it---if your hypoglycemic symptoms are related to your hormones soy could actually make it worse. You might want to try rice milk with a little rice protein added to balance it out. You could also mix rice milk with coconut milk for the healthy fats.

Second, everyone here is right. Protein takes longer to digest so it will balance your blood sugar longer and you won't crash.

Third, sugar cravings are often the symptom of an underlying problem--yeast. You might consider doing a yeast cleanse.

Fourth, any health food store like vitamin cottage, whole foods or wild oats will have people who can teach you about healthier sugars. They include agave nectar, honey, stevia, xylitol, maple syrup.....

And finally, It would behoove you to find out the root cause of your sugar crashes. I have an amazing doctor who could change your life (I believe he saved my son's through all the food allergies). He does alternative treatments so you would have to be open to that. Let me know if you are interested.

Hope you can find some answers.....

J.

I am currently doing the no dairy while nursing (as well as no egg), hadn't ever thought of sugar. Protein and fiber are the key! Try peanut butter, eggs, nuts, and soy for protein. From trying different brands I prefer Silk's Very Vanilla Soy Milk. Also Smart Balance Light is a great spread instead of butter as it is dairy free and great for your body since there are no partially hydrogenated oils and it has flax seed oil which keeps you regular and has Omega 3 which is great for baby. Try that on a piece of wheat bread (I prefer Sara Lee smooth wheat) for a great snack. When you are craving sugar oranges and apples are great since they are sweet and high in fiber so they stick with you, apples with peanut butter is even better. I can understand craving what you can't have, I crave chocolate and cheese even more now that they are off limits. If you need any other ideas feel free to send me a message! Good luck!