Having a 'Hypo' or Hypoglycaemia attack is something I am familiar with, because I'm a Type 1 diabetic.
No matter how carefully a diabetic tries to manage their blood sugar levels, there are times when it all goes pear-shaped.
Just when you're congratulating yourself on all the nice low even numbers recorded in your blood sugar monitoring diary, suddenly you get a low.
Then, after you've got through it - having taken the glucose tablets, drunk the fruit juice and had the snack, you start the inquest.
What did you eat, were you stressed, did you drink and extra glass of wine? And so on.
And believe me, you want to know, so that you try to avoid another attack, because afterwards you don't feel fit for anything, and because when you blood sugar level dives to about 2.
7 mmol/L - approx 50 mg/dL it's not good for your health! Of course diabetes isn't an easy illness to live with and no matter how we try things will sometimes go wrong.
As my doctor told me the other day, when I was having a bit of a moan, " Dealing with diabetes is a constant battle!" So what are the main risk factors for bringing on a Hypoglycaemia Attack? These are the main foods and traits that a diabetic needs to avoid:

• You must stop eating sugary foods or refined carbohydrates such as fruit juice, candies, cakes, white bread, most breakfast cereals, and drinks such as Coke or Pepsi.
  
• Avoid eating junk food, fast food and processed foods.
  
• Keep alcohol to a strict limit because it can lower blood sugar quite drastically.
  
• Smoking - is a stimulator and will upset your blood sugar balance.
  
• Drinking coffee, soft drinks, tea, medications and anything else containing caffeine has a very powerful and immediate effect of raising blood sugar levels.
  Although it may give you a lift for a couple of hours your blood sugar levels will soon fall again.
  
• I know it's easier said than done, but do try to avoid getting stressed.
  
• Not eating complex carbohydrates in your diet, such as spinach, multi-grain bread, oat bran cereal,cabbage,brown rice,kidney beans, lentils, green vegetables etc.
  
• A lack of protein in your diet can cause low blood sugar levels.
  
• Taking excessive exercise, and not regulating your insulin or oral-type medication to match the extra effort.
  
• Giving yourself too much insulin or medication in relation to the food you are eating, or to your exercise (this is something I have been guilty of in the past).
  
• For Type 1 diabetics, forgetting to regularly test your blood sugar because if you see the signs you can take action right away, to stop a hypo before it gets started.
  

So in a nutshell, if you want to avoid the dreaded hypo, eat healthily, avoid refined carbohydrates, keep calm in every difficult situation, shun all bad habits, and if you are off on a strenuous walk take your blood-testing kit, some glucose tablets,a glucose drink, and an oat cake with you.
Always be prepared! And last but not least try to have a good laugh every day.
Life with diabetes may be tough at times, but at least we can learn how to deal with it!