We'll be going over this in the yahoo nutrition class but here's what you really need to know for hypoglycemia:
It's an imbalance that happens after years of abusing the liver with tons of simple carbs without the balancing effect of good oils and protein. It also happens to people who just generally abuse their liver with stress and liver-congesting foods.
Retaining water is also due to lack of essential proteins, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc. She may need a kidney cleanse, at the very least she should be taking parsley or alfalfa.
The liver is responsible for glucose and protein manufacturing. Altho the pancreas gets blamed for hypoglycemia, the pancreas only works to offset the liver - it follows the liver's lead.
If she has no appetite, she should start out with a juice fast that includes the potassium broth, carrot/apple/parsley juice, spicy teas,
Sea Salt , light supplementation with a full-spectrum mineral or colloidial minerals, super-green drinks, cleansing drink with ACV. NO fruit juices except for citrus, and prune if she has any history of constipation.
Even if she does have an appetite this is a good way to start. But if her tongue is clean and appetite strong, then she can start out with a simple diet of kichadi, protein shake, sweet potatoes, cleansing drinks, veggie juice/broth.
She should buy some nuts and nut and fruit bars like Govinda, and have a bit of nuts with every meal. Meals should be mostly whole grains, legumes or veggies. She absolutely has to give up all
Sugar except for the occasional maple syrup or honey, white potatoes, tomatoes, refined flours except for pasta, for 3 months. A
Liver Flush or two or some kind of liver management is called for. If she doesn't like to cook, have her stock up on lentil soup - Progresso's is pretty good, no MSG. She should limit dairy. She should limit fruit to just one apple or pear or 1/2 cup of berries/cherries a day.
She needs to take in plenty of healthy oils - coconut, flax, or actually both, would be best. Be sure to tell her that these will NOT make her gain weight.
Typical day for her:
Breakfast: Protein shake or hot cereal or ground turkey fried with veggies
mid-morning or afternoon snack - nuts or nut bar or rice bar
Lunch: soup/salad/veggie juice/large sweet potato
Dinner: Kichadi or rice/beans or stir-fried rice, chicken, veggies or hot cereal (Bob's REd Mill, Lundburgh) or Quinoa, Amaranth, Teff, Millet, Brown Rice, Basmati Rice, fixed a myriad of ways, or 4-6
oz fish with veggies and rice.
Other allowed snacks: apple, pear, carrot/celery sticks, whole-grain crackers (non-wheat preferably)