Healthy Snacks

I am hypoglycemic. This means that I have low blood sugar. It also means, amongst other things, that I am a low key personality owing to the simple fact that my blood sugar is low. So, I am a fairly quiet person with a lack of energy, or "spark" as some people would call it. Some would call me boring, but I don't find myself boring. In any case, I have to eat fairly regularly to keep my energy levels up; about every 2-3 hours.

And, no. A person with hypoglycemia cannot just have sugar to "pick up" that low blood sugar. The body does not work that way. Just the opposite, actually. Having sugar will actually make it worse as the insulin response (already too quick in this condition as it is) to metabolize this newly added sugar will be so fast that the person stands a high probability of passing out. This has almost happened to me before on many occasions where I have eaten something that contains too much sugar (unknown to me). But, I usually make it to someplace where I can lie down and sleep it off. What is needed here are foods with "slow release" sugar. This invariably means natural foods with very little, or no added processed sugars at all. About the only time I can eat sugary foods is after a fairly large meal. That way, the sugar is buffered by the rest of the foods in my system already.

Usually I have some fruit, or yogurt, or once in a while a bag of chips (see a previous post entitled "Junk Food" regarding that). I used to have nuts until my body became unable to digest them properly anymore (even with digestive enzymes). Too much bloating and gas to make it worth my while. So, I have been trying out some interesting new healthy snacks here in Korea lately as just fruit and yogurt have become a bit boring all the time.

Here are some of the new snacks that seem to be pretty good. All of these items were purchased from Home Plus for anywhere from less than W1000 to less than W2000 (US $0.80 to US $1.60). I'm sure they can be found at other major grocery stores, too. Maybe even corner convenience store as well although I have never looked for them there.

These "Fried Peas" taste great. They remind me of some other Asian style fried peas I've had before. There is no added salt, so the flavor is just the peas. There's a slight nutty flavor to them as well. I think they are also dry fried as well because I cannot seem to detect any oily residue on my hands after eating them. About the only negative I have to say about them is that they have an extremely hard texture to them. This makes for a great crunch, but it is very hard on the teeth. I worry that I might chip or break a tooth! Yes, they are that hard. Tread very, very, carefully here.

Recommended (if you have strong teeth)

These "Black Soy-Beans" have a very nice crunch to them without being so hard as to cause worry about breaking one's teeth. They taste almost identical to unsalted roast sunflower seeds as found in packages back in North America. The soy beans are obviously roasted and, as I cannot detect any oils after handling, it must be a dry roast process. Very tasty with a nice texture.

Recommended

As far as dried "Banana Chips" go, these are amongst the best I have tasted. They have a nice crunch to them without degenerating into a slightly disappointing softness as found in banana chips in North America. The crispness stays throughout the eating process. They are naturally slightly sweet (at least I don't think there is any added sugar) with a hint of "butter-caramel-honey popcorn" in the after taste. Just a hint. That's a bit strange to describe, but it is what I taste when I eat them; an almost candy-like mix of flavors along with the main banana flavor. Very yummy.

Highly Recommended