hypo fixes

When your blood glucose level starts to drop, here are some handy things to have with you:

> Jelly beans are one good way to fix a hypo, but they are also prone to becoming a sticky gooey mess, or worse, furry! 6 should do the trick.

> Fruit bars - the kind mum used to put in your lunch box. They are available in a variety of flavors and all have 68% sugar or higher. Brands include: Bellis Bars, IXL and Uncle Toby's Real Fruit bars.

> Glucose Powder. As yuck as it sounds, some people carry it around in an M&M's mini container while out and about. A great idea if you find that any type of yum lollies would be too tempting to snack on

> Glucose Tablets - main advantage is they taste ordinary so you (and your friends) are unlikely to snack on them!

> Strong cordial is pretty good - tastes sickeningly sweet but it does the job in a hurry!

> Lucozade or Staminade is great. A couple of bottles in the fridge and the glove box. Careful not to have too much though - a couple of sips is generally enough. And be careful that some of those other 'sports drinks' have almost no sugar - Lucozade is the best one.

> Milo - a generous scoop into a glass of milk gives you a short boost and a more sustained lift as well from the milk.

> Sugar Sachets can easily be carried in your wallet. 3 sachets will generally treat a hypo.

> Lifesavers - you might need about 10.

And to finish it off? Remember that you'll often need some more substantial food after a hypo as well to ensure you don't just drop back down again. Muesli bars, boxes of sultanas or a glass of milk will do the trick here.

Preventing hypos is the best thing of course! See Managing glucose level for more. <