Introduction
Knowing how to lower your blood sugar naturally is key to treating pre-diabetes, or diabetes. Consider exercising regularly. Eat more fiber, snacking more, and take more probiotics. Hyperglycemia is associated with diabetes and prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.
Role of Insulin in Your Body
Normally, your body regulates blood sugar levels by producing insulin. It is a hormone that allows cells to utilize sugars circulating in the blood. Insulin is, therefore, the most important regulator of blood sugar levels. However, several factors can impair glycemic control and cause hyperglycemia. Internal causes of hyperglycemia include too much glucose in the liver. Another cause is too little insulin in the body, or the body’s inability to use insulin effectively. The latter is called “insulin resistance.” External factors include dietary habits, certain medications, sedentary lifestyles, and stress.https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetes-diet-exercise
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 13% of US adults have diabetes. Other additional 34.5% have pre-diabetes. This means that nearly 50% of adults in the United States are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Controlling blood sugar levels is especially important for people with diabetes. Because chronically high blood sugar levels can lead to limb- and life-threatening complications. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-management/art-20047963
Here are Easy, Science-based Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally
- Play Sports Regularly
Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain a moderate weight and improve your insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity means that cells can more effectively consume available sugars in the bloodstream. Exercise also helps your muscles utilize blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction. If blood sugar control is difficult. Consider checking your blood sugar before and after exercise.
Sports Snacks
This will help you learn how to respond to different activities. It will prevent your blood sugar from getting too high or too low. Researchers also recommend so-called “sports snacks”. This is to lower blood sugar levels and prevent damage caused by prolonged sitting. A workout snack simply means that throughout the day he takes a few minutes of sedentary breaks every half hour. Recommended exercises include light walking and simple resistance exercises such as squats and leg raises.
Other Useful Exercises
These exercises include weightlifting, brisk walking, running, cycling, dancing, hiking, and swimming. Any activity that energizes and keeps you moving regularly is better than a sedentary lifestyle, regardless of its intensity. And remember, even if you can’t keep up with long hours of training throughout the week. You’ll still get a lot of benefits. For example, let him train for 10 minutes three times a day for five days in a row, aiming for 150 minutes a week.
- Control Your Carb Intake.
Carbohydrate intake has a significant impact on blood sugar levels. Your body breaks down carbohydrates primarily into sugars such as glucose. Insulin helps the body use and store energy. If you eat too many carbs or have trouble with your insulin function. This process can fail, and your blood sugar levels rise.
Manage Your Carbohydrate Intake
For this reason, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends. People with diabetes should manage their carbohydrate intake by counting and recognizing their needs. Some studies have found that this helps you plan your meals better. Further improve blood sugar control. Many studies also show. A low-carbohydrate diet can help lower blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes.
It’s important to note that a low-carb diet and a no-carb diet are not the same thing. You can eat some carbohydrates while monitoring your blood sugar. However, prioritizing whole grains over processed grains and refined carbs can help lower blood sugar while increasing nutritional value.
- Eat More Fiber.
Fiber slows down carbohydrate digestion and sugar absorption. It promotes a more gradual rise in blood sugar. Dietary fibers are of two types: soluble and insoluble. Both are important, but soluble fiber has been shown to improve glycemic control. Whereas insoluble fiber does not. Eating a high-fiber diet improves the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. It helps keep blood sugar levels to a minimum. This may help manage type 1 diabetes better.
High-fiber foods include
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Full grains
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. It’s about 14 grams for 1,000 calories.
- Drink Water to Stay Hydrated.
Drinking enough water can help keep your blood sugar in a healthy range. Not only does it prevent dehydration. It also helps the kidneys excrete excess sugar from the urine. A review of observational studies showed. People who drank more water had a lower risk of developing hyperglycemia.
Drinking water regularly keeps your blood hydrated, and lowers your blood sugar levels. Hence reduces your risk of diabetes. Note that water and other non-caloric beverages are suitable. Avoid anything with added sugar. It can raise blood sugar levels. Also, promotes weight gain, and increases the risk of diabetes.
- Implementation of Partial Control
Controlling your food intake can help you regulate your calorie intake. It maintains a healthy weight. Consequently, weight management has been shown to promote healthy blood sugar levels. This can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Monitoring your meal size can also help prevent blood sugar spikes.
Helpful Tips for Managing Portions
- Measure and weigh yourself.
- Use smaller plates.
- Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants.
- Read food labels and check portion sizes.
- Keep a food diary.
- Eat slowly
- Choose Foods With a Low Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly carbohydrates are broken down during digestion. Moreover, how quickly the body absorbs them. This affects how fast your blood sugar rises. GI values divide foods into low, medium, and high GI groups and rank them on a scale of 0-100. Low-GI foods are ranked below 55. Both the amount and type of carbohydrates you eat determine. How foods affect blood sugar levels. In particular, eating low-GI foods has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Low- to Medium-GI Foods
- Barley
- Unsweetened Greek yogurt
- Oats
- Beans
- Lens
- Legumes
- Whole wheat pasta
- Low-starchy vegetables
Plus, adding protein and healthy fats can help minimize postprandial spikes in blood sugar.
- Try to Control Your Stress Levels.
Stress can affect blood sugar levels. When you’re stressed, your body releases the hormones glucagon and cortisol. Which raises blood sugar levels. A study by a group of college students showed that exercise, relaxation, and meditation significantly reduced stress and lowered blood sugar levels. Exercise and relaxation techniques such as yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction. It can also help address insulin secretion problems in people with chronic diabetes.
- Monitor Your Blood Sugar.
Monitoring your blood sugar levels can help you better control them. This can be done at home using a portable blood glucose meter called a glucometer. Consult your physician about this option. Keeping a record will help you decide if you need to adjust your diet or medications. It also tells you how your body reacts to certain foods.
Importance of Measuring Blood Glucose
Be sure to measure your levels regularly every day and log the numbers. Also, it may be even more helpful to measure blood glucose twice (e.g., before and after exercise or 2 hours before and after meals). This will let you know if you need to make small changes to your diet. If your blood sugar is spiking. Rather than avoiding your favorite foods altogether. Adjustments include replacing starchy sides with non-starchy vegetables or limiting yourself to a handful.
- Get Enough Sleep.
Adequate sleep makes you feel good and is essential for your health. Disrupted sleep habits and a lack of rest can affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. This will increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It may also increase appetite and promote weight gain.
Role of Cortisols
In addition, lack of sleep increases levels of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol plays an important role in blood sugar control, as indicated above. Both quantity and quality are important for getting enough sleep. At least 7-8 hours of quality sleep are recommended by the National Sleep Foundation for adults each night.
To improve your sleep quality, try the following
- Stick to your sleep schedule.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day.
- Do you play sports regularly?
- Spend less time looking at screens before bed.
- Keep your bedroom cool.
- Limit naps
- Create a bedtime routine.
- Use calming scents such as lavender.
- Avoid working in the bedroom.
- Take a warm bath or shower before bed.
- Try meditation or guided imagery.
- Eat Foods Rich in Chromium and Magnesium
Hyperglycemia and diabetes are associated with micronutrient deficiencies. An example of this is a deficiency of the minerals chromium and magnesium. Chromium is helpful in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It increases the effectiveness of insulin and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Foods Rich in Chromium Include:
- Meat
- Whole grain products
- Fruits
- Vegetable
- Nuts
However, the mechanisms behind this proposed association are not fully understood. The studies have reported mixed results. Therefore, more probing is required. Magnesium has also been shown to positively affect blood sugar levels. A magnesium-rich diet significantly reduces the risk of diabetes.
In contrast, low magnesium levels in diabetics can lead to insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance. However, if you already eat a lot of magnesium-rich foods and have adequate levels of magnesium in your blood. You probably won’t benefit from taking magnesium.
Foods Rich in Magnesium Include:
- Dark leafy vegetables
- Pumpkins and pumpkin seeds
- Tuna
- Full grain
- Dark chocolate
- Banana
- Avocado
- Beans
- Consider Adding Certain Foods to Your Diet
Some foods and plants are known to have medicinal properties. Anyhow, the overall quality of information for these ingredients is lower. This is due to insufficient human studies and small sample sizes. Therefore, there are no definitive recommendations for their use. Foods that are said to have anti-diabetic effects include apple cider vinegar.
Older studies show that this ingredient can lower blood sugar levels by slowing gastric emptying after meals.
Role of Spices in Blood Sugar Control
• Cinnamon. This spice improves blood sugar levels. It increases insulin sensitivity and slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive tract.https://fusionwords.com/cinnamon-a-spice-containing-surprising-health-benefits/
This decreases the rise in blood sugar levels after meals. Still, more research is needed.
• Berberine. Studies suggest that this compound lowers blood sugar levels by stimulating the enzymatic breakdown of glucose. It promotes sugar utilization in tissues and increases insulin production.
- Fenugreek seeds. Although more high-quality human studies are needed. There is evidence that fenugreek may help support blood sugar control.
Some herbal supplements can interact adversely with blood sugar-lowering medications. Therefore, if you are already taking blood sugar-lowering medications, always consult your doctor before adding these foods to your diet. Finally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements in the same way as prescription drugs. Therefore, it is important to purchase supplements. Those have been tested for purity and ingredient content by independent laboratories.
- Maintain a Moderate Weight
Maintaining an average weight encourages healthy blood sugar levels. It reduces the risk of developing diabetes. Studies have shown that losing as little as 5% of weight can improve blood sugar control. Also, reduces the need for diabetes medications. For example, a person who weighs 200 pounds (91 kg) loses only 10–14 pounds (4.5–6 kg). His blood sugar levels may improve significantly.
Additionally, reducing 5% or more of his baseline weight may improve glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. These are considered indicators of blood sugar levels from the past three months.
- Eat Healthy Snacks More Often
You may avoid high and low blood sugar levels. This you can do by spreading out your meals and snacks throughout the day. Snacking between meals also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some studies suggest that eating fewer and more meals throughout the day may improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Additionally, eating smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day can lower glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Which has been shown to improve blood sugar levels over the past three months. If you’re not sure what to eat between meals. Check out this article on snacking ideas for diabetics.
- Eat Foods Rich in Probiotics
Probiotics are friendly bacteria that offer many health benefits. The benefits include improved blood sugar regulation. Studies show that taking probiotics can lower fasting blood sugar. Including, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, studies have found that blood sugar improvements were more pronounced in people. Who took multiple types of probiotics for at least eight weeks.
Foods Rich in Probiotics
- Yogurt (if the label says it contains live, active cultures)
- Kefir
- Tempeh
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
Conclusion
There are several ways to control blood sugar naturally. Many of them involve lifestyle changes. Control your weight, stress levels, sleep quality, exercise, and stay hydrated. However, some of the biggest improvements are diet-related. Always consult your doctor before making any lifestyle changes or trying new supplements. Be careful, especially if you have problems with blood sugar control or are taking medication.
