Diabetics or high blood sugar level is not an unfamiliar condition now. High blood sugar occurs when your body can’t effectively transport sugar from the blood into cells and thus making it difficult to lower blood sugar levels in the long run. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat.
Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. In some cases, the body does not produce or effectively use insulin. In that case, the glucose does not reach the cells and hence pushes you to a diabetic condition.
So far there are no medications that claim 100% cure for diabetics. However, you can control your blood sugar level naturally through lifestyle changes. Apart from just being a preventive measure, natural means for diabetics control can also act as a reversal of certain disease conditions.
This article will let you know more about ten easy ways to lower blood sugar naturally.
Easy Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally
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Control Stress Level
Stress is said to be connected with blood sugar levels. In short, stress and blood sugar level are directly proportional to each other.
When stress increases your blood sugar level rises and when you have a low-stress level the sugar level also remains low. This is because hormones such as glucagon and cortisol are secreted during stress. These hormones cause blood sugar levels to go up. Practising stress controlling methods like yoga and meditation is found to reduce the blood sugar level.
So it is always advised to control your stress for better health.
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Limit Carb Intake
Carbohydrates are said to be diabetics inducers. Under normal conditions, the carbohydrates consumed by you will be broken down as sugar and then insulin moves this to cells. But when you take in carbohydrates in excess amounts, your body might find it difficult to carry out the breakdown process resulting in higher blood sugar levels.
Consider consuming a low-carb diet to keep your blood sugar level under control. Many studies show that a low-carb diet helps reduce blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes.
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Regular Exercise
You might have often heard about the importance of exercise to maintain health. Exercise has a relevant role to play in keeping the blood sugar level on track. Regular exercise helps you increase insulin sensitivity and increased insulin sensitivity means the better capability of cells to use the available sugar in your bloodstream.
Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction. Useful forms of exercise include weightlifting, brisk walking, running, biking, dancing, hiking, swimming, and more.
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Concentrate on Fibre Intake
Fibre is one nutrient that you must not avoid to keep your blood sugar level controlled. It can help you stabilize your blood sugars and helps in weight management and thus lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Fibre plays a preventative role as well.
Some studies have found that high-fibre diets can reduce the chances of having type 2 diabetes by 15 to 19 per cent compared to low-fibre diets. So it is necessary that you choose a high fibre diet to help yourself control your blood sugar level.
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Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is not just great, but also healthy.
A healthy routine includes sound sleep for adequate time. Poor sleeping habits and a lack of rest can affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. They can also increase appetite and promote weight gain which directly accounts for an increase in blood sugar level.
Here are some tips for getting a night of healthy sleep.
- Consider sleeping in a dark, cool room
- Avoid consuming alcohol and caffeine before going to bed
- Keep screens away at least half an hour before going to sleep
- Do not consume big meals before sleeping
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Stay Hydrated
Keeping your body hydrated is one important way to keep your blood sugar level under control. In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out the excess blood sugar through urine. Drinking water regularly re-hydrates the blood, lowers blood sugar levels and reduces diabetes risk.
Keep in mind that water and other non-caloric beverages are best. Sugar-sweetened drinks raise blood glucose, drive weight gain and increase diabetes risk.
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Never Skip Breakfast
To keep your blood sugar level on track, you should definitely follow a healthy diet. A healthy diet constitutes a healthy breakfast as well. Breakfast is known to be a day’s most important meal, especially for those who have a high blood sugar level.
Always consider taking a high protein breakfast rather than those high in carbohydrates. Studies show that the best breakfasts contained 39 g of protein and led to lower post-meal glucose spikes than the meals with less protein, the researchers found.
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Regular Monitoring of Sugar level
To keep your blood sugar under control, monitor them at a regular interval. Measuring and monitoring blood glucose levels can also help you control them. It will also help you find out how your body reacts to certain foods.
Try measuring your levels every day, and keeping track of the numbers in a log.
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Take Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has immense health benefits. It promotes lower fasting blood sugar levels, possibly decreasing its production by the liver or increasing its use by cells.
Certain studies showed that apple cider vinegar influences the body’s reaction towards sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. It may be mixed in a few ounces of water that you can drink before a high carb meal or be mixed in salads.
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Take food with a low glycemic index
The glycemic index measures how we digest food. They are directly related to the variation in blood sugar levels. Eating low-glycemic-index foods has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in those with diabetes.
Controlling the intake of carbohydrates is necessary but never cut it down completely. So consider taking in foods with a low to moderate glycemic index. Examples of such foods are yoghurt, oats, beans, lentils, legumes etc.
Instead of medicine intake, it is always better to switch to alternative treatments for diabetes. So make necessary changes in your lifestyle to lower blood sugar levels.
Also read: What To Avoid When You Have Diabetes?
