Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease. It can either be type 1 (insulin sufficiently produced) or type 2 (insulin not effective). In diabetes, the blood sugar level increases, but the body cells are not sufficiently supplied with energy since the glucose remains in the blood. So, the sugar or energy balance gets out of control.
Here are the 20 ways to reduce blood sugar level naturally:
1. Exercise regularly
Exercise is a healthy habit if you follow it regularly. It can help you to maintain a moderate weight. It gives your body the energy that it needs. If you have problems related to blood sugar level, you can take a regular checkup before and after exercise, due to which you learn how to respond to different activities and thus maintain your blood sugar level from getting too high or low.
2. Managing your carb intake
Your carb intake influences your blood sugar levels. When you eat too many carbs while having insulin function problems, the process your body uses to restore energy fails, and thus blood sugar levels may rise. Hence, we recommend you manage your carb intake by counting the carbs and being aware of how much you may need.
3. Reduce sugar intake
Reducing your sugar intake can help maintain your blood sugar levels and also lowers your weight. Eating sugary foods can lead to adrenaline exhaustion, which can affect sleep quality. Therefore, try cutting out sugar from your diet or at least limit your intake.
4. Eat more fiber
There are two types of fiber – insoluble and soluble. While both are important, soluble fibers help to maintain blood sugar management more than insoluble fibers. A high-fiber diet can help you to manage type 1 diabetes. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are rich in fiber so eat such fibrous food to maintain your healthy diet.
5. Drink water and stay hydrated
A diabetes patient should not be left dehydrated for a long period of time. Drink enough water, which can help you to keep your blood sugar levels within the appropriate healthy ranges. It helps you to flush out any extra sugar through urine while helping dehydration as well. Drinking more and more water can help your blood sugar level not to spike up.
6. Never skip eating breakfast
Breakfast is a significant meal of the day; it is especially true for people who are diabetic. It is well-documented that regular breakfast eaters tend to have lower heart rate disease and also keep their blood sugar and blood pressure steady. For breakfast, take various amounts of proteins that contain lots of carbs, eggs, oatmeal, multigrain avocado toast, low-carb smoothies, fruits, and a nut bowl.
7. Implement portion control
Portion control can help you maintain weight as well as your calorie intake. Weight management on a regular basis reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also helps you to prevent blood sugar spikes. Knowing how to take your meals, avoiding outside food, checking and reading the food labels before eating, and hence keeping and maintaining a food journal help you a lot.
8. Try to manage your stress levels
A person having diabetes should avoid taking too much stress as, while stressed, your body secretes hormones called glucagon and cortisol which can cause your blood sugar level to rise rapidly. Relaxing and reduced stress lowers it. Try using all the relaxing methods like yoga as it may help you to maintain your blood sugar level in a good manner. It is best to do anything to lower your anxiety levels. Take time to clear your mind from time to time and breathe deeper and let your body stay relaxed.
9. Monitoring your blood sugar levels
Taking a regular blood sugar checkup can help you to manage them well. You can either go to the hospital or even check it at home by using a portable blood glucose meter. If you are checking it at home, try discussing it with your doctor as well. Keeping track of your blood sugar levels can tell you how you need to adjust your meals or medications.
10. Taking your quality sleep
Not getting enough sleep may directly relate to higher blood sugar levels. Patients who sleep less than 4 hours every day have higher fatty acid levels in their blood which can be very harmful. Usually, fatty acid levels reduce at night, but if someone doesn’t get enough sleep, the acids may remain in the blood. Also, taking less sleep can increase your stress levels and cravings for sugary foods. Less sleep can lead to various types of mood swings, which can be the cause of one’s anger. Anger is not good for a diabetic, so get your proper beauty sleep for a healthy lifestyle.
11. Foods rich in chromium and magnesium
Foods such as whole wheat flour, fruits, vegetables, nuts, tuna, and much more help your body regulate your blood sugar level. It maintains your health and provides you with the nutrients needed for increased work performance. It makes you physically active. Chromium and magnesium are trace elements found in many kinds of food, and hence it is an essential diet for our body.
12. Try glutamine
A systematic review found that glutamine supplements can lead to a decrease in blood glucose. Adding amino acid glutamine to the diet may help with weight loss and diabetes management. L-glutamine is an amino acid that converts to glucose, and it could be helpful if you struggle with sugar cravings.
13. Adding specific foods to your diet
Foods having anti-diabetic properties are fatty fish, leafy greens, avocados, eggs, chia seeds, beans, Greek yogurt, and nuts can be really good if you have diabetes. These all provide quality protein and vitamins that are helpful for the body. So add these certain foods to your diet.
14. Maintain weight
When you have diabetes, there are benefits to losing weight if you are carrying extra weight. You will have more energy to do your work and are likely to have a reduced risk of serious complications like heart disease. A healthy body automatically turns your mind healthy. You can maintain your weight by doing daily exercise, which will definitely help you to reduce your blood sugar levels.
15. Eat healthy snacks
We know that people having diabetes can get sugar cravings a lot more since they are advised to avoid it. Since we cannot allow you to eat sugary foods, we can suggest you go for healthy snacks instead of it. Some healthy snacks are sliced apples with peanut butter, beef sticks, cottage cheese, popcorn, no-bake energy bites, and homemade protein bars. You can try these delicious items whenever you are craving food.
16. Introducing some vinegar to your diet
Apple cider vinegar is a home remedy, and people have used it for centuries. Apple cider vinegar has various healthy properties that can help you lower blood sugar levels. The possible benefits of it are weight loss, reducing cholesterol, and improving the symptoms of diabetes. Some may add vinegar to their foods, while some prefer it as a beverage. Both are healthy for you.
17. Add some spice
Common spices have powerful antioxidant and antibiotic properties that benefit your overall health. Many spices are known to manage blood sugar levels in a good way. Along with foods, there are certain spices that may help you in regulating blood sugar levels, like turmeric, cloves, garlic, and cinnamon. You can even have cinnamon tea to maintain your healthy diet.
18. Add more resistant starch
Generally, a diabetes patient should avoid starch as it might cause sudden spikes in glucose levels. Yet, resistant starch can benefit you. Foods in which resistant starch is present are whole grains, including rye, brown rice, oats, wheat, barley, and corn, slightly green bananas, beans, lentils, and dried peas. It helps in weight loss as well.
19. Stick to your medication
Stick to your medication if you are a diabetes patient, as it helps in controlling your blood sugar level. Taking regular checkups of your high or low glucose levels and taking medications according to them is very necessary. Medications can lower your risk of complications like heart attack, kidney damage, and stroke. Do not skip your medications, as skipping them can increase blood sugar levels.
20. Sunlight
Increasing bright sunlight exposure may help with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease by lowering lipid and blood insulin levels. For every extra hour of sunlight exposure, insulin levels decrease by 1.27%. Hence, take your daily vitamin D by going into the sunlight, as it will be really helpful for your blood sugar level maintenance.
Thus, you should not ignore any signs of your high blood sugar level and try the above ways and consult the doctor from time to time to live a happy and healthy life.
