High blood sugar level in your body system is medically known as hyperglycemia. A person with hyperglycemia is said to have high blood glucose levels due to a problem with insulin. When the body has very low insulin or seems not to use its insulin properly, the blood glucose levels will be high rather than transferring the glucose to cells, resulting in hyperglycemia. If not treated and managed properly, high blood sugar level can cause a number of very serious health concerns. This is why it is very important that you do whatever necessary to lower high blood sugar in your body system. So if you have been thinking of how to do this, I have outline 10 ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in this article.
12 ways that will help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels
Knowing what is a healthy blood sugar level is important especially when you want to avoid diabetes. What you eat and how much you move helps you avoid highs and lows. Here are some smart advice to help you keep healthy blood sugar levels through diet, exercise, and simple lifestyle measures you can take every day.
Regular Exercise
Exercising is not always easy when you are starting for the first time, but you need to always encourage yourself and stay persistence. At first, it will seem to have very little to do with your high blood sugar levels. However, continuing the process regularly is a multi-faceted approach to lowering high blood sugar levels, primarily because it is all about helping your body function better and be healthier. Several studies have shown that people who did both cardio (at least two and a half hours) and strength training (at least one hour) every week had the lowest diabetes risk. It can be as much as one third less than that of those who don’t exercise at all. You should also know that after an exercise session, your muscles take up more glucose from the bloodstream. As you become more fit over time, your cells become more sensitive to insulin. Not only does exercise increase your body’s insulin sensitivity, it also allows and encourages the body to convert sugar and use it for energy, which also lowers blood glucose. Regular exercising has also proven to play a major role in keeping your stress levels low, maintaining a healthy weight, and consuming a healthy diet. It can also help you sleep better and will make you naturally drink more water. Naturally, when you start with exercise, you give yourself a big head start towards a healthier life and healthier blood sugar levels.
Enjoy Mediterranean Meals
For those who love Mediterranean diet, it has been shown that the odds of developing diabetes are 20 to 23 percent lower (according to a review of studies published in 2016 in Endocrine). This Mediterranean diet builds its meals around plant-based foods, including fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil. You can consume fish and chicken regularly in this diet plan, but not red meat, butter, or sweets. The Phytonutrients and fiber in the plant foods help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and the olive oil might reduce inflammation. The Mediterranean diet helps keep your glucose levels on an even keel, versus some sneaky things that raise your blood sugar levels. Luckily for you, I have also written a detailed content about 15 delicious meals you can eat that are healthy for you.
Drink Lots of Water
One common symptom associated with hyperglycemia is excessive thirst. If you’re really trying to lower high blood sugar, you should fall in love with drinking lots of water so that you can curb your thirst. However, with those with hyperglycemia, it’s incredibly important that they are hydrating well. I am not saying that as long as you are drinking anything during the day, that it’s all fine. I mean you should be drinking primarily just water and a lot of it. You should also note that drinks that contains do far more harm than good when it comes to health and hydration, so avoid sodas, juices, and other sweet beverages and try to stick to mostly water most of the time, and feel free to add some lemon or lime to spice it up a bit. You can also drink unsweetened seltzer water, unsweetened coffee, and unsweetened tea if you need something different. Most importantly, individuals with high blood sugar should try and keep their alcoholic drink consumption as low as possible, with women having no more than one drink a day and men having no more than two, as a general rule. Drinking enough water will help you avoid dehydration and also help your kidneys flush out more sugar through the urine, which can help lower high blood sugar. You should aim to consume half of your body weight in ounces of water each day to improve your health and minimize your risk of diabetes or other blood sugar-related concerns.
Eating More Anthocyanins
When you eat more anthocyanin, it will help lower blood glucose by improving insulin resistance, protecting beta cells, increasing secretion of insulin and reducing the digestions of sugar in the small intestine. The nutrients that give grapes and berries their bright red and blue colors has been linked to a healthy blood sugar levels in a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers also found that those who consumed plenty of anthocyanins had lower insulin resistance.
Avoid Skipping breakfast
If you are the kind that frequently miss a morning meal, research has shown that you may be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Eating breakfast may help stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. You can prepare a healthy blend of protein, complex carbs, and fat yogurt mixed with fruit and nuts for your morning breakfast. When you start your day with lots of simple carbs (such as a bagel and orange juice) this is just as bad for your blood sugar as skipping your morning meal, according to research published in Diabetes Care. So to avoid this type 2 diabetes, ensure you are always following your morning meal proper plan for healthy blood sugar levels.
Eat Right
Although high blood sugar levels are due primarily to insulin problems, they have also been directly linked to what an individual eats. Those who consumes more sugars and carbohydrates in their meal are more likely to have high blood sugar. There are a several ways to regulate your diet so that you can lower high blood sugar. Check out our post on diet here. However, the first thing to do is simply to reduce your sugar consumption. This includes minimizing the amount of foods and beverages you consume that contains more of sugars, such as soda, candy, sweets and carbohydrates as carbohydrates is linked with high level of sugar. Also try to reduce the amount of bread, pasta, cereal, and other grains that you eat, and go for whole grain choices when you consume these things. Additionally, choose foods with a low glycemic index. This means that these foods may still raise your blood sugar levels, but they will do so slowly or to a much lower level than other foods. Foods that contains low glycemic index include leafy greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish, and more. It’s also advisable for you to increase your protein intake and the amount of fiber you’re consuming. Fiber reduces the rate at which sugars break down, leading to fewer high blood sugar spikes, and it is found in things like vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruit. Another important part of eating right is controlling your portion sizes. This is because eating smaller portions throughout the day will reduce your caloric intake and will often lead to weight loss, a common goal for most people wanting to lower high blood sugar.
Take Few Minutes Off
Some people a found to always love sitting in a spot for a very long period of time, this is not healthy for your health generally. For every 30 minutes you spent sitting in a spot, you should walk around. Lots of studies have researched the benefits of walking to promote healthy blood sugar levels and lessen spikes in your blood sugar after you eat. A study published in 2013 in Diabetes Care found that three 15-minute daily walks after meals can significantly lower blood sugar levels for mature people. But walking any time is good for people of all ages; just fit it into your daily routine whenever you can.
Reduce Stress
It has been observed that when you are stressed out, your body releases several hormones in response, such as cortisol and glucagon. These hormones directly impact your blood sugar levels by causing them to increase drastically. If you can manage and minimize your stress in a healthy way, your blood sugar levels will naturally remain lower and they will have an easier time going back down should they spike for any reason. Some people have found that exercise and healthy eating are vital parts to keeping their stress levels down. However other means of reducing stress includes using recommended supplements, reduction of your caffeine intake, chewing gum, laughing and spend time with friends and family. You can also utilize yoga, meditation, or other mindfulness practices to minimize stress and live a more peaceful life.
Get Enough Healthy Sleep
Yes, I you heard that right, the reason I said healthy sleep is because lots of people don’t sleep healthy, especially when they are depressed or stressed out. Not only does getting enough sleep help reduce your stress levels, it also helps your body function better. Sleep deprivation can actually cause your blood sugar levels to spike in the same way that insulin resistance does. Additionally, not getting enough healthy sleep can increase your appetite which may lead to weight gain, and reduces insulin sensitivity, all of which are counterproductive when it comes to trying to lower high blood sugar. When you’re really exhausted, your body naturally secretes more cortisol, which can lead to weight gain and higher blood sugar, and your body slows down the release of growth hormones that are vital to your health and your body’s proper function.
Monitor and Regulate Your Blood Sugar
One of the best ways to actually lower a high blood sugar level is simply to monitor it. Be aware of when it spikes and why (if you can pinpoint it), and make changes going forward as necessary. You should also make wise choices when it comes to your lifestyle and eating habits, and keep a journal of how your blood sugar responds to every meal you take. For example, If you know you ate too much candy one day and then your blood sugar reflects that, make a note to minimize your candy intake going forward and stay mindful about making healthy choices. You may also be able to experiment a bit with eating habits and exercising habits, particularly in order of what time of the day or how often you do exercise. Just keep track of your blood sugar regularly and be sure to ask your doctor if you have any specific questions about how to continue to lower high blood sugar level.
Calculate your risk
To assist you in knowing what a healthy blood sugar level should be and whether you are at risk of having high blood sugar, you should complete a diabetes risk test, and take the results to your next doctor's appointment, this was a suggestion made by Robert Ratner, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association. A higher score may spur earlier or more frequent blood sugar checks. Watch that you don't have these clear signs of high blood sugar.
Maintain Healthy Weight
Being overweight even by small margin can cause lots of havoc on your health. If you need to lose weight, talk to your doctor about the best way to do so that he can give you the best possible solution. However, if you’re already at a healthy weight, always maintain that. Having a healthy weight can help lower high blood sugar and it significantly reduces your likelihood of getting diabetes, even more than medication can. If getting to a healthy weight is too overwhelming for you, keep in mind that losing even 10-20 pounds and maintaining that can still have huge benefits for your health, including better insulin sensitivity and a lower risk of developing diabetes.
In conclusion, while you are trying to lower or maintain a good blood sugar level, you should always ensure to check with your doctor before making lifestyle changes or trying new supplements. This is very important if you have problems with blood sugar control or if you are taking medications to lower your sugar levels.
Hope you were blessed with the information you got from this article, let is know in the comment session below. Quick Reminder; if you are diabetic or you are having problems with blood sugar control, then you should start doing something about it as soon as possible.
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