How to control blood glucose levels? Exercise to help combat high sugar levels

How to monitor your blood sugar levels?

Monitoring your blood sugar levels throughout the day helps you to track the positive trend towards recovery: is exercise and proper nutrition effective in keeping blood sugar levels under constant control or is it necessary to increase the dose of insulin, which helps protect the development of the child. The doctor will advise you to write down what the woman eats during the day in a special diary, as well as record the blood sugar measurements taken.
To do a blood test at home, you need to prick your finger with a lancet (small, sharp needle), then place a drop of blood on a test strip and determine the result. Next, you need to write down the test result, and then carefully place the lancet and test strips correctly (in a sharps container or in a hard plastic container). You should bring all notes with you to your doctor's appointment, because... The doctor will look and evaluate how well the patient monitors blood sugar levels, and may also make any adjustments to the treatment plan.
The doctor will show you how to properly use a blood sugar measuring device and also tell you where you can purchase such a device. Sometimes you can borrow this device from the hospital, because... Many hospitals provide such devices to women with gestational diabetes.
The goal of blood glucose control is to keep sugar levels at the proper level, closer to the ideal. Ranges include:

If the blood sugar level is outside the normal range, then insulin is prescribed.

Do I need to take insulin?

Based on the results of the studies, your doctor will determine whether you need to take insulin by injection during pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar levels. If the patient is prescribed insulin, he will definitely be taught how to give insulin injections.
Because As pregnancy progresses, the mother's placenta will produce more hormones and larger doses of insulin will be needed to control blood sugar levels. The attending physician will prescribe a dose of insulin, taking into account individual indicators.
When you take insulin, you may experience a low blood glucose reaction, or hypoglycemia, if you don't eat enough, skip meals, eat poorly, or exercise more than usual.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia are:

First, a little about what diabetes is.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). The development of diabetes mellitus is caused by a deficiency of the pancreatic hormone, insulin. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 – insulin dependent, type 2 – non-insulin dependent. $CUT$

The main factor is hereditary predisposition. But there are other factors, for example: obesity, high cholesterol, arterial hypertension, pancreatitis, endocrine diseases, coronary heart disease, old age.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, no matter type 1 or 2, this is certainly not a reason to give up. Today, you can live quite successfully with diabetes. It all depends on your lifestyle and desire not to let the disease take its course.

Therefore, to avoid complications, you must constantly monitor your blood glucose levels. There is no need to constantly go to the clinic to take a blood test for sugar; you can do it at home using a glucometer.

A glucometer is a device that measures the level of glucose in the blood. There are several types of glucometers; the main criteria when choosing a device are:

But the most important thing when choosing a glucometer is what type of diabetes you are choosing it for. To function properly, people with type 1 diabetes need to constantly replenish their body with glucose. Therefore, it needs constant measurement on a glucometer, at least 4-5 times a day. For people with type 2 diabetes, the requirements for a glucometer will be different, since they need to take measurements much less frequently.

Test - strips for glucometers, these are special plates coated with a substance that reacts with blood. When blood enters the reaction zone, glucose is oxidized, thereby increasing the number of electrons, creating a current. Thus, the measurement result will depend on how much current the electrons produce. The more current, the higher the concentration of glucose in the blood. The result of the electric current measurement is displayed on the glucometer display (in the form of glucose concentration).

Test - strips for glucometer are simple and convenient to use, but you must remember that their improper storage can lead to changes in the chemical properties of the reagents.

Some tips on the correct use of test strips:

Monitor your blood sugar levels and stay healthy!

Glucose is a source of energy. This is an axiom. Its indicators vary depending on many factors, such as: nutrition, physical activity, exposure to stress, concomitant diseases, etc. Of course, the main organ in the process of producing glucose is the pancreas. It produces insulin, which is involved in the complex mechanism of converting glucose into energy. But hormones (glucagon and adrenaline) and steroids (glucocorticoids) “work” together with it.

Imagine the stages of a long journey - from sugar to energy:

glucose enters the bloodstream from the food you eat;

there, in the blood, the pancreas releases insulin, which improves the permeability of cell membranes that absorb glucose;

the remaining glucose is converted into glycogen and special fats (triglycerides), which are a source of energy for the human body.

In healthy people, normal blood sugar levels range from 3.5 to 5.5 mmol/L.

What foods and how do they increase blood sugar?

The source of glucose is primarily carbohydrates, which, in turn, are divided into simple and complex. The latter are more beneficial because when they are consumed, glucose enters the blood slowly. But with simple ones, everything is simple and quick - hence the sharp increase in blood sugar levels. You need to know your enemies by sight, namely:

sugar and everything made on its basis;

honey (up to 70–80% consists of sugar);

white bread, baked goods, confectionery;

refined rice (white);

potatoes, carrots, beets after heat treatment;

In order not to make mistakes in choosing a product, you need to know its glycemic index. This is an indicator of the speed with which this or that food from your plate is absorbed. It also takes into account the degree of increase in blood sugar levels when consuming the product. Here, too, everything is obvious: the higher the GI, the more enemies there are - fast carbohydrates.

But keep in mind that the glycemic index of the same product may vary. It depends on the cooking method. Thus, spaghetti made from durum wheat is the basis of Mediterranean cuisine, one of the healthiest in the world, and it is not for nothing that it is cooked al dente. After all, by increasing the cooking time to 16.5 minutes, the GI increases to 65 versus 59. Methods such as frying and baking also increase this important indicator.

Medications and blood sugar levels

When taking various medications, you need to be aware that they can also cause an increase in this important indicator. These are drugs with a high sugar content, such “side effects” are well known from birth control, hormonal drugs and diuretics.

Only a doctor can know how compatible medications are with each other, so do not self-medicate - consult a specialist, especially if you are prone to diabetes. And even more so if such a diagnosis has already been made.

About other reasons.

Physical activity should be beneficial. Of course, movement is always better than no movement. But everything is good in moderation. Thus, excessive physical activity with a sedentary lifestyle can lead to an unwanted jump in blood sugar levels. But daily walking at a leisurely pace for 35 minutes promotes the absorption of glucose, while reducing the risk of developing diabetes by 80%. You also need to know what increases blood sugar levels:

constant stress, as a result of which hormones are produced that are involved in the process of increasing blood sugar levels;

infections and viruses that negatively affect various organs and internal processes;

hormonal changes in women, for example during pregnancy;

insufficiently good and long sleep (can lead to a sharp decrease in blood sugar levels);

high air temperature, which also makes it difficult to control sugar levels.

Numbers dangerous to health

We remind you: the normal blood sugar level for a healthy person is 3.5-5.5 mmol/l. If the level decreases to less than 2.78 mmol/l or increases to more than 30 mmol/l, convulsions, loss of consciousness, hypo- or hyperglycemic coma are possible. Indicators for diabetes mellitus are above 7.0 mmol/l. Hyperglycemia is a condition in which the sugar level is more than 6.7 mmol/l. It may indicate:

possible problems in the endocrine system;

liver and kidney diseases;

pancreatic diseases;

heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage.

And remember, light carbohydrates are a direct path not just to excess weight, but to obesity, and therefore to diabetes and problems with the cardiovascular system. Some studies have noted a link between increased sugar intake and the risk and rate of breast cancer development.

Hyperglycemia is dangerous already in the womb - there is a risk that, as an adult, a person will suffer not only from obesity, but also from diabetes. American scientists have discovered a gene encoding a protein that allows women to metabolize glucose during pregnancy. When this protein decreases, hyperglycemia develops.

Losing just 5% weight reduces your chance of developing diabetes by 70%.

French scientists have found that women with blood group I are least susceptible to diabetes; with II – the probability of developing the disease is 10% higher; Most often this diagnosis is made to women with blood groups III and IV.

Blood sugar is the common name for glucose dissolved in the blood that circulates through the vessels. The article tells you what blood sugar standards are for children and adults, men and pregnant women. You will learn why glucose levels rise, why it is dangerous, and most importantly, how to lower it effectively and safely. Blood tests for sugar are taken in the laboratory on an empty stomach or after a meal. People over 40 years old are recommended to do this once every 3 years. If you are diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, you need to use a home device to measure your sugar several times every day. This device is called a glucometer.

Glucose enters the blood from the liver and intestines, and then the bloodstream carries it throughout the body, from head to toe. This is how tissues receive energy. In order for cells to absorb glucose from the blood, the hormone insulin is needed. It is produced by special cells of the pancreas - beta cells. Sugar level is the concentration of glucose in the blood. Normally, it fluctuates within a narrow range, without going beyond it. The minimum blood sugar level is on an empty stomach. After eating it increases. If everything is normal with glucose metabolism, then this increase is insignificant and will not last long.

The body continuously regulates glucose concentrations to maintain its balance. Increased sugar is called hyperglycemia, low sugar is called hypoglycemia. If several blood tests on different days show that your sugar is high, you can suspect prediabetes or “real” diabetes. A single analysis is not enough for this. However, you need to be wary after the first unsuccessful result. Get tested again a few more times in the coming days.

In Russian-speaking countries, blood sugar is measured in millimoles per liter (mmol/l). In English-speaking countries, in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Sometimes you need to convert the result of an analysis from one unit of measurement to another. It is not difficult.

1 mmol/l = 18 mg/dl.

• 4.0 mmol/l = 72 mg/dl
• 6.0 mmol/l = 108 mg/dl
• 7.0 mmol/l = 126 mg/dl
• 8.0 mmol/l = 144 mg/dl

Blood sugar levels

They were identified back in the middle of the twentieth century based on the results of a survey of thousands of healthy people and patients with diabetes. Official sugar standards for diabetics are much higher than for healthy people. Medicine does not even try to control sugar in diabetes so that it approaches normal levels. Below you will find out why this happens and what alternative treatments are available.
The balanced diet that doctors recommend is overloaded with carbohydrates. This diet is harmful for diabetics. Because carbohydrates cause blood sugar spikes. Because of this, diabetics feel unwell and develop chronic complications. In diabetic patients who are treated with traditional methods, sugar levels fluctuate from very high to low. It is increased by carbohydrates eaten, and then reduced by injections of large doses of insulin. At the same time, there can be no question of bringing sugar back to normal. Doctors and patients are already satisfied with the fact that diabetic coma can be avoided.

The body regulates blood sugar by releasing hormones that raise or lower it. Glucose levels are increased by catabolic hormones - glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline and many others. And there is only one hormone that lowers it. This is insulin. The lower the glucose concentration, the more catabolic hormones are released, and the less insulin. And vice versa - excess sugar in the blood stimulates the pancreas to secrete additional insulin.

At any given time, very little glucose circulates in a person's blood. For example, an adult man weighing 75 kg has a blood volume of about 5 liters. To achieve a blood sugar level of 5.5 mmol/l, it is enough to dissolve only 5 grams of glucose in it. This is approximately 1 heaped teaspoon of sugar. Every second, microscopic doses of glucose and regulatory hormones enter the bloodstream to maintain balance. This complex process takes place 24 hours a day without interruption.

High sugar - symptoms and signs

Most often, a person has high blood sugar due to diabetes. But there may be other reasons - medications, acute stress, disorders of the adrenal glands or pituitary gland, infectious diseases. Many medications raise blood sugar. These are corticosteroids, beta blockers, thiazide diuretics (diuretics), antidepressants. It is not possible to provide a complete list of them in this article. Before your doctor prescribes you a new medicine, discuss how it will affect your blood sugar.

Often hyperglycemia does not cause any symptoms, even when blood sugar is much higher than normal. In severe cases, the patient may lose consciousness. Hyperglycemic coma and ketoacidosis are serious complications of high blood sugar that are life-threatening.

Less acute but more common symptoms:

• strong thirst;
• dry mouth;
• frequent urge to urinate;
• skin is dry and itchy;
• blurry vision;
• fatigue, drowsiness;
• unexplained weight loss;
• wounds and scratches do not heal well;
• unpleasant sensations in the legs - tingling, goosebumps;
• frequent infectious and fungal diseases that are difficult to treat.

Additional symptoms of ketoacidosis:

• frequent and deep breathing;
• smell of acetone on breath;
• unstable emotional state.

Why high blood sugar is harmful

If left untreated, high blood sugar can cause acute and chronic complications of diabetes. Acute complications were listed above. These are hyperglycemic coma and diabetic ketoacidosis. They are manifested by disturbances of consciousness, fainting and require emergency medical attention. However, acute complications cause death in 5-10% of diabetics. All the rest die from chronic complications of the kidneys, vision, legs, nervous system, and most of all from heart attack and stroke.

Chronically elevated sugar damages the walls of blood vessels from the inside. They become abnormally hard and thick. Over the years, calcium is deposited on them, and the vessels resemble old rusty water pipes. This is called angiopathy - damage to blood vessels. This in turn causes complications of diabetes. The main dangers are kidney failure, blindness, leg or foot amputation, and cardiovascular disease. The higher the blood sugar, the faster and more severe the complications develop. Pay attention to treating and controlling your diabetes!

Folk remedies

Folk remedies that lower blood sugar are Jerusalem artichoke, cinnamon, as well as various herbal teas, decoctions, tinctures, prayers, spells, etc. Measure your sugar with a glucometer after you have eaten or drunk a “healing remedy” - and make sure that you have not received any real benefit. Folk remedies are intended for diabetics who engage in self-deception instead of receiving proper treatment. Such people die early from complications.

Fans of folk remedies for diabetes are the main “clients” of doctors who deal with renal failure, amputation of the lower extremities, as well as ophthalmologists. Complications of diabetes on the kidneys, legs and vision provide several years of hard life before a heart attack or stroke kills the patient. Most manufacturers and sellers of quack drugs work carefully so as not to fall under criminal liability. However, their activities violate moral standards.

Folk remedies that don't help at all

Test your blood sugar with a glucometer several times a day. If you see that the results are not improving or even worsening, stop using the useless product.

Remedies that help a little

Consult your doctor before taking any home remedies for diabetes. Especially if you have already developed kidney complications or have liver disease. The supplements listed above do not replace treatment with diet, insulin injections and physical activity. Once you start taking alpha lipoic acid, you may need to reduce your insulin dosage to avoid hypoglycemia.

Glucometer - a home device for measuring sugar

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, then you need to quickly buy a device to measure your blood sugar at home. This device is called a glucometer. Without it, diabetes cannot be well controlled. You need to measure your sugar at least 2-3 times a day, and preferably more often. Home glucose meters were introduced in the 1970s. Until they became widely used, diabetics had to go to the laboratory every time to measure their sugar, or even stay in the hospital for weeks.

Modern glucometers are lightweight and convenient. They measure blood sugar almost painlessly and show results immediately. The only problem is that test strips are not cheap. Each sugar measurement costs approximately $0.5. A round sum accumulates per month. However, these are unavoidable expenses. Save on test strips - splurge on treating diabetes complications.

You can't tell your blood sugar by how you feel. Most people feel no difference between blood sugar levels between 4 and 13 mmol/L. They feel well even when their blood glucose is 2-3 times higher than normal, and the development of diabetes complications is in full swing. Therefore, it is necessary to measure your sugar with a glucometer. Otherwise, you will have to get up close and personal with the complications of diabetes.

At one time, doctors desperately resisted the entry of home glucose meters into the market. Because they were at risk of losing large sources of income from laboratory blood sugar tests. Medical organizations managed to delay the promotion of home glucometers for 3-5 years. Nevertheless, when these devices did appear on sale, they immediately gained popularity. You can find out more about this in. Now official medicine is also slowing down the promotion of a low-carbohydrate diet - the only suitable diet for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

How to get accurate results when measuring your sugar with a glucometer:

• Carefully read the instructions for your device.
• Test your meter for accuracy as described here. If it turns out that the device is lying, do not use it, replace it with another one.
• As a rule, glucose meters that have cheap test strips are not accurate. They drive diabetics to their graves.
• Follow the instructions to figure out how to correctly apply a drop of blood to the test strip.
• Strictly follow the rules for storing test strips. Close the bottle carefully to prevent excess air from entering. Otherwise, the test strips will be damaged.
• Do not use test strips that have expired.
• When you go to the doctor, take your glucometer with you. Show your doctor how you measure your sugar. Perhaps an experienced doctor will point out what you are doing wrong.

How many times a day should you measure your sugar?

To manage your diabetes well, you need to know how your blood sugar behaves throughout the day. For most diabetics, the main problem is high sugar in the morning on an empty stomach, and then again after breakfast. In many patients, glucose also increases greatly in the afternoon or evening. Your situation is special, not like everyone else’s. Therefore, you need an individual plan - diet, insulin injections, taking pills and other measures. The only way to gather important information to control your diabetes is to check your sugar frequently with a glucometer. Below we tell you how many times a day you need to measure it.

Total blood sugar control is when you measure it:

• in the morning - as soon as you wake up;
• then again - before starting breakfast;
• 5 hours after each injection of fast-acting insulin;
• before every meal or snack;
• after each meal or snack - two hours;
• before bedtime;
• before and after physical education, stressful situations, hectic work activities;
• as soon as you feel hungry or suspect that your sugar is below or above normal;
• before you drive a car or do dangerous work, and then again every hour until you finish;
• in the middle of the night - to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia.

Patients with type 1 diabetes, as well as severe insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes, need to measure their sugar 4-7 times a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and before each meal. It is also advisable to measure 2 hours after eating. This will show whether you have chosen the correct dose of insulin before meals. For mild type 2 diabetes, if you control your sugar well without insulin injections, you can measure less frequently - 2 times a day.

Each time after you measure your sugar, the results need to be written down in a diary. Please also indicate the time and accompanying circumstances:

• what did you eat - what foods, how many grams;
• what kind of insulin was injected and what dose;
• what diabetes pills did you take;
• what did you do;
• physical activity;
• got nervous;
• infection.

Write it all down, it will come in handy. The memory cells of the glucometer do not allow you to record accompanying circumstances. Therefore, to keep a diary you need to use a paper notepad, or better yet, a special program on your mobile phone. The results of total glucose self-monitoring can be analyzed independently or together with a doctor. The goal is to find out at what times of the day and for what reasons your sugar is outside the normal range. And then, accordingly, take action - create an individual diabetes treatment program.

Total self-monitoring of sugar allows you to assess how effective your diet, medications, exercise and insulin injections are. Without careful control, diabetes is “treated” only by charlatans, from whom there is a direct route to a surgeon for foot amputation and/or to a nephrologist for dialysis. Few people with diabetes are ready to live every day in the mode described above. Because the cost of meter test strips can be prohibitive. However, do total self-monitoring of your blood sugar at least one day every week.

If you notice that your sugar has begun to fluctuate unusually, then spend several days in total control mode until you find and eliminate the cause. It is useful to study the article “”. The more money you spend on meter test strips, the more you will save on treating diabetes complications. The ultimate goal is to enjoy good health, outlive most of your peers, and not become decrepit in old age. Keeping your blood sugar no higher than 5.2-6.0 mmol/l all the time is realistic.

Frequently asked questions and their answers

The article indicates blood sugar standards for healthy people. But the doctor said that it was dangerous for me to lower my sugar to such limits. Is he right?

If you have lived for several years with high sugar, 12 mmol/l and above, then it is really not advisable to quickly reduce it to 4-6 mmol/l, as in healthy people. Because unpleasant and dangerous symptoms of hypoglycemia may appear. In particular, the complications of diabetes on vision may increase. It is recommended for such people to first lower their sugar to 7-8 mmol/l and let the body get used to it for 1-2 months. And then move towards the indicators of healthy people. Read the article “” for more details. It has a section “When you need to specifically keep your sugar levels high.”

I discovered that my sugar levels rise only if I eat something sweet. Is this already diabetes?

You don't measure your sugar often enough with a glucometer. Otherwise, you would notice that bread, cereals and potatoes increase it in the same way as sweets. You may have prediabetes or early stage type 2 diabetes. To clarify the diagnosis, you need to provide more information. How to be treated is described in detail in the article above. The main remedy is a low-carbohydrate diet.

Why does blood sugar increase in the morning on an empty stomach? After all, a diabetic patient does not eat anything all night.

Sugar in the morning on an empty stomach rises due to the fact that in the hours before dawn the liver actively removes insulin from the blood. This is called the dawn phenomenon. It occurs in most patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Read more. This is not an easy task, but it is doable. You will need discipline. After 3 weeks, a stable habit will form, and sticking to the regime will become easy.

When is it more important to measure sugar - on an empty stomach or after a meal?

It is important to measure your sugar every morning on an empty stomach. If you inject insulin before meals, then you need to measure your sugar before each injection, and then again 2 hours after eating. This happens 7 times a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and another 2 times for each meal. If you have type 2 diabetes and control it with a low-carbohydrate diet without rapid insulin injections, then measure your sugar 2 hours after meals.

Is it possible to measure sugar without pricking your fingers every time?

There are devices called continuous blood glucose monitoring systems. However, their inaccuracy is too high compared to conventional glucometers. To date, I still do not recommend using them. Moreover, their price is high.

Sometimes try using a lancet to pierce not your fingers, but other areas of the skin - the back of your hand, forearm, etc. The article above describes how to do this correctly. In any case, alternate the fingers of both hands. Don't prick the same finger all the time.

What to do if your blood sugar is high? How to reduce it quickly?

The only real way to quickly reduce sugar is to inject short-acting or ultra-fast insulin. A low-carbohydrate diet lowers sugar, but not immediately, but within 1-3 days. Some type 2 diabetes pills work quickly. But if you take them in the wrong dosage, the sugar may drop excessively and the person will lose consciousness. Folk remedies are nonsense, they don’t help at all. Diabetes mellitus is a disease that requires systemic treatment, accuracy, and precision. If you try to do something quickly, in a hurry, you can only do harm.

After physical activity, sugar should decrease, but for me, on the contrary, it increases. Why is that?

You probably have type 1 diabetes. A detailed answer to the question is given in the article “”. In any case, you get more benefits from physical activity than hassle. Don't quit exercising. After a few tries, you will figure out how to keep your blood sugar within normal limits before, during, and after physical activity.

Doctors say that carbohydrates raise sugar, but proteins and fats do not. For lunch I only ate meat with raw cabbage and nothing else. But my sugar still rose after eating. Why?

In fact, proteins also raise sugar, but slowly and not as much as carbohydrates. The reason is that part of the protein eaten in the body is converted into glucose. Read the article “” for more details. If you're following a low-carb diet to control diabetes, you'll need to consider how many grams of protein you eat to calculate your insulin dosage. Diabetics who eat a “balanced” diet, overloaded with carbohydrates, do not take proteins into account. But they have enough other problems...

conclusions

You learned:

• How to measure sugar with a glucometer, how many times a day you need to do this.
• How and why to keep a diabetes self-monitoring diary
• Blood sugar levels - why they differ from those of healthy people.
• What to do if your sugar is high. How to reduce it and keep it consistently normal.
• Features of the treatment of severe and advanced diabetes.

The material presented in this article is the foundation of your successful diabetes control program. Maintaining consistently normal sugar levels, like those of healthy people, is an achievable goal even with severe type 1 diabetes, and even more so with type 2 diabetes. Most complications can not only be slowed down, but also completely cured. To do this, you don’t need to starve, suffer through physical education, or inject large doses of insulin. However, you need to develop discipline in order to comply with the regime.

Blood sugar levels are a major concern for people with diabetes. The normal sugar level is from 3.6 mmol/l (65 mg/dl) to 5.8 mmol/l (105 mg/dl).

High blood sugar, known as hyperglycemia, occurs when blood sugar levels exceed 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 9.99 mmol/L.

Keeping it at the right level is key to preventing serious complications from diabetes.

Why is it important to control your blood sugar?

Over time, high sugar can damage blood vessels in several organs and systems, leading to serious consequences - poor vision and blindness, foot ulcers, infections and amputations, kidney failure and dialysis, heart attacks and strokes, peripheral vascular disease, which reduces blood flow to the limbs, damage to the nervous system leading to pain and weakness.

By keeping blood sugar levels under 100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L) before meals and under 180 mg/dL (9.9 mmol/L) after meals, people with diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of side effects from the disease.

There are a number of activities that can help a person reduce their levels.

1. Monitor your blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar often does not cause symptoms until they are above 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L). Thus, a person suffering from diabetes needs to monitor their blood sugar levels several times a day and take action.

2. Reduce carbohydrate intake.

Low-carb, high-protein foods reduce sugar levels. The body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar, which the body uses as energy. Some carbohydrates are essential in the diet, but for people with diabetes, too many carbohydrates can cause blood sugar to rise.

3. Eat the right carbohydrates.

Simple and complex carbohydrates affect sugar levels differently.

Simple ones consist mainly of one type of sugar and are found in white bread, pasta and sweets. The body breaks down these carbohydrates very quickly and blood sugar rises quickly.

Complex carbohydrates are made up of three or more sugars. The chemical composition of these carbohydrates is complex and the body takes longer to break them down. As a result, sugar is released into the body gradually and sugar levels do not rise quickly after eating. Examples of complex carbohydrates include whole grain oats and sweet potatoes.

4. Choose foods with a low glycemic index.

Low glycemic index foods are those that score below 55 - sweet potatoes, quinoa, legumes, low-calorie milk, leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds, meat, fish.

5. Increase your fiber intake.

Fiber plays a significant role in blood sugar management by slowing the rate at which carbohydrates are broken down and the rate at which the body absorbs the resulting sugars.

There are soluble and insoluble fibers. Soluble fiber is the most beneficial for controlling sugar levels. It is found in vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruits.

6. Maintain a healthy weight.

Losing weight helps control blood sugar levels. Losing even 7% of your weight can reduce your chances of developing diabetes by 58%.

It is important to note that a person does not need to reach an ideal weight. By eating healthy foods filled with fruits and vegetables and doing exercise, you can lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

7. Maintain serving sizes.

Overeating while sitting can cause a spike in blood sugar. Not only simple carbohydrates, but all foods increase blood sugar levels. Careful portion control can keep it in check.

8. Exercise regularly.

Exercise provides many benefits for diabetes, including weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity. Exercise also helps lower sugar and encourages muscles to use it for energy.

9. Water.

Drinking water prevents dehydration and helps the kidneys remove excess sugar from the body in urine. At the same time, you should avoid all sugary drinks and reduce your alcohol consumption.

10. Try herbal extracts.

Herbal extracts may have a positive effect on the treatment and control of blood sugar levels. Among them are green tea, American ginseng, bitter lemon, cinnamon, aloe vera, fenugreek, chromium.

11. Manage stress.

When the body releases stress hormones, they increase blood sugar levels. Take steps to prevent or reduce stress.

Good sleep helps a person reduce blood sugar, levels of which tend to rise in the early morning hours. Lack of sleep can have an impact on insulin resistance.

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