Are you trying to find out the natural ways to lower your blood sugar level?
If your body is failing to regulate sugar level in blood, you need not worry because we will tell you many ways to lower your blood sugar level naturally.
Regulation in blood sugar level is the result of combined action of your liver and insulin production. Your liver produces glucose and if it is more than your need, insulin hormone activates and absorbs extra sugar(glucose). But if the production of insulin is lower than extra glucose dissolves in the blood and this will cause diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Understanding Blood Sugar Levels
What Is Blood Sugar (Glucose)?
Your body needs energy to perform different activities. This energy is gained through food. Different food items are converted into glucose which is a carbohydrate and entraps a large amount of energy in its chemical bonds. These bonds are broken down to release energy. This glucose is actually an energy currency for each cell of your body. It should be used properly but in case of lower insulin production, the glucose level increases in blood and this extra or elevated blood sugar may cause diabetes, a serious disease.
The Role of Insulin in Blood Sugar Regulation
Insulin is a hormone produced to regulate the blood sugar level because sugar(glucose) is known as a necessary evil for your body. Diabetes is a disease in which insulin production is restricted due to any reason and as a result the extra sugar in blood causes diabetes which leads to other disorders in your body. Insulin actually controls or regulates the blood sugar level.
Normal vs. Elevated Blood Sugar Levels
Blood sugar level ranges vary due to overall health, age and gender but generally it is considered that after one night fast your blood sugar level should be 80– 130 mg / dl. And after one or two hours of taking a meal it would be lower than 180 mg / dl. This indicates that your blood sugar level is normal otherwise it may be considered elevated and dangerous to your health causing diabetes.
Diet and Nutrition Strategies
It is not only good for diabetics to control blood sugar level. It is beneficial for all of us. You know when you take food full of sugars and starches it is converted into glucose after breaking down this stimulates your pancreas to secrete insulin.the cycle works to regulate blood sugar level but the disturbance in production of insulin will cause disorders.
Rule 1 – Choose Low-Glycemic Foods:
Keeping in mind your age and working burden, you can manage this issue easily by taking low glycemic food. Include green vegetables, broccoli, some sea foods, pumpkin, nuts, okra, beans, lenticels, chickpeas, oats, barley, citrus fruits etc. apples, avocados and chick seeds are also considered beneficial for this purpose.
Rule 2 – Fiber-Rich Foods for Blood Sugar Control:
Use of fiber rich food may also help you to decrease the elevated blood sugar level. Like you can use whole grains, dried fruits, popcorns, berries, bran cereals and brown rice to have more fiber rich food. It is also recommended by the nutritionists that for a pre-diabetic or diabetic person 20gm/ day to 30 gm/ per day fibers are enough. Avoid refined grains and come to whole grain food.
Rule 3 – Portion Control and Balanced Meals:
It is suggested that per day calorie intake must be checked and controlled. Calories are the reason for weight gain and being overweight is the major cause of increasing blood sugar level. Portion control management controls your calorie intake and makes your diet balanced. Avoid cheat meals and restaurant foods. Keep yourself hydrated, check your calorie intake, eat slowly with mindfulness and have smaller plates.
Rule 4 – Incorporating Lean Proteins:
Chicken, lenticels, tofu, eggs, nuts, fish, peanut butter and cottage cheese are some proteins which must be included in your grocery list if you are type 1 or 2 diabetic or even pre-diabetic. These lean proteins surely help regulate blood sugar level.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Rule 5: Benefits of Regular Exercise for Blood Sugar:
Insulin helps your body cells to use sugar more effectively so, increase in insulin sensitivity will directly affect your glucose level. Like many other ways, exercise and workouts are the best source to activate your pancreas to secrete enough insulin which regulates blood sugar level. Some light exercises like walking, jogging, and taking a break from long sitting are effective in this regard while cycling, swimming, brisk walking and weight lifting are also considerable exercises to get rid of sedentary lifestyles.
Rule 6: Cardiovascular Workouts and Resistance Training:
ATP is the highest demand of every cell for getting energy. It is released by breaking the glucose bonds. When you exercise the muscles and all cells increase the demand of ATPS. Then insulin sensitivity increases and rapidly breaks down the glucose molecules. It lowers the sugar level in the bloodstream.
- Deadlifts
- Barbell squats
- Bench press
- Lat Pulldowns
Are some best cardio workouts and training to regulate blood sugar level.
Rule 7: Finding Enjoyable Physical Activities:
Obesity increases the risk factor for elevated blood sugar level. Sedentary lifestyle especially in older people tends to weight gain. In such cases the person should be advised to spend his/her leisure time doing some physical activity which refreshes them or rejoices with them. Such enjoyable exercises will help anyone to indulge in some physical exercise . This is a natural way to lower blood sugar level.
Stress Management and Sleep
“Yoga and other mindfulness practices elicit a relaxation response — the opposite of the stress response,” says Dr. Shalu Ramchandani, a health coach and internist at the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “A relaxation response can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This improves insulin resistance and keeps blood sugar levels in check, thus lowering A1C levels.”
Rule 8 – Reducing Stress for Blood Sugar Control:
Mindfulness and meditation are the most effective ways to manage your stress. Exercises and relaxation activities increase the production of insulin in diabetic people. Remember one thing in a stressed condition two fatal hormones Glucagon and Cortisol are secreted in your body. These are responsible for increasing blood sugar levels. So, keep them away by keeping yourself relaxed.
Rule 9 – Importance of Quality Sleep:
Monitor carefully your nap time. Try to reduce it. According to research, 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night is necessary for removing stress from your life because lack of sleep may affect the insulin sensitivity as a result blood sugar level increases. Risk factor of being type 2 diabetic increased many fold if you don’t care about your sleep quality and quantity. Cut off use of caffeine, mobile screen and alcohol before bed time.take a bath before bed and don’t make your bedroom a working place.
Rule 10 – Relaxation Techniques and Mindfulness:
Studies revealed that diabetic people who implement mindfulness and meditation techniques to manage stress don’t need insulin for controlling blood sugar level. They achieve this goal only by doing some enjoyable and relaxing exercises.
Hydration and Blood Sugar
Rule 11 – Staying Hydrated for Blood Sugar Health:
Keep yourself hydrated. Obviously by drinking zero calories drinks like water you may gain many benefits like your blood sugar level remains balanced. Drinking adequate water is good for your kidneys health as well. When you drink plenty of water, extra blood sugar is excreted through urine by your kidneys.People with the habit of drinking more water never gain weight.
Rule 12 – The Role of Water in Glucose Balance:
You will be surprised to know that not only for diabetic but also for a healthy person water is the best source to remove excessive blood sugar. Let’s understand the phenomenon. When you are dehydrated your blood gets concentrated and blood sugar level increases many fold but if you are hydrated the water keeps your bloodstream dilute. In the dilute blood the sugar level gets lower . Secondly, your kidneys excrete extra sugar with urine but only when blood is dilute.water has no calories so it is helpful in losing weight too.people with diabetes risk have less tendency to drink water this leads their many organs to suffer. Like muscles, eye lenses and nerves in the body get dried and stiff due to dehydration. So hydrate yourself to limit these side effects and to lower blood sugar level naturally
Herbal Remedies and Supplements
Rule 13 – Exploring Herbal Supplements:
Naturally some supplements have amazing ability to reduce blood sugar level. By using them you can maintain your blood sugar and save yourself from diabetes.
- Probiotics are the supplements having some bacteria which help to prevent destroying pancreatic cells and improve the insulin sensitivity.they play a vital role to handle excessive carbohydrates in your body so that the blood sugar may not exceed the limit.
- Aloe Vera leaves and its juice have the ability to lower blood sugar level by promoting the secretion of insulin.
- Vitamin D has amazing effects on pancreatic cells and insulin production. Diabetic people use vitamin D tablets and capsules as supplements.
Rule 14 – Potential Benefits of Cinnamon and Fenugreek:
People with type 1 and 2 diabetes use fenugreek seeds and its flour because studies have proved that fenugreek seeds are effective in controlling blood sugar and promote insulin production.people take its bread as supplement to decrease their fasting glucose.
Similarly, a famous spice cinnamon is effective for lowering blood sugar by enhancing insulin sensitivity.it also helps to break down carbs into glucose in digestion process.
Rule 15 – Understanding the Role of Chromium:
Chromium is beneficial for lowering blood sugar level. But excessive use of some heartburn relieving drugs diminish chromium from the body as a result pancreas lose the ability to secrete enough insulin. Chromium deficiency decreases your body’s tendency to convert carbs into glucose. This may increase the insulin demand in the body. If chromium is not found in enough quantity the blood sugar level increases due to lower insulin secretion.
Monitoring and Professional Guidance
Checking Blood Sugar Levels Regularly:
Self testing blood sugar level is easy and best tool for sugar level management. You can use many devices to check your blood sugar. It may be a finger prick test or a (CGM). A portable blood sugar monitor also provides convenience to check your blood sugar level at home. Regular checking can save you from being diabetic and for diabetic people it is done more efficiently because they are already at the verge of devastating health.
Consulting with a Healthcare Provider:
Your healthcare provider will guide you about the high and low blood sugar levels and effects of its fluctuations. He also will help you to use relevant medications.you must be dependent on your healthcare provider for understanding the effects of exercise, diet and nutrition on your blood sugar level according to your age and gender. Any treatment done by yourself without consulting a doctor may be harmful for your health.
Collaborating with a Registered Dietitian:
A professional dietitian will recommend you different tests for the treatment and diagnosis by examining the symptoms. He will guide you when and how you need to test blood sugar level during the day and night.
Safety and Caution
Individual Variations in Response:
Symptoms of high or low blood sugar levels vary person to person. For example, some people feel hunger and exhaustion from low sugar levels. Somee experience continuous cold sweating. But extremely low sugar levels cause seizures and coma in diabetic people.Thus the treatment strategies are also different due to difference in individual’s response.
Avoiding Extreme Diets and Fads:
Extreme diets and fads remove some essential nutrients from your diet which cause severe health issues like dehydration, malnutrition, permanent headache, muscular weakness etc.
Potential Interactions with Medications:
Before using any drug or medicine, consult with your doctor. Because many medications have side effects which influence your health directly. Some medications of different diseases directly affect blood sugar. You must be careful when using these medicines. For example corticosteroids, beta blockers, niacin, antipsychotic drugs. All of these are used for the treatment of joint injuries, anxiety, cholesterol balance and mental illness respectively but have devastating effects on blood sugar levels.
Conclusion
It is simple to understand that regular exercise, a healthy diet with low carbs and alcohol and rich in fibers can help you to lower your blood sugar levels naturally. By adding physical activities and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle you may reduce the risk factors of being diabetic. Your gut health, cholesterol level, blood pressure and stress level are directly linked with your blood sugar level. So keep a strict check and balance on all these factors to avoid any disturbance in blood sugar level.
But in addition to all these precautions, consultation with your dietitian or doctor is indispensable. Because self medication will result in a severe health problem.