10 Ways to Control Blood Sugar that Diabetics Must Know

Every diabetic sufferer must control blood sugar levels to remain stable to prevent serious complications. How to control blood sugar remains normal for diabetics? Check it out in the review below.
How to Control Blood Sugar for Diabetics
If you have diabetes, take as many steps as possible to keep your blood sugar levels normal. This step is to ensure that blood sugar is always stable and the body can be fitter.
The following are ways to control blood sugar for diabetics, including:
1. Limiting Carbohydrate Intake
One of the important things that diabetics have to do is educate themselves. That way, sufferers will know what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. In diabetes, consuming carbohydrates is something that must be considered.
It is important to know which types of carbohydrates can be consumed and which cannot. In addition, sufferers must also know which carbohydrates have a low and high glycemic index.
Therefore, make a kind of list of foods that can be eaten or not. Then apply it to your daily menu.
2. Exercise regularly
Exercise is a great way to control blood sugar in someone with diabetes. First, exercise can reduce fat levels in the body so obesity does not occur. Exercise also makes a person more enthusiastic so as to increase productivity.
By doing exercise, insulin sensitivity in the body will increase. This condition triggers the muscles to use sugar from the blood to carry out metabolism and produce energy.
Sugar in the blood that continues to be taken will lower its levels so that the condition of diabetes will be controlled properly.
Also Read: Vegetarian Diet for Diabetics, Really Beneficial?
3. Consume Enough Water
If you have diabetes, don’t neglect daily water consumption. Consuming water will keep you free from rising blood sugar which is quite high.
In one day try to consume at least about 8 glasses of water. The water consumed is also only plain water.
Water will keep the body more hydrated, and keep blood sugar levels in the body low and prevent them from rising quickly.
4. Increase Vegetable Consumption
Fiber is not only useful for making you full longer and preventing constipation, fiber can also prevent the rapid increase in blood sugar in the body.
By consuming lots of high-fiber vegetables, the increase in blood sugar in the body will run slowly.
5. Controlling Stress
When stressed, the body releases glucagon and cortisol, hormones that cause blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Therefore, it is very important to manage your stress level.
One study showed that exercise, relaxation, and meditation can significantly reduce stress and lower blood sugar levels.
Exercise and relaxation techniques such as yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction can also help improve insulin secretion problems in people with chronic diabetes.
6. Get Enough Sleep
If you want to always be healthy and don’t want to experience an increase in blood sugar, one way to control good blood sugar is with quality sleep. Quality sleep can be seen from the level of fullness and duration.
Therefore, try to sleep for 6-8 hours per day. If you can’t sleep that long, your body will experience stress and trigger a rise in blood sugar.
Also Read: 10 Types of Vegetables to Lower Blood Sugar, Easy to Get
7. Routinely Check Blood Sugar Levels
Apart from the hospital, you can do a blood sugar test at home using a portable blood glucose meter, also known as a glucometer. You can also discuss these options with your doctor.
Checking your blood sugar level can allow you to determine whether you need to adjust your diet or medication. It also helps learn how the body reacts to certain foods.
Try measuring your blood sugar level regularly every day and record the number. Examination can be done before and after exercise; before and after eating.
8. Choose Foods with a Low Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is an indicator to measure how quickly carbohydrates are broken down during digestion and how quickly the body absorbs them. GI can affect how quickly the body’s blood sugar level rises.
Eating foods with a low GI has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. Some examples of foods with a low to moderate glycemic index include:
- Unsweetened Greek Yogurt.
- Wheat.
- Peas.
- Nuts.
- Non-starchy vegetables.
Also Read: Recognizing the Glycemic Index and Its Effect on Blood Sugar Levels
9. Lose Weight
Losing weight can help reduce the risk of diabetes. According to research, weight loss reduces the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60% after losing 7% of body weight with exercise and diet.
American Diabetes Association recommends that people with prediabetes lose at least 7 to 10% of their body weight to prevent disease progression. More weight loss will provide greater benefits.
10. Consume Healthy Fats
To help you lose and manage your weight, your diet must include a variety of foods with unsaturated fats, also known as good fats.
This type of fat promotes healthy blood cholesterol levels, keeps the heart healthy, and keeps blood vessels healthy.
Sources of good fats that you can consume include:
- Olive, sunflower and canola oil.
- Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, peanuts, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna and cod.
Now,, those are various ways to control blood sugar that you can do. Are you interested in trying one of the methods above?
- Anonymous. 2021. Diabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-prevention/art-20047639. (Accessed January 2, 2022)
- Lawler, Moira. 2020. 10 Tips to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally. https://www.everydayhealth.com/diabetes/9-tips-lower-blood-sugar-naturally/. (Accessed January 2, 2022)
- Warwick, Kathy W. 2021. 14 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-ways-to-lower-blood-sugar. (Accessed January 2, 2022)
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