How To Treat High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, is associated with diabetes and prediabetes. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

Your body usually manages your blood sugar levels by producing insulin, a hormone that allows your cells to use the circulating sugar in your blood. As such, insulin is the most important regulator of blood sugar levels.

Here are 7 easy and evidence-backed ways to naturally lower your blood sugar levels.

1. Regular Exercise

Regular exercise can assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight while also improving insulin sensitivity.

Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells can use the sugar in your bloodstream more efficiently.

Exercise also aids the utilisation of blood sugar by your muscles for energy and muscle contraction.

If you have trouble controlling your blood sugar, check your levels before and after exercising on a regular basis. This will assist you in learning how you react to various activities and preventing blood sugar levels from becoming too high or low.

 

2. Eat more fiber

Fiber slows food digestion and sugar absorption, allowing blood sugar levels to rise more gradually.

Insoluble and soluble fibers are the two forms of fiber.

While both are beneficial, soluble fiber has been demonstrated to help with blood sugar regulation, whilst insoluble fiber has not.

A high-fiber diet can help your body control blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar lows. This could aid in the management of type 1 diabetes.

Fiber-rich foods include the following:

vegetables\sfruits\slegumes

grains in their entirety

Fiber consumption should be around 25 grams for women and 35 grams for males per day. For every 1,000 g, that’s around 14 grams.

 

3. Drink Water

Drinking enough water could help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy ranges.

In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out any excess sugar through urine.

One review of observational studies showed that those who drank more water had a lower risk of developing high blood sugar levels.

 

4. Manage Your Stress Level

Blood sugar levels can be affected by stress.

When you’re stressed, your body produces hormones like glucagon and cortisol, which raise blood sugar levels.

Exercise, relaxation, and meditation dramatically reduced stress and blood sugar levels, according to a study involving a group of students.

Exercises and relaxation approaches such as yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction may also benefit persons with chronic diabetes with insulin secretion issues.

 

5. Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep feels excellent and is necessary for good sleep.

In fact, poor sleeping habits and a lack of rest can affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They can also increase appetite and promote weight gain

 

To improve the quality of your sleep, try to:

 

follow a sleep schedule

avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day

get regular exercise

cut down on screen time before bed

keep your bedroom cool

limit your naps

create a bedtime routine

use soothing and calming scents such as lavender

avoid working in your bedroom

take a warm bath or shower before bed

try meditation or guided imagery.

 

6. Maintain Moderate Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight helps to keep blood sugar levels in check and lowers your risk of developing diabetes.

According to research, even a 5% weight loss can help regulate blood sugar levels and lessen the need for diabetes medication.

For example, if a person weighs 200 pounds (91 kg) and loses just 10–14 pounds (4.5–6 kg), their blood sugar levels may improve significantly.

Furthermore, if you lose more than 5% of your original weight, your glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels may improve. These are used to track your blood sugar levels throughout the previous three months.

 

7. Monitor Your Blood Sugar Level

You can do so at home with a glucometer, which is a portable blood glucose meter. This is something you should address with your doctor.

Keeping track allows you to see if your meals or prescriptions need to be adjusted. It also aids in the understanding of how your body reacts to various foods.

Try monitoring your levels on a daily basis and keeping a journal of the results. Additionally, tracking your blood sugar in pairs — for example, before and after exercise or before and two hours after a meal — may be more beneficial.

This can show you whether you should make little alterations to a meal if it increases your blood sugar rather than skipping your favorite foods entirely if it rises your blood sugar.