January 06, 2021 / Maoyue (Ada) Wang

HOW TO LOWER BLOOD SUGAR NATURALLY: 10 EASY TACTICS

Blood sugar refers to the amount of glucose in your blood, and it f luctuates throughoutthe day. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks this down into sugar, and yourblood sugar will r ise. It 's not just food that can affect your blood sugar – inact ivity,stress, and infect ion can also affect your sugar metabolism.

Let 's dive into the helpful ways to lower blood glucose naturally.

T he Import ance of Maint aining Healt hy Blood Sugar Levels

Why is it important to pay at tent ion to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels? Forpeople with diabetes, unmanaged high blood glucose can be harmful, damaging yourkidneys, nerves, heart , and eyes.

To prevent these complicat ions, blood sugar levels must be kept within a normal range.A blood glucose meter is an excellent tool for people with diabetes to monitor theirblood sugar levels. By monitoring blood sugar, you can learn what causes it to go up ordown. You can then make adjustments in your meals, exercise, and medicat ion.

Even if you don't have diabetes or prediabetes, it 's st ill important to watch your bloodglucose to avoid glucose spikes and crashes. Keeping blood sugar levels steady canhelp you avoid feeling sluggish, irr itable, and craving sugary snacks throughout the day.

How t o Lower Blood Sugar Nat urally wit h Easy Tact ics

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The first step in managing high blood sugar is to make changes to diet and lifestyle.You can start with simple changes to lower your blood sugar naturally. Below are 10simple tact ics; t ry to incorporate one at a t ime to see how each affects your bloodglucose.

As always, make sure you consult with a healthcare professional before making anymajor diet or lifestyle changes.

1 . Consume Foods T hat Lower Blood Sugar

Diets high in f iber can help lower blood sugar naturally and have been linked toimproved glycemic control in people with diabetes and prediabetes. This is becausefiber slows down digest ion, which can help the body avoid blood sugar spikes andcrashes.

Try these foods that are high in f iber:

Nuts

Avocados

Leafy Greens

Broccoli

Oatmeal

Berries

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Check out this chopped rainbow salad with mult i-greens for a colorful way to includemany of these ingredients!

2. Fill Up on Soluble Fiber

Fiber, especially soluble f iber, can help slow the absorpt ion of sugar, causing a moremoderate rise in blood sugar. Soluble f iber dissolves in water and forms a gel- likematerial that s lows the digest ion process. High-fiber foods are usually r ich in othernutrients as well, making it a win-win to incorporate them into your meals.

Here are some examples of foods high in soluble f iber:

Ve ge t able s : carrots

Fruit s : pears

Who le grains : oats

Be ans and le gume s: black beans

Nut s and se e ds : hazelnuts

Refined grains or processed foods are usually lower in f iber, so try to swap in wholegrains and less processed opt ions whenever possible. Try whole fruits instead of fruitjuices, and nuts or popcorn instead of chips or baked goods. A lso, don't forget to stayadequately hydrated: an increase in f iber can cause digest ive upset if you don't drinkenough water.

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3. Add Resist ant St arch t o Your Diet

Resistant starch is a type of starch that is not digested in the stomach or small intest ine.Because it 's not digested, it does not raise glucose levels. Instead, resistant starch actsas an energy source for gut bacteria, and promotes beneficial bacteria growth withinthe gut microbiome.

The amount of resistant starch in foods varies depending on ripeness and preparat ionmethods. As bananas ripen, the amount of resistant starch decreases. Some starchesdevelop higher levels of resistant starch if allowed to cool after cooking.

Try incorporat ing these sources of resistant starch into your next meal:

Green bananas, plantains

Beans

Peas

Lent ils

Oats and barley

Cooked and cooled rice

This caprese lent il and spinach salad is full of hearty lent ils , and is a delicious way toincrease your intake of resistant starch.

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https://www.platejoy.com/recipe/3675/5/caprese-lentil-and-spinach-salad

4. Add More Elect rolyt es Int o Your Diet

Electrolyte imbalance often occurs with high blood glucose. As your body tr ies toremove the extra sugar in your blood, it will increase water use. With more frequenturinat ion, your body loses water and electrolytes. Electrolytes need to be maintained inbalance for your body to funct ion. Including more natural sources of electrolytes in yourdiet can help to prevent any further imbalance.

Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in electrolytes, and contain other healthbenefits like f iber. The USDA recommends that adults eat at least 1½ to 2 cups per dayof fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables as part of a healthy eat ing pattern.

5. Drink More Wat er

Water is the best beverage choice because it contains zero carbohydrates or calories,so it does not affect blood sugar. Here are some t ips to include more water in your day:

Use a s t raw: this makes drinking water in small s ips easier and prevents the bloatedfeeling of drinking too much water at once.

Try a wat e r t rac king app: there are apps that give you reminders to drink waterthroughout the day. People often don't drink water unt il they feel thirsty – a reminderwill help you remember that you need to drink.

Swap swe e t e ne d be ve rage s fo r unswe e t e ne d: If you are used to drinking sugarydrinks, gradually ease yourself into drinking just water. Here are some great

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https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html

examples of alternat ives to sugary drinks, such as seltzer water and infused waterwith cit rus fruits .

6. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals

It 's recommended that people with diabetes eat 4-5 small meals per day rather thanlarger meals.

A simple way to control port ions is to use the Diabetes Plate Method. Start with a 9-inch plate or s imilar s ize. Make half the plate non-starchy vegetables, one quarter leanprotein, and the rest whole grains or starchy vegetables. For snacks, t ry to buyindividually packed snacks or pre-port ion your own, such as a cup of yogurt , cheesest icks, or a small apple. For a more decadent t reat that 's st ill nutrit ionally balanced, t rythis sunflower butter strawberry toast .

7. Make it a Priorit y t o Eat Breakfast

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We often don’t feel hungry f irst thing in the morning, or don’t have t ime to make a meal.Then when luncht ime comes, you find yourself starving for food and you end up eat inga huge meal. Studies show that skipping breakfast corresponds to higher blood glucoselevels. Moreover, it can affect your blood glucose level for the ent ire day. Start ing yourday with a healthy, f iber and protein-rich breakfast will help regulate blood sugar andkeep you feeling your best throughout the day.

Breakfast doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as easy as an egg on whole graintoast , or mixed berries with high-protein yogurt and nuts. Check out this unique spin ona classic: avocado superfood toast .

8. Increase Your Movement and Exercise

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Exercise can help improve blood glucose control in the long run (no pun intended),improve your insulin sensit ivity, and reduce insulin resistance. Moreover, it can helpreduce stress and feelings of depression, which also bring down your blood sugar.Either aerobic or resistance training can improve glycemic control. However, acombinat ion of both can lead to the greatest improvement .

Insulin sensit ivity is heightened for seven to 11 hours after exercise, so be aware ofhypoglycemia, a drop in blood sugar that can cause dizz iness, nausea, or more seriouseffects. To maximise muscle recovery after your workout , t ry to consume a snack high inprotein with moderate carbohydrates to replenish energy and muscle stores.

9. Aim t o Get 7 – 9 Hours of Sleep Each Night

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Insuff icient s leep is related to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The CDC reports thateven one night of poor sleep can negat ively affect your body's insulin eff iciency. Sleeploss is also related to impaired glucose tolerance, so opt imiz ing sleep durat ion andquality may help regulate your blood sugar.

How much sleep should you get? Studies have shown that both people who sleep lessthan six hours and those who sleep more than nine hours a night have a higher risk ofdeveloping type 2 diabetes. A im for between seven and nine hours of s leep a night , andtry to be consistent . Some great t ips to improve sleep are:

Dim lights 30 minutes before bed, and make sure the room is dark when you go tosleep.

Turn off or mute your phone at night to prevent disrupt ive noise, light , or vibrat ions

Try to have a consistent s leep schedule (this includes weekends!)

Include some exercise during the day, at least one hour before bed. Exercis ing tooclose to bedt ime can make it hard for some people to fall asleep.

10. Manage Your St ress Levels

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When stressed, your body prepares itself with extra glucose for emergency use. It doesthis by changing hormones to decrease insulin sensit ivity and increase glucose releasefrom cells . This causes blood sugar to increase. By managing your stress levels, you arealso helping your body regulate blood sugar.

Finding ways to relieve stress is vital to regulat ing blood sugar. Everyone has differentways of managing stress. If you don’t know where to start , you can try these simplesteps to start at home yoga. Studies show yoga pract ice may improve blood glucoselevels and type 2 diabetes outcomes.

T he Takeaway

By lowering blood sugar naturally, you are reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes andprevent ing complicat ions such as heart disease, vis ion loss, and kidney disease. Startsmall by trying one of these t ips today, and cont inue to incorporate them gradually intoyour lifestyle. Simplify your meal planning, t ry out some new exercises, stay hydrated,and find ways to lower stress. With t ime and perseverance, these small lifestylechanges can add up to a large difference in your health.

Mao yu e ( Ada) Wan gDietetic Intern

Maoyue (Ada) Wang holds a Master of Nutrit ion Education from Columbia UniversityTeachers College. Ada is originally from Beijing, China, and is currently in a DieteticInternship program on the road to becoming a Registered Dietit ian Nutrit ionist (RDN).Studying in the U.S. for six years has allowed her to experience different cultures, andone of her passions is cooking and discovering tasty foods around the world.

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