Prediabetes or diabetes diagnosis may come as a shock, but the sooner people accept it, the easier they’ll manage it. Living with diabetes doesn’t mean people should stop leading a normal life, but making certain lifestyle changes that will help keep their blood sugar levels under control.
Controlling blood sugar levels is of vital importance for health and well-being. If they are high most of the time, people can experience different health problems, and over time, it can damage their organs.
Diabetes affects the entire body and organs, and not controlling it can lead to damage to the kidneys, heart, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. Some of the most common problems include heart damage, kidney failure, vision loss, neuropathy, foot damage, hearing impairment, skin conditions, and Alzheimer’s.
The treatment of diabetes includes medications and insulin, but we can further improve it by making certain diet and lifestyle changes.
Here are some of the best ways to control blood sugar levels naturally, but don’t quit the prescribed medications and insulin if you’re already taking them.
1. Find The Right Diet for Better Blood Sugar Control
Diet is directly linked to blood sugar levels so it can either keep diabetes under control or worsen it. It all depends on what we eat and what we should stay away from.
What’s more, it can control lipid levels, which is important because diabetics are at risk of cardiac problems.
Foods to Eat
- Green leafy vegetables
- Beans
- Sweet potatoes
- Citrus fruit
- Berries
- Whole grains
- Fatty fish
- Seeds and nuts
Low-Fat Vegan Diet
Try this diet as research shows it can improve blood glucose and lipid levels in those with diabetes. Follow the rules:
- The diet should consist of plant foods. Therefore, avoid any form of meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs.
- Consume seeds, nuts, beans, and tofu to get more proteins.
- Cut out refined carbs such as those in processed foods and white flour.
- Eat low-GI foods high in fiber like fresh veggies, beans, legumes, and fruit.
ADA Diet Guidelines
Try to stick to the ADA diet guidelines for better blood sugar control, by following these rules:
- The percent of your daily saturated fat should not be higher than 7%
- 15-20 proteins of your daily calories should consist of protein
- Monounsaturated fats and carbs should make up 60-70 percent of your daily calorie intake.
- Don’t take more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day
More Eating Tips
- Avoid cold, oily, and heavy foods, and eat foods that are light, dry, and warm. For example, enjoy meals and soups made from horse gram, green gram, barley, fenugreek, pointed gourd, bitter gourd, and cooked veggies.
- Increase the intake of astringent, bitter, and even pungent foods such as fenugreek seeds and bitter melon.
- Avoid consuming dairy products such as yogurt, especially at night
- Drink warm ginger tea
- Consume fruits like pomegranates, apples, pears, and cranberries, and avoid bananas, figs, and other heavy
- Spice up your meals with ginger, pepper, mustard seeds, or cayenne instead of consuming salty foods.
- Take protein from beans and other lighter foods.
- Limit the intake of wheat and rice and switch to buckwheat, millet, rye, barley, or corn.
- Take turmeric in cooking or as a spice which is widely used in Indian cooking, to lower blood sugar
2. Use Natural Remedies
Try some herbs, spices, and other natural ingredients to help regulate blood sugar levels. The most popular natural remedies for type 2 diabetes include:
Apple cider vinegar – dilute 20 g of this vinegar in 40 g of water and drink before meals to improve insulin sensitivity after meals.
Cinnamon – consume around 3 g of this spice a day to reduce fasting serum glucose.
Fenugreek Seeds – consume them regularly along with diabetes medications to reduce insulin resistance and improve glycemic control.
Mango Leaves – boil 10 mango leaves and let them soak in the water overnight. The next morning, strain the leaves and drink the liquid before eating anything. Do this for two months.
3. Exercise & Manage Weight
Physical activity is an essential part of diabetes management. All we have to do is devote half an hour of our day to some exercise. In fact, we can start with 5-10 minutes and gradually increase the time.
Besides controlling our blood glucose, staying physically active will help us lose some weight – which is good for those with diabetes.
Combine aerobic exercises like swimming, brisk walking, or dancing, with strength training such as weightlifting, planks, and pushups on different days of the week.
Besides exercising, we can stay physically active by walking to work/school, choosing stairs instead of the lift, or parking our car away from our destination.
4. Yoga
Yoga can help control our blood glucose by improving our glucose tolerance, lowering our risk of cardiovascular problems, reducing blood pressure levels, improving our lipid profile, and reducing stress.
We can try some simple yoga poses at first, and practice some deep breathing and meditation.
5. Stop Smoking
Did you know that smoking raises the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 30-40%? So, try to quit or at least reduce smoking to prevent many diabetes complications such as heart or kidney damage, vision problems, nerve damage, and circulation problems.
Try to make as many of these lifestyle changes to improve diabetes management and lead a healthy life.
