People who have diabetes, are very well aware that they must have control of their blood glucose levels. But do you know how to lower and prevent the blood glucose spikes? Blood glucose spikes happen when the blood glucose suddenly rises and falls after a meal.
In the short term, blood glucose spikes can lead to hunger and lethargy. However, over time the blood glucose spikes can make a change in your body. Your body might not be able to reduce the blood glucose levels efficiently, and that might lead to developing type 2 diabetes.
In addition, the blood glucose spikes can narrow and harden your blood vessels, and that might cause a stroke or heart attack.
Now you know all about blood glucose spikes, but do you know how to prevent them? Below we have a list of 15 simple ways you can do that. Read on, to find out more.
15 Simple Ways to Prevent Blood Glucose Spikes
1. Reduce Your Sugar Intake
Did you know that the average American eats around 88 g or 22 tsp. of added sugar on a daily basis? That is approximately 350 calories. Some of this sugar is table sugar, but most of it is from prepared and processed foods, like sodas, candy, and cookies.
What the body does is that it breaks down these sugars and that leads to sudden blood glucose spike in your blood glucose. What you need to do is to replace sugar with natural sugar substitutes.
2. Increase Your Fiber Intake
Fiber is actually made of those parts of the plant food which your body is not able to digest. The fiber is divided into 2 groups: insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. The soluble fiber is the one that can help you control your blood glucose spikes.
Why? Well, this group of fiber dissolves in water in order to form a substance that looks like a gel which slows down the absorption of carbs. The result is steady rise and fall in the blood glucose.
Rich sources of soluble fiber are many vegetables, oatmeal, legumes, nuts, blueberries, apples, and oranges.
3. Get Enough Chromium
Chromium is a mineral which is said that it can boost the action of insulin. That might help you control the blood glucose spikes by stimulating the cells to absorb the glucose from the blood.
In one study, 13 participants took 75 g of white bread without or with chromium added. Those who consumed the bread with added chromium had around 20 percent reduction in the blood glucose after a meal.
Rich food sources of this mineral are Brazil nuts, broccoli, shellfish, tomatoes, and egg yolks.
4. Include Cinnamon in Your Diet
Cinnamon might be a common ingredient, but it comes with many health benefits. It is said that it can help improve the insulin sensitivity by lowering the insulin resistance.
According to studies, it can lower the blood glucose spikes by 29 percent. However, bear in mind that when it comes to cinnamon, less is more.
5. Monitor the Blood Glucose Levels
Monitoring and measuring blood sugar levels might help you control them. For instance, by keeping track, you can find out whether you need to make certain changes in your drugs or meals, of course, if your doctor agrees.
Measure your glucose levels on a daily basis and keep track of your numbers.
6. Lower Stress
Lower the stress and that for sure can help you with your blood glucose spikes. According to one study, yoga exercise can lower blood glucose spikes and stress after a meal.
7. Maintain a Healthy Weight
In America, 2 out of 3 adults are thought to either be obese or overweight. As you probably know, being obese or overweight might cause difficulties for your body to control the blood glucose spikes and use insulin.
That, in turn, might increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and blood glucose spikes.
8. Include Vinegar in Your Diet
Vinegar, mainly apple cider vinegar comes with many health benefits. Apple cider vinegar links to control of the blood sugar, cholesterol reduction, antibacterial properties and weight loss.
According to some studies, this vinegar can help lower the blood glucose spikes and increase the response of insulin.
9. Get Enough Sleep
Did you know that both too much and too little sleep have been connected with poor control of the blood glucose?
So which is the right amount? According to one study, the proper amount of sleep is from 6.5. to 7.4 hours.
10. Follow a Low-Carb Diet
Carbs lead to a rise in the blood glucose. When you consume carbs, what happens is that they dissolve into simple sugars which enter the bloodstream.
And as the blood glucose rises, the pancreases releases insulin which induces the cells to absorb the glucose from the blood, and that leads to drop in your blood glucose.
According to many studies following a low-carb diet might help to prevent blood glucose spikes. Moreover, this type of diet can help you lose weight, which additionally lowers the development of blood glucose spikes.
11. Get Enough Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral which helps with control of the blood glucose. According to one study, the magnesium helps increase insulin sensitivity.
Rich food sources are peanuts, spinach, cashews, avocados, and almonds.
12. Lower Your Alcohol Intake
You probably know that the alcoholic drinks, mainly the cocktails and mixed drinks, contain plenty of added sugar. As a matter of fact, they contain more than 30 g of sugar per one serving.
You should not neglect this since the sugar present in alcoholic drinks might lead to blood glucose spikes the same as the added sugar present in food.
According to one study, drinking alcohol in moderation with meals might help lower the blood glucose spikes by more than 37 percent.
13. Consume Fewer Refined Carbs
Refined carbs, i.e., processed carbs are actually refined grains or sugars. Sources of refined carbs include desserts, table sugar, breakfast cereals, white rice, candy, and soda.
They barely contain any fiber, minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. They come with high GI since they are quickly and easily digested and that causes blood glucose spikes.
According to one study, these carbs link with an increase in type 2 diabetes.
14. Increase Your Water Intake
Not consuming sufficient amount of water might cause blood glucose spikes. In a time of dehydration, the body makes a hormone by the name vasopressin.
This hormone stimulates the kidneys to retain the fluid, and in that way, it stops the body from removing the excess sugar which is in the urine.
In addition, it induces the liver to release more glucose into the blood. According to one study, people who drank around 1 L of water on a daily basis were 21 percent less likely to have high blood glucose.
This is in comparison to those who drank 473 ml or even less on a daily basis.
15. Exercise
By increasing the sensitivity of the cells to insulin, exercise helps in the control of the blood glucose spikes. Moreover, it causes the muscle cells to absorb the glucose from the blood and lower the blood glucose levels.
Both moderate and high-intensity exercise can help lower blood glucose spikes. These tips are simple and easy, but very beneficial.
