Lowering blood sugar levels naturally can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. By following these 10 tips, you can help to control your blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes or other complications that can arise from elevated blood sugar levels.
These tips are especially useful if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes. However, they can be helpful to anyone who wants to avoid future health problems, so read on!
1) Eat Complex Carbs
One of the best ways to lower blood sugar levels naturally is to eat more complex carbs. Complex carbs are digested at a slower rate than simple carbs, like those found in refined sugars and flours.
Complex carbs include foods like whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits; these are great sources of fiber that can help improve your digestion.
Eat up! Those extra calories will eventually burn off if you stick with it long enough.
2) Consume Protein
People with diabetes should make sure they eat enough protein every day. Protein slows down digestion and makes you feel full longer.
Plus, high-protein foods keep your blood sugar from spiking after a meal. Good sources of protein include lean meats, poultry without skin, fish and seafood, low-fat dairy products (such as cheese and milk), beans and peas, nuts, and seeds.
Protein supplements are also an option for people who do not meet their recommended daily intake of protein from food sources.
3) Buy a Slow Cooker
Eating a diet full of processed food? By using low-glycemic ingredients like beans, lentils, and whole grains—in tandem with a richly flavored sauce like chicken tikka masala or tacos al pastor—you can create healthy meals that have great texture and incredible flavor.
Beans, lentils, and whole grains are all healthy staples that can help you lose weight and keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel.
For example, beans are high in fiber and slow-digesting carbs, which stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down glucose absorption after meals.
Lentils also provide a good amount of fiber and protein alongside a host of other essential nutrients. Additionally, research suggests that regular bean consumption is linked with lower cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, and a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating these foods regularly can also help decrease your waistline—which is a bonus when you’re trying to drop pounds.
4) Avoid Refined Sugars
The World Health Organization recommends that adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. (Free sugars refer to monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.)
They suggest reducing it further – preferably to below 5% – if you are overweight or obese. Excess calories from sugar-sweetened beverages account for 15% of all calories consumed by adults in developed countries.
Reduce your consumption of these beverages as much as possible. The best way is by avoiding sugary drinks completely; better yet is replacing them with water or unsweetened tea or coffee.
5) Drink Coffee
A 2015 study in Diabetologia found that consuming 100-200mg of caffeine after each meal was associated with lower blood sugar levels and a 24 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
Coffee is a natural source of caffeine, but it’s also possible to purchase a supplement—or simply drink green tea, which also contains caffeine.
It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking coffee can help you lose weight by increasing your body’s energy expenditure slightly over time.
Also note that while regular coffee consumption has been linked with reduced risk for diabetes, decaf and instant coffee have not been linked with such an effect.
6) Add-In Good Fats
Many people think that consuming large amounts of fat is detrimental to your health, but in reality, it can help improve your blood sugar levels and stabilize insulin response.
Substituting out bad fats (like saturated fats found in fatty meats) with good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds) will go a long way toward stabilizing your blood sugar.
When it comes to lowering blood sugar levels naturally, many experts recommend adding more high-quality fish like salmon into your diet as well.
However, you do it, make sure you’re getting enough healthy fat in your daily meals.
7) Eat Plenty of Vegetables and Fruits
If you’re on a low-carb diet and worried about your blood sugar levels, eating plenty of vegetables and fruits is a good place to start.
These foods are loaded with fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals—and they won’t spike your blood sugar levels.
On days when you feel like splurging on something sweet or indulgent, eat plenty of fruit for dessert instead.
You can also make it easier on yourself by incorporating fresh fruit in delicious breakfast recipes like these 10 Delicious Ways to Start Your Day with Fruit.
8) Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, helping your body process blood sugar better. But that doesn’t mean you have to hit a gym for hours at a time; research shows that moderate-intensity exercise is enough.
Studies show that just 30 minutes of physical activity three times per week can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Make sure you choose activities you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a chore—you’re more likely to stick with it over time!
If regular gym trips are out of your comfort zone, there are plenty of other ways to fit some activity into your day without spending too much time or energy on it:
Bike to work instead of driving if possible. Walk around during TV commercials at home or during co-workers’ breaks.
9) Manage Stress Levels
One of your body’s primary responses to stress is a rise in blood sugar levels. It’s a fight-or-flight mechanism that prepares you for action, but if you’re constantly stressed out, your body gets used to high blood sugar and it stops responding as aggressively.
Exercise: Exercise is an excellent natural way to control and lower blood sugar levels; it allows your body a chance to work off excess glucose through sweat.
Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity—walking, swimming, or any activity that gets your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes at a time will do.
10) Keep Track of Your Numbers
Tracking your daily blood sugar levels and using it as a metric for how you’re doing is one of the best ways to keep tabs on your overall health.
Unfortunately, most people don’t do it! This means they might not realize how well their new diet or exercise regimen is working until long after they’ve given up.
We suggest downloading a free app like CGM Connect, which gives you real-time data from your continuous glucose monitor.
This way, if a few days pass and you haven’t seen any improvement in your numbers, you can reevaluate and adjust accordingly.
After all, trying something and giving up just because it didn’t work out at first is a good way to never try again.