Diabetes is a serious health issue that affects over 34 million people in the United States. This terrible illness can cause serious damage to an individual’s health by triggering higher than normal blood sugar levels. 

There are also 88 million American adults – 1 in 3 – diagnosed with prediabetes. Being prediabetic means your blood sugar levels are higher than the norm, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. 

Surprisingly, 84% of people with prediabetes don’t even know they have it. If you’re concerned about diabetes or interested in understanding your risk levels, please schedule an appointment with our medical team. 

Thankfully, people with prediabetes can reverse their path towards diabetes by changing their lifestyle. There are many great ways to lower your blood sugar levels by approaching life in a healthier way. 

We’ve rounded up some great tips on keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Keep reading to learn how to manage your diabetes effectively, reverse prediabetes, and live a healthier life. 

1. Track your Carbohydrate Consumption

Carb-heavy snacks may be tasty but they also have a big impact on blood sugar levels. 

When we eat carbohydrates, our body turns them into sugars, which need insulin in order to be moved into cells. As this blood sugar is absorbed by our cells, the amount of blood sugar in our bloodstream starts to decrease. 

People with diabetes or insulin issues can’t complete this process easily, which makes their blood sugar levels jump up.  By being more conscious of our carb consumption, we can reduce how frequently this occurs. 

Low-carb diets are a great way to prevent blood sugar spikes and control your blood sugar levels. It’s also good to understand the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates. The latter type has natural sugars and fibers which make it much less likely to have big spikes in blood sugar. 

Foods with low glycemic loads are a great option. Glycemic load takes into account both the amount of carbohydrate in the food in relation to its impact on blood sugar levels. Some great options include apples, lentils, oranges, and black beans. 

2. Lower Your Stress & Anxiety Levels

You may be surprised to learn that stress and anxiety have a big impact on blood sugar levels. 

Stress-related hormones such as cortisol and glucagon have been shown to increase blood sugar levels and make it more difficult for the body to use insulin well. For these reasons, it is so important to develop a strategy for stress management.By finding healthy outlets for your stress and anxiety, you can significantly lower the number of harmful stress hormones in your body. Any hobbies or activities that help calm the mind can be very beneficial in this way. 

For example, taking up yoga once a week can do wonders for both your mental and physical health. Meditation is also one of the best ways to gain control over stressful thoughts and achieve inner peace. These days there are many ways to meditate, such as meditation apps and YouTube videos, which offer guidance for beginners. 

Building a plan to tackle stress and anxiety is one of the best ways to lower your blood sugar levels and risk for diabetes.

3. Increase Your Water Intake  

Staying hydrated with water is another great way to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Water is a great alternative to sugary drinks like soda which makes it perfect for people looking to manage blood sugar. 

Studies show that people who drink more water have a lower risk of developing high blood sugar levels and becoming dehydrated. When blood sugar levels get too high, the kidneys try to flush out extra blood sugar through urine. 

This makes it even more important to drink water and replenish the body’s water levels. In fact, less water in your body can cause larger concentrations of blood sugar. 

4. Be More Active 

Boosting your activity levels is an excellent way to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range. When you move a lot, the body’s muscles can utilize glucose for energy, even if there is no insulin available.

If you think that requires hours of intense exercise every day, you’d be mistaken. Low-intensity exercises like walking make a significant impact on blood sugar and general health. Try to incorporate a 30-minute walk a few times a week to get started. 

Another excellent activity for blood sugar stability is strength training. Get some small dumbbells to start out and increase the difficulty as you get stronger. 

There are so many different activities you can choose from to get more active. Pick something you really enjoy and you’ll be more likely to stick with it over the long-run. 

If you already have diabetes, check your blood sugar to see how your body responds to different kinds of activities. This is important as you don’t want your blood sugar levels to get too high or too low. 

Conclusion

It can be difficult for people with diabetes or prediabetes to achieve healthy blood sugar levels. Thankfully, there are so many great ways to manage blood sugar effectively. Start by paying closer attention to your nutrition and activity levels. Choose some healthy food and exercise options that you enjoy and build on your progress over time. 

By taking charge of your health you can prevent many unwanted health problems from forming in the future. 

To learn more about how Montes Medical can help you manage diabetes issues, please visit our diabetes management page and contact us to schedule an appointment.

AUTHOR

Maneeza HasanManeeza is a content marketing professional from Los Angeles, California. She loves to create content that helps people live better lives. To learn more about her please visit her website at www.maneeza.com