3 Ways to Reduce Your Blood Sugar

3 Ways to Reduce Your Blood Sugar

Managing your blood sugar levels is an important part of supporting your overall health. 

Having high blood sugar levels can increase your risk of complications such as neuropathy, kidney, and heart disease. Reducing your blood sugar levels can not only reduce your risk of complications but can improve your energy levels and quality of sleep, as well as reduce brain fog.

Here are 3 things you can do to lower your sugars today. 

Add Carbohydrates to Your Plate

This may sound counterintuitive, but including carbohydrates in your diet is important for blood sugar control.

Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for your body. Without adequate amounts of carbohydrates in your diet, your body will begin to convert stored energy (glycogen) into glucose in the liver. This glucose is then released into the bloodstream and can lead to a rise in your blood sugar levels.

Including complex carbohydrates in your balanced meals and snacks, can help prevent unwanted spikes in your blood sugar levels. Check out my posts, Tips for Blood-Sugar Friendly Toast and Diabetes-Friendly Fruit for some breakfast and snack inspiration.​​

Get Moving

Exercise is one of the most important aspects of managing your blood sugar. Exercise helps to reduce insulin resistance, which allows your body to better regulate blood sugar levels.

It’s important to remember that exercise can look different for everyone, and can include activities such as taking a brisk walk, practicing yoga, or going for a swim.

Benefits of Exercising After Meals

Studies show that exercising after eating can help control the post-meal rise in your blood sugar^[1]Aqeel, M., Forster, A., Richards, E. A., Hennessy, E., McGowan, B., Bhadra, A., Guo, J., Gelfand, S., Delp, E., & Eicher‐miller, H. A. (2020). The effect of timing of exercise and eating on … Continue reading. In fact, studies show that going for a quick 20-minute walk after a meal can reduce your blood glucose by 21.8%^[2]Borror, A., Zieff, G., Battaglini, C., & Stoner, L. (2018). The Effects of Postprandial Exercise on Glucose Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine, … Continue reading. The benefits of post-meal exercise have been seen in both people with diabetes, as well as people in the pre-diabetic range.

Staying Hydrated

Getting enough water throughout the day can play an important role in managing your blood sugar levels. When you are dehydrated, the amount of water in your blood drops, which can falsely elevate your blood glucose reading, as well as other lab values. Now this doesn’t mean that there’s more glucose in your blood, but that there has been a shift in the ratio of sugar to water.

Mild to moderate dehydration can increase your blood sugar readings as much as 2.5 to 6 mmol/L ^[3]Vieria, G. (2022, December 7). How Dehydration Can Spike Your Blood Sugar. Beyond Type 1. https://beyondtype1.org/dehydration-blood-sugar/.

Check out my post on ways to stay cool during hot weather for tips on staying hydrated.