Natural Ways To Manage High Blood Sugar

General Health

Natural Ways To Manage High Blood Sugar

Elevated blood sugar is bad for you. The longer it remains high, the more damage it can do to your body. At this time of year, many of us are eating and drinking in a way that raises blood sugar. Even if you’re not a diabetic, a rush of sugar into your bloodstream can mean trouble.

High blood sugar is linked to problems such as insulin resistance, obesity and type 2 diabetes. When you eat food that contains carbohydrates, this causes a rise in your blood sugar level. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin is essentially a storage hormone; it sends a signal to your cells to open up and store nutrients. If you consume a lot of carbohydrate rich foods, your blood glucose will rise rapidly, causing a spike in insulin levels. Insulin resistance occurs when there’s been a high demand for insulin for an extended period of time until eventually our body becomes resistant to the message. This results in more glucose being stored as fat rather than used for energy.

Elevated blood sugar causes wear and tear to almost every part of your body. It breaks down collagen, aging you more rapidly, and harming your arteries and nerves. Elevated blood sugar can also harm your brain, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety and foggy head.

Natural solutions to manage your blood sugar

Get your blood sugar checked
A large number of people have type 2 diabetes, but are undiagnosed. If you haven’t had your blood sugar checked within the last year, go to your doctor for a test. You should get a fasting blood sugar test as well as an HbA1c test. It is necessary to get both as a one off fasting blood sugar test can be a poor indicator of your glucose tolerance, as this type of test does not indicate how high your blood sugar gets after a meal. If you consume a lot of sugar and grains you may have elevated blood sugar levels for a large portion of the day, that a fasting blood test may not pick up on. A glycated haemoglobin test (HbA1c) is much more reliable as it better indicates your blood sugar for the past three months during the day and night. Your HbA1c should be below 5.5%.
Reduce the carbs in your diet
People with insulin resistance cannot handle ordinary amounts of carbohydrate in their diet; as they oversecrete insulin in response to eating carbs. Sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals, sugary drinks and anything made of flour will all cause a dramatic rise in blood sugar, therefore these foods should be minimized. If you are insulin resistant you are less likely to feel satisfied after eating these foods, as a result you tend to overeat. There is an excellent low-carb eating plan in Dr Cabot’s book ‘Diabetes Type 2: You Can Reverse It Naturally’.
Eat sufficient protein
It is essential to consume some form of protein with every meal to help stabilize blood sugar levels, promote fullness and aid weight loss. Sources of protein include eggs, seafood, meat, poultry, whey protein, nuts, seeds and legumes. Glicemic Balance capsules contain herbs and nutrients to improve insulin sensitivity, keep blood sugar balanced, as well as reducing hunger and cravings.
Exercise is important
Exercise has significant health benefits such as reducing blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, promoting a healthy mood and aiding weight loss. Exercise also helps get blood sugar down because your muscles suck glucose out of your bloodstream for their metabolism. So if you have a big meal or eat more sugar than you intended, going for a walk afterwards can help reduce the consequences. Making exercise a regular part of your life should help keep your blood sugar and insulin lower.
Try to get sufficient sleep
People often underestimate the importance of good quality sleep. It is recommended to get between 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Falling short of this can make you more prone to weight gain and high blood sugar, and significantly reduce your willpower to avoid unhealthy food. If you have trouble getting to sleep, magnesium is an excellent mineral for promoting relaxation and for maintaining good quality sleep. There are further sleep tips in my book ‘Tired of Not Sleeping?’.
Help your liver
Maintaining a healthy liver is essential for balancing blood sugar levels, as if your liver is not functioning optimally you will be susceptible to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and sugar cravings. Fatty liver is when your liver becomes clogged with fat and this impairs your livers ability to act as the primary fat-burning organ and master detoxifier. Fatty liver diagnosis often occurs years before a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Taking a quality liver tonic like Livatone Plus provides the nutrients needed to improve the health and efficiency of your liver.
Berberine improves a diabetic’s metabolism
Berberine helps reduce insulin resistance and helps to normalize blood sugar and blood fats. It also makes it easier for diabetics to lose weight. Read more about berberine.