7 Simple Remedies To Control Your Sugar Levels

Sugar Levels

Diabetes can be a nerve-wrecking condition especially if your sugar levels keep ticking. Maintaining controlled sugar levels is the cornerstone of effective diabetes management. The ‘how-to’ of attaining controlled glucose levels differs for each individual, however there are some basic tips that can enhance your numbers.

1Consistency in eating habits

Regularize your eating habits and stick to it. Avoid skipping meals, particularly breakfast, as it could push your glucose levels higher. The anti-diabetic drugs would lower the glucose levels and you could land up being hypoglycemic. Also when you skip meals, you tend to over-eat in the following meals that could lead to weight gain. So, it’s important that you maintain a regular eating routine.

2Exercising portion control

It is important to eat the right foods in diabetes, but eating in the right amounts is equally important. Implementing right portion control helps you to limit your caloric intake and can also result in better weight management. It can also help in limiting erratic blood sugar spikes. Some simple tricks that can help you to control the portion sizes include using smaller plates, eating slowly, carefully reading food labels to check the serving size and maintaining a food journal.

3Staying hydrated

Elevated blood sugar levels lead to increased urination and this can cause dehydration. Drinking plenty of water, not only prevents dehydration but may also help in keeping sugar levels within limits. Some studies have suggested that kidneys flush out excess sugar through urine. So drinking loads of water can definitely be beneficial.

4Sleeping well

This might seem absurd, but quality sleep is extremely important in good sugar control. Poor sleep can disturb hormonal balance and result in increased appetite and elevated sugar levels. Lack of sleep also increases cortisol levels which in turn increases blood sugar levels.

5Choosing low glycemic index foods

Glycemic index assesses body’s blood glucose response to a particular food. Foods with low glycemic index do not cause sharp elevation in blood sugar levels. Consumption of low GI foods has shown to reduce blood sugar levels for long term. Low GI foods include eggs, fish, meat and poultry, lentils and beans, nuts and seeds, non-starchy vegetables, etc.

6Increasing fibre

Fibre is the non-digestible part of your plant-based foods. It slows down carbohydrate digestion and promotes sustained sugar release. A high-fibre diet helps in preventing those blood sugar spikes. It also helps in maintaining a healthy weight. Some high fibre foods include whole-grains, raw vegetables, legumes, etc.

7Being happy and stress-free

Stress surely affects your blood sugar levels. Stress hormones including cortisol that are released lead to increase in sugar levels. Some techniques that can keep stress at bay include meditation, yoga, exercise, relaxation and mindfulness-based stress reduction.