How to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally in 14 Easy Steps

Effective Ways to Naturally Control Blood Sugar Levels

1. Exercise Regularly

Exercise helps lower blood sugar by increasing insulin sensitivity. When you exercise, the blood sugar moves from the bloodstream to the muscles, which helps boost insulin sensitivity instantly. Going for brisk walks, jogging, swimming or cycling should help and try to do it regularly.

2. Manage Carb Intake

As the body breaks down carbs into sugar, one must manage their carb intake. If it is higher than average, it results in fluctuation of blood sugar levels. Carbohydrate requirement per meal ideally depends on several factors, including age, weight, and how much a person exercises in a day. Therefore, one must consult a dietician.

3. Eat More Fibre-Rich Foods

Because the body is unable to absorb and break down fibre, it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar the way other carbohydrates can. So, the best way to increase the intake of fibre is by including fibre-rich foods in your diet, like opting for whole fruits over juice, adding legumes and whole grains.

4. Drink More Water

When you drink more water, you produce more urine, and your kidneys eliminate the extra sugar through urination. Choose only water or zero-calorie drinks and avoid sugary drinks as they will raise blood glucose levels.

5. Get Enough and Quality Sleep

A lack of sleep increases the level of the stress hormone, which affects your blood sugar level and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Poor sleep also affects insulin's ability to regulate blood sugar, causing a sudden increase in blood glucose. Ideally, seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep every night is essential for good health.

6. Adopt Stress-Busting Habits

Since stress contributes to elevated blood sugar levels, adopt habits that can help eradicate stress, such as exercising or doing yoga or meditation

7. Don’t Skip Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal, which helps keep your body energised for the rest of the day. Having a protein-rich breakfast is more effective in treating high glucose levels, as with fibre, protein helps to slow down insulin secretion, inducing a gradual increase in blood glucose.

8. Eat Foods Rich in Magnesium and Chromium

Besides increasing good cholesterol, magnesium and chromium-rich foods help improve insulin sensitivity, which your body requires to regulate blood sugar levels. Thus, adding these foods to your diet helps to lower the blood sugar level.

9. Lose a Little Weight

Excess body weight causes high blood glucose and increases the risk of high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol. Even a slight decrease in body weight can lower blood sugar levels.

10. Eat Healthy Snacks More Frequently

Healthy snacks usually include nuts, fruits and whole grain crackers. These are high in fibre and protein and keep your blood sugar level within range.

11. Control Food Cravings

Uncontrolled food cravings can lead to weight gain, and if you settle for binge eating, you might end up increasing blood sugar levels. So, one must pay attention to what and how much they eat. Eating every few hours will keep your blood glucose steady.

12. Add Cinnamon to Your Diet

If you are wondering how to control diabetes naturally, cinnamon can be highly effective as it increases insulin sensitivity by moving glucose into cells, leading to a lower risk of diabetes. Adding a pinch of cinnamon powder to your diet can help control blood sugar. It is safe and causes no adverse effects.

13. Have Probiotic-Rich Foods

Insulin is the primary regulator of blood sugar inside the bloodstream and probiotic-rich foods improve insulin sensitivity and promote blood sugar balance. Yoghurt is a great natural probiotic food which you can eat daily.

14. Try Small Doses of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar contains lactic acid, which helps improve insulin sensitivity, leading to balanced blood sugar levels. It also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Just add one or two teaspoons of this vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it.

FAQs

1. What are the three signs of hyperglycaemia?

The three main signs of hyperglycaemia are:

• Feeling thirsty often: Even after drinking more water, you feel thirsty most of the time.

• Frequent urination: This happens because your body is trying to flush out extra sugar through urine.

• Feeling tired and low on energy: Even after resting, you may still feel drained or sluggish.

Some other signs of hyperglycaemia are blurry vision, unexplained weight loss, sores that don’t heal, headache and dizziness.

2. What are the 3 Ps of diabetes hyperglycaemia?

The three main signs of high blood sugar in diabetes are often called the 3 Ps. These include:

• Polydipsia: Feeling thirsty often

• Polyuria: Needing to urinate often, even at night

• Polyphagia: Feeling hungry, even after eating

3. Is type 2 diabetes hypo or hyper?

Type 2 diabetes is hyper or hyperglycaemia, which means high blood sugar. This happens because your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly, so the sugar stays in your blood instead of being used for energy. Over time, this can lead to other health problems if not managed well.