From our childhood itself, we’ve been hearing that eating too many sweets isn’t healthy for us. Now, as we are growing older, we realize that it’s not just the sweets but also our daily lifestyle that can push up the blood sugar level. An increased blood sugar level can have a massive impact on your health as it comes along with a lot of complicated health problems like Diabetes, High blood pressure, and various other heart diseases.
A stat suggests that about 9.3% of the population suffered from Diabetes in 2019 which is expected to rise to 11 by 2045!
Once your blood sugar level rises, it becomes very difficult to bring it back on track. Thus, it is very important that you follow healthy practices that can prevent it and ensure your good health. Let’s begin!
1. Get in some exercise everyday
As busy as your schedule is, you must take some time out to perform some sort of physical activity. Regular exercise is very important for controlling your blood sugar levels as your muscles use the blood sugar to gain energy when they contract.
It also increases your insulin sensitivity which helps the cells in your body to consume more blood sugar and thus gain more energy. Exercise need not be in the form of spending hours in the gym.
You can perform simple activities like walking, taking the stairs and cycling to keep your muscles moving and subsequently, your high blood sugar levels will be reduced to the prescribed amount.
2. Try to avoid consuming extra carbs
Pizzas, bread, and pasta – can’t live without these foods, can you? Well, as harsh it may sound, it’s time to restrict their consumption.
As good as they taste, these foods contain a lot of carbs which are broken down by the body into sugar. Excessive intake of carbs will, therefore, result in an increased sugar level. While it is important to consume some carbs, try to keep the number of carbs in your diet as low as possible.
3. Practicing portion control is very important
Weight loss is an important aspect if you want to reduce your blood sugar levels. Portion control is a fantastic technique that helps you maintain your weight and secures you from the risks of type 2 diabetes.
It will certainly cost you some time to get habituated to portion control as you will have to measure and control your calorie consumption, but it will be worth it. For additional help, you can also consult a dietician who will create a suitable portion control routine for you.
4. Reduce your stress levels
Our schedules are becoming increasingly stressful as we are adding more and more activities to perform during the day. This causes a lot of stress. You already know that stress isn’t good for your mental health, but did you know that stress also advances your blood sugar levels?
It’s true, stress hormones like glucagon and cortisol increase the level of blood sugar. Thus, the best thing to do is to keep yourself stress-free with regular meditation and calming exercises. Sleeping for sufficient hours is also essential to reduce stress.
5. Drinking sufficient amount of water everyday
It is a universal fact that drinking sufficient amounts of water is good for your body. Not only will it keep you hydrated and energetic, but it will also help you in blood sugar level lowering.
Excess blood sugar gets flushed out of your body with urine. You might think that you can drink any fluid as it will help you urinate more, but try to stick to water as most other beverages have added sugar which will do more harm to your blood sugar levels than good.
Finally!
Keeping your blood sugar levels in check is very important if you want to live a healthy life. You will have to make constant and conscious efforts to include all the above-mentioned ways into your daily routine.
If executed right, these tips will keep your blood sugar level in control and benefit greatly in the long run as you will be able to avoid a lot of other health problems caused by it.
