If you are suffering from diabetes, you need to constantly monitor your blood sugar levels since they are vital to your health. If your body has more than 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), you are at high blood sugar levels, also called hyperglycemia. High blood sugar levels can be dangerous if you are unable to monitor and control the situation. There are different steps that you can take to monitor your high blood sugar level. Read on to learn some important pieces of advice for everyone with high blood sugar levels.
Monitor Your Blood Sugar Level
It is essential to closely monitor your blood sugar levels and make sure that they are below 200mg/dL. If you are a diabetes patient, you must check your blood sugar levels many times a day. This will help you make sure that your blood sugar level is maintained at an acceptable level. You can purchase a home glucose monitor to check your blood sugar levels if you have diabetes. Your doctor can make recommendations that you must follow to monitor your blood sugar levels.
Eat a Balanced Diet
You must try to eat a high-protein diet that helps reduce the sugar levels in your body. You must reduce your carbohydrate intake since the body breaks down the carbs to form sugar that is used as energy. If you have diabetes, consuming too many carbohydrates can cause your blood sugar level to spike. You must also eat the right kind of carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates like white bread, candy, and pasta can increase your blood sugar level since they break down into sugar quickly. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, consist of three or more sugars, and it takes the body some time to break them down. Therefore, the sugar is gradually released into the body meaning that the blood sugar levels will not rapidly spike. Complex sugars that you can eat include sweet potatoes, low-fat milk, legumes, leafy greens, fish, meat, nuts, and seeds.
Get a Natural Dietary Supplement
You can also include natural supplements in your diet to lower your blood sugar levels. If you want to increase your overall wellness, Berberine helps support healthy blood sugar levels and cardiovascular health. The supplements come in the form of capsules and they suppress your appetite. The supplement also helps in lowering cholesterol levels to the desired levels. However, you must consult a doctor to get the right supplements for you.
Increase Fiber Intake in Your Diet
You must eat a lot of soluble fiber, present in whole grains like brown rice and wheat. Fiber plays a crucial role in the management of sugar levels since it slows down the rate at which the carbohydrates break down. Fiber also moderates the rate at which the body absorbs different forms of sugars. Soluble fibers that you can consider include legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Proper hydration is also necessary for a healthy lifestyle if you have diabetes. Drinking a lot of water helps prevent dehydration, and it also helps the kidneys eliminate excess sugar from the body through urine. If you have diabetes, you must also reduce your intake of alcohol to about two drinks for men or one for women each day.
Exercise Regularly
You must exercise regularly if you have diabetes to increase insulin sensitivity. This is a hormone that helps your body break down the sugar you ingest. Most people with diabetes do not produce any insulin in their bodies. Exercise is also good for a patient’s body since it helps people with diabetes lose weight. With normal body weight, you can significantly reduce complications that can affect your health. Exercise also encourages the muscle cells to use up the sugar for energy which in turn lowers blood sugar levels.
Get Enough Sleep
You must get enough sleep to maintain your blood sugar at the desired level. The level of blood sugar tends to surge especially in the early morning hours. Insulin influences what the body should do with excess sugar, and it helps keep the sugar levels normal. If you lack sleep, you can experience insulin resistance. This leads to a spike in blood sugar levels. Good sleep also helps you by reducing stress levels which have a significant impact on the blood sugar level in your body. When the body is under tension, it releases stress hormones, and they contribute to high blood sugar levels.
If you are suffering from diabetes, you need to constantly monitor your sugar level and maintain it at the desired level. It is good to consume healthy foods and keep your body hydrated to moderate the body sugar levels. Besides maintaining the right blood sugar levels, exercise and good sleep are good for your overall health.