Our body naturally contains sugar in the form of glucose in the blood. It prefers to walk a fine line where it’s not too low or too high. Otherwise, many complications can develop. For today’s post, we’ll be focusing on the negative side of high blood sugar. Specifically, hyperglycemia, which is chronic levels of blood sugar. With hyperglycemia comes the risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, kidney damage or failure, stroke, heart attack, blindness or trouble seeing, and nerve damage (which may cause infections, sores, and poor wound healing). [1] While everyone has a different healthy target level for their blood sugar (which they should work on with their doctor), there are many ways to manage it. As always, take this only as advice, not a prescription. Always use your better judgment and, when in doubt, talk to your doctor! Now, let’s get into how you can naturally balance your blood sugar!

Protein + Fiber + Fat

The combination of protein, fiber, and fat works to prevent a spike in blood sugar when eating carb-heavy foods. And by carbs, I am referring to the ones that are higher on the list, like sweet potatoes, rice, beans, and quinoa. Although this combo works too if you’re indulging in things like pasta. So, whether it’s white rice or traditional spaghetti, combine it with a serving of protein, like chicken breast, steak, shrimp, or cod for protein, salad or vegetable sides for fiber, and some healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, or fattier cuts of meat (i.e., dark chicken meat, ribeye, whole eggs and not the whites, salmon). Many studies have shown all three to help lower blood sugar from high carb foods, so combining them makes for an excellent triple-threat. [2] [3] [4]

Low Carb

Depending on the cause of your blood sugar imbalances, if high carb foods were the culprit, then removing or limiting them can help to bring everything back in order. Many studies have come out on the effects of low carb diets towards blood sugar, with some for it and others against it. I benefit from low carb eating, although I admit that blood sugar was never a problem for me. But it’s worth a shot, especially if you’d rather start with food before supplements or medications. Just remember quality- low carb doesn’t mean no-carb, and it’s no excuse to overeat “diet-friendly” foods. Online you’ll find that hundreds, if not thousands, have people have improved their blood sugar with a low carb approach, so don’t rule out the possibility that you might be one of them, too. [5]

Cut Out Sugar

If you can’t commit to low carb, at least ditch the sugar. It’s not only bad for your health, but it’s also a wrecking ball for your blood sugar. In hyperglycemia-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, the body struggles to properly use glucose, resulting in a buildup in the bloodstream. Eating sugary foods like sweets only adds more fuel to the fire. They also promote weight gain, which is a huge risk factor for type 2 diabetes that can further make symptoms worse. [6]

Stay Hydrated

A surprising risk factor for high blood sugar is dehydration. This is due to the body being short on fluids, resulting in excess sugar circulating in higher concentrations. [7] If you’re currently dealing with extreme thirst and frequently have to urinate, it could be a sign that your blood sugar is too high. My advice? Stay on top of your hydration game. Combine plenty of water with things like magnesium and electrolytes, and don’t forget to rehydrate, especially after sweating buckets from workouts or sauna sessions. [1] (While this post is targeted for my keto fans, everyone can benefit from its tips!)

Exercise- HIIT, Muscle Building

Get up and get moving! Exercise boosts insulin sensitivity, which helps to control blood sugar. And luckily, there’s more than one way to exercise to reap the rewards.

• HIIT: Research from the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark shows that HIIT is the most effective exercise style for lowering blood sugar and preventing type-2 diabetes. In it, participants had drastically reduced blood sugar levels by participating in three 10-minute intense HIIT workouts a week. [8]

• Resistance Training: Muscle is more than just looks. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that for every 10% increase in the ratio muscle mass, there is an 11% decrease in insulin resistance and a 12% reduction in prediabetes. Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are higher than average but technically not enough to be classified as diabetes. [9]

• Walking: In many traditional cultures, it was not uncommon to go for a short walk after meals. It turns out your ancestors may have been onto something. Recent findings reported in the journal Diabetologia show that quick 10-minute walks post meals can effectively lower postprandial glycemia (a type of blood sugar measurement) by up to 22%. [10]

Sleep

Do not put off sleep! Yes, it’s important for recovery, but numerous studies have come out showing the consequences of poor sleep. In one, short-term deprivation in lean, healthy men and women lowered insulin response by an average of 16% and fat cell insulin sensitivity by 30%. The researchers compared it to “… taking the fat cell functioning of a healthy person down to that of an obese or diabetic patient.” Yikes! My advice? Turn off the phone and get some sleep! It’s absolutely free and a powerful form of prevention. (If you need some help catching those z’s, check out this post here.) [11] [12] [13]

Over to You

There are plenty of other ways to lower blood sugar that I couldn’t squeeze into one post. If you want a part two, let me know! If these tips have inspired you to stay on top of your blood sugar, let me know in the comments!

Sources:

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/313138.php#symptoms
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14522731
[3] https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/diet/control-high-blood-sugar-with-fiber/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6386412
[5] https://www.healthline.com/health-news/should-people-with-type-2-diabetes-actually-eat-fewer-carbohydrates
[6] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/factors-affecting-weight-health
[7] https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/surprising-causes-of-blood-sugar-swings/
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26258597
[9] https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20110728/building-muscle-mass-may-lower-diabetes-risk#1
[10] https://www.nhs.uk/news/diabetes/a-10-minute-walk-after-a-meal-good-for-diabetes/
[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20371664
[12] https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/short-term-sleep-deprivation-significantly-decreases-insulin-sensitivity-in-fat-cells
[13] https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00660.2005