Is your blood sugar level too high? Want to get it back to normal as soon as possible? How to reduce blood sugar level immediately?
This can be difficult if you don't know precisely what to do.
Fortunately, in this blog, I'm going to give you 12 tips on how to lower high sugar levels without medication.
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The effect of eating too much sugar
High sugar levels in your blood should concern you and set off alarm bells. Regardless of whether you are pre-diabetic or already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In both cases, you want to avoid high sugar levels as much as possible. In the long run, this will prevent many of the symptoms and consequences from materializing.
As the words suggest, if your blood sugar level is too high, you have too much sugar in your blood.
This is not because you happened to eat unhealthily for a couple of days, but rather because you've been eating far too much sugar for many years. Your body is a perfectly functioning mechanism that can sort many things out by itself. When you occasionally eat something sweet, your body is able to absorb these sugars and transport them to your cells.
And, yes, you guessed it:
Unfortunately, this is not the case with you. Your body has suffered so severely over the years that it can no longer process the surplus sugar. Your blood sugar level is therefore too high and you stand a very real chance of developing many complications like diabetic foot or neuropathy.
Purpose of this article
This is the consequence of following a consistently bad diet. However, by switching to a good diet, it is possible to normalize your blood sugar level again. You can do several things to stabilize your blood sugar levels. This article gives you 12 tips on how to quickly lower high blood sugar levels.
#1 Stop drinking those horrible soft drinks
I'll never get tired of repeating it:
Stop drinking sodas and so-called "soft" drinks that make you sick
This is not a joke. It's deadly serious because they literally do make you ill.
One of the main reasons so many people nowadays suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity is because they drink too many sugary beverages.
But why do people get so sick from them?
"From an evolutionary perspective, our bodies have not learned how to handle liquid calories."
Apart from being unable to process these types of calories, your body gets no feeling of fullness from them either. These sugars end up being converted by your liver into bad fats that are immediately stored and thus make you fatter.
It's hardly surprising therefore that nowadays an increasingly large proportion of the population is overweight ‒ especially in America, where this is a huge problem. In the U.S., 1 person in 3 is overweight (source). And if we continue to live this lifestyle, 1 in 3 of us will have type 2 diabetes by 2050.
And it's not only about the excess sugar you drink. People who drink sodas tend to be the same people who eat fast food.
This is the win-win combination in a nightmarish lottery where the big prize is a bad case of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Beware
Try to keep away from all types of sugary drinks, including fruit juices, sodas, and iced tea. The only thing they're good for is damaging your health. Instead, choose healthy sugar-free drinks like water, tea, and coffee.
#2 Start moving to lower your blood sugar level
It's fairly safe to say that type 2 diabetes patients didn't develop their disease by indulging in excessive exercise. On the contrary, it's highly likely that most of you barely moved at all, as it's almost impossible to develop this disease when you get regular exercise.
Which automatically brings me to this tip:
Exercise more often.
Movement is vital to keep a body healthy. But it's difficult for many people to do because of their sedentary professions. The only movement they get is when they go to the toilet. And that's because you REALLY have to and not because you want too.
Important information
Exercise is an absolute must if you want to lower your blood sugar level. Research shows that a 15-minute walk after eating a meal can work wonders on your blood sugar.
So you don't have to subscribe to a gym, a swimming club, or a running group. A simple 15-minute walk after every meal is enough to see a fall in your blood sugar level.
#3 Avoid added sugars and fast sugars
High blood sugar isn't called "high blood SUGAR" for nothing.
You are ill because you have consumed excessive amounts of sugar and carbs.
Carbs are broken down into sugars in the stomach and absorbed into the bloodstream in the same way as regular sugars.
Fortunately, This is not the case with all types of carbs. But I'll come back to that later in the article.
Additional information
The body absorbs sugars and low-glycemic carbs very quickly. This guarantees a substantial and rapid increase in your blood sugar level.
To absorb the sugars, our cells need insulin, which causes them to open and allow the sugar in. The rapid rise in blood sugar levels prevents the body from correctly estimating how much insulin is needed to absorb all the sugars. The pancreas must, therefore, run at full speed to release insulin.
If this process happens too often and for too long, your cells will eventually become insensitive to insulin. This means that not all the sugars can be absorbed from your bloodstream. And voila! This results in blood sugar levels that are too high. Click here to learn everything about your blood sugar levels.
So, in particular, avoid fast sugars and added sugars. Think of products such as:
Not only must we avoid these products in particular, but we in the West need to cut down on carbs in general,
Which brings me to my next tip.
#4 Eat fewer carbs
Sugars that are processed quickly by the body (and added sugars) are not the only harmful things you can eat. Simple carbohydrates are also unhealthy, as I mentioned earlier.
I can hear you thinking:
"What the hell are "simple" carbs?"
These are carbs the body can break down easily.
Carbs that are easy to break down are also absorbed quickly into the blood. And you don't want that. Thus, the "healthy" carbohydrates are the more complex ones.
What makes a carbohydrate complex?
Complex carbohydrates are more difficult for the body to break down and are, therefore, absorbed more slowly into the blood. This is the case, for example, when a product contains a lot of fiber.
Carbohydrates that contain soluble fiber are surrounded by a gel-like layer. This makes them much more difficult to break down.
Tip!
Good to remember is:
Fast carbs usually only contain sugars. And, unfortunately, most people don't know this. That may also explain why most people's diets consist of 60% carbs. That's a lot.
And it's only possible when you eat carbs with every meal.
Breakfast usually consists of bread or cereal.
Lunch also consists of bread.
And during dinner, many of us eat potatoes with our vegetables. Bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta, and rice all contain these fast carbs.
The solution
Make sure that up to 30% of your diet consists of healthy carbs. This corresponds approximately with 100 to 150 grams of carbs a day and will ensure that your (fasting) blood sugar level drops quickly. Perfect if you want to achieve the ideal sugar level.
# 5 Use the golden duo to improve your sugar levels
And I'm not talking about peanut butter and jelly. Although it is very tasty... and unhealthy.
Earlier you read that it's healthy to lower your carbohydrate consumption.
"That's all very well, Marloes, but what should I eat instead?"
Good question.
Fortunately, two macronutrients remain:
Fats and protein. Those are the two heroes in this beautiful fairy tale.
What I do not want you to do is reduce your carbs AND not eat anything else instead. Chances are that you will eat way too little.
Replace the carbs with fats and protein. Of the two, I prefer healthy fats because fats do not raise your blood sugar and insulin levels. This is the healthiest macronutrient to eat as a diabetes patient. But when you combine it with protein, you have a very good mix.
Both nutrients also increase satiety. So they fill you a lot more than carbs do.
Replacements for carbs
Examples of healthy dishes:
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# 6 Improve your blood sugar level with spices
The average western person does not have a large spice cabinet in the kitchen.
And that is very unfortunate. Eating more spices means eating healthily and therefore living a healthier life. Expanding the spice cabinet is not a bad idea.
I could list all the spices that are good for you. But if I did, you wouldn't be able to finish reading this article today.
So, to save time and space, I'll just give you a number of spices that have a healthy effect on blood sugar levels. Because that's why you're reading this, isn't it?
Spices that lower your sugar level
Cinnamon appears to slow down the digestion of carbs. This causes sugars to be absorbed less quickly and thus prevents a sugar and insulin peak. In addition, it also appears to increase insulin sensitivity. This means that less insulin is needed to process the same amount of sugar. Cinnamon appears to be able to lower blood sugar levels by 10 to 29% (source).
Turmeric is an herb that is eaten in many Middle-Eastern countries. It appears to have many medicinal effects. The active compound in turmeric is curcumin. The most powerful effect of curcumin is that it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Inflammation plays an important role in almost all Western diseases, including type 2 diabetes. Turmeric is a strong-tasting herb. That's why some people may prefer to take their turmeric in the form of curcumin capsules, which are readily available and relatively tasteless.
Basil also appears to have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. Basil is an herb that you probably know from Italian cuisine. It's often used on pizzas and pasta. Ironically, it's one of the very few healthy ingredients in pizza and pasta. Research shows that basil reduces blood sugar levels after a meal (source). However, I recommend you eat the basil and steer clear of the pizza and pasta, for obvious health reasons.
Last but not least: fenugreek. Fenugreek is an herb that is widely used in Indian cuisine. Not bad, because Indian cuisine is delicious. Fenugreek has a sharp and bitter taste and is often used in curries. Research shows that fenugreek has a positive effect on the hormone insulin. It appears to lower the blood sugar level of diabetic patients (source).
#7 Choose the right spread for your bread
As a small child, you have a lot of choices for making your sandwich. There are often a dozen options in any household. From Nutella to cheese and from sandwich spread to jam.
But eating Nutella in your sandwich is like squashing a Snickers bar between two slices of bread. Plus, chocolate is basically candy.
It would be very strange to eat a lollipop for breakfast. Eating Nutella is just as strange with its five and a half teaspoons of sugar in the average slice-sized serving.
So we automatically come to the conclusion:
"Sweet spreads on bread must go!"
What is good to put on bread? The golden duo is ideal for bread. What is the golden duo again? The combination of fats and protein. Products that fit this description include:
You may find the choice a bit limited. But it'll certainly be good for your health.
# 8 Choose the right breakfast recipe
The products mentioned above are healthy because they all contain the golden duo (fats and protein). Unfortunately, bread itself isn't all that healthy.
Of course, the whole wheat variety is always better than white.
In the morning, it's better to choose a high-fat breakfast. Think of an omelet, full-fat yogurt, or oatmeal.
"Wait a minute!" you should be saying if you're paying attention, "Did you just say 'oatmeal'? But you told us oatmeal isn't fat-rich but carb-rich, and we shouldn't be eating high-carb products for breakfast in the morning, or any other time for that matter!"
Yes, you're absolutely right. I did say that. However, oatmeal is the exception to the rule. Oatmeal is a product that you can find in nature and is therefore not processed. It still contains all the healthy compounds, which is exactly why this product is so healthy.
It contains:
And, apart from all these valuable compounds, oatmeal has another ingredient that makes it an excellent breakfast for diabetic patients, and that is a special type of fiber called:
Health claims on behalf of the fiber were successfully assessed by the EU's European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). And believe me, that's not an easy thing to achieve.
This fiber partially dissolves in water, making it a gel-like suspension. As a result, the carbs from oatmeal cannot be absorbed quickly into the blood. So your sugar level remains stable.
And, not surprisingly, it turns out that beta-glucan lowers blood sugar and insulin levels.
So, one type of carb-rich breakfast dish is indeed very healthy and that dish is oatmeal! Very convenient for lowering your blood sugar level.
#9 Eat more indigestible carbs
This tip follows on nicely from the previous one. Oatmeal is healthy because of beta-glucan, a fiber.
It would appear that fiber is always very healthy. Fiber is actually carbs that the stomach and intestines cannot digest. Therefore, unlike 'regular' carbs, it isn't absorbed by the body.
By now, you know that the sugars our bodies can absorb quickly are unhealthy.
Consuming these sugars results in a significant increase in your blood sugar and insulin levels. And that is the very reason that you have developed type 2 diabetes.
Fiber can prevent these spikes.
Fiber is found in unprocessed vegetable products.
Think of:
Does this list ring any bells? It should do because these are indeed all very healthy products. And you've probably already guessed the reason why:
Fiber ensures that the carbs in the products mentioned above are digested slowly. As a result, the carbs are also slowly absorbed into our blood. And that's why high-fiber products are a lot healthier.
#10 Take the right snacks for normal sugar levels
When you ask people which snacks are healthy, most of them find it hard to name anything besides:
Beware
Cookies are literally nothing but sugars. They do not relieve your hunger. Even worse: they make you more hungry. They ruin your blood sugar levels and create insulin dips that make you feel tired shortly after eating them. They are quite probably the main reason people developed type 2 diabetes.
Okay, now that we've ironed out this misunderstanding, back to the point:
"What makes a healthy snack?"
I've already indicated that fruit is a good snack. But there's more besides fruit:
All these products are healthy because they are rich in fat, high in protein and/or high in fiber. There are also no added sugars, and they make you feel full.
#11 The layout of your plate is important
By now, you probably know that processed sugars and carbs are your enemies. And that you should, preferably, reduce the total amount of carbs you eat to 30%.
At dinner, most people help themselves to potatoes (rice, pasta, etc.) first, then take a piece of meat, and lastly a few vegetables.
Ideally, you should be conducting this whole procedure the opposite way around.
Starting with the vegetables, fill half your plate with them. Then grab a piece of meat, and finally, add the carbohydrate source (beans, potatoes, pasta or rice).
This way of "filling your plate" will make your blood sugar level very happy. Vegetables need to be the biggest part of your diet. They are high in fiber and contain many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
# 12 Optimal and perfect sugar levels with The Diabetes-Free Secret
I've saved the best tip till last.
It has recently been discovered that it's possible to reverse type 2 diabetes. And everything you need to do this can be found in your local grocery store.
You can reverse type 2 diabetes with one powerful principle. It's something I call"The Diabetes-Free Secret," I have written a number of pages about this secret that will change your life forever. You will learn:
Enter your e-mail address below and I will send you the E-book for free.
Greetings,
Ben Kuiper
PS. What do you do to lower a high blood sugar level? Leave a comment below