Make these easy lifestyle changes to reduce blood sugar fluctuations and improve sugar management. Whether you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, or simply suffer from wild blood sugar fluctuations, you want to know what truly helps to stabilize your blood sugar levels. It can make all the difference in living well and keeping off the blood sugar roller coaster that can depress your attitude, energy, and appetite. Here are a dozen suggestions to improve your blood sugar and general wellness.
Take It Outside
Being naturally skinny does not give you the right to stay on your butt. Even among people of normal weight, those who are couch potatoes had higher blood sugar levels than those who are more active. Even if you have a normal BMI, this might put you at risk for pre-diabetes. Take the stairs, walk errands (if feasible), maintain your commitment to take your dog for a walk, and go for that weekend bike trip. Even just a few minutes each day to walk might build up. Aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise.
Increase Your Exercise Intensity
Exercise is a terrific method to improve your body’s capacity to control blood sugar, but make sure it’s a heart-pumping activity. Brief bursts of high-intensity exercise such as sprinting on the treadmill for 30 seconds and then walking or gently jogging until recovered improved blood glucose levels in diabetics and healthy adults for one to three days. During exercise, muscles take up glucose to burn for energy, and higher-intensity motions may enhance this process even more.
Consume Enough Vitamin D
Another reason to have your vitamin D levels checked is that it may reduce your risk of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes who were D deficient and treated with the vitamin saw an improvement in their blood glucose levels. More study is needed, but experts believe that the sunlight vitamin may influence insulin resistance. Your doctor can tell you whether or not you need a supplement; in the meanwhile, make sure you eat D-rich foods like sardines, wild or UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milk, and nondairy milk.
Nuts as a snack
They’re a super-portable meal that you can put in your mouth without worrying about messing up your blood sugar levels. Because nuts are high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, they can help keep blood sugar levels stable when eaten alone or with meals.