Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels goes a long way in living healthy with type 2 diabetes. Normal blood sugar levels tend to spike when after a meal the sugar content in your blood rises and falls drastically. As time passes by, your body turns incapable of using insulin effectively and this can lead to type 2 diabetes. You need to make the right changes to control blood sugar spikes.
Let us look at the different ways to control blood sugar spikes as follows:
1. Low-Carb Diet
Carbohydrates cause spikes in your blood sugar and hence must be avoided. While complex carbs eaten in controlled quantities are a better alternative, it is best to always opt for low-carb diets which in fact contribute towards reducing sugar levels.
2. Reduce Sugar Intake
Processed foods like candy, cookies and sodas apart from other junk food items – directly contribute towards raising your blood sugar levels. Table sugar added to drinks or dishes further leads to consumption of raw sugar, piling on more calories without any nutrition. Your body breaks these simple sugars, causing an almost immediate spike in blood sugar. Studies show that consuming sugars is associated with developing insulin resistance.
3. Importance of Weight Loss in Diabetes
Being overweight or obese can make it even more difficult for diabetics as it reduces body’s ability to utilize insulin effectively. Maintaining a healthy weight will also help you stay fit and active which in turn boosts your overall body functioning.
4. Plan an Exercise for Diabetes
Exercise helps control blood sugar spikes and activates the muscle cells to better absorb glucose from blood. Both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise have been found to reduce blood sugar spikes.
5. Drink More Water
Staying hydrated is extremely important to maintain healthy blood sugars. Apart from blood sugar, staying hydrated has numerous benefits for proper body functioning. When you are dehydrated, your body produces a hormone called vasopressin. This encourages your kidneys to retain fluid and stop the body from flushing out excess sugar in your urine. It also prompts your liver to release more sugar into the blood.
6. Eat More Fiber
Soluble fiber works wonders in controlling blood sugar spikes. It also makes you feel full for a long time, reducing your junk bingeing and ultimately limiting your carbs, calorie and sugar intake. It dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance that helps slow the absorption of carbs in the gut. This results in a steady rise and fall in blood sugar, rather than a spike.
Fiber rich sources may include –
Eating healthy along with keeping regular check on your blood sugar levels using a glucometer is the best way to stay in control.