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3. Avoid White Bread and Refined Foods
While having a balanced diet is more about moderation than restriction, there are some hard-and-fast rules about foods that you should always do your best to avoid, such as refined foods. Refined foods are those that have been very processed, as they usually have more sugar in them. Usually, these foods are found in the high category of glycemic index, and white bread is the worst offender of all. White bread includes white sandwich bread, French bread or breadsticks, some pizza, croutons, pretzels, and many pastries.
4. Increase Fiber to Control Blood Sugar Spikes
Foods that are rich in fiber are usually complex carbohydrates, which means they take longer for the body to metabolize and convert into energy – or sugar. The more complex your carbohydrates are, the longer it will take for sugar to be released during digestion, which is why a fiber-rich diet is key to controlling blood sugar spikes.
In fact, if you are in the middle of a blood sugar spike, one of the easiest natural remedies is to eat a food that is rich in fiber. Such quick snacks include:
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- Cantaloupe
- Grapefruit
- Cucumber
- Raisins
- Oatmeal or oat snacks
- Sugar-free fiber snacks
5. Stay Hydrated
The sugar in your blood is water-soluble, which means that it can dissolve in water and is eliminated in your urine after being filtered by your kidneys. What this means for diabetics seeking to control blood sugar is that the more water you drink, the more quickly your body can eliminate excess sugar. For that reason, it’s important to stay hydrated at all times, not just in the middle of a blood sugar spike. Most adults should be drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day or 48oz.
6. Exercise Daily
Daily moderate exercise can help boost your metabolism and, in turn, speed up how quickly your body digests and processes your food. The faster your metabolism, the less likely you are to store excess fat and sugar. Ideal moderate exercise for boosting your metabolism is centered around cardiovascular health, such as dancing, running, jogging, walking, swimming, or jump-roping.
7. Control Stress
The human body has many interesting responses to consistently high levels of stress, such as headaches or migraines, weight gain, sleep disturbance, chest pains, palpitations, and body aches. Stress can also directly impact our metabolism, specifically how we store and process sugar. In other words, chronic stress is an easy way to have a blood sugar spike.
Some ways you can control stress include relaxation techniques, prioritizing obligations, taking a mental health day, breathing exercises, and other self-care techniques. Even 10 to 15 minutes a day of quiet time can improve your stress levels.
8. Talk to Your Doctor
You can also speak with your doctor about other methods to lower your blood sugar, such as new medication or adjusting the medication you are currently on. It’s sometimes the case that your current dosage needs to be adjusted, so talk to lower your blood sugar with your doctor to find a regimen that works for you.
While monitoring and controlling your blood sugar might be a constant daily concern, learning how to strike the right balance for your blood glucose levels is a matter of finding the right tricks that work for you. To learn more about diabetic health, please visit Aging Healthy Today!
