Control Your Diabetes to Live a Healthy Life – Quick & Easy Tips

Last updated on September 3rd, 2023

Your diet is a major part of controlling your diabetes. Look for healthy diet options for diabetes to enjoy a healthy life. Include those food items in your diet that contain low carbs and high fiber. This helps in the slow absorption of carbs in your body and reduced the rate of glucose increase. Along with diet control, you need to make several modifications in your diet which help in controlling diabetes.

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood glucose in your body. It helps blood glucose to enter the cells of your body to supply energy. When your body does not make insulin or is unable to use it effectively, the blood glucose levels in your body spike up. This causes diabetes. Living with diabetes can give you a lot of subsequent health complications. Therefore, it is crucial to control your increasing blood sugar levels and live a healthy life.

Learn About Diabetes

Before you start searching for how to control diabetes, it is necessary to know about diabetes. It is not a disease but a disorder. Diabetes is not curable, although you can control it with medications, lifestyle modifications, and diet changes. There are mainly three types of diabetes:

1. Diabetes Type-1: People develop this type of diabetes when their body does not make insulin.  Therefore, people with diabetes type-1 take insulin shots or injections. It helps them to control their blood sugar levels.
2. Diabetes Type-2: When your body produces insulin but does not use it well, you will develop diabetes type-2. It is the most common type of diabetes. Patients with diabetes type-2 can gain control over their blood sugar levels through medications and lifestyle management.
3. Gestational diabetes: Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal imbalances that happen in pregnancy. Therefore, some women develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. In many cases, gestational diabetes goes away after the birth of a child. However, the mother and the baby both are at risk of developing diabetes later in their lives.

Also Read: Normal blood glucose level range 

Reasons to Take Care of Your Diabetes

You must have heard people saying that their sugar levels are a bit high or they have a touch of diabetes, or it’s okay to have a bit high sugar level. Well, diabetes is a serious concern. Taking it lightly can make your health condition worse. Taking care of your diabetes can help you feel good today. It also makes you healthy for the future. When your blood sugar is higher, you are likely to:

• Have low energy
• Feel hungry and thirsty
• Your wounds do not heal quickly
• Develop skin and bladder infection
• Experience frequent urination

In addition to these, you are at a higher risk of developing the following health issues: 

• Heart attack and stroke
• Kidney and liver problems
• Numbness in your hands and feet
• Teeth and gum problems

After recognizing the symptoms of diabetes in your body, start taking more care and visit your doctor as soon as possible for a consultation. Early diagnosis and consultation prevent your health from deterring.

Also Read: Blood Sugar Lowering Tips

Make Your Life Easy With Diabetes

It is overwhelming, sad, or angry to live with high blood sugar levels. In the beginning, you may feel frustrated with your diabetes. You may experience trouble in managing your lifestyle as well. However, with your self-determination, you can enjoy your life to the fullest while living with high blood glucose levels. Take help from your doctor to know the diabetes control tips to live a healthy life with diabetes.

Also Read: Indian Vegetarian Diet Chart for Diabetic Patient

Natural Remedies to Control Your Blood Sugar Levels

Erratic blood sugar is one of the most common health issues that people are facing these days. High blood sugar levels are not curable but you can manage them with proper consultation with your doctor. Apart from the medications and insulin therapy, there are many natural remedies to treat your diabetes. A lot of people are there who are looking for natural remedies to control their high blood sugar. Some of the top natural remedies are:

1. Drink plenty of water: When you intake enough water, your body hydrates well and your kidneys function properly. Your kidneys will hence flush out the toxins through urine. Along with your body toxins, excess blood glucose also moves out of your body. Therefore, drinking water reduces your blood glucose levels and the risk of developing diabetes. Water has zero calories so it is a better option than calorie-rich beverages.
2. Drink copper-treated water: Human body requires a small amount of copper intake. Copper is a mineral that helps in the functioning of several enzymatic processes in your body. There is no better way of taking copper through copper-treated water. You can put some water in a copper vessel at night. Drink this water empty stomach in the morning. Copper water contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that boost immunity. Hence, it significantly helps in blood sugar control as well.
3. Exercise regularly: When you exercise, your body burns blood sugar to provide energy to your muscles. It helps in reducing your diabetes. It also increases insulin sensitivity so that your body can effectively use it to control blood sugar. Make sure that you do not overdo the exercises. It enables your body to make more stress hormones that consequently increase your blood sugar levels. Moderate exercises like walking, jogging, biking, yoga, and meditation are good for diabetes.
4. Manage your stress level: It is difficult for people with diabetes to bring down their blood sugar levels to normal under stress. When you are under stress, the adrenal glands in your body triggers the release of blood glucose stored in different organs of your body. This leads to an increase in your overall blood sugar. Under stress, your body needs more energy for physical and mental activity. Thus, your body uses blood glucose from all the organs and spikes up your blood sugar.
5. Eat a balanced diet: It is one of the best sugar control tips. Poor eating habit is another major contributing factor in the rise of blood glucose levels. All the healthcare practitioners suggest eating a healthy and balanced diet to maintain your blood glucose levels. Avoid unrefined flour items, soda drinks, junk food, and high-carb food. Instead, you should include a lot of fiber-rich food, vegetables, lean protein, low-cabs, and fewer calories foods.
6. Cut your alcohol intake: When you drink an alcoholic drink, your liver has to put more effort to remove alcohol from your body. Therefore, it does not function well to regulate your blood sugar levels. Some of the alcoholic drinks are high-calorie drinks. Drinking such drinks can increase your diabetes. Thus, cut down your alcohol intake to keep your blood glucose levels to normal.
7. Quit smoking: Smoking is another poor habit that increases your blood sugar levels. It promotes poor blood flow in your body. It makes your body resistant to insulin that ultimately increases your blood sugar levels. Sometimes, the body of smokers does not respond well to diabetes control medicine. This may lead to health complications including heart and kidney diseases. Therefore, give up smoking to control diabetes.

Best Foods to Control Your Blood Sugar Spikes

Your diet plays a major role in controlling your diabetes. Every kind of food that you eat gives some amount of carbohydrates to your body. The carbohydrates get converted into blood sugar. When your carbohydrate intake is more, blood sugar conversion is also high. Therefore, it is important to look for the best foods to eat that contain low carbohydrates. If you are looking for how to control diabetes with diet, here are some best foods that control your blood sugar levels:

1. Green leafy vegetables: Such vegetables are highly nutritious and low in calories. They contain a low amount of digestible carbohydrates. Thus, it doesn’t affect your blood glucose levels. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, cabbage, mustard leaves, fenugreek leaves, and lettuce are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.
2. Beans: Beans are the best source of lean protein. They are cheap and highly nutritious. Beans mainly contain vitamin B, fiber, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They also have a low glycemic index thus they help in controlling your blood sugar levels. You can include beans in all the meals of a day.
3. Eggs: Eggs have multiple health benefits. They are rich in protein and fiber. Including eggs daily in your breakfast help in reducing the risk of heart diseases. They promote good cholesterol levels in your body, lower bad cholesterol, and improve insulin sensitivity in your body. Therefore, people with diabetes can experience control of blood sugar levels by eating at least 1 egg in breakfast.
4. Greek Yogurt: It is a great dairy option that promotes your gut health. Yogurt contains a good amount of calcium, protein, and good fat that helps in reducing appetite. Thus, it automatically lowers calorie intake. This helps in reducing and maintaining blood glucose levels. Greek yogurt contains 6-8 grams of carbs per serving.
5. Broccoli: It is a super nutritious vegetable. It contains around 3 grams of digestible carbs and 27 grams of calories. It is also rich in fiber, magnesium, and vitamin C. Eating broccoli helps in lowering your insulin levels and prevents cell damage. It contains a chemical, sulforaphane, which helps in reducing blood sugar levels.

Superfoods That Control Diabetes

Some superfoods are highly beneficial in controlling diabetes. You can include these superfoods in addition to your diet to keep your blood sugar levels in control. The list of superfoods that are as follows:

1. Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds contain a high amount of insoluble fiber, lignin. It helps in reducing the chances of heart and kidney diseases associated with diabetes. Flaxseeds contain omega-3 and unique plant compounds that help in improving insulin sensitivity and controlling blood sugar levels. You can have roasted flaxseeds as a dressing for smoothies or desserts. You can also use flaxseed oil in cooking which has the same benefits for diabetes as that of flaxseeds.
2. Fenugreek seeds: Fenugreek or methi seeds are the superfood for diabetes. They are rich in fiber hence help in slow digestion. They regulate the absorption of sugar and carbohydrates in your body. Thereby, fenugreek seeds improve glucose tolerance in your body. You can soak a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a glass of water overnight and drink this water empty stomach in the morning to keep your blood glucose levels in control. Drinking this water is the best way to control diabetes.
3. Garlic: It is a spice that is highly nutritious. One clove of garlic contains nearly 4 calories. Along with this, it contains manganese, fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Garlic helps in improving blood glucose levels. It also regulates cholesterol which reduces heart diseases.
4. Mixed nuts: Mixed nuts include dry fruits like walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and pecans are a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Their regular consumption reduces inflammation and lowers blood glucose levels. They are a healthy addition to your balanced diet for diabetes. They are also a perfect option for evening snacks.

Choose the Food With a Low Glycemic Index

Glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the food gets absorbed in your body which affects the rate of increase of your blood sugar levels. These foods contain a high amount of protein and fiber. Eating foods with a low glycemic index helps in controlling diabetes. If you are looking for what to eat to control sugar or the foods with a low glycemic index, here is the list:

1. Peanuts
2. Skimmed milk
3. Kidney beans
4. Fruits like cherries, pears, apples, strawberries, grapefruit, and oranges
5. Raw carrots
6. Chickpeas
7. Oatmeal
8. Non Starchy vegetables
9. Lentils
10. Eggs

There are many more food items with low glycemic index. Most of the fruits and vegetables have low glycemic index. Try to include them in your diet. You can look for the glycemic index of the food that you are going to eat. Make sure to choose the foods with a low glycemic index. It will help you in controlling diabetes.

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FAQs:

References:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-ways-to-lower-blood-sugar
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322861
3. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/4-steps#step1
4. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-to-control-diabetes-naturally-5-remedies-to-control-your-sugar-levels-1847527

Last Updated on September 3, 2023 by Dr. Damanjit Duggal