Keeping your blood sugar, or hba1c, under control is pretty important. It’s especially vital if you struggle with diabetes. Of course, keeping your blood sugar under control isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially if the levels are already out of control.
Thankfully, all hope is not lost. It is indeed possible to find ways to keep your blood sugar under control, and it generally comes down to making a few healthy choices in your life. And you should stay on top of your situation and test your blood sugar levels to make sure they’re okay.
Self-testing kits help you do just that. These handy kits provide patients with high precision in measuring blood sugar levels. They’re often easy to use and allow you to make self-monitoring a part of your regular routine.
With a self-testing kit, you can gauge the efficacy of medications, see how well your prescribed diet meets your needs, and how your condition is progressing. By monitoring A1c at home, you get the information you need to improve your diabetes management.
Once you learn to test your sugar levels, the next step is to learn how to manage them.
As you might know, I am a bestselling wellness author and founded the groundbreaking video course called Stop Emotional Eating.
I love sharing insights and strategies to help people stay at their healthiest.
With this in mind I put together this quick guide to help you to keep your blood sugar under control.
So how do you keep your blood sugar under control? Here’s everything that you need to know!
You’ve probably heard this before, but having an exercise routine will do wonders for your wellbeing. Exercising is also very good if your blood sugar levels are slightly out of control. The great thing about exercise is that it allows you to maintain a healthy body weight for you, and this in turn can influence your sensitivity to insulin. If you have better insulin then it means that your body will have a much easier time trying to control the sugar levels in your blood. Not only that, but it’s good for energy levels and keeping your muscles in check.
You may feel a little bit like an exercise routine is a little bit too much to handle – maybe you don’t fancy going on an elliptical for hours a day. Well, thankfully you don’t actually have to. The key is essentially getting more movement into your daily routine. This can often start with just taking a walk a day for about 30 minutes and building it up. You can do something you love, whether that’s dancing, biking, martial arts or anything in between. It doesn’t have to be a chore – you just need to think outside of the box!
By exercising, you strengthen your cardiovascular system and boost your metabolism, two things that can help you avoid the complications of diabetes.
As always, you should talk to your doctor for more advice about forming the ideal routine. Remember, it’s all about finding activities that work for you and feel fun.
Staying hydrated is the ticket to your health! Furthermore, it’s very good for your blood sugar levels. This is because it regulates your kidney function and it hydrates the blood, making them both much more efficient at what they do. Stick to water ideally, as flavored beverages can often contain extra sugar which isn’t always good if you’re already struggling with your blood sugar. Try to drink around 1.5 liters a day if you are female, and 2 liters if you are male. You can even get bottles with markers to tell you how much to drink by each hour of the day, which you may find helpful.
We all love carbohydrates. Unfortunately though, carbohydrates will usually break down into sugar. If you have too many of them in a day, your blood sugar levels can rise quite dramatically. Instead, it’s best to count your carbs if possible – there are applications for many smartphones that can help you to do this if you aren’t sure where to start.
Low-carb diets can often be a good choice if you need to regulate your blood sugar. These don’t include refined carbs, which lack minerals, vitamins, and fiber necessary for good health. Worse, they often lead to sugar spikes due to a high glycemic index. That’s a lethal combination for diabetes patients.
Consider replacing the lost carbs with fiber. Soluble fiber is particularly helpful in controlling blood sugar spikes, slowing down the absorption of carbs. Additionally, fiber is more filling, making your appetite more manageable.
Some fiber-rich foods include oatmeal, most vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts.
Nobody enjoys counting calories, but it may be helpful if you struggle with your blood sugar. Trying to get some portion control underway may be helpful for managing your blood sugar. It doesn’t need to be difficult either – invest in a food scale and measure the portions. If you aren’t sure how much you have eaten, you can log it into an application to keep track of things. A food journal may also help, or you can use smaller plates to help you to figure out what you are doing.
You may not know this, but stress is actually capable of affecting your blood sugar levels. This is because your body releases certain hormones when you are stressed and this in turn raises the blood sugar levels. Finding ways to manage your stress may be very effective in helping you to manage your blood sugar levels. There are a few ways that you can do this too. Take some time for self care – this may be some yoga, meditation or a face mask to help you to relax. It’s worth looking into relaxation methods. If you are still struggling with your stress, then it may also be worthwhile to speak with a mental health professional to get some help, or find ways to reduce stress in your life in general.
Keeping your blood sugar levels under control may seem like an impossible task, but effective management can go a long way. We hope this guide helps you!
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