Ten Ways To Take A Bite Out Of Blood Sugar
Simple tips on how to lower blood sugar that you can integrate into your daily life. By Wil Dubois Let’s talk about blood sugar management today. Sounds boring, huh? Not at all, really. Done right, taking steps to lower blood sugar can be highly empowering. Sweet numbers on a blood sugar log will bring a smile to your face faster than an ice cream cone in July. I know a lot of you who take pills for your diabetes feel powerless to change a high blood sugar reading, so you’d rather not know that your sugar is high—but there are things you can do to lower your blood sugar that don’t involve opening your medicine cabinet. Here are my top ten tips for lowering blood sugar: 1. Test, Don’t Guess The first step—the mantra of dLife from the very beginning—is test, don’t guess! To master your blood sugar, you must first know where it is. And if you only check first thing in the morning, you’re cheating at solitaire. If you want to truly master your blood sugar, you should fearlessly seek out your very worst, highest numbers. That means checking after meals. Don’t let that high number flashing on your meter get you down. Rejoice that you’ve found it. It’s just a problem to be fixed—and as you roll out the rest of these tips, those high numbers, like the walls of Jericho, are going to come a-tumblin’ down. 2. No More Monochrome Meals! While there’s no such thing as a diabetic diet anymore, there’s only so much your system can handle at once when it comes to foods that turn into sugar quickly. Here’s my advice: deprive yourself of no food, but limit yourself to one carb portion per meal. Carbs tend to be white in color: things made of flour (including pasta), potato, rice, and sugar. Oh, and corn is pale yellow, so it’s a white food, too. If you Continue reading >>
How To Bring Down High Blood Sugar Levels
Tweet Having high blood sugar levels can be discomforting and many people wish to know what they can do to help to bring down high blood glucose levels. We look at some of the options for lowering blood glucose in the short term. High blood sugar is commonly known as hyperglycemia. What are the signs of high blood sugar? The classic symptoms of high blood glucose levels are: Feeling very thirsty Needing to go the toilet often Having a dry mouth Feeling tired/lethargic Feeling uncomfortable and irritable Check your blood sugar If you have take medication that may cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), it’s highly advisable to check your blood sugar levels before you try to bring your sugar levels down. This is just in case your blood sugar is normal or low, which can be the case in some situations. Testing of blood sugar before bringing your levels down is particularly important if you take insulin. When to call for medical advice It is important to note that very high blood glucose levels can be dangerous and it is important to be aware of the symptoms and risk factors of the following conditions: Diabetic ketoacidosis - a short term complication most commonly associated with type 1 diabetes Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State - a short term complication most commonly associated with type 1 diabetes If you are struggling to keep your blood glucose levels under control, speak to your GP or consultant who can advise you or refer you onto a diabetes education course. Correcting high blood sugar levels with insulin If you take insulin, one way to reduce blood sugar is to inject insulin. However, be careful as insulin can take 4 hours or longer to be fully absorbed, so you need to make sure you take into account how much insulin you may already have in your body that is yet t Continue reading >>
- World's first diabetes app will be able to check glucose levels without drawing a drop of blood and will be able to reveal what a can of coke REALLY does to sugar levels
- Why do I have high blood sugar levels in the morning?
- Lower Blood Sugar Naturally to Prevent High Blood Sugar from Leading to Diabetes
How Water Impacts Blood Sugars
This article was originally from the weekly Diabetes Daily Newsletter. To receive your copy, create a free Diabetes Daily account. Picture a glass of water. Mix in a little sugar and stir until it dissolves. Now place it outside on a hot, sunny day. As the water evaporates, the remaining water gets sweeter and sweeter. If you have diabetes, this happens to your blood when you’re dehydrated. Because your blood is 83% water, when you lose water, the volume of blood decreases and the sugar remains the same. More concentrated blood sugar means higher blood sugars. The lesson: stay hydrated to avoid unnecessary high blood sugars. How Much Water Should I Drink? The average person loses about 10 cups of water per day through sweat and urination. At the same time, you gain fluid from drinking liquids and eating food. So how much you need to drink is a tricky question. You may have heard the “drink 8 glass of water a day” rule. Where did this rule come from? As Barbara Rolls, a nutrition research at Pennsylvania State University says: “I can’t even tell you that, and I’ve writen a book on water!” It turns out that there’s no basis for this in the medical literature. The easiest way to tell is looking at your urine. If it’s a little yellow, you’re probably hydrated. If it’s darker, then you need to drink more fluids. You can also go with your own intuition. Are you thirsty? Drink! If you’re busy or stuck at a desk for long periods, make sure you have a water bottle so you can easily answer when your body calls for water. Does Coffee or Tea Count? Yes! Although consuming caffeine can cause your body to shed some water, you still gain more water than you shed. And studies have shown that this effect is partically non-existent for people who drink caffeine re Continue reading >>
Really? The Claim: Drinking Water Can Help Lower The Risk Of Diabetes.
THE FACTS There are many reasons to stay properly hydrated, but only recently have scientists begun to consider diabetes prevention one of them. The amount of water you drink can play a role in how your body regulates blood sugar, researchers have found. The reason: a hormone called vasopressin, which helps regulate water retention. When the body is dehydrated, vasopressin levels rise, prompting the kidneys to hold onto water. At the same time, the hormone pushes the liver to produce blood sugar, which over time may strain the ability to produce or respond to insulin. One of the largest studies to look at the consequences was published last year in Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association. French scientists tracked more than 3,000 healthy men and women ages 30 to 65 for nearly a decade. All had normal blood sugar levels at the start of the research. After nine years, about 800 had developed Type 2 diabetes or high blood sugar. But those who consumed the most water, 17 to 34 ounces a day, had a risk roughly 30 percent lower than that of those who drank the least. The researchers controlled for the subjects’ intake of other liquids that could have affected the results, mainly sugary and alcoholic drinks, as well as exercise, weight and other factors affecting health. The researchers did not look at eating habits, something future studies may take into account. THE BOTTOM LINE There is some evidence that proper hydration can help protect against high blood sugar, though more research is needed. Continue reading >>
Proven Tips & Strategies To Bring High Blood Sugar Down (quickly)
Untreated, high blood sugar can cause many problems and future complications. Recognizing signs of high blood sugar levels and knowing how to lower them can help you prevent these complications and increase the quality and length of your life. Topics covered (click to jump to specific section) High blood sugar level symptoms and signs Symptoms of high blood sugar include: Increased thirst Tired all the time Irritability Increased hunger Urinating a lot Dry mouth Blurred vision Severe high blood sugar can lead to nausea and fruity smelling breath The signs and symptoms for high blood sugar are the same for both type 1 and type 2. Signs usually show up quicker in those who have type 1 because of the nature of their diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to stop making insulin altogether. Type 2 is caused by lifestyle factors when the body eventually stops responding to insulin, which causes the sugar to increase slowly. People with type 2 can live longer without any symptoms creeping because their body is still making enough insulin to help control it a little bit. What causes the blood sugar levels go to high? Our bodies need sugar to make energy for the cells. Without it, we cannot do basic functions. When we eat foods with glucose, insulin pairs with it to allow it to enter into the cell wall. If the insulin is not there, then the glucose molecule can’t get through the wall and cannot be used. The extra glucose hangs out in the bloodstream which is literally high blood sugar. The lack of insulin can be caused by two different things. First, you can have decreased insulin resistance which means that your insulin doesn’t react the way that it is supposed to. It doesn’t partner with glucose to be used as fuel. Secondly, you can have no insuli Continue reading >>
3 Easy Tips: How To Lower Blood Sugar Fast
Jeanette Terry was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 11 years old, and she has since lived with diabetes through difficult life transitions, including the teenage years, college, and having children. She addresses the day-to-day struggles of living with diabetes—going beyond medical advice—to improve overall adherence and management. Extremely high blood sugar levels can be dangerous, and they can cause lasting health complications. Remember: if you ever have blood sugar readings that remain high for more than 24 hours without coming down (and after an effort has been made to lower them), you need to be addressed by a doctor. That being said, we've all had those days when we get a random high blood sugar reading and we are not sure what caused it…or we forget to give insulin, or we eat a delicious dessert without realizing how much sugar is actually in it. For whatever reason, those out of the ordinary high blood sugar readings happen and need to be treated. No need to rush to the doctor for every high blood sugar reading though. There are some simple steps you can take to lower blood sugar fast. You know the feeling: extreme thirst, sluggishness, nausea, blurred vision, a downright sick feeling. And your family or friends may tell you that extreme irritability is a major sign you need to check your blood sugar to see if it is high. The best thing to do is to catch it before it gets really high, or it will be harder to bring down quickly, causing havoc on your blood sugar readings for days. If you do not take insulin as a part of your treatment plan, these tips will show you how to lower your blood sugar fast. If you take insulin, you will first want to give the appropriate amount of insulin to correct the blood sugar. However, insulin still takes some Continue reading >>
Drinking Water May Cut Risk Of High Blood Sugar
June 30, 2011 (San Diego) -- Drinking about four or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day may protect against the development of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), French researchers report. In a study of 3,615 men and women with normal blood sugar levels at the start of the study, those who reported that they drank more than 34 ounces of water a day were 21% less likely to develop hyperglycemia over the next nine years than those who said they drank 16 ounces or less daily. The analysis took into account other factors that can affect the risk of high blood sugar, including sex, age, weight, and physical activity, as well as consumption of beer, sugary drinks, and wine. Still, the study doesn't prove cause and effect. People who drink more water could share some unmeasured factor that accounts for the association between drinking more water and lower risk of high blood sugar, says researcher Ronan Roussel, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the Hospital Bichat in Paris. "But if confirmed, this is another good reason to drink plenty of water," he tells WebMD. The findings were presented here at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association. About 79 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to result in a diagnosis of diabetes, according to the CDC. It raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. An additional 26 million have diabetes, the CDC says. Roussel notes that recent research indicates an association between the hormone vasopressin, which regulates water in the body, and diabetes. Despite the known influence of water intake on vasopressin secretion, no study has investigated a possible association between drinking water and risk of high blood sugar, he Continue reading >>
3 Easy Tips To Lower Blood Sugar Fast
Jeanette Terry was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 11 years old, and she has since lived with diabetes through difficult life transitions, including the teenage years, college, and having children. She addresses the day-to-day struggles of living with diabetes—going beyond medical advice—to improve overall adherence and management. Extremely high blood sugar levels can be dangerous, and they can cause lasting health complications. Remember: if you ever have blood sugar readings that remain high for more than 24 hours without coming down (and after an effort has been made to lower them), you need to be addressed by a doctor. That being said, we've all had those days when we get a random high blood sugar reading and we are not sure what caused it…or we forget to give insulin, or we eat a delicious dessert without realizing how much sugar is actually in it. For whatever reason, those out of the ordinary high blood sugar readings happen and need to be treated. No need to rush to the doctor for every high blood sugar reading though. There are some simple steps you can take to lower blood sugar fast. Watch for signs of high blood sugar You know the feeling: extreme thirst, sluggishness, nausea, blurred vision, a downright sick feeling. And your family or friends may tell you that extreme irritability is a major sign you need to check your blood sugar to see if it is high. The best thing to do is to catch it before it gets really high, or it will be harder to bring down quickly, causing havoc on your blood sugar readings for days. If you do not take insulin as a part of your treatment plan, these tips will show you how to lower your blood sugar fast. If you take insulin, you will first want to give the appropriate amount of insulin to correct the blood sugar. Continue reading >>
Can Drinking Water Help Flush Out The Sugar In Your Body?
Sugar is akin to gold, metabolically speaking. Your body meticulously conserves blood sugar, or glucose, because your brain, muscles and many other tissues use it as their primary fuel. As the kidneys filter your blood, glucose flows with water into the filtrate. Under normal circumstances, however, virtually all of the filtered sugar is reabsorbed into your bloodstream. Therefore, drinking water does not help flush sugar from your body. Video of the Day Your kidneys normally process approximately 34 to 46 gallons of fluid from your bloodstream daily. As blood passes through your kidneys, processing units called nephrons filter out water, glucose, sodium, potassium and other small dissolved chemicals. Special glucose transporters reabsorb the sugar, preventing its loss in the urine. Your kidneys' conservation of sugar is necessary to prevent large-scale losses of this essential body fuel. Some glucose may spill into your urine if you have a high blood sugar level. Diabetes is the most common cause of glucose in the urine, also known as glucosuria. Certain prescription medications also sometimes cause variable glucose spillage in the urine. You may experience increased thirst and urination if you have diabetes and glucosuria. However, drinking additional water will not flush the excess sugar from your bloodstream. Metabolic Fate of Excess Sugar If you consume too much sugar, your body stores it for future use. The storage form of glucose, called glycogen, accumulates primarily in your liver and muscles. If you have enough stored glycogen, excess sugar is converted into a form of fat called triglycerides. Fat cells throughout your body absorb the triglycerides. This storage mechanism contributes to the accumulation of body fat if you regularly consume too much sugar. The Continue reading >>
Can Drinking Lots Of Water Lower My Blood Sugar?
The answer is yes, indirectly it will reduce insulin resistance and help a person reduce their hunger. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day appears to bring down one's blood sugars by reducing insulin resistance due to proper hydration. While at the same time the more water you drink the less hungry a person is so they tend to eat less during the day, similar to drinking a glass of water prior to eating fills the stomach causing a person who is dieting to reach satiation (fullness) sooner. If your blood sugars are very high and your kidney is not able to process all the sugar, water will help remove the excess sugar and ketones out of your system. Drinking water is important for everyone but for diabetics, especially type 1 diabetics, it is crucial to remove excess ketones from the blood stream and reduce dehydration when blood sugars are high. Continue reading >>
13 Natural And Easy Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar
Being diagnosed with Type II diabetes can be a bummer, and it can be a struggle to keep blood sugars under control. Sometimes, you may find yourself with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal (let's say around 150, for example), but not excessive enough to necessitate taking more medication. You don't feel very good with the higher blood sugar, but taking medication can make your blood sugar TOO low. So what can you do to lower your blood sugar up to 40 points without taking more medication? Try the following these 13 tips and see if you can lower your blood sugar naturally. (See also: How to Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes) Health Disclaimer: As always, you need to be careful to monitor your sugar levels so as not to become hypoglycemic (that's when your blood sugar is too low, which is dangerous). Talk to your physician before making any changes to your diet. And remember, these 13 tips for lowering blood sugar may work for many people, but they won't work for everyone. Carb Intake Carbs are basically sugar, and everybody should make an effort to control their intake, especially diabetics. 1. Cut Back the Carbs Effects seen: Immediate Your diet is something you want to talk to your physician about, but the simple fact is that a lower carb diet makes it easier to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It's part of why you're hearing so much about the Paleo Diet these days. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods — root vegetables, grains, rice, and legumes — and all of their derivatives, like bread, pasta, sushi, French fries, mashed yams, and even lentil soup. As someone who has been diabetic for nearly 20 years, I can attest that eating a diet low in carbohydrates, but rich in leafy greens, nuts, dark fruits like berries, and lean meats has had an amazing eff Continue reading >>
15 Easy Ways To Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally
High blood sugar occurs when your body can't effectively transport sugar from blood into cells. When left unchecked, this can lead to diabetes. One study from 2012 reported that 12–14% of US adults had type 2 diabetes, while 37–38% were classified as pre-diabetic (1). This means that 50% of all US adults have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Here are 15 easy ways to lower blood sugar levels naturally: Regular exercise can help you lose weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells are better able to use the available sugar in your bloodstream. Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction. If you have problems with blood sugar control, you should routinely check your levels. This will help you learn how you respond to different activities and keep your blood sugar levels from getting either too high or too low (2). Good forms of exercise include weight lifting, brisk walking, running, biking, dancing, hiking, swimming and more. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity and helps your muscles pick up sugars from the blood. This can lead to reduced blood sugar levels. Your body breaks carbs down into sugars (mostly glucose), and then insulin moves the sugars into cells. When you eat too many carbs or have problems with insulin function, this process fails and blood glucose levels rise. However, there are several things you can do about this. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends controlling carb intake by counting carbs or using a food exchange system (3). Some studies find that these methods can also help you plan your meals appropriately, which may further improve blood sugar control (4, 5). Many studies also show that a low-carb diet helps reduce blood sugar levels and prevent blood s Continue reading >>
How To Lower Blood Sugar Immediately Without Medication
An hour or so after lunch, you start to get a bit of a headache and are having a hard time concentrating. As someone with diabetes, you decide to check your blood sugar to see if it is out of range. Lo and behold, it’s much higher than it should be. Maybe it was that dessert split with your coworker that made it spike? You can’t take more medication because you have already taken your prescribed dose for the day. You also know the dangers and complications related uncontrolled high blood sugar, so you need to know how to lower blood sugar immediately. So what do you do? What is High Blood Sugar? First, it’s important to know what your blood sugar should be. This will allow you to make an appropriate decision on what to do next to lower blood sugar immediately. Of course, you should always discuss your individualised goals with your doctor. Below is what the American Diabetes Association recommends as ideal blood sugar numbers for people with diabetes: Fasting: 80-130 mg/dL (4.4-7.2 mmol/L) 2 hours after meals: less than 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L) If You’re Living in Singapore… MOH guidelines mention the ideal range is: Fasting: 4.0-7.0 mmol/L 2 hours after meals: less than 10 mmol/L If your blood sugar is over 350 mg/dL (19.4 mmol/L) and you are experiencing symptoms such as blurred vision, extreme thirst, lightheadedness, restlessness, or drowsiness, you should seek immediate medical attention. Let’s say your blood glucose is not critical, but higher than you would like it to be, what should you do next? Drink Water Drinking enough water may help reduce the risk of getting high blood sugar levels. If you see your blood glucose is high, drink at least 500ml of water. This might help flush out some of the sugar through the kidneys. Try to stay hydrated all the tim Continue reading >>
How Does Drinking Water Help Lower Blood Sugar?
Water helps remove excess sugar from your blood through urine, and it helps you avoid dehydration. More Answers On Diabetes Continue reading >>
Type 1 & 2 Diabetes: Five Simple Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar
Diabetes can seem complicated and overwhelming, full of charts and devices and concerned-looking medical professionals. There’s talk of hormones and endocrine systems, of obscure organizations and dietary plans. It all comes down to this: What it’s really about-the one, single thing it’s about-is lowering that sky-high blood sugar number. That’s it. Everything follows from getting that blood sugar number down. It doesn’t matter how you got there, and it doesn’t matter what you did. What’s important, what’s critical for you right here, right now, is to lower that number. Here are five simple ways to lower your blood sugar. The list doesn’t including the most obvious choices (medication) because you know them already. These are some methods you might not have thought about. 1. Stay on your feet The simple answer that doctors give diabetics (especially type 2s) who want lower their blood sugars is to exercise. And it works! But what if you’re not the exercising type? What if the sight of a treadmill or exercise bike or running shoes gives you the fits? That’s okay, too, actually. You might want to consider simply spending a chunk of each day on your feet. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, simple activities like sweeping the floor or dusting the shelves or taking the dog out for a walk are all healthy ways to stay active. You will burn calories, and you will move that blood sugar number down. 2. Drink water Believe it or not, evidence suggests that staying hydrated can have an effect on blood sugars and whether or not people develop type 2 diabetes. Is the effect it a big one? We’re not sure yet. But a 3,000-person study cited in the New York Times showed that people who drank the most water-17 to 34 ounces a day-were 30 Continue reading >>
