Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is connected with diabetes and prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
According to Healthline, your body regulates blood sugar levels by creating insulin, a hormone that enables your cells to utilise the sugar in your blood. Insulin is thus the primary regulator of blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar control is critical for diabetics, as chronically high blood sugar levels can result in limb and life-threatening complications.
1. Follow a minimally processed diet.
Your first nutritional step toward better blood sugar control is to avoid (most) packaged foods in favour of high-quality whole foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and quality meats and seafood.
Many processed meals are high in sugar, refined grains, and carbohydrates, as well as artificial chemicals and flavourings, while being poor in blood-sugar-stabilizing fibre and protein.
2. Consume a lot of fibre.
Your low-processed diet should be high in nonstarchy, fiber-rich vegetables, as well as fiber-rich fruit and whole grains. This is due to the fact that fibre delays carbohydrate digestion and sugar absorption, resulting in a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels after meals.
Leafy greens, peas, beans, lentils, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and oats are all high in fibre.
3. Consume a lot of high-quality protein.
Protein, like fibre, regulates insulin secretion, resulting in a more gradual rise in blood sugar after a meal. It also has the highest filling power of any vitamin.
A protein-rich breakfast is especially important because it sets the tone for the remainder of the day. The quantity of protein you require in your diet is determined by several factors.
4. Eat healthy fats.
Fat, like fibre and protein, acts as a buffer against blood sugar rises. Unsaturated fats have been directly related to better insulin resistance.
Simply avoid refined fats, especially trans fats, as well as processed vegetable oils such as maize and soybean oils, which can be pro-inflammatory. Nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, and fatty fish like salmon are all good sources of excellent fats to include in your diet.
5. Switch up your carbs.
Lowering your overall carbohydrate intake can also assist with blood sugar balance, but you don’t have to eliminate them (they’re still a vital source of fuel for your body).
Simply swap out processed carbohydrates like bread, white pasta, and candy for fiber-rich, whole-food sources like whole grains, sweet potatoes, and fruit, which are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
6. Balance your meals.
Consuming protein, fibre, and healthy fat with each meal can help balance blood sugar and manage hunger. Each of these nutrients contributes to blood sugar balance on its own, but they work much better together. We enjoy a decent kale salad with avocado and a protein of our choice.
7. Get more sleep and less stress.
Sleep loss and stress can both result in increased amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which raises blood sugar. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and incorporate stress-relieving activities such as exercise and meditation into your routine.
8. Drink plenty of water
Drinking water aids your kidneys in flushing out extra blood sugar via urine. According to one study, persons who drank more water were less likely to acquire hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
9. Exercise regularly.
Because your muscles require blood glucose for fuel, when you perform that strength training regimen, you are assisting in the movement of blood sugar from the bloodstream into the muscles, where it is subsequently burned.
This can help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level and enhance insulin sensitivity over time (i.e., how well your cells can absorb glucose from the blood and use it for energy).
10. Consume magnesium-rich meals.
When it comes to boosting insulin sensitivity and maintaining healthy blood sugar, magnesium seems to be especially important.
Consuming plenty of magnesium-rich foods, leafy green vegetables like spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, dark chocolate, and avocado, is a good idea in general since magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic activities in the body.
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