What Foods Can I Eat To Lower Blood Sugar

Why You Should Create A Healthy Lifestyle Plan

Nutrition is the biggest priority in maintaining blood sugar. Monitoring diet alone, though, doesnât cover everything you need for optimal blood sugar control.

In addition to an improved diet, you can support healthy blood sugar levels by:

• Drinking water to stay hydrated
• Exercising regularly
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Managing your stress levels
• Monitoring your glucose levels

Setting up a diet for healthier blood sugar levels is all about finding foods that work for you.

The 13 foods below can be your easy starting point to build a meal plan that keeps your blood sugar under control.

Ways To Lower Your Blood Sugar With Breakfast

Say goodbye to spikes and crashes before lunchtime.

High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can affect those with type 1 and 2 diabetes as well as prediabetes. It can happen when you eat something with too much sugar or too many simple carbs, forget to take your insulin, or even when youre sick or stressed.

Whatever the reason, everyone can agree the signs and symptoms of high blood sugar are no fun. According to the American Diabetes Association, indications that your blood sugar is too high include extreme thirst, a frequent need to urinate, and exhaustion. And if left untreated, high blood sugar can quickly develop into a life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis. Yikes!

Foods To Eat To Lower Blood Pressure

Its estimated that 2 of 3 people with diabetes have high blood pressure. When blood pressure is elevated, your heart works harder to pump blood throughout your body. High blood pressure increases your risk of a heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and eye problems.

You have already heard about how added salt can increase blood pressure, but did you know that certain foods can help to lower blood pressure? Foods that are high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help to regulate blood pressure. Taking these minerals as supplements doesnt have the same effect as eating foods that contain these. Try eating some of the following foods to boost your intake of nutrients that can lower blood pressure naturally.

Nuts are a good source of plant protein and contain the amino acid L-arginine which makes nitric oxide and helps blood vessels relax. While all nuts are a healthy choice, both almonds and pistachios contain the trifecta of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Nuts are low in carbohydrates and eating nuts has been linked to improved glucose levels.

Beets contain nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide which helps to control blood pressure. Beetroot juice contains higher amounts of nitrates than cooked beetroot. Beetroots contain potassium. For added calcium and magnesium, eat the beet greens as well.

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Eat Every 3 To 6 Hours

Have breakfast within an hour or two of waking up and then eat a snack or meal every three to six hours after that, says Rebecca Denison, RD, doctor of integrative medicine and diabetes educator at Greater Baltimore Medical Centers Geckle Diabetes and Nutrition Center. This will add up to three to six total meals and snacks daily. It takes about four to six hours for your body to digest a meal. You want to eat just a teeny bit before you actually need it so that your body doesnt have to figure out how to keep your blood sugar stable, Denison explains.

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Beware Of The Label Sugar

Grocery shopping can be confusing, since at first glance, many foods may seem healthier than they are. Smart food choices can be hard to make. Watch out for sugar-free alternatives, which are better than the real-sugar versions, but hardly healthy.

In addition, says Champion, just because a food is labeled sugar free, reduced sugar, or no sugar added doesnt mean its carbohydrate free, too. This means the food can still cause your blood sugar to rise. Your best bet is to look at the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient label on the back of the package, she says. Dont rely on advertising claims on the front of the package.

The ADA suggests that rather than just looking at the sugar content, always check the total amount of carbohydrates in a product which includes the amounts of starch, fiber, sugar, and sugar alcohols. This total will give you a more accurate idea of how a food may actually affect your blood sugar levels.

Diabetes Diet Sample Menus

Now that you know what foods are better if you have diabetes, putting the right foods on your plate is a matter of portions. The key to a balanced diet is planning meals using the diabetes plate methoddivide the plate into quarters: ¼ protein or meat, ¼ carbs, and 2/4 vegetable and fruit. If you want to lose weight, use 9-inch dinner plates and bowls so you arent piling the food on to a large dinner plate.

For example, fill half the plate with non-starchy veggies such as salad greens or steamed broccoli, and fill the remaining half of the plate with equal portions of a grain or starchy vegetable like mashed sweet potato, and a heart-healthy protein such as broiled salmon.

Here are some sample dinner menus to give you an idea of reasonable portion sizes that make up a healthy meal for someone with diabetes . In addition, the infographic above features a weeks worth of breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas consistent with a diabetes diet plan.

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Diabetes Diet Plan For Long

It may ease your mind to know you will be able to incorporate your favorite foods into a healthy diet while being mindful of your diabetes diet goals . Check out our type 2 diabetes diet sheet below for an idea of the variety of delicious and balanced meals that can fit into a diabetic meal plan.

For many people, at least initially, this may seem harder than it should be and thats understandable after all, it can seem very, very challenging to change current eating habits and find the right food rhythm to fit your lifestyle.

You don’t have to go it alone: Seek advice from a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator who has the right training to help you come up with an individualized meal plan that will help you meet your self-management goals, get the nutrition you need, and show you how you can incorporate some of your favorite foods into your diet so that you continue to enjoy eating.

Hopefully, your doctor has someone on the team, but if not, call your health insurer to ask for the names of a few in-network RD/CDEs.

There are also virtual coaching programs that appear to be effective this means you can get individualized dietary guidance at home or at work. Most health insurance companies will cover the cost of diabetic diet counseling so ask your doctor for a prescription, so cost doesnt hold you back.

People With Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy. Often, it is a temporary condition, but it can lead to pregnancy complications.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with a diagnosis of gestational diabetes aim for blood sugar levels similar to those for people without diabetes, although individual targets may vary.

The ADA offers the following as a guideline:

• kidneys
• blood vessels

A wide range of complications can also result, such as slow wound healing and frequent infections. Other possible complications include:

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Prevent Low Blood Glucose

Because physical activity lowers your blood glucose, you should protect yourself against low blood glucose levels, also called hypoglycemia. You are most likely to have hypoglycemia if you take insulin or certain other diabetes medicines, such as a sulfonylurea. Hypoglycemia also can occur after a long intense workout or if you have skipped a meal before being active. Hypoglycemia can happen during or up to 24 hours after physical activity.

Planning is key to preventing hypoglycemia. For instance, if you take insulin, your health care provider might suggest you take less insulin or eat a small snack with carbohydrates before, during, or after physical activity, especially intense activity.4

You may need to check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after you are physically active.

Other Ways To Control Blood Sugar Levels

When it comes to learning how to lower your blood sugar, lifestyle factors are key. Besides consuming healthy foods, there are a number of other ways you can control a high blood sugar level within the body. For starters, exercising regularly can effectively help control blood sugar levels. Plus, exercising may reduce stress, regulate weight, and lower high blood pressure.

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What Is Medical Nutrition Therapy

Medical nutrition therapy is a service provided by an RD to create personal eating plans based on your needs and likes. For people with diabetes, medical nutrition therapy has been shown to improve diabetes management. Medicare pays for medical nutrition therapy for people with diabetes If you have insurance other than Medicare, ask if it covers medical nutrition therapy for diabetes.

Side Effects Of Low Blood Sugar

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Here Is A List Of Foods That Lower Blood Sugar And Help Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Although this is no magic list of foods that lower blood sugar there are many foods that contain a low Glycemic Index meaning that they are foods that can either maintain blood sugar levels of help avoid a raise. On tops of our list of foods that lower blood sugar instantly, or help maintain blood sugar, we have a list of foods to avoid with high blood sugar and some tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight.

Adding certain foods to your diet can not only help regulate your blood sugar but can also help you avoid developing type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. This list of foods that lower blood sugar and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Choose A Lifestyle Change Not A Diet

If you need to lose weight, find an eating plan you can stick with. Whatever results in lasting weight loss for you is the best approach for you, Wright says. If you make over-restrictive changes you can’t maintain, as soon as you tire of that diet, you will fall back to what you did previously, gain weight, and raise your risk of type 2 diabetes.

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What Should I Avoid If I Have High Blood Sugar

Avoiding certain foods will be beneficial in case you have increased the level of sugar in blood like- potato chips, soda, burger, mayonnaise, fat based food, sausages, alcohol, and smoking. A sedentary lifestyle has proved detrimental for blood sugar level. Irregular intake of diabetes medicines has always proved fatal to health. Unhealthy and erratic timings of meals are the factors responsible for a deteriorating health. Unnecessary tension and stress bring in high blood sugar.

Tips For Healthy Eating With Diabetes

There are different types of diabetes, and no two people with diabetes are the same. So there isnt a one-size-fits-all ‘diabetes diet’ for everyone with diabetes. But weve come up with tips that you can use to help you make healthier food choices.

These healthy eating tips are general and can help you manage your blood glucose , blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They can also help you manage your weight and reduce the risk of diabetes complications, such as heart problems and strokes, and other health conditions including certain types of cancers.

Making healthier food choices is important to manage your diabetes and to reduce your risk of diabetes complications. We know that not everyone agrees on what is the best diet.

This is why weve reviewed all the evidence to put these tips together. Weve focused on specific foods, to make it easier for you to put these tips into practice and to complement whatever diet you decide to follow.

– Douglas Twenefour, Specialist Dietitian and Deputy Head of Care

We’ve based our tips on research involving people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. If you have a different type of diabetes, like gestational, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes or MODY, some of these tips are relevant to you. Its important, whatever kind of diabetes you have, to see your dietitian for specific advice.

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What About The Glycemic Index

High glycemic index foods spike your blood sugar rapidly, while low GI foods have the least effect on blood sugar. While the GI has long been promoted as a tool to help manage blood sugar, there are some notable drawbacks.

• The true health benefits of using the GI remain unclear.
• Having to refer to GI tables makes eating unnecessarily complicated.
• The GI is not a measure of a foods healthfulness.
• Research suggests that by simply following the guidelines of the Mediterranean or other heart-healthy diets, youll not only lower your glycemic load but also improve the quality of your diet.

Choose Carbohydrates That Keep Blood Sugar Steady

Our wide variety of food products contain different levels and types of carbohydrates, making it harder to eat wisely with diabetes.

In general, you will want to choose carbs that have the least impact on your blood sugar. That means selecting foods that are high fiber, low sugar foods since these are absorbed more slowly and so have little impact on blood sugar changes.

Best carb choices to promote a healthy lifestyle for people with diabetes:

• High fiber foods include: Whole grain breads and cereals, and foods made with 100% whole wheat, oats, quinoa, brown rice, corn and cornmeal
• Dried beans, lentils, and peas
• Fresh fruits like berries, apples, pears, and oranges
• Dairy products including yogurt, milk, and cheese. The best yogurt is Greek-style or strained yogurt since these contain triple the level of protein.
• Vegetables. Both starchy and non-starchy vegetables are all healthy carbs that have less effect on your blood sugar

As you might guess, sugar-sweetened cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and other baked goods made with white flour as well as candy and soft drinks that contain sugar and high fructose corn syrup have little nutritional value and are likely to send your blood sugar soaring, so should eat them only occasionally, if at all, and only in very small amounts.

Skip foods made with all-purpose white flour and avoid sugary foods and sugar-sweetened drinks.

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Why Manage Blood Sugar Levels

You dont need to be diabetic or pre-diabetic for managing blood sugar to be important. Keeping blood sugar levels well-regulated within a normal range can improve energy and mood, prevent the development of diseases like diabetes, and help prevent serious health issues like heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.1 Maintaining blood sugar levels in the normal range can also help you manage your weight, burn fat, and just feel better.

Makes sense, right? Yet an estimated 100+ million people in the U.S. alone experience health issues due to imbalanced blood sugar. Whats worse, 80% of those people dont even know it, and the medical costs associated with those issues, along with lost productivity, add up to over $250 billion per year. This is obviously a very important issue to get under controlboth on the individual and society levels.

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