What Causes Blood Sugar To Be High
Many things can cause high blood sugar , including being sick, being stressed, eating more than planned, and not giving yourself enough insulin. Over time, high blood sugar can lead to long-term, serious health problems. Symptoms of high blood sugar include:
- Feeling very tired.
- Having blurry vision.
- Needing to urinate more often.
If you get sick, your blood sugar can be hard to manage. You may not be able to eat or drink as much as usual, which can affect blood sugar levels. If youre ill and your blood sugar is 240 mg/dL or above, use an over-the-counter ketone test kit to check your urine for ketones and call your doctor if your ketones are high. High ketones can be an early sign of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately.
Upswing: Steroids And Water Pills
People take corticosteroids, such as prednisone, to treat rashes, arthritis, asthma, and many other conditions. But they can boost your blood sugar, and may even trigger diabetes in some people. Diuretics that help high blood pressure, also called water pills, can do the same. Some antidepressants also raise or lower blood sugar.
Limit Baked Goods And Packaged Snacks
Aside fromthe above foods to avoid with high blood sugar, next on our list are packagedand baked foods. Pretzels, chips, cookies, pastries, crackers, and doughnutsare loaded with unhealthy trans fats. Thus they are responsible to spike yourbad cholesterol levels, block your arteries and cause a heart attack. Diabeticpeople are more prone to cardiovascular diseases thus they should limit theirintake of saturated fats.
Now you cancheck the amounts of trans fat in any packaged product on the ingredient list.Check labels and steer clear from hydrogenated oils too. Seek out for healthyfats present in seeds and nuts, olive and canola oils, avocado and fatty fishes.
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Don’t Exercise Before Breakfast
Exercise is an important part of blood sugar management, and when done regularly it can help improve insulin sensitivity and lower your A1C levels. How exercise affects your blood sugar depends on how long youre active, and varies from person to person. But generally exercise will lower your blood sugar and make your body more sensitive to insulin for up to 24 hours after a workout, according to the ADA.
If you tend to work out in the morning, its important to test your blood sugar levels before and after your workout to see how your body responds. If your blood sugar tends to quickly drop off after a workout, its smart to have breakfast before you head to the gym to keep you fueled and your blood sugar steady.
When Should I Check My Blood Sugar
How often you check your blood sugar depends on the type of diabetes you have and if you take any diabetes medicines.
Typical times to check your blood sugar include:
- When you first wake up, before you eat or drink anything.
- Before a meal.
- Two hours after a meal.
- At bedtime.
If you have type 1 diabetes, have type 2 diabetes and take insulin, or often have low blood sugar, your doctor may want you to check your blood sugar more often, such as before and after youre physically active.
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Fruits With The Least Sugar
7) Apples: Apples contain bulk of healthy nutrients and good calories making it the best food in a no sugar diet.
Sugar in apples: 10.39 g sugar per 100 g
8) Bananas: Bananas are the best choice to add sweetness in your diet inexpensively. Regular consumption can prevent several illnesses and can be one of the best natural ways to lower blood sugar.
Bananas sugar content: 12.23 g sugar per 100 g
9) Berries: Be it raspberries or blueberries, add them in your fruit salads and stay away from those sweet cravings. The fruit is loaded with several vitamins, natural sugar and minerals which can help in reducing blood sugar and fight cancer.
Sugar in berries: 9.96 g sugar per 100 g
10) Sapodilla: Sapodilla is another inexpensive way to go sweet for all the diet concerned people. Blend it with milk and add some dry nuts. With this you can start your day by adding natural sweetness to it.
Sugar in sapodilla: 5.6 g sugar per 100 g
11) Oranges: Sweet oranges are good to taste and low in calories as well. They can help in adding natural sugars to your body and make your taste buds enjoy the sweetness.
Sugar in oranges: 9.35 g sugar per 100 g
12) Grapes: Grapes are another great way to enjoy sweetness and being fit at the same time. Its splendid amount of vitamins and other nutrients help it to make a great breakfast to start your day.
Grapes sugar content: 15.48 g sugar per 100 g
Sugar in watermelon: 6.2 g sugar per 100 g
Sugar in lychees: 15.23 g sugar per 100 g
Broccoli Or Broccoli Sprouts
Sulforaphane is a sulfur-containing compound naturally found in cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and broccoli sprouts. Sulforaphane can help lower blood sugar by increasing glucose uptake from the bloodstream by regulating signaling proteins that control liver cells and their response to insulin.
Liver cells produce ceramides, fatty lipid molecules that can cause insulin resistance. Sulforaphane has been shown to block an enzyme involved in the synthesis of ceramides. By inhibiting this gene, sulforaphane can decrease ceramide levels and improve insulin sensitivity by decreasing insulin resistance. When insulin sensitivity is increased, the body has an improved ability to release insulin when blood sugar is high to bring levels back down.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli also contain glucosinolates, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds that can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce glucose levels in the blood.
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How Does High Blood Sugar Affect The Body
Monitoring your blood sugar is essential if you have diabetes. Symptoms will get worse if treatment is not provided, and serious health complications can arise as a result. The signs of high blood sugar to look for include fatigue, blurred vision, and headaches along with:
- Frequent urination and thirst: Excess sugar in the blood is passed through the kidneys and into urine. This draws more water into the urine which means more frequent urination. High glucose levels cause thirst even when you are drinking enough fluids.
- Weight loss: Elevated blood sugar levels over time can lead to unexplained weight loss as a result of cells not getting the glucose they need. As a result, they start burning fat instead.
- Numbness: High blood sugar can cause tingling and numbness in the extremities. It is important to note that this is a complication of long-term diabetes and uncontrolled blood sugar levels.
Do Seek Medical Attention If Your Glucose Is Over 400
Your glucose should not register above 400 unless your physician has advised you otherwise or has not specified. Above this level you are in a serious danger zone.
Once blood glucose values climb this high, a cascade of metabolic events leading to higher and higher sugars may not be within your control. You may be very ill or have an underlying infection both can and do raise blood glucose. This requires immediate medical attention.
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The Basics Of Balancing Blood Sugar
The goal with blood sugar is to keep your levels as steady as possible throughout the day. If you eat something that is made up of carbohydrates or sugar, then your blood sugar will rise.
“Our blood sugar rises when we eat foods that contain sugar or foods that break down into sugar, basically anything that contains carbohydrates ,” says Shapiro. Raising your blood sugar isn’t bad in itself, but you want to avoid spiking your sugar too high, as it can make you feel bad and lead to a “crash” later on.
“Once our blood sugar rises the hormone insulin is released to help our cells take up the sugar from our blood into the cells themselves to use/store for energy,” Shapiro explains. Insulin is one way your body keeps sugar in check, but other activities affect your blood sugar too, including exercise and how much you move or walk around.
Should You Skip A Meal If Your Blood Glucose Is High
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High blood glucose levels can damage the small arteries and nerves in your eyes, kidneys, heart, brain and feet over time. If you have diabetes, high blood sugar is defined as higher than 130 mg/dL when fasting and above 180 mg/dL two hours after eating, unless your doctor has specified a different target for you. Managing your blood glucose levels closely is the key to healthy living with diabetes.
Tip
If your blood glucose levels are high, don’t skip a meal rather, try to understand the causes behind your high reading and do some damage control by eating healthy and exercising.
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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.
How To Prevent High Blood Sugar
The best way to treat high blood sugar is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Not only does this help to avoid a potential emergency, but it also reduces the likelihood of experiencing diabetic complications. Patients with diabetes can prevent high blood sugar by taking some of the following measures:
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Raw Cooked Or Roasted Vegetables
These add color, flavor, and texture to a meal. Choose tasty, low-carb veggies, like mushrooms, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and low-carb squashes, like zucchini.
Try them with dips such as low-fat dressings, hummus, guacamole, and salsa, or roasted with different seasonings such as rosemary, cayenne pepper, or garlic.
Dos And Donts To Follow For A Healthy Lifestyle
- Never skip meals as it can result in obesity. Whenever you remain without eating anything for longer hours, your body uses the glucose already stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. This provokes the liver to release more glucose into the bloodstream.
- Dont cut off necessary sleep. The appropriate time you should allow for sleeping is 7 to 8 hours to prevent unnecessary blood sugar spikes.
- Be cautious with your sleeping hours, even sleeping more than required makes you overweight and cause more problems.
- Eat more foods with low glycemic index and must involve apples, pineapple, citrus fruits, strawberries for high fiber intake
- Regular exercise is the key to maintaining normal blood sugar levels. Weightlifting, walking, running, cycling, dancing or even short term intense workouts, all can help you to fight high blood sugar.
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Struggling To Cook Healthy We’ll Help You Prep
Heres the thingeveryones diabetes care plan is different, but one thing we can all benefit from is eating a healthy breakfast that keeps our blood sugar stable throughout the day. While, unfortunately, there arent any miracle foods that can replace insulin, here are six easy ways to stabilize your blood sugar with breakfast.
Broccoli And Broccoli Sprouts
Sulforaphane is a type of isothiocyanate that has blood-sugar-reducing properties.
This plant chemical is produced when broccoli is chopped or chewed due to a reaction between a glucosinolate compound called glucoraphanin and the enzyme myrosinase, both of which are concentrated in broccoli .
Test-tube, animal, and human studies have shown that sulforaphane-rich broccoli extract has powerful antidiabetic effects, helping enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar and markers of oxidative stress .
Broccoli sprouts are concentrated sources of glucosinolates like glucoraphanin, and theyve been shown to help promote insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes when supplemented as a powder or extract (
11 ).
Keep in mind that the best way to enhance the availability of sulforaphane is to enjoy broccoli and broccoli sprouts raw or lightly steamed, or to add active sources of myrosinase like mustard seed powder to cooked broccoli (
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Foods That Lower Blood Sugar
Food can be a wonderful tonic for your overall good health and well-being or it can be devastating to your health. Taking the time and effort to make good choices can save you from a lot of pain and suffering in the future. Here is a list of foods that are great for your health, and especially good for maintaining healthy sugar levels.
How To Check Blood Sugar At Home
If you aren’t sure whether your blood sugar is high or in the normal range, one thing you can do is test your sugar. This is especially helpful if you’re concerned about diabetes or prediabetes, but anyone can benefit from monitoring their sugar.
“There are easy ways to do this, and that will show you what your blood sugar responds to and how much of certain foods you can eat without disrupting your blood sugar. It is a great self-research experiment,” says Shaprio. Some types of blood glucose monitors require a prescription, but many are OTC and anyone can purchase one.
If you’re not quite ready for a monitor, you can still check in with yourself and take notes throughout the day of how certain foods and activities make you feel. “Otherwise you can monitor how you feel, your energy, how often you get hungry,” says Shapiro. “These are great measures of blood sugar levels.”
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Skip Sweeteners That Spike Your Blood Sugar Levels
We have seen what fruits diabetics should avoid now here are few sweeteners that shouldnt reach your pantry shelves. Peoplethink that natural sweeteners can replace refined sugar with no harm or risein blood glucose. However, other forms of sugar like honey, agave nectar, ormaple syrup can also spike sugar levels. These are processed foods and containhigh amounts of carbohydrates.
What Is The Dawn Phenomenon
Another reason for high nighttime blood sugar levels is the dawn phenomenon. The dawn phenomenon occurs early in the morning when the body naturally signals your liver to produce glucose, giving your body the energy it needs to wake up.
The hormonal changes associated with the dawn phenomenon happen to people with or without diabetes, though those without diabetes do not experience hyperglycemia. If you take insulin, you may need to try a new basal insulin or adjust the timing and amount of your basal dose or your nighttime basal rates to cover an early morning rise.
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Sip On Seltzer Rather Than Fruit Juice
Thefiber-rich foods are considered healthy snacks for diabetics, but fruit juicesare a completely different story. Even fresh fruit juice contains lots ofconcentrated sugar which we should skip. Plus juices dont fill you up makingyou eat more.
You can opt for whole fruits or go for zero-calorie seltzer with a dash of lime. Pick detox drinks to keep you hydrated and heal your body internally.
What Else Can I Do To Help Manage My Blood Sugar Levels
Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity can all help. Other tips include:
- Keep track of your blood sugar levels to see what makes them go up or down.
- Eat at regular times, and dont skip meals.
- Choose foods lower in calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and salt.
- Track your food, drink, and physical activity.
- Drink water instead of juice or soda.
- Limit alcoholic drinks.
- For a sweet treat, choose fruit.
- Control your food portions .
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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 to be absorbed by the blood. Insulin that is yet to be absorbed by the blood is called active insulin.
If you decide to correct with insulin, watch you dont over correct as this can lead to hypoglycemia and can be dangerous, particularly so before bed.
Signs That Your Blood Sugar Is Not Stable
Besides feeling hangry, Shapiro says there are other signs that your blood sugar is low, often as a result of spiking it too high previously. “If you eat a large load of sugar or carbs solo , you may feel energized for a bit but in an hour or so you might find yourself sweating, tired, shaky, confused. These are signs of low blood sugar, a quick drop in energy that leaves your body weak,” explains Shapiro.
People may joke about “hanger,” but the feeling is very real, according to Shapiro. When your blood sugar is low, “You may also find you feel agitated, and hungry, which makes you feel angry or grumpy too.”
At the end of the day, you shouldn’t feel extremes in either direction. If you’re eating balanced meals, you should feel good most of the time and when you get hungry, it should happen slowly rather than being a dramatic feeling all at once, according to Shapiro.
Healthy sources of protein like fish and healthy fats like nuts and avocados can help keep your blood sugar balanced.
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