If you have diabetes, lowering blood sugar isn’t just a short-term goal — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it helps prevent or delay diabetes complications, including heart, kidney, eye, and nerve diseases. It can change the course of the disease entirely. “It’s 100 percent important that [people with type 2 diabetes] try and lower their blood sugars through dietary approaches first,” says Jessica Crandall Snyder, RD, CDCES, with Vital RD in Denver. “For some people, it not only can be preventive, but it can also help with reversal of the actual disease.” Crandall Snyder says making a few key lifestyle changes can sometimes eliminate the need for medication. “Poking yourself with insulin isn’t fun,” she says. “Diabetes is a progressive disease, and you really have to figure out how to take control.” Here are 10 ways to do it, no prescriptions required. How many carbs per meal is ideal? “It’s tailored to each individual,” says Weisenberger. How much you exercise, your weight, and your age can all affect how long sugars stay in your system, according to the CDC. A typical starting point for people with diabetes is to limit carb intake to 200 to 245 grams (g) per day, which amounts to about one-half of your daily calories coming from carbs, according to the CDC. From there, make adjustments according to your blood glucose readings or as recommended by a dietitian, Crandall Snyder says. And keep in mind that carbs aren’t only found in the usual culprits, like bread, potatoes, and pasta. They are also in fruits, vegetables, sweets, and dairy, so you have to take all of those into consideration as well, Crandall Snyder says. RELATED: 8 Fruits That Are Good for People With Diabetes
2. Avoid Eating Large Meals
Both Weisenberger and Crandall Snyder say to keep an eye on carbs, even while snacking. “Classically, less than 15 g of carbs per snack is a good standard approach,” Crandall Snyder says. That’s about what’s found in 1 cup of fruit, she says.
3. Fill Up on Fiber
Fiber plays a preventative role, too. Studies have found that high-fiber diets can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 15 to 19 percent compared to low-fiber diets, according to a March 2018 study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. You’ll find fiber in plant foods such as raspberries, peas, and whole grains, according to the Mayo Clinic. Beans are another good source of fiber. People with type 2 diabetes who ate at least a cup of legumes (beans, chickpeas, and lentils) daily for three months had lower blood glucose levels as measured by the A1C test, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. (A1C is a way to measure your average blood glucose levels over a three-month period, according to MedlinePlus.) Beans also are an excellent source of folate, which is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, a common diabetes complication, according to the National Institutes of Health. Men should aim for 30 to 38 g of fiber per day, and women should eat 21 to 25 g per day, according to the Mayo Clinic. RELATED: 7 Healthy Meal Tips for People With Type 2 Diabetes
4. Get More Quality Shuteye
The National Sleep Foundation recommends aiming for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Having sleep troubles? Follow these recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation:
Sleep in a cool, dark room.Avoid consuming alcohol or caffeine in the hours before bed.Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends.Don’t look at screens for at least a half hour before bedtime, including TV, tablets, cell phones, and computers.
5. Lose a Little Weight
Your weight-loss goals don’t have to be enormous either. Some of Weisenberger’s patients have seen improvements in blood glucose readings with only a five-pound loss, she says. Makes sense: A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found modest weight loss — losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight — resulted in improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. “Small steps in the right direction can yield big results in improvement or prevention,” Crandall Snyder says. RELATED: 8 Steps to Weight Loss Success if You’re Managing Type 2 Diabetes
6. Drink More Water
The idea is that water helps flush glucose out of the body. “Having a glass of water can be really helpful in essentially diluting your blood sugar and lowering your blood sugar in a healthy way,” Crandall Snyder says.
7. Get a Handle on Stress
How can you burn off tension? Yoga and meditation can help people lower their blood sugar levels, Weisenberger says. A December 2014 study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science involving 27 nursing students and found a combination of yoga and meditation practiced for one hour once a week led to reduced levels of stress and lower blood glucose levels after 12 weeks. Crandall Snyder also suggests taking a few deep breaths, going for a walk, playing with your dog for a few minutes, or listening to a fun song. Basically “whatever you can do to distract yourself for a few minutes and just lower your breathing rate” will help, she says. Indeed, the CDC notes that less water in your body is liked with a higher blood sugar concentration. RELATED: Is Stress the Source of Your Blood Sugar Swings?
8. Never Skip Eating Breakfast
A high-protein breakfast has an edge over breakfasts that are high in carbohydrates, according to research from The University of Missouri-Columbia. In the research, women ages 18 to 55 consumed meals with similar calories, fat, and fiber contents — but differing amounts of protein. Researchers monitored the amount of glucose and insulin in the participants’ blood for four hours after they ate breakfast. The best breakfasts contained 39 g of protein and led to lower post-meal glucose spikes than the meals with less protein, the researchers found. Besides, eating breakfast may help overweight people with type 2 diabetes shed extra pounds. Of the participants in the National Weight Control Registry who maintained at least a 30-pound weight loss for at least one year, 78 percent said they eat breakfast daily.
9. Add More Resistant Starch to Your Plate
Interestingly, resistant starch can change with heat, and some foods, like rice, are higher in resistant starch when cooked and cooled than when cooked and served warm, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Resistant starches are also found in:
Plantains and unripe bananasBeans, peas, and lentilsWhole grains, including oats and barley
Just be sure to keep carb count in mind when incorporating foods with resistant starch into your diet.
10. Ramp Up Your Movement Each Day
Crandall Snyder tells patients that exercise is like spring cleaning for the body. “It takes the stored form of glucose and uses it for energy so the next time you eat carbohydrates there’s a place to put it,” she says. Because exercise can immediately reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, work with your healthcare team to determine the right amount of activity and timing for you. A study published in September 2017 in Frontiers in Endocrinology found exercising 30 minutes after the start of a meal is usually best for maintaining blood sugar controls. RELATED: 7 Tips for Staying Motivated to Exercise When Managing Diabetes Learn more about managing your blood sugar in Diabetes Daily’s article “HbA1C: Everything You Need to Know.”
