Many Americans struggle with regulating their blood sugar. When your sugar is low, it’s common to feel lightheaded, dizzy, or irritable. In people with conditions such as diabetes or hypoglycemia, imbalanced sugar can pose a more severe threat. Whether you have one of these conditions or not, it’s important to regulate your glucose. The following tips can help you control your sugar levels, no matter your current health.
Healthy Nutrition
One of the best ways to regulate your blood sugar is through proper nutrition. When you’re eating unhealthy foods, your glucose levels tend to rise and fall very rapidly. These junk foods are often high in processed sugars, fats, and carbs that all break down quickly in the digestive system. When the stomach breaks these foods down, the glucose enters the bloodstream and unnaturally spikes blood sugar levels. The insulin in the body can’t absorb enough of it, and cells all over your body start slowing down and eventually dying.
On the other hand, healthy foods don’t cause this rapid spike in glucose levels. Foods that are high in protein, lean fat, and whole grains tend to break down slower in the body, leading to a gentler release of glucose levels in the blood. When your food breaks down slowly, the insulin molecules in your blood can keep up with it, allowing each cell to get the sugars it needs. Maintaining a healthy diet is a great first step to preventing blood sugar imbalance.
Active Lifestyle
Another key component in regulating your blood sugar levels is staying active. If you have a condition like diabetes, intense workouts are something that you may need to discuss with your doctor. Because exercise requires sugar for fuel, people who need their sugar to stay at a certain level need to be careful with how much they work out. For those who just want to regulate an imbalance, staying active in gentle ways is essential. While you don’t need to be a marathon runner, going for daily walks or starting a yoga habit can burn off some excess sugar from your diet and help regulate your glucose levels.
If your doctor or dietician recommended you start exercising to help regulate your sugar, you don’t need to immediately get a gym membership. Any form of movement that gets your heart rate up will use excess blood sugar, so your first step should be to get outside. Something as simple as gardening, playing sports with your kids, or going for a bike ride in the park can help you reduce the amount of extra glucose in your blood without disrupting your daily routine. No matter what your current fitness level is, having an active lifestyle is a great way to regulate your blood sugar.
Regular Monitoring
Finally, regular monitoring will help you regulate your sugar. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a blood sugar condition such as diabetes, it’s absolutely essential that you monitor your sugar to get an idea of what your “norm” is. Knowing your usual glucose level can alert you to emergencies and give you an idea of how to treat them, whether you’re at work or home. Sugar imbalances can happen anywhere, even when there’s no obvious cause present. Having access to regular monitoring can save your life in an emergency.
Along similar lines, it’s crucial to always have access to emergency medicine. If you take insulin, keep an emergency supply with you at work, school, and home. For those who often get low sugar, keep little snacks with you in your purse or backpack. Because sugar imbalances often cause disorientation, something as simple as a peppermint can prevent a blackout later in the day. Whether you have a chronic condition or not, having access to the tools to help you feel better can prevent disaster. Monitoring your blood sugar is essential to sugar regulation, no matter what your current diagnosis is.
To sum things up, regulating your blood sugar is essential to your health. With these tips, you’ll be able to control your glucose and feel your best.