How to Naturally Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Sugar

Excess Sugar in Your Blood Has Heath Risks – Here is How to Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels

While sugary foods taste great, they have multiple negative effects on long-term health. When your body is unable to cope with the glucose in the blood stream, you suffer from ‘Hyperglycaemia’. This can lead to serious conditions including Diabetes, which in turn damages your vital organs.

The good news is that there are multiple ways to keep your blood sugar levels within safe limits.

Many of the ways to naturally lower you blood sugar listed below are easy to implement, safe and will improve your overall health and fitness.

Remember, this is not medical advice. If you have any concerns about your blood sugar or associated symptoms, then speak with a medical professional as soon as you can.

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Sugar

#1 – Regular Exercise Lowers Blood Sugar in Multiple Ways

Introducing regular exercise into your life has so many health benefits that books on the topic have only just scratched the surface. It helps lower blood sugar by increasing your sensitivity to insulin – which boosts your cells ability to use that excess sugar as fuel.

As you lose excess fat and improve your cardiovascular system, your body becomes more efficient at processing glucose. You’ll avoid the build-up of excess sugars naturally. A quick daily burst on an exercise bike or rowing machine can do wonders for your overall health.

#2 – Stay Hydrated by Drinking Plenty of Water

If you can’t flush out that excess sugar from your system via your kidneys, it can build up. Drinking extra water will help the filtration process. This helps you get rid of other toxins in addition to sugar and should be part of any healthy person’s daily routine. Make sure that your drink does not have added sugar – which would defeat the purpose of drinking more of it.

Hydration Helps Lower Blood Sugar

#3 – Avoid Sugary Snacks and Drinks

Controlling the number of sugar-rich snacks and drinks is easy. Switch high-sugar fruits to berries, ditch the cakes and chocolate bars and stop adding extra sugar to hot drinks and other foods. If cutting out the sweets altogether would make you miserable, then start with a small reduction. As your health and fitness improve, you can cut out more – until you hit that critical point where you enjoy that healthy feeling so much you wonder why you ate processed sugary foods in the first place.

Note that drinks like fruit juice are not healthy – in fact, they are sugar-filled poison.

#4 – Switch to a Natural Sweetener

A quick win for many people is that spoonful of sugar in tea or coffee – or on top of your breakfast. There are multiple substitutes which are made entirely from natural sources these days. They include my go-to, Stevia.

You will be surprised how quickly you get used to tea and coffee without any sugar at all. It tastes just as good after a short while and will not spike your blood sugar levels.

#5 – Cut out Heavy Carbs and Choose Lower GI Foods

It is not just the regular ‘sweet’ foods which spike your blood sugar level. Carbs quickly break down into glucose. That ‘healthy’ bowl of pasta has a damaging effect after a while – filling your blood stream with hard to break down sugars.

Risky foods include pasta, white rice, and potatoes – all ‘High GI’ (Glycaemic Index) items.

There are two ways to manage this. First, cut down on your portion sizes. You don’t need all that pasta. Half of it, replaced with some extra vegetables is a quick win that many people overlook.

Secondly, you can switch to healthier alternatives. Brown rice takes longer to cook, though is way better for your health. Sweet potatoes are lower GI alternatives which make for delicious chips.

#6 – Reduce Sources of Stress

We lead stressful lives these days. Stress and anxiety release chemicals which indirectly contribute to increased blood sugar levels. For the scientifically minded, the chemicals to look out for are Cortisol and Glucagon.

There are multiple ways to reduce stress. Simply becoming aware that it is damaging, identifying your personal sources, and making moves to avoid / change them is an excellent start. You can also try meditation or other relaxation techniques.

Quality Sleep for Good Health

#7 – Make Sure You Get Quality Sleep

There is a direct relationship between the length and quality of your sleep and your insulin sensitivity. After just one bad night of sleep, your blood sugar can spike – starting to cause damage. Lack of sleep can also make you feel hungrier.

Good sleep needs planning. There are tracking devices which monitor the quality, and plenty of guides that highlight the factors that you can control.

#8 – Supplements, Herbs and Natural Remedies

There is growing evidence that the right mix of nutrients can help you manage your blood sugar levels. Foods containing the minerals magnesium and Chromium are both linked to lower insulin sensitivity. Other options include cinnamon (which helps break down carbs) and apple cider vinegar.

Wrapping Up: Naturally Lowering Your Blood Sugar

High blood sugar may be damaging, though there are plenty of ways to keep this under control. Simple lifestyle changes include exercise, great sleep and lowering stress. They have a big impact on your body’s ability to deal with excess sugar. You can also stop the problem at its source. If you consume less poisonous sugars and high GI carbs, your body has less sugar to deal with in the first place.

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