subject: 3 Sure Fire Ways to TameType 2 Diabetes [print this page] 3 Sure Fire Ways to TameType 2 Diabetes 3 Sure Fire Ways to TameType 2 Diabetes
If you're diabetic, you've probably heard enough about high blood sugar to last you a lifetime. Well, there is a way to hear a little less about your high blood sugar, and that is by lowering it! What's more, lowering your blood sugar now may spare you from future complications.
So, to get you started here are three easy and practically guaranteed ways to help you lower your blood sugar.
1. Eat Right
You've heard it: You are what you eat. What you've eaten over the course of your life has probably played a big part in your having diabetes. But now by turning over a new leaf and following some general dietary guidelines, you can help lower your blood sugar levels and get back in control of your life.
Eat a balanced diet of healthy foods and avoid being overweight.
Eat your meals on a regular schedule. You and your schedule can determine how many meals and how often you eat them.
Try to keep your starchy food selections to those that are high in fiber like wholegrain bread, beans, lentils, and peas. The fiber will actually slow down the release of the glucose in the foods so that you'll experience only a gradual rise in blood sugar.
Eat more fiber. Another source of fiber (and vitamins) is fresh fruit and vegetables. Just watch out for the really sweet fruits and canned foods in sugary syrups.
Reduce the amount of refined sugars in your diet by cutting back on soft drinks, pastry, and other sweet bakery items, candy, etc. The sugar in these foods is absorbed rapidly and can cause blood sugar to rise quickly.
Eat sensible portions of meat, eggs, cheese, fish, and other high protein sources, but cut back on fats: Diabetics have an increased risk of coronary heart disease and fats can contribute to that.
Likewise limit your salt intake because of the diabetic risk of high blood pressure.
2. Exercise
There's a reason those gym rats rave so much about exercise: It works. But you don't have to live at the gym to get benefits. Even simple basic exercises like walking, jogging, or swimming done in moderation (but regularly) will help lower your blood sugar.
Exercise improves the body's use of insulin plus decreasing excess body fat helps improve insulin sensitivity. Besides improving your muscle strength, the benefits of exercise include increasing bone density, lowering blood pressure, lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol and increasing good (HDL) cholesterol, improving circulation, increasing energy, and reducing stress by helping to relieve tension and anxiety..
3. Reduce Stress
When you're stressed, you're more likely to skip meals or medicines and that will, of course, have a direct affect on your blood sugar level. So, if you can't eliminate all stress (and you probably can't), try to adopt ways to deal with it.
As mentioned above, exercise, which gives a sense of well being, is a terrific way to release the tension and anxiety that contribute to stress. On the other side relaxation -- muscle relaxation, deep breathing, even meditation and visualization -- has equal importance in relieving some of the pressures that generate stress.
And, of course, attitude is all-important. Be kind to and appreciate yourself, accept those things you can't change, and look for the good in every situation and thing.
Finally, try not to keep your stress bottled up. Talk with a friend or family member or work with a professional equipped to provide you with support and insight into your situation.
Controlling blood sugar is a science and an art. Follow these guidelines, and you'll be on the way to mastering both.
