If you have diabetes, or prediabetes, achieving target blood sugar levels will not only help you feel better but also reduce your risk of adverse complications such as infection, heart disease and kidney failure. Here are seven healthy ways that you can lower blood sugars and improve your health. These tips are also effective if you want to reduce your risk of developing diabetes.
Decrease Carbohydrate Intake
Carbs play a big role if you’re trying to lower your blood sugars. There are three main types of carbohydrates: starches, sugars (refined carbohydrates) and fiber. Refined carbs are things like white bread and sugar-sweetened drinks that tend to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Instead choose whole unprocessed foods over processed foods and eat non starchy foods.
Low carbohydrate diets (less than 130 grams per day) have been shown to lead to reversal of diabetes.
Increase Fiber Intake
Dietary fiber is the part of plant foods which your body can’t digest or absorb. Even though it’s considered a carbohydrate, soluble fiber does not raise blood sugars because it’s not absorbed. It slows carbohydrate digestion and sugar absorption, so blood sugars do not spike as high but rather gradually increase.