Blood sugar levels can be high due to so many reasons. The condition in which one’s blood sugar level is high is medically termed Diabetes. Blood sugar is a source of energy for our body but when its level becomes too high then it is harmful to us for so many reasons.
The main reason behind having a higher blood sugar level is an imbalance in the production or activity of a hormone called Insulin.
Insulin and Prediabetes
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. In presence of this hormone, the sugar consumed by us is taken up by various cells in our body to convert them into energy required for our body. Hence, any problem in its production or its function leads to an abnormal blood sugar level resulting in a lack of sufficient energy.
The blood sugar levels are usually measured in three different settings as Fasting Blood Sugar(FBS), Random Blood Sugar(RBS), and blood sugar 2 hours after meal or Post Prandial(PP). All of these have their individual significance.
Normal blood sugar: FBS 70-100 mg/dl (3.9-5.6mmol/l) or RBS/PP blood sugar below 140 mg/dl(7.8mmol/l) is considered normal.
Impaired fasting glucose: People with FBS ranging from 100-125 mg/dl (5.6-6.9 mmol/l) fall under Impaired fasting glucose(IFG).
Impaired glucose tolerance: Blood sugar ranging from 140-199 mg/dl (7.8-11mmol/l) falls under Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).
both conditions mean they are neither normal nor diabetic but they may be at risk of developing diabetes sooner or later if not controlled. They are also known as prediabetics.
Diabetes: Levels more than or equal to 126 mg/dl (7 mmol/l) for FBS and more than or equal to 200 mg/dl (11.1mmol/l) after two hours of a meal (PP) or random (RBS) means the person has diabetes.
Symptoms of high blood glucose
An increase in blood sugar levels may produce a variety of symptoms as follows:
- Feeling thirsty most of the time.
- Very often urination (Even more at night).
- Feeling hungry most of the time.
- Unexpected weight loss despite a normal diet.
- Tiredness even in simple works etc.
Complications of high blood glucose level
There are several complications resulting from very high levels of blood sugar. Some of them are:
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Damage to the nerves (Neuropathy)
- Damage to the eyes (Retinopathy)
- Damage to the Kidney (Nephropathy)
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Acute heart attacks
- Acute strokes etc.
So, it is really very important to keep our blood sugar levels within the normal range. For this, there are various measures including lifestyle modifications (natural methods), medical therapy with anti-diabetic drugs, insulin therapy etc. Those whose blood sugar levels are already in the diabetic range (more than 200mg/dl) will most probably need medical or insulin therapy depending upon a physician’s advice. However, for those whose blood sugar levels are still in the prediabetes range, they can follow some lifestyle modifications to control their blood sugar levels. Those who receive medical or insulin therapy will also have to follow such lifestyle modifications for even better results.
Tips to control blood sugar
Here are ten lifestyle modification tips that will you to control your blood sugar levels naturally;
- Limit carbohydrates in your food.
- Increase intake of dietary fibres.
- Exercise.
- Proper division of meals.
- Choose what you eat (Food with a low glycemic index).
- Maintain healthy body weight.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Do not stress much.
- Ensure proper sleep.
- Monitor your blood sugar levels timely.
1. Limit carbohydrates in your food
The most important thing to remember is to avoid eating refined carbohydrates if you are having high blood sugar levels. Refined carbohydrates refer to food like refined grains, white flour, white bread, white rice etc. You can rather have whole grains instead of refined ones which are believed to be healthier. However, you need to have a watchful eye on the amount you consume. Along with this, one more thing you should avoid in your meal is sugar.
2. Increase intake of dietary fibres
The foods containing dietary fibres include nuts, oatmeals, beans, lentils, some fruits and vegetables etc. A good proportion of fibre-containing food in your meal helps to lower the absorption of consumed sugar and hence maintains a balance in blood sugar levels. So, it is better if most of your meal contains fibre containing food. Replacing carbohydrates with dietary fibres is the best option.
3. Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is healthy for so many reasons including the normal maintenance of blood sugar levels. Various studies show that most diabetic people who exercise regularly tend to have their sugar levels controlled for most of the time. High levels of blood sugar are also associated with abnormal cholesterol levels most of the time. Regular exercising is also beneficial in reducing the amount of bad cholesterol and increasing the amount of good cholesterol thus maintaining a balance.
4. Proper division of meals
People with high blood sugar levels are advised to have small meals in timely intervals rather than eating exclusively more at a time. The ideal meal division is to have about six small portions of meal per day in regular intervals. This means if you start your breakfast at 7:00 am in the morning, then eat something every two hours to have your dinner as the final meal of your day at 7:00 pm. Also, make sure you never skip any of your meals.
5. Choose what you eat
Diabetic people should be very precise and wise about what they eat throughout the day. It is advised that foods with a low glycemic index(GI) should be taken by people who have higher levels of blood sugar. GI of a food item refers to the number of carbohydrates present in it. Examples of food with a low glycemic index are green vegetables, beans, lentils, less sugary fruits including apples, oranges etc, protein-containing food like meat, fish etc, milk, yoghurt etc.
6. Maintain a healthy body weight
Knowing if you have healthy body weight or not is also really important if you want to control your blood sugar levels because having extra weight is associated with abnormal functioning of insulin. For losing weight, heavy exercises are not mandatory. 30-45 minutes of mild forms of exercises like walking, jogging, running etc. are beneficial. Maintaining healthy body weight is also beneficial in maintaining normal cholesterol levels which may be associated with diabetes.
7. Drink plenty of water
Some studies show that people who drink less than half a litre of water a day are at more risk of having uncontrolled blood sugar levels. Drinking at least four litres of water per day and keeping yourself hydrated is believed to help in keeping your blood sugar levels maintained to some extent. This is because drinking a good amount of water is believed to dilute and flush out the excess sugar in our body thus maintaining normal levels.
8. Do not stress much
It’s quite obvious that when you are having a disease you tend to have extra stress about that in mind. But this is not healthy at all. If your blood sugar levels are high and you have a tendency to be worried about small things in life, then you will have to take care of that. Studies show when you stress up more, a response in your body results in a release of more glucose from the liver to the blood thus increasing the blood sugar levels. Therefore, the calmer you are, the more beneficial it is for you. You can achieve a state of calmness, free of stress by meditation.
9. Ensure proper sleep
Stress control and sound sleep are quite related to each other. If you achieve a calm state of mind then you will probably sleep soundly. But sometimes you may not as well. In times you find it difficult to have a sound sleep try following these tips:
- Listen to relaxing music 30 minutes before you go to bed.
- Do not look into mobile phones or tablets after you go to bed.
- Try to think about all the positive things in life while you are in bed.
- Just ignore all the bad things that happened throughout the day.
10. Monitor your blood sugar levels timely
When it comes to controlling your blood sugar levels, monitoring and tracking your records is really very important. This is because a lot of lifestyle modifications and the doses of medical therapy depends on the newest record of your blood sugar levels.
Timely measurements of your blood sugar levels as Fasting blood sugar(FBS), Random blood sugar(RBS), Blood sugar two hours after a meal or Post Prandial(PP) is essential. Each of these has their own significance. Other than these, HbA1c is an ideal test to track the records of sugar control in the last 3-4 months interval as a whole.
Apart from the above-mentioned tips, always keep an eye on some new symptoms that might develop as a symptom of any of the complications associated with high blood sugar levels. Always remember, no new symptoms should be ignored at any time. Few symptoms associated with the complications could be blurring of vision, difficulty in healing of a wound, palpitations in the heart etc.
Last words
Once your blood sugar levels become high and reach the diabetic level, it is very rare that you completely get rid of this condition. Consuming high doses of medicines or injecting high units of insulin is also not always good for your body because this is a lifelong treatment to be followed. Hence, lifestyle modifications including healthy eating habits, exercising and planning accordingly is the ideal thing to do. This is because even if you are under medications you may need minimal doses of them. Also, if you are within the prediabetes range, you would not need to start medical therapy soon.
Ten tips for controlling blood sugar levels as mentioned above are quite beneficial for everyone irrespective of their age or gender. Following these tips does not only control your blood sugar levels but prevents you from developing some other diseases as well. For example, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight would help to prevent various obesity-related diseases. Likewise, increasing intake of dietary fibres also enhances your bowel functions and helps in the weight loss process as well. Also, drinking a good amount of water is beneficial for healthy skin, normal kidney functions etc. So, it is wise to follow those tips in time and keep yourself lively and in good health.
