How to lower blood sugar

What level of sugar should a person have

Ideally - belowPrediabetes / Mayo Clinic 5.6 mmol/l. If the result of a blood test is higher than this value, but less than 6.9 mmol / l, they speak of prediabetes. This is a fairly common condition. For example, in America it meetsPrediabetes - Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes / CDC one out of three people. If you do not bring your sugar back to normal in time, type II diabetes will develop.

If the score was twice above 7.0, the doctor may diagnose "diabetes». Patients should not strive for any one norm. Target values ​​for diabetics are set by the endocrinologist.

HoldDiabetes / Mayo Clinic sugar in the established norm is important for everyone. Healthy people and those who have already been diagnosed

prediabetesto prevent the development of diabetes. Diabetics - so that there are no complications. Due to the increase in sugar, blood vessels and nerves suffer, a heart attack, stroke, blindness, gangrene can develop.

How to quickly lower blood sugar

There are three more or less working ways. But in any case, you need to start with analyzes. Even if you feelDiabetes type 1 / Mayo Clinic signs of high blood sugar, such as sudden fatigue, aggressiveness, loss of concentration, extreme hunger and thirst, use a glucometer. The fact is that a sharp decrease in sugar can manifest itself in a similar way.

If the glucose level exceeds 13.3 mmol / l, you need to use test strips to check for urine Ketones are products of protein breakdown.

Enter insulin

This advice is the most effective, but it will only help those to whom the endocrinologist has already prescribed insulin therapy.

How much you need to enter with a sharp increase, you should discuss with your doctor in advance. He will also tell you how long after the injection to re-analyze.

If the sugar level exceeds 16.7 mmol / l or ketones remain after an insulin injection, call an ambulance immediately.

move on

Sometimes they can help physical exercises. They cause the muscles to use up glucose faster than normal. The main thing is not to perform them if the sugar is above 13.3 mmol / l, and there are ketones in the urine.

drink some water

This will help dilute blood glucose and flush out protein breakdown products.

How to lower sugar long term

To maintain normal sugar levels, you need to regularly measure its level and keep healthy lifestyle. For a person with prediabetes, this is enough to avoid developing diabetes. For diabetics, this regimen will help reduce the risk of complications.

Reduce or control carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are large molecules. In the body, they break down into sugars, which are the main source of energy for cells. But to sugar hit them, need insulin.

If you don't have type 1 diabetes, but your glucose levels are constantly elevated, your cells stop responding to insulin. Sugar is not consumed, but remains in the blood. Therefore, before eating it is not enough, and then sharply too much. To did not haveCarb Counting and Diabetes / American Diabetes Association jumps, you need to limit the total amount of carbohydrates and distribute their consumption throughout the day. There is no ideal amount of carbohydrates for everyone. You can determine what you need together with an endocrinologist, taking into account weight and physical activity.

But in type I diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin, so it must be administered additionally. To calculate the dose and prevent dangerous spikes in sugar, you need to know exactly how much carbohydrates found in food. To facilitate calculations developedType I diabetes mellitus in adults / Clinical recommendations of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation system of bread units (XE).

1 XE = amount of product containing 10-12 g of carbohydrates.

There are different tables that indicate the approximate number of bread units in different foods. Sometimes this information is on the product label.

Eat more healthy plant foods

She is provideDiabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control / Mayo Clinic vitamins, minerals, energy and fibre. The latter is especially useful because:

• slows down the absorption of sugars and reduces their level in the blood;
• reduces the absorption of dietary fats and cholesterol;
• affects other factors that harm the heart: blood pressure and cellular inflammation;
• helps eat lessbecause foods with it saturate faster and take longer to digest.

So in the diet should be more:

• fruits;
• non-starchy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and eggplant;
• legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils);
• whole grain pasta and bread;
• unpolished rice, oats, quinoa and other unprocessed products.

Avoid “bad carbs,” which are high in glucose but low in fiber and nutrients. These include white bread and pastries, pasta made from white flour, fruit juices, and processed foods with sugar or corn syrup.

Prioritize healthy fats

Fats neededDiabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control / Mayo Clinic body: they regulate many processes and saturate with energy, because they are very high in calories. But not all of them are useful. "Good", or unsaturated, fats maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels and help the heart and blood vessels. They are rich:

• olive, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and rapeseed oils;
• nuts, peanuts, seeds, e.g. flax and pumpkins;
• oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, tuna.

Saturated or "bad" fats are found in high-fat dairy products and meats. They should make up a small part of your diet. To limit them, choose low-fat dairy, lean pork, and chicken.

Forget strict diets

Many trendy diets such as paleo or ketocan help you lose weight. But research on their long-term benefits or benefit in controlling diabetes is still fewDiabetes prevention: 5 tips for taking control / Mayo Clinic. So it's better to try to maintain a healthy weight and make upA. b. Evert, M. Denison, C. D. Gardner, W. T. Garvey, K. Lau, J. MacLeod, J. Mitri, R. F. Pereira, K. Rawlings, S. Robinson, L. Saslow, S. Welmen, P. b. Urbanski, W. S. Yancy. Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report / Diabetes Care a varied diet, taking into account lifestyle and habits.

For example, you can follow mediterranean diet. It is only called a diet, but in fact it is a food selection strategy, one of the healthy eating models and basedMediterranean diet for heart health / Mayo Clinic in the traditional cuisine of Greece, Italy and other coastal countries.

The emphasis is on plant foods: whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, spices. The main source of fat is olive oil. Milk, poultry, fish and seafood are added in moderation, and red meat is limited.

How showedA. b. Evert, M. Denison, C. D. Gardner, W.T. Garvey, K. Lau, J. MacLeod, J. Mitri, R. F. Pereira, K. Rawlings, S. Robinson, L. Saslow, S. Welmen, P. b. Urbanski, W. S. Yancy. Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report / Diabetes Care research, this plan nutrition was best at reducing the need for medications, helping to reach the target sugar level and reducing the risk of complications.

Do not calculate the exact number of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Such calculations and restrictions can be oppressive, and adherence to the regime will become difficult. Clear guidelines can be used, such as the diabetic plate method.

For this mental divideWhat is the Diabetes Plate Method? / The American Diabetes Association cut your regular plate in half. One half will be filled with non-starchy vegetables. Divide the second in half again and fill the part with complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain bread or pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and some protein foods such as poultry, fish, lean meats, soy, hummus or tofu.

Watch what you drink

Gotta try replaceWhat is the Diabetes Plate Method? / The American Diabetes Association all sugary drinks with water or something else without calories. For example, you can drink soda with sweetener.

It is also important not to abuse alcohol. WHO does not recommendAre you drinking too much? Assess your alcohol consumption with the AUDIT / WHO drink more than one or two servings a day. A serving suggests 13 g of ethanol. This, for example, is one can (330 ml) of beer of 5% strength, a glass (140 ml) of 12-degree wine or a glass (40 ml) of strong drink.

Lose weight if you are obese

Number of calories should be such that, taking into account the physical load, it did not leadA. b. Evert, M. Denison, C. D. Gardner, W. T. Garvey, K. Lau, J. MacLeod, J. Mitri, R. F. Pereira, K. Rawlings, S. Robinson, L. Saslow, S. Welmen, P. b. Urbanski, W. S. Yancy. Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report / to obesity. The latter does not directly affect the level of sugar, but significantly increases the risk of complications.

If you are overweight, work with your endocrinologist to plan a safe weight loss strategy.

Add physical activity

Exercises reduceDiabetes / Mayo Clinic blood sugar levels because the body redirects it to the cells for energy. Also, activity increases insulin sensitivity: less insulin is required to transport sugar into cells.

You can choose classes according to your taste. The main thing is to give them 30 minutes a day on weekdays or 150 minutes a week. If there was a long break in the exercises, then you need to increase the pace gradually.

In addition, it is important in general move more. If you've been sitting for half an hour, get up and stretch.

Quit smoking

It may seem that increased sugar and smoking are something from different universes. Everyone knows that it spoils the vessels, but in addition:

• Nicotine changesSmoking and Diabetes / CDC cells so that they do not respond to insulin, which means they cannot receive sugar from the blood.
• Chemicals from cigarettes damage cells, inflammation sets in, which also reduces insulin sensitivity.
• Smokers have an increased risk of developing belly fatwhich increases the likelihood of developing type II diabetes. And even if they are not overweight.

All this increases the risk of developing diabetes by 30-40%, compared with non-smokers. The more you smoke, the more likely you are to get sick.

Quitting nicotine helps your body use insulin better, which makes it easier to control your blood sugar levels.

Don't Forget Your Medications

Depending on the type, duration and severity of diabetes, the endocrinologist will appointDiabetes / Mayo Clinic insulin or other hypoglycemic drugs.

Control comorbidities

Often sugar risesSymptoms and Causes of Diabetes / National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidneys Diseases due to some other health problem, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperthyroidism, Cushing's syndrome. If time does not begin to control them, diabetes will develop.

What can help, but hardly

There are many folk ways to reduce sugar at home. Some of them have even been studied in small groups of people, but reliable evidence of effectiveness and safety has not been obtained. In addition, no one knows how to properly apply such tools to see the result.

Don't waste money on unverified dietary supplements and products, and even more so - to replace them with treatment and lifestyle changes. But you can eat some vegetables and spices if you like their taste.

But still, if you want to try something, first weigh with your doctor the potential benefits, costs and possible side effects.

Spices

Some of them, such as cinnamon and turmericare often recommended as sugar-lowering agents. There isb. Qing, K. S. Panickar, R. A. Anderson. Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes / limited research, but not enough to include these products in the list of effective options. Moderate use in cooking will definitely not hurt, but it is unlikely to help either.

Green vegetable drinks

Any vegetables and fruits are better there isK. Zeratsky. Is juicing healthier than eating whole fruits or vegetables? / Mayo Clinic in raw form to get as much as possible fiber. But if you do not like some of them, you can try to make drinks based on them.

For example, you can find recipes for freshly squeezed zucchini juice or celery smoothies on the Internet. There is no evidence that they somehow reduce sugar. But they are useful, because they are made from non-starchy vegetables.

Jerusalem artichoke

For about 30 years people believeT.P. Arsentiev, Yu.A. Yakovlev, V. Leshchenko. Jerusalem artichoke as a means of treatment and prevention of various diseases / St. Petersburg State University of Low Temperature and Food Technologies in the magical properties of Jerusalem artichoke. Interestingly, in terms of carbohydrate content, it is very similar1. Jerusalem Artichokes, raw / Food Data Central
2. Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw / Food Data Centralon potatoes, which are definitely not the basis of the diet of diabetics. There are also no studies to support its benefits for lowering blood sugar.

Apple vinegar

Its often adviseExploring the Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar / Cleveland Clinic as a means to lose weight. Several studies have shown that it slightly reduces sugar levels.

But the harm from taking it can be more than good: vinegar annoysK. Zeratsky. Drinking apple cider vinegar for weight loss seems far‑fetched. Does it work? / Mayo Clinic mucous membranes of the mouth, esophagus and stomach due to its acid content, and may also interact with certain medications, including insulin.

herbal supplements

Such dietary supplements are sold in the form of powders, tablets and capsules. But you don't have to believe intrusive advertising: the benefits of plant extracts not backed upA. b. Evert, M. Denison, C. D. Gardner, W.T. Garvey, K. Lau, J. MacLeod, J. Mitri, R. F. Pereira, K. Rawlings, S. Robinson, L. Saslow, S. Welmen, P. b. Urbanski, W. S. Yancy. Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report / reliable evidence.

Besides, similar means are not tested as thoroughly as drugs. Only the manufacturer knows what is really in the jar and how safe it is.