Millions of Americans suffer from diabetes, and about 17 million of them take medications to keep their blood sugar level at a healthy range. While it is important to take medication, be it in the form of pills or injections, your duty towards your body does not stop there. It is very important to take care of your health by adopting healthy lifestyle habits.
Making smart choices every day can help lower your blood sugar level naturally without the need for artificial medication or treatments. You would be surprised to find the vast number of options available for keeping your diabetes under control. If your diabetes has been making your life hard, consult with lansdowne diabetes management experts today.
Natural ways to lower your blood sugar level
- Lose some weight.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is important to keep fit and prevent many problems. You do not have to have a big transformation to enjoy the benefits. In a study consisting of over 5,000 people with type 2 diabetes, people who lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight experienced a lower A1C (a test of long-term blood sugar control) by 0.5%. The same people were also more likely to reduce their blood pressure.
- Exercise.
Losing body weight and exercise go hand-in-hand. Regular physical activity improves your sensitivity to insulin and makes it work better for your body. If you are not an active person, it is never too late to start. Try exercising for at least a period of 30 minutes and shoot for four to seven periods every week. Natural and time-saving ways to exercise include walking to work instead of taking a cab, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, doing some extra chores, etc.
- Drink water and stay hydrated.
Just like maintaining a good body weight is important for your health, so is drinking water and staying hydrated. If you consume too much sugar, your kidneys flush some out through your urine. Therefore, if you do not drink enough water, your kidneys won’t be able to do their job properly. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water every day helps regulate your blood sugar level and reduce diabetes risk.
- Monitor blood sugar at home.
It is not always possible to visit your doctor to check your blood sugar level. It is important to know how to test at home to check whether your medications are working as they should. It also helps you have a better idea of your health. Some people can safely test every six months at their doctor’s clinic. But not everything works for everyone.