Authored by Sandy Rothra in Health 
Published on 12-20-2009

Lowering blood sugar is important to prevent diabetes, insulin resistance and weight gain. Excess fat in your body or diet can make you insulin resistant. When that happens, the sugar stays in the blood, raising blood sugar levels. Consistently high blood sugar levels may cause damage to kidneys, blood vessels, heart, eyes and nerves. Repercussions can include amputation, heart disease, blindness and severe renal disease. It is important to follow your doctor’s instructions when treating high blood sugar.

Lower a Blood Sugar Spike Quickly. If you are diabetic or prediabetic, you should be testing your blood sugar on a regular basis. If you have eaten more carbohydrates than you should, it is important to bring your blood sugar down as quickly as possible. Exercise will quickly use up excess sugar in your blood. A 20 minute walk, after eating, will lower blood sugar several points. According to The Diabetes Care Group, drinking a full glass of water will also flush the excess sugar out through the kidneys.

Lower blood sugar with exercise and weight control. Vigorous exercise each day will help your body overcome insulin resistance. Lower your blood sugar by decreasing belly fat. Belly fat is often increased by stress. Massage, exercise, meditation and yoga may help decrease stress and therefore decrease belly fat. Eat several small meals throughout the day. If you eat something every four to six hours, your blood sugar has a better chance of remaining stable. Drink enough water each day to stay hydrated.

Control blood sugar with low glycemic foods. Although diet is important for weight control, there are other food issues to consider. Carbohydrates in your diet create the sugar that stays in your blood. You must control the number of carbohydrates that you eat, and space the timing of them. It is also important to understand the glycemic index. This measures the speed of the rise in blood sugar caused by a food. A food with a high glycemic number will produce a dramatic spike in blood sugar. Examples include white bread, potatoes and doughnuts. Foods with the lowest glycemic number include most vegetables, nuts and unsweetened yogurt.

Use natural aids to control blood sugar. Artificial or natural sweeteners, like stevia or agave syrup will not raise your sugar levels like sugar. If you must eat a high glycemic carbohydrate, combine it with either protein or fiber. The combination will lower the amount of time it takes to absorb the carbohydrate and prevent a blood sugar spike. Several herbs and foods help keep sugar level. Apples are good to include in your diet. Raw apples are best. Use unsweetened applesauce or vinegar on salads. Also cinnamon has been proven to help stabilize blood sugar. Sprinkle it liberally on your applesauce for a low glycemic treat.

Controlling blood sugar is important to maintain good health. If you are diabetic, it is important that you follow the advice of your doctor, take your medications and test often. With good control you should be able to avoid the serious consequences of high blood sugar.

Reference:

High Blood Sugar