High blood sugar puts you at risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. One of the simplest ways to lower your blood sugar is to lose weight. Certain diets are healthier to your overall nutrition than others and some diets---with or without weight loss as a goal---are specifically targeted at lowering blood sugar.
Mayo Clinic Diet
According to the Mayo Clinic, any time you lose weight, you will reduce your blood sugar level. You'll be more likely to maintain your weight loss if you lose weight gradually and will be healthier overall if you eat a balance of foods. The Mayo Clinic Diet recommends eating a minimum of three servings of fruits and four of vegetables daily but permits you to eat as many foods from these categories as you wish. You should eat four to eight servings of carbohydrates, concentrating on high-fiber, whole grain choices.The Mayo Clinic Diet combines protein and dairy into a single category and provides three to seven servings. The diet also includes three to five servings of fat and up to 75 calories per day in sweets.
High Protein Diets
High protein diets also target blood sugar levels. The theory behind such commercial diets as South Beach and Atkins is that proteins---meat, fish, poultry, eggs---contain no sugar so that the more proteins and fewer sugars you consume, the more your blood sugar levels will drop. Carbohydrates, which convert into sugar in your body, are restricted. While the Mayo Clinic Diet includes 45 to 65 percent of its calories from carbohydrates, the South Beach diet restricts carbohydrates to 10 percent of calories during the first weeks of the diet and 28 percent in its latter phases. Atkins initially restricts carbohydrates to 20 g per day, doubling this amount as you reach your ideal weight. The high end of carbohydrates in the Atkins diet permits the equivalent of 1 cup of black beans---two servings---per day.
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Diets
Other diets to reduce blood sugar levels include the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load diets. Foods low on the Glycemic Index are those that do not elevate blood sugar. You can consume as much meat and alcohol as you wish on a GI diet, but are restricted in the amount of carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates. The Glycemic Load diet permits more carbohydrates as long as they are combined with other foods. You can't eat many sugary snacks on a Glycemic Load Diet, but you can enjoy plenty of complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and whole grain bread if you eat them with fruits, vegetables, dairy and protein.
Clinical Trial
A study conducted at the University of Sydney by Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD, and colleagues found that diets rich in complex carbohydrates lowered blood sugar more effectively than high-protein diets. Participants in the study, which was published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" in 2009, were divided into four groups and placed on high protein, high refined carbohydrate, high complex carbohydrate and moderately high complex carbohydrate diets. The persons who lost the most weight as well as reduced their blood sugar and cholesterol levels the most were those that followed a diet high in complex carbohydrates. The diet was similar in composition to the Glycemic Load diet, providing a balance of high-fiber carbohydrates, low-fat protein and a mix of fruits and vegetables. Participants in the study all followed a calorie-restricted diet and all experienced weight loss and reductions in blood sugar levels.
Government Guidelines for Lowering Weight and Blood Sugar
The Glycemic Load diet is compatible with the Mayo Clinic Diet as well as guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA recommends eating six servings of grains daily, including at least three from high-fiber cereals, brown rice or whole grain bread. It provides for three servings each of fruits and vegetables, two to three servings of dairy products and 6 oz. of protein. For those who want to lose weight and lower their blood sugar, the USDA advises choosing more whole grains, selecting low-fat dairy products and including legumes such as kidney and black beans among their protein choices.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- MayoClinic.com: Glycemic Index Diet
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" ; Dietary Glycemic Index: Health Implications; Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD, et al.; 2009
- "The Globe and Mail"; Low Glycemic Load is the Best Diet Road; Leslie Beck; Aug. 23, 2006
- Atkins: Carb Counter Details
