Glucose is the human body's chief source of energy and is tightly regulated by your activity level and eating habits. Most people are aware that foods that are highly refined and high in sugar will raise blood glucose levels. However, it is important to know that all carbohydrate-rich foods affect blood glucose levels, and the difference lies in the rate of absorption. For example, true whole grains, which are both healthy and carbohydrate rich, provide a slower rate of absorption into blood in comparison to refined grains.
Exercise
One helpful approach in glucose management is to increase physical activity. According to the review article "Exercise and Insulin Sensitivity", exercise can increase your insulin sensitivity for up to 16 hours after activity for both healthy and diabetic individuals. Chronic glucose insensitivity leaves you with a high-level of glucose in your blood which can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. Exercise also lowers blood glucose by using it for energy and clearing it out of your system.
Foods
When you eat carbohydrates, your blood glucose rises. That is because carbohydrates contain various forms of sugar. To keep your blood sugar low, the American Diabetes Association recommends that you be aware of how many carbohydrates you consume. You can do this by first knowing that starchy, fiber-rich and refined foods alike all contain carbohydrates. However, fibrous foods release their sugar contents much more slowly than refined products.
Medications
Sometimes prescription medications are necessary if your glucose levels are dangerously high. If that is the case and you are pre-diabetic or diabetic, your physician will assign a glucose target range. The National Diabetes Information Clearing House states that the target range for diabetics before a meal is 70 to 130 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL 1 to 2 hours after a meal. Insulin-based medications are prescribed to people with type 1 diabetes, while those with adult onset or type 2 diabetes are generally administered drugs like metformin.
