Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main source of fuel for the body. It provides the energy needed by the cells to form healthy tissues and muscles. However, chronically high blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes, and low blood sugar results in hypoglycemia. While drugs are available to help control blood sugar, you can make lifestyle changes to control blood sugar.
Step 1
Lose weight. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that losing just 5 percent of your body weight can help reduce the risk of diabetes and help the body process glucose more efficiently.
Step 2
Set a goal to maintain blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible, suggest doctors at the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Called "tight control," the process involves checking blood sugar levels regularly to keep them between 70 and 130 milligrams of sugar per deciliter of blood (mg/dl) before meals. Tightly controlled blood sugar levels should remain under 180 mg/dl for about two hours after the start of a meal.
Step 3
Drink half a cup of fruit juice or eat five or six pieces of hard candy to raise your blood sugar levels if you feel them drop, advise doctors at the ADA. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include dizziness and shakiness, headache, sweating and pale skin color. By eating sugar, you can quickly control blood sugar and bring it back up to normal. Other signs of dropping glucose levels include sudden mood changes or crying for no reason, clumsiness, confusion or tingling around the mouth.
Step 4
Develop a moderate, regular exercise routine that consists of exercise that lasts at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Nutritionists at Ohio State University report that exercise such as walking helps use up excess glucose in the body. Exercise can help regulate blood sugar usage by increasing the blood's sensitivity to insulin.
Step 5
Eat the right kinds of food at the right time to control blood sugar. To maintain proper glucose levels, eat five times a day, with particular attention paid to breakfast after the body has been fasting for eight hours or so. Balanced meals that contain two parts carbohydrate and one part protein should be eaten three times per day with two small, low-fat snacks in between.
Tips and Warnings
- Eat before you get hungry by sticking to a schedule. Blood sugar levels drop drastically the longer you wait to eat between meals. Skipping meals can lead to very low blood sugar levels, placing unwanted stress on the immune and hormone systems.
- If you have diabetes, let friends and family members know not to give you sugar or fluids if you pass out from low blood sugar. At that point, the only treatment you should receive is glucagon, which you should carry. The drug is administered by injection, and friends and family members should be made aware of how to administer it.
