Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes, occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is the hormone that allows your cells to store glucose. If glucose can't enter your body's cells, it builds up in the blood, a condition known as hyperglycemia -- high blood sugar. There is no cure for type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes, but with proper management you may avoid serious complications such as neuropathy, kidney failure and heart disease.
Step 1
Get moving -- physical activity is one of the best ways to immediately lower your blood sugar level. Check your glucose before exercising. If it is higher than 240 mg/dL check your urine for ketones, recommends the American Diabetes Association. The presence of ketones indicate that there is not enough insulin present to use glucose for energy, and your body is burning fat instead. Do not exercise if there are ketones in your urine. The ADA says that ketones are much more common in people with type 1 diabetes.
Step 2
Take a supplemental dose of insulin. Use short-acting or "regular" insulin to help your body process the glucose and move it out of your blood stream and into your cells. Your doctor can help you determine how much insulin to take, depending on how high your glucose levels are.
Step 3
Eat less food, especially simple carbohydrates. The more sugar you eat, the higher your blood sugar level will be. This includes natural sugars in fruit and foods that your body quickly converts to sugar such as alcohol and starchy vegetables.
Step 4
Add more fiber to your diet. Fiber may help you feel full, which may cut down your total calorie consumption. The Joslin Diabetes Center states that soluble fiber can help control glucose levels by slowing down the absorption of sugar into your blood as food is digested.
Tips and Warnings
- Talk to your doctor about an insulin pump, which feeds your body a continuous low dose of insulin and may help prevent high glucose levels.
- Stress and illness may contribute to high blood sugar. Talk to your doctor about controlling your blood sugar levels if you are sick, especially if you are vomiting or have diarrhea.
