Naturally bringing down your blood sugar is quite easy, but it requires a certain level of commitment to diet and exercise. Type 2 diabetes is quickly becoming an epidemic; even American children haven't escaped the clutches of this completely preventable disease. Follow a few simple dietary and training guidelines to keep your blood sugar low, maintain healthy body weight and achieve your fitness goals.
Step 1
Avoid taking in large amounts of high-glycemic sugars. Instead, opt for low-glycemic carbohydrates, which digest slowly and avoid large insulin spikes. Examples of these carbohydrate choices are oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain breads and pasta, sweet potatoes and/or quinoa.
Step 2
Get some healthy fats at each meal. Omega-3 from fish or flax oil, olive oil, natural peanut butter, avocado and nuts and seeds are a few examples of healthy fats that help to decrease blood sugar. Avoid trans fats, which are artificially created fats that wreak havoc on the body in general--particularly the cardiovascular system.
Step 3
Eat some lean protein at every meal. Proteins also help to balance blood sugar. In fact, aiming for an equal portion of carbohydrates and protein at every meal is a great way to limit the release of the fat-storing hormone insulin. Lean protein choices include whey protein, lean cuts of beef, chicken, turkey and fish.
Step 4
Make sure to get enough fiber. Dietary fibers slow the digestion of food, decreasing the speed with which carbohydrates are assimilated, and blunting insulin release. Aim for approximately 35g fiber per day. "Combat the Fat," by fitness expert Jeff Anderson, points out that an apple, a cup of kidney beans, 1 oz. nuts, a cup of garbanzo beans and two servings of mixed vegetables gives you 41g fiber.
Step 5
Eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day. The traditional three large meals cause large surges of the hormone insulin, promoting fat gain and affecting insulin sensitivity. Eating more frequently blunts insulin release and prevents food cravings, according to "The Fat Burning Bible."
Step 6
Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes three days per week. Physical activity is one of the best ways to improve blood sugar and balances the body's natural insulin production. Include resistance and aerobic exercise in your program to balance blood sugar, build muscle and burn fat.
References
- "Combat the Fat"; Jeff Anderson; CQC LLC, 2008
- "The Fat Burning Diet"; Mackie Shilstone; John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005
- "Bodybuilding Can Help You Manage Diabetes"; Bodybuilding.com; Marie Spano
