How to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally?

When you wonder, how to lower blood sugar naturally, you also tend to get confused between hyperglycemia and diabetes. Most people out there tend to consider these terms the same.

In reality, they are different from one another.

What is Hyperglycemia?

Hyperglycemia is a condition wherein the blood sugar levels in your blood stream is higher than normal. If your blood sugar level readings are higher than 20 mg/dl after 2 hours of consuming food then, you have hyperglycemia.

In case you have hyperglycemia then, your chances of getting diabetes are almost certain. Nonetheless, it is not 100% certainty. The chances are however on the higher side.

What is Diabetes?

You eat food and your digestive tract breaks the food down into glucose. This glucose is then flushed into the blood stream. High blood sugar indicates the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin carries glucose from the blood stream into the human cells so that it can be used as energy.

Diabetes is a condition wherein your pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or the cells of your body cannot utilize insulin in the most suitable manner. In any of the above scenarios, blood sugar levels remain on the higher side within your bloodstream.

The end result is high blood sugar levels that lead to diabetes. A diabetic is known to suffer from poor vision, heart issues and kidney diseases. Hence, learning how to lower your blood sugar levels is important.

How to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally Article Contents:

1) Diabetes in USA – The Alarming Facts

2) Herbs to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

3) Indulge in Low Impact Exercises

4) Follow Portion Control

5) Increase Your Fluid Intake

6) Sleep Like a Baby

7) Meditate & De-Stress Your Mind

8) Improve Your Digestion

9) Takeaway

Diabetes in USA – The Alarming Facts

In the United States alone, almost 116 million individuals are pre-diabetics. This in turn implies that almost 40% of Americans are pre-diabetics.

Almost 29.3 million adults in USA are diagnosed with diabetes. Yet another 9.7 million adults in USA have diabetes but they have not yet been diagnosed.

So, the statistical data is not the healthiest for USA with special regards to diabetes. It has also been stated that this number shall continue to rise.

Some research studies indicate that by the year 2050, 1 in every 3 Americans would be a diabetic. So, USA needs to be prepared to fight diabetes before it turns into a countrywide epidemic.

Herbs to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

Numerous herbs around the world have been known for their ability to fight diseases. When it comes to fighting diabetes then, the 2 most common herbs are cinnamon and barberry.

Barberry:

By increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing HbA1c levels, Barberry has the natural ability to contain blood sugar levels naturally. You can use the stem, bark, leaf and even the fruit of Barberry.

Loaded with 22 alkaloids, Barberry is a powerful antioxidant. It reduces LDL and helps maintain optimal digestive health.

Cinnamon:

The second herb is Cinnamon. It is known to stabilize blood sugar levels in the human body.  Cinnamon has the ability to mimic the actions of insulin in the human body.

So, if your body is unable to produce insulin or your body is incapable of producing optimal amounts of insulin then, consumption of cinnamon shall fill this gap.

You shall then become capable of regulating blood sugar levels optimally. While cinnamon does increase insulin sensitivity, it is not necessary that your diabetes shall be treated by its consumption.

Other herbs that might regulate blood sugar levels include ginseng, fenugreek, flaxseed, bitter gourd, turmeric, ginger, milk thistle and bay leaf.

Reducing Unnecessary Burden on Your Pancreas

Insulin is produced in your pancreas. If you lay unnecessary stress on your pancreas then, insulin production is hampered. A diabetic should avoid laying extra stress on his/her pancreas.

So, how can this be done?

Well, to start with, you need to make changes to your existing diet. A classic example is to reduce the intake of potatoes, bananas, rice, pasta, fast foods, processed foods etc.

Basically, what you need to do is reduce your carb intake. When your body consumes carbohydrates then, the pancreas are forced to work doubly hard in order to convert the carbs into glucose.

This leads to extra insulin production. A diabetic is a diabetic because he/she cannot produce adequate insulin via the pancreas.

So, what would happen when you force the pancreas to produce more insulin than normal???

The answer is simple – the pancreas would fail to produce the desired insulin to maintain optimal blood sugar levels. So, a diabetic shall suffer raised blood sugar levels only because he/she was consuming high carb diet.

When you lower your carbs, the pancreas need to produce less insulin. This reduces the A1C levels thereby helping a diabetic maintain optimal blood sugar levels.

So, it is wise for a diabetic to switch to green leafy vegetables, eggs, lean meat, avocadoes, Greek yogurt, skim milk etc.

Indulge in Low Impact Exercises

It has been medically proven that regular physical exercise has a positive impact on your health. This is true even for a diabetic. Low impact exercises that work on your cardiovascular system work best for diabetics.

Some of these include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and body weight workouts. When you exercise, your body becomes more inclined towards optimal production of insulin.

When that happens, your blood sugar levels are automatically stabilized. Increased insulin sensitivity has been experienced for over a day post completing an exercise session. This enables your body to make optimal use of all the available insulin.

Moreover, when you indulge in an exercise session, your muscles need more glucose. So, regardless of the level of insulin in your body, the cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream thereby reducing your blood sugar levels automatically.

Word of Caution: Simply remember that your blood sugar levels may drop after exercise. If they are below 100 mg/dL then, you must consume 20 grams of carbs to bring the blood sugar levels up.

Follow Portion Control

Portion size matters when you are a diabetic. In simpler words, if you consume less amount of carbs (say for example 10 grams per serving) then, the digestion process is fast.

When the digestion process is fast, the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream is less. This in turn implies that “insulin spike” is contained.

If on the other hand, your portion size is 100 grams of carbohydrates then, the digestion process is naturally prolonged. This in turn forces more glucose to be flushed into your blood stream.

The insulin spike thus caused is far greater and tougher to control. Hence, limit your carbohydrate portions in each and every meal. Ideally, keep it in between 15 to 20 grams per meal.

Increase Your Fluid Intake

The total blood sugar level in your bloodstream is equal to the total amount of fluid present in the blood stream vs the total amount of glucose present in your blood stream.

So while the total amount of fluid has no direct impact in reducing your blood sugar levels, it does limit the influx of sugar within the blood. This is because the higher the fluid intake is, the lesser would be the available space for glucose within the blood.

It is also suggested that you limit the intake of sugary drinks – cola, canned juices, shakes, sugarcane juice, tea and even coffee. Instead, opt for water and drinks that are sugar free and derived from natural sources.

Osmotic Homeostasis:

This is a condition wherein your body feels thirsty and is in need of water/fluids. Osmotic Homeostasis is a natural process wherein your body is saving its vital organs from dehydration.

A diabetic, on the other hand, is unable to activate Osmotic Homeostasis. Owing to this very reason, he/she drinks less fluids. This in turn results in higher levels of glucose in the blood stream and lower levels of fluid in the blood.

So, the end result is higher levels of blood sugar levels in your bloodstream. Hence, drink ample water every other hour to avoid dehydration and high blood sugar levels.

Sleep Like a Baby

According to BestDietarySupplementforDiabetics research, it has been ascertained that when you sleep adequately at night (8 hours or longer), your blood sugar is automatically maintained to an optimal level.

BestDietarySupplementforDiabetics research staff also went on to state, “This is quite contrary to the popular belief that when you sleep, your blood sugar levels lower. In reality, when you sleep, the glucose level in your blood stream increases. Nonetheless, this is a completely natural & a healthy increase of blood sugar. It is nothing to worry about.”

The human circadian rhythm cycle is responsible for elevating glucose levels in the human blood stream while you sleep. This is completely natural and poses no harm to a diabetic’s health.

When a diabetic sleeps peacefully at night, the cortisol level decreases and your insulin sensitivity reduces dramatically.

On the other hand, if a diabetic is sleep deprived then, c-Reactive protein is released, oxidative stress increases and growth hormone production increases. Hence, lack of a good night’s sleep increases your blood glucose levels considerably.

Meditate to De-Stress Your Mind

It is highly recommended that you maintain a stress free mind in order to take complete control of your blood sugar levels. Stress is often ignored and considered a normal state of mind.

In reality, stress is a silent but a certain killer. So, you need to maintain a calm and peaceful mind in order to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. Guided meditation is an answer to maintaining optimal mind & body control.

When your mind is free from anxiety, your insulin production is stabilized. Your body’s natural anti-inflammatory response is activated. Oxidative stress is considerably reduced. All this leads to balanced blood glucose levels.

It is therefore suggested to spend at least 15 to 20 minutes meditating daily. You could opt for mindful meditation, transcendental meditation or moving meditation.

Any of these 3 meditative practices are a boon for diabetics. If you wish to improve your insulin responsiveness then, a calm mind and a stress free lifestyle is very important.

Improve Your Digestion

Last but not the least, an ideal digestive system is an answer to your question, “how to lower blood sugar naturally?” Poor gut health is often one of the main reason why your blood sugar levels are unstable.

Coprococcus and Flavonifractor are the two bacterium in the gut that affects insulin sensitivity. Those individuals that have higher amounts of Coprococcus have higher sensitivity to insulin.

On the other hand, those individuals that have higher amounts of Flavonifractor bacterium tend to have lesser sensitivity to insulin.

It has also been noticed that people that have insulin producing issues are unable to produce butyrate in the gut.

Lack of butyrate, which is a fatty acid, inhibits the production of insulin.

So, in order to avoid diabetes or keep it in check, people should alter their diet, consume probiotics and make certain changes to their existing medications, in order to change their existing microbiome.

Takeaway

Yes, it is very much possible to reduce blood glucose levels naturally. If you indulge in regular physical exercise, quit fast food, include herbs in your diet and drink fluids then, blood sugar levels can be kept in control.

At the same time, adequate sleep at night is vital for ensuring insulin production and maintaining glucose levels in your bloodstream. You also need to exercise at least 3 times in a week in order to maintain optimal diabetic health.

A good blood sugar control supplement helps along the way. 

Sources:

• https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/natural-remedies-type-2-diabetes
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273726540_Herbal_remedies_for_diabetes_an_overview
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317051