How Can I Quickly Lower My Blood Sugar 2?
If your blood sugar is elevated, insulin or other diabetes medication may help bring it down. Other measures include drinking plenty of water and eating a diet high in fiber.
Foods containing fiber are great choices to help manage blood sugar, since they help slow digestion and can prevent an abrupt rise. Combining carbohydrates and proteins can also be effective: for instance, pair fruit (carb) with hard-boiled egg (protein).
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
If you have diabetes, eating healthily is key to controlling your blood sugar. Your endocrinologist or certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) will design a meal plan with appropriate quantities of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in order to keep your blood sugar steady. They may also teach you how to identify foods that could contribute to an increase in your blood sugar, such as those which are extremely sweet or fatty or contain lots of added sugars.
When dealing with dangerously high blood sugar levels, it’s essential that they’re managed immediately. Left unchecked, untreated high blood sugar can lead to ketones which are harmful for your health and could make you dizzy or lightheaded – if this happens quickly then call 911 or go to an emergency room immediately for assistance.
Step one is to eat a nutritious and well-balanced meal low in carbohydrates. Be wary of foods like bread, pasta, rice and fruit; switch out for vegetables and lean protein sources like beans. It is also beneficial to add healthy fats such as olive oil, ghee, avocado or fatty fish into meals – this will slow gastric emptying and promote satiety.
Water can help flush excess sugar out of the body through urine, and can quickly help lower your blood sugar.
Exercise can also help quickly bring down blood sugar. Just take a brisk walk or jog and drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout to see how quickly your glucose levels decrease as your body uses some of it for energy during physical activity. This should bring down blood sugar quickly!
Stress can contribute to high blood sugar by stimulating cortisol release – a hormone which raises it. Aim for seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night and try practicing stress management techniques such as deep breathing exercises, yoga or meditation to lower your blood sugar.
2. Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise can be one of the key elements to keeping blood sugar within healthy limits for those living with diabetes. Engaging in moderate-to-intense exercises such as walking or jogging for at least an hour after exercising has been shown to lower blood sugar for up to 24 hours afterward, due to using sugar as fuel for muscle cells while increasing insulin sensitivity (4).
Timing physical activity is also key. For maximum impact, aim to do your physical activity at roughly the same time every day, to maintain consistent energy throughout your day and avoid sudden energy spikes and lows. Also be sure to bring along some kind of carbohydrate-rich snack (granola bars or trail mixes are great options) just in case your blood sugar dips during exercise – these will keep you fuller longer!
Exercise safely when living with diabetes requires careful preparation. For instance, if your blood sugar is very high it’s wiser to postpone exercising until after taking a correction dose of insulin to bring your levels down. Wearing a monitor during workout sessions allows you to keep tabs on how your body responds and provides frequent updates about how the physical exercise impacts you.
Exercise at blood sugar levels lower than 140. Exercise draws upon reserves stored in your muscles and liver and could cause your blood sugar to drop too low, particularly if using an insulin pump or another long-acting form of long-acting insulin.
As part of your exercise routine, it is a good idea to carry an alternative source of glucose such as glucose tablets or fruit juice in case your blood sugar drops during activity. Furthermore, speaking to an endocrinologist or certified diabetes educator about creating a workout plan tailored specifically to you could also prove invaluable.
Remind yourself to drink enough water and stay hydrated throughout your journey to manage diabetes. Excess sugar is eliminated through urine excretion, so staying hydrated will speed this up significantly.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential to overall good health, but especially so for people living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Lack of restful slumber leads to an increase in glucose levels that can contribute to complications like nerve damage, kidney disease, and eye problems caused by diabetes.
Poor sleep can increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes and is one of the main contributors to high blood sugar. People living with diabetes should strive to get between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night; one effective method for doing this is setting an alarm every night at the same time and getting up at that same time each morning; this helps your hormones remain balanced, and ultimately provides better blood sugar control.
If you’re having difficulty sleeping, try cutting back on sugar intake and exercising regularly, along with drinking lots of water to help facilitate falling asleep more easily and staying asleep longer. Inquire with your endocrinologist about working with certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES). These professionals offer invaluable support and resources that will allow for managing diabetes successfully.
Blood sugar levels that are too high before bed can impede restful restful slumber. High levels can disrupt your nervous system and result in difficulty sleeping or nightmares; furthermore, frequent awakening due to needing to urinate may occur more often due to high levels. Dehydration caused by dehydration could further impact sleep quality.
Though there may not be many foods that can quickly bring down blood sugar, following a healthy diet and exercising regularly are both key. Also important: adhering to your meal and medication schedule and talking to your physician if your blood sugar spikes before bed. Finally, avoid caffeine as it has been known to lead to higher-than-usual blood sugar levels for some people.
4. Stay Hydrated
If you’re having difficulty controlling your blood sugar, drinking more water may help. By adding it to tea or fruit juice drinks for diabetes-friendly drinks like these, water consumption is an easy and quick way to lower glucose levels quickly and return yourself back to a healthier place.
Staying hydrated during intense physical exercise is also vital, since sweat can sap vital fluids from your body during physical exertion. By drinking plenty of water before, during, and after each workout session you can keep glucose levels under control and increase performance levels.
Many people living with diabetes also struggle with dehydration, making it more challenging to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and responding to insulin as quickly. If this occurs, blood sugars may not respond as quickly.
To prevent this from happening, always keep a water bottle handy, and aim to consume approximately 30 ounces per hour if your blood sugar spikes suddenly, as opposed to its gradual elevation over time. Doing this could make an important difference!
Your options for rapidly lowering blood sugar quickly include eating high protein snacks or taking apple cider vinegar (though research on this is limited). However, for best results it’s best to speak with an endocrinologist regarding these techniques; they will recommend or collaborate with certified diabetes care and education specialists in your area who will teach you about ways to manage diabetes in everyday life.
If you are experiencing severe high blood sugars, including diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is considered a medical emergency, it’s essential that you immediately contact your physician or hospital. Fast-acting insulin or physical activity may help bring down blood sugar levels; however, injection of glucagon (a medication which releases glucose into your bloodstream) is the most effective treatment to bring down levels quickly and avoid complications that might otherwise arise such as DKA.
