With the rising rates of obesity and diabetes facing our healthcare system today, it is essential that we properly educate people with diabetes on ways to control their blood sugar. Failure to keep glucose levels in check will be met with disastrous consequences. People can lose their eyesight, feeling in their fingers and toes, and even go into kidney failure. Doctors will check the HbA1c and glucose levels of patients regularly, but patients need to do their part as well. Exercise, weight loss, diet, insulin, and Metformin are essential methods for keeping glucose levels in check and preventing the disastrous complications of uncontrolled blood glucose levels.
Top 5 Ways to Control Blood Sugar:
- Exercise
- Weight management
- Healthy dieting
- Insulin
- Metformin
Exercise
This is a must-do for everyone with diabetes. Exercise will help increase the insulin sensitivity of muscles and tissues in the body. Furthermore, the muscles will need to use the glucose to exercise efficiently. This will ensure the body is rapidly absorbing glucose from the bloodstream and keeping blood glucose levels low. In addition, exercise will also stimulate the pancreas to increase insulin production. Both of these facts work together to maintain insulin production, increase insulin sensitivity, and ultimately decrease blood glucose levels and prevent the nasty complications of diabetes.
Highlights:
- Exercise increases insulin sensitivity.
- Exercise stimulates the pancreas to increase insulin production.
- Exercise uses blood glucose and decreases blood sugar levels.
Weight management
Weight loss is essential for people with diabetes. Extra fat and adipose tissues store blood glucose. This glucose can be released into the bloodstream and cause an increase in blood sugar levels. Furthermore, that extra weight leads to an increased insulin requirement for the body. For people with extra pounds, extra insulin is required. This puts untoward stress on the pancreas and leads to pancreatic burnout. This leads to lower insulin, higher blood sugar levels, and complications of diabetes. Make sure to lose weight and control blood sugar levels.
Highlights:
- Adipose tissue stores glucose.
- Extra weight requires extra insulin.
- Extra weight can cause pancreatic burnout.
Diet
It’s no secret that controlling diet is the most important way to control blood sugar levels. Ultimately, diet was one of the reasons patients developed diabetes in the first place. By minimizing carbohydrate and glucose intake, blood sugar levels will remain low. In addition, the body can still find other sources of energy from protein sources. This doesn’t mean entirely cutting out carbohydrates, but making sure that glucose and carbohydrate intake doesn’t exceed the needs. Increasing vegetables and meats will ensure people maintain healthy diets while cutting out the junk food. Beware of liquid sugar as well. The soda has to go.
Highlights:
- Soda is packed with glucose. Beware of liquid sugar.
- Diet is a main cause of diabetes. Controlling diet will control blood sugar.
- Cut down carbohydrate intake to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Insulin
Sometimes, diet, exercise, and weight loss alone aren’t enough to control diabetes. In fact, everyone with Type 1 diabetes needs an external insulin source. For people who need medicinal help controlling their diabetes and blood sugar levels, insulin is a go-to resource. External insulin will replace the insulin that the pancreas can no longer produce naturally. While it can be difficult to use, insulin is the most direct way to control blood sugar levels. Everyone with diabetes should speak to their healthcare professional about using insulin to control blood sugar levels.
Highlights:
- Everyone with Type 1 Diabetes needs insulin.
- External insulin replaces the insulin the pancreas cannot produce naturally.
- Insulin directly reduces blood sugar levels.
Metformin
For people with diabetes, this is a backbone of treatment. Metformin acts to increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin and decrease glucose production by the liver. Because it does not directly act to lower glucose levels, there is no risk of people sending their blood sugars too low while using this medication. This medication has been a first-line treatment for diabetes for years. Everyone should speak to their doctor about using Metformin to help control diabetes.
Highlights:
- Metformin increases insulin sensitivity.
- Metformin decreases glucose production by the liver.
- Metformin does not cause a hypoglycemic crisis.
Conclusion
Ultimately, diabetes treatments involve a mix of diet, exercise, weight loss, and medications. Everyone should use a multi-faceted approach to the treatment of this common disease. Controlling blood sugar levels will help to prevent the complications related to diabetes.