Diabetes Management: Tips for Lowering Blood Sugar

Here are some of the best ways to manage your diabetes and blood sugar levels:

Exercise
Getting moderate amounts of exercise every day is one of the best ways to lower blood sugar levels and boost metabolism. Exercise has also proven to greatly reduce the risk of prediabetes turning into type 2 diabetes. Talk to your physician about how implementing an exercise routine can help you control your diabetes.

Nutrition
Nutrition is another essential method of preventing and controlling diabetes. Eating nutrient-dense foods in moderation such as chicken, eggs, beans, vegetables, and fruits is one of the most effective ways of managing your condition.

Reduced Stress
Though stress isn’t the leading cause of diabetes, living a high-stress lifestyle can lead to much higher levels of stress hormones. Reducing stress through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices can have tremendous benefits for your health. Reducing stress can lower your blood sugar, calm your heart rate, and decrease your blood pressure.

Medications
Some types of diabetes require medications such as metformin, glinides, thiazolidinediones, sulfonylureas, certain inhibitors, and insulin therapy. Schedule regular visits with your diabetes specialist to assess the effectiveness of your treatment plan.

You can bring your blood sugar levels down by following these recommendations:

– Drink lots of water
– Increase fiber intake
– Reduce carbs
– Exercise once a day
– When creating a meal plan, implement portion control
– Manage stress
– Eat foods with a low glycemic index
– Get quality sleep
– Frequently monitor your blood sugar levels

A diabetes management plan is a comprehensive treatment plan created by a team of physicians, nutritionists, and personal trainers. Your plan will include a clear list of things you can do to help manage your blood sugar levels and what to do in the case of an emergency. There are five key elements of a diabetes management plan including exercise, weight and stress control, medication management, nutrition management, and blood glucose level monitoring.

It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few months to help stabilize your blood sugar levels. If you have type 2 diabetes, there is a possibility that your blood sugar levels can go back to a non-diabetes range with the right management plan. The effects of diabetes medications take about two days to make a noticeable difference. Medications that improve insulin production are proven to very quickly bring down blood sugar levels.

If you suspect you have symptoms of diabetes or you have already been given a diabetes diagnosis, the team at Arkansas Diabetes and Endocrinology Center can help you. An initial diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming but with the right medical treatment, you can live a very long and healthy life. The physicians at our center believe in providing each one of our patients with high-quality ongoing, long-term support. If you have any additional questions about how to effectively manage your blood sugar levels, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule a consultation appointment. Our diabetes specialist in Little Rock, AR, looks forward to supporting you through your diabetes soon. We serve patients from Little Rock AR, Conway AR, North Little Rock AR, Pine Bluff AR, Hot Springs AR, Benton AR, Sherwood AR, Russellville AR, Jacksonville AR, Cabot AR, Searcy AR, Bryant AR, Jonesboro AR, Forrest City AR, Magnolia AR, Camden AR, Malvern AR, Batesville AR, Arkadelphia AR, Clarksville AR, Monticello AR, Heber Springs AR, Morrilton AR, Stuttgart AR, Greenbrier AR, Sheridan AR, and Vilonia AR.