With elevated blood sugar levels, you can do something to lower blood sugar levels without medication. From exercise to the right diet to exotic remedies such as aloe vera or pink catharanthe – the following tips will help you.
Tip 6: Get regular exercise
When you exercise, your muscles work harder and use more energy than when you are at rest. Due to the increased energy consumption, more glucose is burned and the blood sugar level drops. In addition, sufficient exercise also counteracts insulin resistance. However, sufficient exercise is also important with elevated blood glucose levels because it makes it easier to lose weight. If you have done little or no exercise so far, you don’t have to overdo it right away: Start by walking short distances or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or get some fresh air on the weekend and go for a long walk.
Tip 7: Use sweetener instead of sugar
While sugar drives up blood sugar levels, sweetener has no carbohydrates that affect blood sugar levels. Thus, sweetener does not change blood sugar levels. If you don’t want to use sweetener, you can use stevia instead. The stevia plant has a high sweetening power and is therefore ideally suited as a sugar and sweetener substitute. Stevia is especially good for diabetics, as some of its ingredients can help lower blood sugar levels.
Tip 8: Spice up dishes with cinnamon.
Cinnamon is one of the most effective blood sugar reducers around. Regular intake of cinnamon can significantly lower blood sugar. A daily dose of at least one milligram of cinnamon is recommended. To take in enough cinnamon, you can spice your tea or coffee with cinnamon, for example. A pinch of cinnamon is just as good in your morning cereal or fruit salad. In addition, dishes such as rice pudding or chili con carne can also be enhanced with a pinch of cinnamon.
Tip 9: Consume enough fruit
Apples have a particularly positive effect on blood sugar. They contain namely large quantities of the dietary fiber pectin. This ensures that the sugar of food is absorbed only slowly into the blood. Since pectin is mainly contained in the skin of the apple, it should definitely be eaten. In addition to apples, carrots also have a notable pectin content. In addition to apples, sour citrus fruits such as pomelos or grapefruits are also said to have a positive effect on blood sugar levels. In the case of grapefruits, in addition to the pulp, grapefruit seed extract is recommended for diabetics. The consumption of sufficient fruit is also recommended for diabetics because they take in sufficient vitamin C as well as vitamins of the B group in this way. While vitamin C can alleviate secondary symptoms of diabetes, the B vitamins counteract the damage to the nerves that is typical of diabetes. Particularly high levels of vitamin C are found in rose hips, sea buckthorn and red peppers. Vitamin B, on the other hand, is found in greater amounts in yeast, fresh sunflower seeds and soy flour.
Tip 10: Sufficient zinc and chromium
Make sure you have a sufficient supply of zinc and chromium: the trace element chromium is said to have a particularly great influence on lowering blood sugar. Thus, chromium is said to improve insulin action in diabetics and thus ensure optimized blood sugar regulation. In contrast, a deficiency of chromium can result in increased blood glucose levels. Chromium can be supplied either via dietary supplements or via wholemeal bread, lentils or chicken meat. In addition to chromium, the trace element zinc also influences the regulation of blood glucose levels. Among other things, zinc affects insulin formation, insulin action and insulin resistance. Particularly large amounts of zinc are found in oysters, wheat bran, edamame, oatmeal and sunflower seeds.
Exotic tips to help lower blood sugar
For those who like things more exotic, the following tips are great for lowering blood sugar:
- Aloe Vera: Products with aloe vera can help lower blood sugar by improving the sensitivity of insulin. This allows insulin to better transport glucose back into the body’s cells.
- Pink catharanthe: The juice of the leaves of pink catharanthe is believed to have a blood sugar lowering effect.This is due to an increased release of insulin by taking the plant preparation. This makes the pink catharanthe unsuitable for non-diabetics, however, because it could lead to hypoglycemia in them.
- Gurmar: Gurmar is a climbing plant native to India, Africa and Australia. Gurmar has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, as it reduces the absorption of glucose from the small intestine into the blood. In Germany, gumar products are available in pharmacies.
- Soybeans: soybeans have a very low glycemic index – that is, they make blood sugar levels rise very slowly. Soybeans are also said to have a positive effect on them sensitivity of insulin. Thus, soybeans are not only recommended for an already erupted diabetes disease, but also for the prevention of diabetes.
- Ginger: Ginger is said to lower blood sugar levels by improving the sensitivity of insulin. This allows insulin to get back into the body’s cells better. Ginger can be used, for example, ideal in teas, but also to season hearty dishes.
