HEALTHY LIVING — Lowering blood sugar levels with type 2 diabetes – Orange Leader

There are approximately 27 million people in the US with type 2 diabetes.

Another 86 million have prediabetes: meaning their blood glucose isn’t normal, but still not high enough to be diabetes. Some people are prone to it through genetics and others through poor food and drink choices.

For most healthy individuals, normal blood sugar levels are as follows: Between 4.0 to 6.0 mmol/L (72 to 108 mg/dL) fasting. Up to 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) 2 hours after eating.

Diabetes is when your blood sugar or glucose levels are above normal. The goal is to reduce these sugar levels. Foods rich in carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, milk, alcohol and desserts can cause this increase.

Your eating plan should focus on the amount and type of carbs you put on your plate throughout the day, not all carbs are bad.

You must include these items:

Raw, cooked or roasted vegetables, these add color, flavor and texture to a meal. Choose tasty, low-carb vegetables like mushrooms, onions, eggplants, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and low-carb squashes like zucchini.

Green leaves, try kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. Oven-roasted kale leaves with olive oil for quick, crispy chips. You can also mix greens with roasted vegetables to add texture and a different flavor, or serve them with a little protein, like salmon.

Tasty, low-calorie drinks Plain water is always good, but water with fruits and vegetables is more interesting. Cut up a lemon or cucumber and put it in water, or make ice cubes with a little flavor. If you don’t like hot tea, try cold tea with lemon or cinnamon stick.

Melon or Berries, did you know that 1 cup of any of these has only 15 grams of carbs? For a twist, mix cantaloupe or berries with plain yogurt or place them on ice cubes.

Whole, fiber-rich foods. Fill them up to avoid overeating or choosing the wrong foods. Try legumes like dried beans, peas and lentils. You can even enjoy a black bean and corn dip with your raw veggies. Oatmeal with fresh blueberries is a double plus!

A little fat. Good fat options include olive oil, avocados and fatty fish – think salmon served on a bed of greens.

Protein, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs and lean meats. And don’t forget the treats. You can also have a low-fat cheese stick or jerky stick – but keep an eye on the amount of sodium in them.

If you have diabetes, drinking alcohol can cause your blood sugar to rise or fall. Also, alcohol has a lot of empty calories. That is, without nutritional value.

If you do drink, do so occasionally and only when your diabetes and blood sugar levels are well controlled. If you are following a calorie-controlled meal plan, one alcoholic drink should count as two fat exchanges.

Exercise in bursts. It’s important to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to help manage your diabetes. Very busy? Break it up into three shorter sessions.

Try 10 minutes of strength training in the morning. Play an active game with the family during the day or go for a quick lunchtime walk. So walk your dog at night. This combination can help improve blood sugar control and decrease the likelihood of heart disease.

If you’re on medication and the medication doesn’t seem to be working, there are variables. Perhaps the dosage needs to be adjusted.

Perhaps another drug needs to be considered. Home test kits help monitor levels and regular visits to your doctor are a must.

Do not give up. Be diligent, ask questions and research information. It’s your body and you are 100% responsible for taking good care of it. Stay healthy my friends.

Jody Holton writes about health for Orange Newsmedia. She can be reached at [email protected]