How to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally

This post is all about how to lower blood sugar naturally.

Whether you are living with diabetes or are incorporating glucose monitoring into your daily lifestyle to reach fasting or weight loss goals, keeping your blood sugar in a healthy range is crucial.

Maintaining balanced blood sugar not only reduces the risk of diabetes and its complications, but also helps in managing your appetite, energy levels, and overall well-being.

Although this may seem like common sense to many, choosing foods that are optimal for your blood sugar can be confusing.

Here are 9 evidence- backed strategies on how to lower blood sugar naturally:

1.) Stay hydrated

Drinking water is one of the most important keys to keeping your blood sugar at bay.

Not only can drinking enough water help prevent type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance and weight gain, but it also re-hydrates the blood flushing extra sugar out in the urine.

This study found that there is a direct correlation between drinking enough water daily and the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

2.) Eat low glycemic index foods

Low glycemic index foods are foods that will result in a slower and more gradual increase in blood sugar.

When you pair this with fiber-rich, healthy fat and lean protein foods, you will also get the benefit of maintained blood sugars that will keep you fuller for longer AND without the blood sugar spikes.

These foods include:

• Non- starchy vegetables

  • broccoli, spinach, cauliflower

• Berries

  • strawberries, blueberries, blackberries

• Fatty fish

  • salmon and mackerel

• Nuts and seeds

  • almonds, pistachios, walnuts, chia and pumpkin seeds

• Healthy Fats

  • Eggs, olive oil, avocados

• Legumes

  • beans, lentils, peas

The recommended macronutrient percentage for a low glycemic index diet includes:

• >55% carbohydrate
• 15% lean protein
• <30% healthy fats

3.) Eat probiotic-rich foods

This study found that eating probiotic foods may improve glucose metabolism, fasting blood sugar and A1C levels.

These probiotic foods include kimchi, (low sugar) yogurt, kefir, kombucha or saurkraut.

If you are not fond of probiotic foods, you can also opt for a high quality probiotic supplement instead.

We recommend Garden of Life probiotics.

4.) Intermittent fast

There are many different techniques when it comes to intermittent fasting.

However, according to a study by The Endocrine Society, it was found that “Early Time-Restricted Feeding”, or restricting eating to the first 6-8 hours of the day, reduced fluctuations in blood sugar and reduced the time that blood sugar was above normal limits.

“This suggests early time-restricted feeding may be a helpful strategy for those with pre-diabetes or obesity to keep their blood sugars in a normal range and prevent them from progressing to type 2 diabetes.”

-Joanne Bruno, M.D., Ph.D., an endocrinology fellow at NYU Langone Health in New York, N.Y.

5.) Exercise more

Exercise, whether it is a 30 minute walk or a power HIIT training workout, has been shown to be beneficial in improving glucose control and insulin sensitivity.

Exercising regularly will also help to shed those extra pounds and lower your BMI (body mass index). 

One study found a correlation between the more adipose tissue (or fat) a person has, the more insulin resistant they are or will become.

6.) Reduce sugar substitutes

Although replacing sugars with artificial sweeteners may seem healthier, this study found that the use of these substances were very counterproductive.

Sugar substitutes such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose were found to negatively impact the gut bacteria, increase glucose levels, promote hardening of arteries and even increased risk of mortality.

7.) Manage stress

Although maybe not common knowledge, it is a fact that stress can affect both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

This study found that the hormones glucagon and cortisol both spike during stressful situations causing not only insulin resistance, but also inflammation and fat retention.

Another study states,  “Chronic stress and endocrine stress responses are significantly associated with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus.”

8.) Get good sleep

Sleep is the ultimate form of human recovery. When we do not get adequate quality sleep, this can severely impact our glycemic control.

According to this article, “Multiple studies have shown that repeated awakenings during the night, insufficient sleep, excessive sleep, and irregular sleep all promote glucose intolerance.”

It is also stated that if you currently have prediabetes or diabetes, poor quality sleep will make the condition worse.

9.) Eat more vinegar

According to this study, consuming vinegar before or during meals has been found to decrease and stabilize fasting blood sugar levels as well as increase insulin sensitivity.

You can do this by drinking small amounts of diluted apple cider vinegar at the beginning of the day or incorporating vinegarettes on salads or in sauces.

In conclusion, the different ways on how to lower blood sugar naturally is a multifaceted approach that requires an array of healthy lifestyle choices.

Staying hydrated, opting for low glycemic index foods including probiotic-rich foods and vinegar in your diet, incorporating intermittent fasting, regular exercise, reducing sugar substitutes, managing stress and ensuring quality sleep are all effective ways to naturally lower blood sugar and contribute to better overall health and well-being.