For example, people who have severe complications from diabetes may have a higher target range. Those who are newly diagnosed or who don't have any complications from diabetes may do better with a lower target range.

footnote 1. In general, experts suggest an A1c of lower than 7. In general, experts suggest an A1c of 6. Author: Healthwise Staff Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Author: Healthwise Staff. Clinical Review Board All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

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Skip Navigation. Overview Keeping your blood sugar in a target range reduces your risk of problems from diabetes. footnote 1 Children of any age with type 2 diabetes In general, experts suggest an A1c of lower than 7.

footnote 1 Youth younger than 18 years old with type 1 diabetes In general, experts suggest an A1c of lower than 7. footnote 1 Women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who become pregnant In general, experts suggest an A1c of 6. Related Information Diabetes: Preventing High Blood Sugar Emergencies Home Blood Sugar Test Treating High Blood Sugar Treating Low Blood Sugar.

Driving with low blood sugar can be dangerous, so be sure to check your blood sugar before you get behind the wheel. Carry supplies for treating low blood sugar with you. If you feel shaky, sweaty, or very hungry or have other symptoms, check your blood sugar. Wait for 15 minutes and then check your blood sugar again.

If you have problems with low blood sugar, ask your doctor if your treatment plan needs to be changed. Many things can cause high blood sugar hyperglycemia , including being sick, being stressed, eating more than planned, and not giving yourself enough insulin.

Over time, high blood sugar can lead to long-term, serious health problems. Symptoms of high blood sugar include:. If you get sick , your blood sugar can be hard to manage. You may not be able to eat or drink as much as usual, which can affect blood sugar levels.

High ketones can be an early sign of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately. Ketones are a kind of fuel produced when fat is broken down for energy.

When too many ketones are produced too fast, they can build up in your body and cause diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. DKA is very serious and can cause a coma or even death. Common symptoms of DKA include:.

If you think you may have DKA, test your urine for ketones. Follow the test kit directions, checking the color of the test strip against the color chart in the kit to see your ketone level.

If your ketones are high, call your health care provider right away. DKA requires treatment in a hospital. Talk to your doctor about how to keep your blood sugar levels within your target range. Your doctor may suggest the following:. Carbs in food make your blood sugar levels go higher after you eat them than when you eat proteins or fats.

You can still eat carbs if you have diabetes. The amount you can have and stay in your target blood sugar range depends on your age, weight, activity level, and other factors. Counting carbs in foods and drinks is an important tool for managing blood sugar levels.

Make sure to talk to your health care team about the best carb goals for you. The A1C test is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 2 or 3 months. A1C testing is part of the ABCs of diabetes—important steps you can take to prevent or delay health complications down the road:.

Work with your doctor to establish a personal A1C goal for you. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight , and getting regular physical activity can all help.

Other tips include:. Medicare , Medicaid, and most private insurance plans pay for the A1C test and fasting blood sugar test as well as some diabetes supplies.

Check your plan or ask your health care team for help finding low-cost or free supplies, and see How to Save Money on Diabetes Care for more resources. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search.

In the body, however, the outcomes can be far more long-term. Read on to find out what normal blood sugar levels are and what to do when your levels start to shift.

Your levels will naturally change throughout the day, depending on how active you are, as well as what you eat and when. However, normal blood sugar levels vary from 4. Skipping meals, choosing unhealthy snacks, and carbo-loading all contribute to driving blood sugar levels skyward.

Blood sugar levels will be higher for those with diabetes, both type 1 and 2. These diabetic levels can vary from 4. If you choose to, you can check in on your blood sugar levels at home with a glucose monitor to get a specific measurement. On the other hand, if your blood sugar levels are high, you might find yourself feeling symptoms such as:.

You could also check in with a GP, who may provide advice on how to tweak your eating habits accordingly. When we put our bodies through this rigorous dance of spiking and crashing, a vicious cycle begins.

We choose high carbohydrate foods, which send our blood sugar spiralling, making us more likely to reach for something high sugar or high carb after the crash. And so on. If eating this way becomes a habit, high blood sugar levels can lead to obesity and some metabolic issues, as well as diabetes.

The answer, thankfully, is not to abstain from all sweet temptations although moderation does make things easier. Rather, it is to understand how to balance your blood sugar so that your body can go into each eating experience with a relaxed, ready-for-maximum-nutrition state.

Where refined carbohydrates quickly convert to sugar in the body, other food groups such as protein, fibre, and healthy fats help to do the opposite, settling your blood sugar into a serene state of calm.

Still not sure on what a slow-release carbohydrate looks like? These cupboard essentials can l help to balance your blood sugar.

When you don't manage your blood sugar level appropriately, hyperglycemia high blood sugar and hypoglycemia low blood sugar can occur as the level rises and falls drastically.

This is a serious issue that requires medical attention and comes with a number of unpleasant side effects , including:.

Suboptimal blood sugar balance can lead to common complications, including fatigue, weight gain, and sugar cravings. The good news: With the right lifestyle and dietary tweaks, maintaining healthy blood sugar is easier than you think. Your first dietary step toward a more balanced blood sugar level: ditching most of the packaged foods and focusing on high-quality whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains , beans, nuts, seeds, and quality meats and fish.

Many processed foods are high in sugar, refined grains and carbs, and artificial ingredients and flavorings while being low in blood-sugar-stabilizing fiber and protein. Of course, it's also important to be realistic. You're probably not going to be able to nix packaged foods completely, so just make a point to select those that are made from mostly whole-food ingredients, like an energy bar that lists just nuts, seeds, and dried fruit on its label.

Your minimally processed diet should be heavy in nonstarchy, fiber-rich vegetables and fiber-rich fruit and whole grains. That's because fiber slows down the digestion of carbohydrates 1 and the absorption of sugar, which means you experience a more gradual rise in your blood sugar level after meals.

Good sources of fiber include leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, artichokes, raspberries, pears, beans, lentils, peas, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and oatmeal. Like fiber, protein tempers insulin secretion 2 , leading to a more gradual rise in blood sugar after a meal.

It also fills you up better than any other nutrient. Eating a protein-rich breakfast is particularly important because it helps set the tone for the rest of the day.

The amount of protein you need in your diet depends on a number of factors, but the general protein recommendation for healthy adults is 0. Good animal sources include wild-caught fish , grass-fed beef, and pasture-raised chicken and eggs.

If you're vegetarian or vegan, not to worry, we rounded up 54 sources of plant-based protein. Like fiber and protein, fat buffers blood sugar spikes. In fact, unsaturated fats have been specifically linked to improved insulin resistance.

Just be sure to avoid refined fats, including trans fats and processed vegetable oils , like corn, soybean, and safflower oils, which can be pro-inflammatory.

Sources of quality fats to consider adding to your diet include nuts, olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocado, and fatty fish like salmon. Lowering your overall intake of carbohydrates can also be helpful for balanced blood sugar , but you don't need to cut them out completely they're still a crucial source of fuel for your body.

Whenever possible, simply swap out refined carbohydrates like bread, white pasta, and candy for fiber-rich, whole-food sources such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, and fruit, which contain a number of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential for health.

Eating some protein, fiber, and healthy fat with each meal can help stabilize blood sugar and manage your appetite. Each of these nutrients helps balance blood sugar on its own, but they're even better together.

We love a good kale salad topped with avocado and a protein of choice. Greens powders are dried, powdered forms of various vegetables and fruits.

Specialty greens blends will sometimes include prebiotic fibers too. These antioxidant-laden superfood plants and slow carbs are blood sugar-friendly.

If you struggle to stick with salads or you're looking to up your veggies game, then greens powders can help you deliver some greens goodness and help maintain a healthy blood sugar level. In fact, one study found that adding a vegetable powder to a high-carbohydrate diet helped buffer the short-term glucose and insulin response 3.

A giant, late-night dinner is your blood sugar's worst enemy. That's because our bodies become more insulin resistant as the day goes on 4 —so a meal that you eat in the evening will cause a greater spike in blood sugar than a meal you eat in the morning.

Because of this, many nutrition experts advise front-loading your meals, or eating bigger meals earlier in the day and having a smaller dinner at least three hours before bed.

Both sleep deprivation and stress can cause elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which raises blood sugar. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, and adopt stress-busting habits such as exercise, meditation, or yoga. One study found that nursing students who did meditation and yoga experienced lower blood sugar spikes 5 after meals.

Drinking water helps your kidneys flush out excess blood sugar through your urine. One study found that people who drank more water had a lower risk of developing hyperglycemia 6 high blood sugar.

Whether you have prediabetes or diabetes or want to reduce your risk of developing these conditions, including the foods listed above as part of a nutritious diet may help lower your blood sugar levels. However, keep in mind that your overall dietary intake, as well as factors such as your activity level and body weight, are most important when it comes to optimizing blood sugar regulation and protecting against chronic disease.

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Nutrition Evidence Based 17 Foods to Lower Your Blood Sugar. Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R. Broccoli Seafood Pumpkin Nuts Okra Flaxseed Beans Fermented foods Chia seeds Kale Berries Avocados Oats Citrus Kefir Eggs Apples FAQ Summary Several foods may help lower your blood sugar, but some may be more effective than others.

Broccoli and broccoli sprouts. Explore our top resources. Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Discover more about Type 2 Diabetes. Nuts and nut butter. Beans and lentils. Kimchi and sauerkraut. Chia seeds. Oats and oat bran. Citrus fruits. Kefir and yogurt. Frequently asked questions. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History.

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Best carb snacks with fiber and protein: string cheese with whole wheat crackers; almonds and dried, unsweetened cranberries; hummus and carrot sticks; Greek yogurt with dried fruit or granola; chicken noodle soup; banana-strawberry smoothie. Our favorite is a toasted mini whole-grain pizza with veggie toppings and an ounce of shredded cheese.

Keeping track of your carbs is a key element in dealing with elevated blood sugar. But we all need carbohydrates to survive and to help balance blood glucose. The kind of carb you eat, how often and when you eat it all matter a lot. When it comes to their impact on your blood sugar, carbohydrates exist on a spectrum.

If your blood sugar is elevated, take a look at the carbohydrate spectrum so you can choose foods wisely. If you have elevated blood sugar, take advantage of two key ways to figure out how foods will affect your blood glucose before you eat them:.

Glycemic index GI measures how much specific foods raise blood glucose after you eat them. Glycemic load GL tells you both how much sugar a food puts into your bloodstream and how fast it does it. The GL and GI can help you choose what to eat, and when to eat it.

Both are sweet treats but the strawberries have a low glycemic index and the cake has a high GI. Exercise is your best friend if you have elevated blood sugar. The official recommendation for adults is at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week. Physical activity helps improve how insulin works and lets muscles make better use of sugar for energy while it actually decreases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

And some studies say that the more exercise you do, the lower your risk for type 2 — the kind of diabetes that can often be controlled, and sometimes reversed, with diet and exercise. Even though your lifestyle habits may seem impossible to change, having elevated blood sugar can be the motivation you need to make better choices every day.

If you begin shifting your diet away from simple carbs and start getting some exercise every day, you will see a difference in your blood sugar sooner than you think. Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar.

Smith A, Crippa A, Woodcock J, et al. Physical activity and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and dose—response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Diabetologia 17 October pp 1— Gregg E, Chen H, Wagenknecht L, et al.

Association of an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention With Remission of Type 2 Diabetes. Solid evidence shows a connection between pesticide exposures and insulin…. Your call is free. CALL M-F 9AM-6PM EST. Take A QUIZ Main menu Take A QUIZ. Hormonal imbalance. Bone health. Brain health. Digestive health.

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Heart health. Immune health. Joint health. Understand Blood Glucose The first step to managing your blood sugar is to understand what makes blood sugar levels rise.

In Type 2 diabetes, glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells because:. Health care professionals can take blood glucose readings and provide recommendations. Know Diabetes by Heart can help you manage Type 2 diabetes.

View or Download Fact Sheet English PDF Spanish PDF. Home Healthy Living Healthy Lifestyle Life's Essential 8 How to Manage Blood Sugar Fact Sheet. Glucose: The carbohydrates and sugars in what you eat and drink turns into glucose sugar in the stomach and digestive system.

Glucose can then enter the bloodstream. The pancreas gradually loses its ability to produce insulin. The result can be a high blood glucose level.