Exercising most days of the week helps lower your blood sugar in the short-term and the long-term. Physical activity can make your cells less resistant to insulin for up to 24 hours after a workout.

Daily exercise helps lower your blood sugar in a couple of ways. First, it increases insulin sensitivity, which means that the cells in your muscles are more likely to respond to insulin and take up glucose during and after exercise.

Exercise helps you lose or maintain your weight, manage your blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol. A good starting goal for exercise if you have type 2 diabetes is to get active 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and do some sort of resistance training twice a week.

You can split your 30 minutes into two minute sessions or three minute sessions and get the same benefits as a solid half-hour workout, according to the Centers for Disease Control. To get the most benefits from your exercise, work your way up to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day.

Dancing, intense gardening, mowing the lawn, doing yoga, and taking the dogs for a walk all count, as long as it gets your heart rate up. Get extra movement throughout your day—it all counts! Park far from the door, bike to work or to the store, do sit-ups or squats during commercials, take a five-minute break every hour to walk around the block or stretch for a few minutes.

Talk to your doctor before you start a new fitness routine, and discuss some fitness goals, based on your individual needs, limitations, and blood sugar targets.

Make your goals realistic and specific, and put a date on them. Break them down into smaller goal posts, and whenever you reach a goal post or achieve a goal, reward yourself. A wearable fitness tracker can help you stay motivated to exercise by showing you charts of your mileage, pace, heart rate, and progress—and awarding badges for reaching certain milestones.

They monitor your heart rate and sometimes even your sleep. Chronic, or long-term, stress has a well-studied, detrimental effect on your overall health. High levels of prolonged stress can increase your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels and put you at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Normally, when the danger is gone, the hormones dissipate. But with chronic stress, these hormone levels stay elevated in the blood, which can decrease the secretion of insulin and lead to high blood sugar levels. Stress also affects blood sugar indirectly.

Stress often leads to unhealthy behaviors like smoking, bingeing on food, or abusing drugs or alcohol—all of which contribute to high blood sugar, the underlying cause of diabetes. Reducing your stress can help you quit unhealthy habits and lower your risk for heart disease, cancer , and diabetes complications.

Here are five great ways to reduce your stress:. The Forward Guide to Meditation for Stress Management examines the scientific evidence for meditation and provides simple instructions for getting started. Breathing deeply increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces calming, feel-good hormones like GABA and serotonin.

When you feel particularly stressed, or before you step into a stressful situation, try this six-second exercise:. A lot of chronic stress comes from our perpetually busy lives and trying to keep track of all of the nuts and bolts that keep things together.

Cross the items off the list as you do them. Practice saying no in the mirror—prepare a script, and present it out loud to your reflection. Stress often co-occurs with anxiety or depression, or both.

If you feel like your stress and negative emotions are too much to get a handle on by yourself, schedule a visit with a mental health professional. Counseling helps you sort through a variety of issues, learn how your thoughts influence your behaviors, and create strategies for reducing negative thoughts and reframing them through a more realistic and positive mindset.

Misinformation, misconceptions, and outright lies about type 2 diabetes abound, and recognizing these when you see them is essential for your safety and wellbeing. Although evidence shows that type 2 diabetes can be reversed, there is no cure for diabetes—and there is no single dietary supplement, over-the-counter medication, far-flung diet, alternative remedy, or homeopathic medicine that can reverse it.

As your primary care provider , Forward approaches disease treatment, management, and prevention holistically, as a collaboration among you and your care team. Through a variety of programs, resources, and our intuitive app, Forward helps you take control of your health, from blood and genetic testing to personalized goal-setting and ongoing monitoring.

Our services are open to all members—including our doctor-led Heart Health Program , which can help you manage your diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and more to lower your risk of heart disease.

Hit enter to search or ESC to close. Ashley Chen January 22, No Comments. Eat a healthy, low-carb diet If you have type 2 diabetes, you may have developed some unhealthy eating habits over the years. Ditch the sugary drinks and snacks Regular soda, fruit juices, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee and tea beverages are packed with sugar and have very few nutrients—and the same goes for sweet snacks, like candy, cookies, and ice cream.

Use heart-healthy oils and fats Cook with heart -healthy oils like olive or canola oil instead of shortening, butter, or margarine. Eat on a regular schedule Eat at roughly the same time each day, and consume around the same number of carbs at each meal.

Diabetes Care. Diabetes mellitus. Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed April 14, Facilitating behavior change and well-being to improve health outcomes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Your game plan to prevent type 2 diabetes.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Accessed April 8, Melmed S, et al. Therapeutics of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. Elsevier; Interactive Nutrition Facts label: Dietary fiber. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed April 16, Department of Health and Human Services and U.

Department of Agriculture. Interactive Nutrition Facts label: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes — Products and Services Assortment of Health Products from Mayo Clinic Store A Book: The Essential Diabetes Book.

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Lack of sleep is also linked with other health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, and stroke, according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The National Sleep Foundation recommends aiming for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Carrying around extra weight is one of the main causes of insulin resistance , keeping the blood sugar—lowering hormone from working properly, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

And a study published in found modest weight loss — losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight — resulted in improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. Staying hydrated is an easy way to stay in control of your blood sugar levels. One study found the more water study participants drank, the less likely they were to develop high blood sugar.

More specifically, the study found people who drank less than ½ liter of water per day were at increased risk of developing blood sugar issues. The idea is that water helps flush glucose out of the body.

How can you burn off tension? Yoga and meditation can help people lower their blood sugar levels, Weisenberger says.

A study involving 27 nursing students found a combination of yoga and meditation practiced for one hour once a week led to reduced levels of stress and lower blood glucose levels after 12 weeks. Crandall also suggests taking a few deep breaths, going for a walk, playing with your pet for a few minutes, or listening to a fun song.

Indeed, the CDC notes that less water in your body is linked with a higher blood sugar concentration. RELATED: Is Stress the Source of Your Blood Sugar Swings?

This is especially true for those who have diabetes. A high-protein breakfast has an edge over breakfasts that are high in carbohydrates, according to research from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

In the research, women ages 18 to 55 consumed meals with similar calories, fat , and fiber contents — but differing amounts of protein. The best breakfasts contained 39 g of protein and led to lower post-meal glucose spikes than the meals with less protein, the researchers found.

Besides, eating breakfast may help overweight people with type 2 diabetes shed extra pounds. Of the participants in the National Weight Control Registry who maintained at least a pound weight loss for at least one year, 78 percent said they eat breakfast daily.

And the effect will last through your next meal, Weisenberger says. Interestingly, resistant starch can change with heat, and some foods, like rice , are higher in resistant starch when cooked and cooled than when cooked and served warm, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Just be sure to keep carb count in mind when incorporating foods with resistant starch into your diet. Beckerman, MD , a cardiologist with Providence Heart Clinic in Portland, Oregon.

Crandall tells patients that exercise is like spring cleaning for the body. Because exercise can immediately reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, work with your healthcare team to determine the right amount of activity and timing for you.

A study published in found exercising 30 minutes after the start of a meal is usually best for maintaining blood sugar controls. RELATED: 7 Tips for Staying Motivated to Exercise When Managing Diabetes.

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Kacy Church, MD. Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana, and Oatmeal Smoothie Unlike most smoothies, this one is as filling as a meal.

contains Soy , Peanuts. SERVES 1. CALORIES PER SERVING AUTHOR Kelly Kennedy, RDN. REVIEWED BY Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES. Print Download Pinterest. PREP TIME 5 min. Ingredients 1½ cups plain, unsweetened soy milk or milk of your choice.

Directions 1 Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Nutrition Facts Amount per serving. calories total fat 20g.

Jessica Migala is a health and fitness writer. Her work has appeared in more than 40 outlets. She focuses on a variety of topics such as diabetes prevention, vision care, nutrition, skincare, sleep health, pregnancy and post-partum care, among others.

A graduate of Syracuse University, Jessica now lives in the Chicago suburbs with her two young sons, rescue beagle, and husband. Whether you have diabetes or prediabetes—or just generally suffer ill effects from blood sugar swings—you want to know what really works to control your blood sugar levels.

It can make all the difference in living well and staying off the blood sugar roller coaster that can drag down your mood and energy and skew your hunger levels. Here are a dozen tips that will help your blood sugar and your overall health.

If you have diabetes, remember you should always work with your health care team first to help control your blood sugar. Read More: Best Foods for Diabetes. Walking is a great way to lower your blood sugar levels and keep them stable. Take the stairs, run errands on foot if possible , keep that promise to your dog to take them on a walk, and go for that weekend bike ride.

Even taking a few minutes break to walk each day can add up. Aim for minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. In your effort to eat more quinoa, you might have forgotten about an oldie-but-goodie carb: barley. This whole grain is packed with fiber that tamps down your appetite and can help decrease blood sugar, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients.

Your gut bacteria interact with barley, which may, in turn, help your body metabolize glucose sugar. Besides, 1 cup of cooked barley, per the USDA , contains 6 grams of fiber, which helps to mute blood sugar spikes.

Don't be afraid to toss it in soups, on a roasted veggie salad, or have it as a side with fish or chicken. Exercise is a great way to boost your body's ability to manage blood sugar, but making sure it's a heart-pumping workout will help even more. Performing high-intensity interval training HIIT —like sprinting on the treadmill for 30 seconds, then walking or slowly jogging until you recover—improved blood glucose levels, particularly in people with impaired glucose, per a review in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

Muscles soak up glucose during exercise to burn for energy, and the higher-intensity movements may aid this process even more. Carbs plus protein or fat is a super combo when it comes to controlling blood sugar.

The protein or fat you eat slows down digestion, thus buffering a blood sugar spike. That's especially true if you have type 1 diabetes. That's the exact opposite of what you want to happen after you've eaten a meal.

Next time you grab some fruit carb , pair it with a hard-boiled egg protein. A glass of orange juice is not the same as eating a whole orange. Plus, you get more fiber from the whole fruit.

For instance, there are about 4 grams in a large orange, compared to less than 1 gram in 8 ounces of juice. A small amount of juice is OK, but it shouldn't be your go-to beverage, she says. When you do drink it, make sure you're serving it up in an actual juice glass which might hold 4 ounces, for example rather than a large cup.

Dinner is done, but the dishes can wait: it's time to go for a stroll. A study published in Medical Science Monitor showed that participants with type 2 diabetes who walked for 20 minutes after dinner at a slow-moderate pace signficantly reduced their blood sugar levels.

The walk-it-off strategy is especially helpful after eating carb-heavy meals, particularly dinner, other research has found. Also talk with your healthcare professional about your blood sugar testing needs.

If you don't take insulin or other diabetes medicines, you likely won't need to check your blood sugar before or during exercise. But if you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, testing is important. Check your blood sugar before, during and after exercise.

Many diabetes medicines lower blood sugar. So does exercise, and its effects can last up to a day later. The risk of low blood sugar is greater if the activity is new to you. The risk also is greater if you start to exercise at a more intense level.

Be aware of symptoms of low blood sugar. These include feeling shaky, weak, tired, hungry, lightheaded, irritable, anxious or confused. See if you need a snack. Have a small snack before you exercise if you use insulin and your blood sugar level is low.

The snack you have before exercise should contain about 15 to 30 grams of carbs. Or you could take 10 to 20 grams of glucose products. This helps prevent a low blood sugar level. Stay hydrated.

Drink plenty of water or other fluids while exercising. Dehydration can affect blood sugar levels. Be prepared. Always have a small snack, glucose tablets or glucose gel with you during exercise. You'll need a quick way to boost your blood sugar if it drops too low.

Carry medical identification too. In case of an emergency, medical identification can show others that you have diabetes.

It also can show whether you take diabetes medicine such as insulin. Medical IDs come in forms such as cards, bracelets and necklaces. Adjust your diabetes treatment plan as needed. If you take insulin, you may need to lower your insulin dose before you exercise.

You also may need to watch your blood sugar level closely for several hours after intense activity. That's because low blood sugar can happen later on. Your healthcare professional can advise you how to correctly make changes to your medicine.

You also may need to adjust your treatment if you've increased how often or how hard you exercise. Insulin and other diabetes medicines are designed to lower blood sugar levels when diet and exercise alone don't help enough. How well these medicines work depends on the timing and size of the dose.

Medicines you take for conditions other than diabetes also can affect your blood sugar levels. Store insulin properly. Insulin that is not stored properly or is past its expiration date may not work. Keep insulin away from extreme heat or cold. Don't store it in the freezer or in direct sunlight. Tell your healthcare professional about any medicine problems.

If your diabetes medicines cause your blood sugar level to drop too low, the dosage or timing may need to be changed. Your healthcare professional also might adjust your medicine if your blood sugar stays too high. Be cautious with new medicines. Talk with your healthcare team or pharmacist before you try new medicines.

That includes medicines sold without a prescription and those prescribed for other medical conditions. Ask how the new medicine might affect your blood sugar levels and any diabetes medicines you take. Sometimes a different medicine may be used to prevent dangerous side effects.

Or a different medicine might be used to prevent your current medicine from mixing poorly with a new one. With diabetes, it's important to be prepared for times of illness. When you're sick, your body makes stress-related hormones that help fight the illness.

But those hormones also can raise your blood sugar. Changes in your appetite and usual activity also may affect your blood sugar level. Plan ahead. Work with your healthcare team to make a plan for sick days. Include instructions on what medicines to take and how to adjust your medicines if needed.

Also note how often to measure your blood sugar. Ask your healthcare professional if you need to measure levels of acids in the urine called ketones. Your plan also should include what foods and drinks to have, and what cold or flu medicines you can take.

Know when to call your healthcare professional too. For example, it's important to call if you run a fever over degrees Fahrenheit Keep taking your diabetes medicine. But call your healthcare professional if you can't eat because of an upset stomach or vomiting.

In these situations, you may need to change your insulin dose. If you take rapid-acting or short-acting insulin or other diabetes medicine, you may need to lower the dose or stop taking it for a time.

These medicines need to be carefully balanced with food to prevent low blood sugar. But if you use long-acting insulin, do not stop taking it. During times of illness, it's also important to check your blood sugar often. Stick to your diabetes meal plan if you can. Eating as usual helps you control your blood sugar.

Keep a supply of foods that are easy on your stomach. These include gelatin, crackers, soups, instant pudding and applesauce.

Drink lots of water or other fluids that don't add calories, such as tea, to make sure you stay hydrated. If you take insulin, you may need to sip sugary drinks such as juice or sports drinks. These drinks can help keep your blood sugar from dropping too low. It's risky for some people with diabetes to drink alcohol.

Alcohol can lead to low blood sugar shortly after you drink it and for hours afterward. The liver usually releases stored sugar to offset falling blood sugar levels. But if your liver is processing alcohol, it may not give your blood sugar the needed boost.

Get your healthcare professional's OK to drink alcohol. With diabetes, drinking too much alcohol sometimes can lead to health conditions such as nerve damage. But if your diabetes is under control and your healthcare professional agrees, an occasional alcoholic drink is fine.

Women should have no more than one drink a day. Men should have no more than two drinks a day. One drink equals a ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1. Don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach. If you take insulin or other diabetes medicines, eat before you drink alcohol.

This helps prevent low blood sugar. Or drink alcohol with a meal. Choose your drinks carefully. Light beer and dry wines have fewer calories and carbohydrates than do other alcoholic drinks. If you prefer mixed drinks, sugar-free mixers won't raise your blood sugar.

Some examples of sugar-free mixers are diet soda, diet tonic, club soda and seltzer. Add up calories from alcohol. If you count calories, include the calories from any alcohol you drink in your daily count.

Ask your healthcare professional or a registered dietitian how to make calories and carbohydrates from alcoholic drinks part of your diet plan.

Check your blood sugar level before bed. Alcohol can lower blood sugar levels long after you've had your last drink.

So check your blood sugar level before you go to sleep. The snack can counter a drop in your blood sugar. Changes in hormone levels the week before and during periods can lead to swings in blood sugar levels. Look for patterns. Keep careful track of your blood sugar readings from month to month.

You may be able to predict blood sugar changes related to your menstrual cycle. Your healthcare professional may recommend changes in your meal plan, activity level or diabetes medicines. These changes can make up for blood sugar swings. Check blood sugar more often. If you're likely nearing menopause or if you're in menopause, talk with your healthcare professional.

Ask whether you need to check your blood sugar more often. Also, be aware that menopause and low blood sugar have some symptoms in common, such as sweating and mood changes. So whenever you can, check your blood sugar before you treat your symptoms. That way you can confirm whether your blood sugar is low.

Most types of birth control are safe to use when you have diabetes. But combination birth control pills may raise blood sugar levels in some people. It's very important to take charge of stress when you have diabetes.