There are a wide range of symptoms you could experience as your body reacts to the drop in blood sugar levels. A study headed by Kay-Tee Khaw, M.D., was published in the September 21, 2004 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
If your blood glucose level remains high after you have tried out these steps for 3 months, fortunately there are some more advanced methods out there that can help. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar and can be used as a natural sweetener to replace sugar.
A normal blood sugar levels is generally between 72 - 126 mg/dl in the USA.. High sugar levels in the blood spill over into the urine making it syrupy.
The condition of hyperglycemia occurs when our body is unable to maintain the normal sugar level in the blood due to disturbances in sugar metabolism.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Conclusion
For those that have high blood sugar, there is a realization that must be met. You have a life threatening condition that likely can worsen, but it can get better if you make a few changes in your lifestyle.
Is giving up the candies you love worth improving your health and avoiding heart conditions? By all means it is. By all means, it is not easy to make any of these changes. Yet, those that do make them will find improvement in their health across the board. Many even find themselves feeling better than they have throughout their lives.
With your doctor’s help, you can improve your health and well being by reducing your blood sugar numbers. The process is direct. Start by improving your diet, get in enough exercise and feed your body a healthy lifestyle full of relaxation and taste.
You can lower your blood sugar numbers with a bit of work. Work with a skilled doctor who is dedicated to you. Couple this with being dedicated to yourself and your well being. When you do accomplish your goals, it will be well worth it.
Is giving up the candies you love worth improving your health and avoiding heart conditions? By all means it is. By all means, it is not easy to make any of these changes. Yet, those that do make them will find improvement in their health across the board. Many even find themselves feeling better than they have throughout their lives.
With your doctor’s help, you can improve your health and well being by reducing your blood sugar numbers. The process is direct. Start by improving your diet, get in enough exercise and feed your body a healthy lifestyle full of relaxation and taste.
You can lower your blood sugar numbers with a bit of work. Work with a skilled doctor who is dedicated to you. Couple this with being dedicated to yourself and your well being. When you do accomplish your goals, it will be well worth it.
Fight The Urge For Sweets
If you have a sweet tooth, chances are good you are wondering how in the world you will turn it off long enough to keep your blood sugar levels low enough. It is imperative that you don’t add fuel to the fire, though, by consuming large amounts of sugars that will raise your blood sugar level even higher. The question is then, what can you do about this?
One ideal solution is an artificial sweetener. There are several on the market today that can be easily used in your diet to sweeten foods very naturally like standard sugars but without the same effect on the body.
Sugar substitutes are what they are generally called. These add sweetness without adding calories too. Most of the time, you will find that they are sweeter to taste then the same amount of sugar, therefore reducing the amount you need, too.
This presents a unique situation. Not only are they okay to consume, but you can sweeten foods in such a way to gain the taste that you crave but with fewer calories. This in itself is a reason may people switch to sweeteners. Here’s another benefit to you: They don’t affect your blood sugar, meaning you can’t raise your blood sugar by increasing your consumption of them.
A word of caution, though; there are generally other products in the sweeteners that are artificial that can affect your blood sugar if present. Make sure to read all labels before consuming anything.
The best types of these are: Saccharin (such as in Sweet’N Low,) Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal,) Sucralose (Splenda,) and Acesulfame Potassium (Sunett.)
Replacing some of the sweetness from your diet with these products can actually improve your craving for sweets when your body can’t tolerate them.
These methods can each help to lower your risk of having high blood sugar. Use them, along with your doctor’s other advice to improve your numbers.
One ideal solution is an artificial sweetener. There are several on the market today that can be easily used in your diet to sweeten foods very naturally like standard sugars but without the same effect on the body.
Sugar substitutes are what they are generally called. These add sweetness without adding calories too. Most of the time, you will find that they are sweeter to taste then the same amount of sugar, therefore reducing the amount you need, too.
This presents a unique situation. Not only are they okay to consume, but you can sweeten foods in such a way to gain the taste that you crave but with fewer calories. This in itself is a reason may people switch to sweeteners. Here’s another benefit to you: They don’t affect your blood sugar, meaning you can’t raise your blood sugar by increasing your consumption of them.
A word of caution, though; there are generally other products in the sweeteners that are artificial that can affect your blood sugar if present. Make sure to read all labels before consuming anything.
The best types of these are: Saccharin (such as in Sweet’N Low,) Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal,) Sucralose (Splenda,) and Acesulfame Potassium (Sunett.)
Replacing some of the sweetness from your diet with these products can actually improve your craving for sweets when your body can’t tolerate them.
These methods can each help to lower your risk of having high blood sugar. Use them, along with your doctor’s other advice to improve your numbers.
Relaxation Lowers Blood Sugar
Another method that you can incorporate into your daily life as a method of lowering blood sugar levels is relaxation. In today’s rushed lifestyle, there is little hope of putting together a simple plan for relaxation. Yet, stress can do many things to our body’s including cause complications of diabetic conditions.
Stress hormones happen to be at the bottom of this condition. These are able to trigger the release of extra sugar into your bloodstream.
For some individuals, increased amounts of stress over a long period of time and coupled with other conditions can actually bring on the onset of diabetes. If you have high blood sugar levels and you aren’t sure why, it could be a life full of stress and brought them forward.
There is some good news here, though. As difficult as it may sound, reducing the level of stress that you are under can actually reduce your blood sugar levels significantly.
The best course of action is to take a step back and analyze the stressful factors in your life. What is it that brings tension to your shoulders and has you worried more times than not? Those are the conditions that need to be improved if at all possible.
Yet, you can also reduce your stress levels by carefully monitoring them and doing several key things to reduce them. Stress can be minimized in one of several ways, based on your need and your body’s reaction. Try any of the following tips to improvement in your body’s blood sugar levels by reducing stress levels.
• Deep breathing. Sit up straight and breathe from your lungs rather than your normal method. To do this, feel yourself letting your stomach muscles expand. Fully expand then and then exhale, slowly. Push the air out of your stomach. Do this again several times. As you exhale, imagine the stress leaving your body with the air. Try to do this about 20 minutes per day.
• Muscle relaxation. When you feel tension in your body, try this method of relaxation. Simply lie on your back with your arms at your side. Your goal is to relax each muscle group one at a time, imagining that the stress is leaving your body at the same time. Start with your toes, feet, ankles and work your way up your body, targeting each individual muscle group. Then, tense each group of muscles one at a time, hold for ten seconds and then release them. Work through your entire body in this manner.
• Calm your thoughts. For many, stress is not the only thing that causes harm. It is also the anxiety, worried and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Although it may feel very difficult to do at first, force yourself to think of the situation rationally. Ask yourself, “What is the worst case scenario?” Relax what the likely outcome will be, not the worst.
There are many other ways that you can reduce stress in your life too. Consider yoga, for example. Find something that you enjoy doing and make it a habit. Even something simple like gardening can help you to have an outlet of positive which will help to reduce your level of stress overall.
Reducing your level of stress can significantly improve your overall well being and help you to reduce blood sugar levels.
Stress hormones happen to be at the bottom of this condition. These are able to trigger the release of extra sugar into your bloodstream.
For some individuals, increased amounts of stress over a long period of time and coupled with other conditions can actually bring on the onset of diabetes. If you have high blood sugar levels and you aren’t sure why, it could be a life full of stress and brought them forward.
There is some good news here, though. As difficult as it may sound, reducing the level of stress that you are under can actually reduce your blood sugar levels significantly.
The best course of action is to take a step back and analyze the stressful factors in your life. What is it that brings tension to your shoulders and has you worried more times than not? Those are the conditions that need to be improved if at all possible.
Yet, you can also reduce your stress levels by carefully monitoring them and doing several key things to reduce them. Stress can be minimized in one of several ways, based on your need and your body’s reaction. Try any of the following tips to improvement in your body’s blood sugar levels by reducing stress levels.
• Deep breathing. Sit up straight and breathe from your lungs rather than your normal method. To do this, feel yourself letting your stomach muscles expand. Fully expand then and then exhale, slowly. Push the air out of your stomach. Do this again several times. As you exhale, imagine the stress leaving your body with the air. Try to do this about 20 minutes per day.
• Muscle relaxation. When you feel tension in your body, try this method of relaxation. Simply lie on your back with your arms at your side. Your goal is to relax each muscle group one at a time, imagining that the stress is leaving your body at the same time. Start with your toes, feet, ankles and work your way up your body, targeting each individual muscle group. Then, tense each group of muscles one at a time, hold for ten seconds and then release them. Work through your entire body in this manner.
• Calm your thoughts. For many, stress is not the only thing that causes harm. It is also the anxiety, worried and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Although it may feel very difficult to do at first, force yourself to think of the situation rationally. Ask yourself, “What is the worst case scenario?” Relax what the likely outcome will be, not the worst.
There are many other ways that you can reduce stress in your life too. Consider yoga, for example. Find something that you enjoy doing and make it a habit. Even something simple like gardening can help you to have an outlet of positive which will help to reduce your level of stress overall.
Reducing your level of stress can significantly improve your overall well being and help you to reduce blood sugar levels.
Diabetes And Weight Loss
One of the most essential conditions of the body is maintaining a proper weight. It affects nearly every aspect of your life when you are overweight, even by just a few pounds. For the diabetic or pre-diabetic patient, being overweight can lead to premature death among other risk factors.
Therefore, one of the key methods to reducing the blood sugar levels you face is to reduce your weight.
A frightening statistic that should be noted here is that almost 9 out of 10 people that are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are over their ideal body weight or are obese.
Those that manage to lower their weight can better manage their diabetes or even reverse their condition with proper management.
In addition to complicating diabetic conditions, being overweight also increases cholesterol levels and blood pressure rates pushing for an increase in heart conditions and sudden death.
Metabolic syndrome is one of the many conditions that those with diabetes face increasingly. This simply is a term (also called cardio-metabolic risk) that means that you have several key symptoms that can lead to heart disease. Those including being overweight, having high blood pressure and having high cholesterol. This coupled with diabetes is a dangerous recipe for anyone.
Those that have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or more are considered to be overweight. If you have a BMI that is higher than 30, you are considered to be obese. Those that have a BMI at 25 or more are at an increased risk for diabetes.
Another problem with being overweight directly relates to diabetic conditions. When your body is overweight, you have more insulin resistance. Insulin is an important part of regulating blood sugar levels. When it is working correctly, it helps the body to use sugar correctly as the source of energy that it is.
For those that have insulin resistance, the cells no longer will respond to insulin. They will not allow insulin in which means that no energy gets to the cells. The body counters this by producing more insulin to try and lower blood sugar levels. In addition to this, insulin resistance adds to cardio-metabolic risk factors mentioned above.
Losing weight is not something that many people want to face, yet it is an important factor in improving blood sugar factors. Most doctors and researchers believe the best way to do lower weight is to diet by decreasing caloric intake (which we revealed earlier) and by exercise (both aerobic and weight training can do this.)
Reducing your weight slowly, with the help of these methods can help you to step back from high blood sugar numbers and to regain some of your overall health. It will help you to reduce your risk of various health risks.
Therefore, one of the key methods to reducing the blood sugar levels you face is to reduce your weight.
A frightening statistic that should be noted here is that almost 9 out of 10 people that are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are over their ideal body weight or are obese.
Those that manage to lower their weight can better manage their diabetes or even reverse their condition with proper management.
In addition to complicating diabetic conditions, being overweight also increases cholesterol levels and blood pressure rates pushing for an increase in heart conditions and sudden death.
Metabolic syndrome is one of the many conditions that those with diabetes face increasingly. This simply is a term (also called cardio-metabolic risk) that means that you have several key symptoms that can lead to heart disease. Those including being overweight, having high blood pressure and having high cholesterol. This coupled with diabetes is a dangerous recipe for anyone.
Those that have a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 25 or more are considered to be overweight. If you have a BMI that is higher than 30, you are considered to be obese. Those that have a BMI at 25 or more are at an increased risk for diabetes.
Another problem with being overweight directly relates to diabetic conditions. When your body is overweight, you have more insulin resistance. Insulin is an important part of regulating blood sugar levels. When it is working correctly, it helps the body to use sugar correctly as the source of energy that it is.
For those that have insulin resistance, the cells no longer will respond to insulin. They will not allow insulin in which means that no energy gets to the cells. The body counters this by producing more insulin to try and lower blood sugar levels. In addition to this, insulin resistance adds to cardio-metabolic risk factors mentioned above.
Losing weight is not something that many people want to face, yet it is an important factor in improving blood sugar factors. Most doctors and researchers believe the best way to do lower weight is to diet by decreasing caloric intake (which we revealed earlier) and by exercise (both aerobic and weight training can do this.)
Reducing your weight slowly, with the help of these methods can help you to step back from high blood sugar numbers and to regain some of your overall health. It will help you to reduce your risk of various health risks.
Spices And Blood Sugar
You may or may not have heard about the research being done on a variety of spices that claim that they can actually be able to regulate blood sugar.
One commonly known and talked about spice that is showing the benefits that are necessary in lowering blood sugar is that of cinnamon.
Cinnamon that is taken as a part of your daily diet has shown, in various studies, to help lower blood sugar levels. In one particular study, those that took cinnamon in the form of a capsule one time per day over the course of 30 to 40 days where able to see a reduction in their blood sugar levels by some 20 to 30 percent.
How does this happen? Researchers believe that cinnamon works with the body’s sensitivity to insulin. By lowering your reaction to insulin, your body allows blood sugars to enter into cells easier, therefore lowering the amount that remains in your bloodstream.
You can take advantage of this benefit right away, especially if you like the taste of cinnamon. Researchers believe that adding just a ½ teaspoon to your diet daily, perhaps sprinkled over breakfast can begin to lower blood sugar levels. It may take some time to see results, but it’s a tasty way to lower your blood sugar.
Herbs in general can be beneficial to your health. While most people reach for salt to improve the taste of their food, you can improve your health if you reach for a few more tasty choices.
For those that haven’t really added many different spices to their diet, it can be an easy way to add a lot of flavor to foods that are new to you on your diabetes diet.
To get started, consider these tips for adding more spice into your diet:
• Great choices include parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Try them on meats, vegetables and even fruits.
• Instead of flavoring a food with a large amount of salt, reduce the salt by 50 percent and add a mixture of one teaspoon of basil and one teaspoon of oregano (in the same amount as the missing salt) to your food.
• Fresh garlic is one of the best tools for improving health. It can lower blood pressure and improve your cholesterol significantly. You should try to consume as much as possible, but three clovers per day is recommended for maximum results.
• Rosemary is an excellent antioxidant which can help to prevent heart disease and cancers. Other antioxidant powerful herbs include thyme, basil and oregano. (That’s a great combination for fighting off a cold, too.)
One of the largest drawbacks for many on a diet to reduce blood sugar levels is the missing sugar. Replace some of the sugar that you wish you could have with cinnamon or nutmeg. You can mix this into virtually any recipe and get enhanced flavor without the sugar.
One commonly known and talked about spice that is showing the benefits that are necessary in lowering blood sugar is that of cinnamon.
Cinnamon that is taken as a part of your daily diet has shown, in various studies, to help lower blood sugar levels. In one particular study, those that took cinnamon in the form of a capsule one time per day over the course of 30 to 40 days where able to see a reduction in their blood sugar levels by some 20 to 30 percent.
How does this happen? Researchers believe that cinnamon works with the body’s sensitivity to insulin. By lowering your reaction to insulin, your body allows blood sugars to enter into cells easier, therefore lowering the amount that remains in your bloodstream.
You can take advantage of this benefit right away, especially if you like the taste of cinnamon. Researchers believe that adding just a ½ teaspoon to your diet daily, perhaps sprinkled over breakfast can begin to lower blood sugar levels. It may take some time to see results, but it’s a tasty way to lower your blood sugar.
Herbs in general can be beneficial to your health. While most people reach for salt to improve the taste of their food, you can improve your health if you reach for a few more tasty choices.
For those that haven’t really added many different spices to their diet, it can be an easy way to add a lot of flavor to foods that are new to you on your diabetes diet.
To get started, consider these tips for adding more spice into your diet:
• Great choices include parsley, garlic, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Try them on meats, vegetables and even fruits.
• Instead of flavoring a food with a large amount of salt, reduce the salt by 50 percent and add a mixture of one teaspoon of basil and one teaspoon of oregano (in the same amount as the missing salt) to your food.
• Fresh garlic is one of the best tools for improving health. It can lower blood pressure and improve your cholesterol significantly. You should try to consume as much as possible, but three clovers per day is recommended for maximum results.
• Rosemary is an excellent antioxidant which can help to prevent heart disease and cancers. Other antioxidant powerful herbs include thyme, basil and oregano. (That’s a great combination for fighting off a cold, too.)
One of the largest drawbacks for many on a diet to reduce blood sugar levels is the missing sugar. Replace some of the sugar that you wish you could have with cinnamon or nutmeg. You can mix this into virtually any recipe and get enhanced flavor without the sugar.
The Use Of Medications
There are a variety of medications that can be prescribed by a doctor to improve your condition. For those that face pre-diabetic conditions, the first goal will be to treat the condition with weight loss, exercise and dietary changes as this may be all that is necessary. For others, medication is necessary.
Either a single medication may be used or a combination of them, depending on your individual health needs and other conditions you may have.
Some will slow the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream after you eat. Others help by limiting the amount of sugar that is released into your bloodstream by your liver specifically. Inhibitors are used to block enzymes that can break down specific proteins which in turn cause your body to release insulin into your body.
Other medications work by improving the stimulation that your pancreas gets to release more insulin or can enhance the way that your tissue reacts in order to become more sensitive to insulin.
Doctors also look at other health conditions you may be experiencing. If they feel that one medication may be better for you, and you aren’t sure why, ask.
There is no doubt that the need for medications is very real and in most cases is something that can not be avoided. Indeed, if you are taking them you should never stop taking them without talking to your doctor beforehand as side effects can be extreme.
Yet, there may be some methods to improving your body’s blood sugar level through other treatments other than medications.
Either a single medication may be used or a combination of them, depending on your individual health needs and other conditions you may have.
Some will slow the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream after you eat. Others help by limiting the amount of sugar that is released into your bloodstream by your liver specifically. Inhibitors are used to block enzymes that can break down specific proteins which in turn cause your body to release insulin into your body.
Other medications work by improving the stimulation that your pancreas gets to release more insulin or can enhance the way that your tissue reacts in order to become more sensitive to insulin.
Doctors also look at other health conditions you may be experiencing. If they feel that one medication may be better for you, and you aren’t sure why, ask.
There is no doubt that the need for medications is very real and in most cases is something that can not be avoided. Indeed, if you are taking them you should never stop taking them without talking to your doctor beforehand as side effects can be extreme.
Yet, there may be some methods to improving your body’s blood sugar level through other treatments other than medications.
Other Methods For Lowering Blood Sugar
The fact is simple. Nothing besides monitoring a good diet and exercise regimen can do as much for you in managing your blood sugar levels. Nevertheless, there are several other solutions that can work for you as they have worked for many others.
Medications are one of these. You and your doctor will talk about your need for medications, which generally will include insulin products that will regulate your body’s ability to bring sugars from your blood stream into your body’s cells for use.
There are also many different types of home remedies or unproven methods of treating and lowering blood sugar levels. Anyone can benefit from these, but they aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone. While science still works on proving that they work, you can benefit from them.
What’s more, there are many other small changes that you can make that will make a significant change in your lifestyle as well as improve your overall blood sugar levels. Simple, and maybe something you want to do, these elements can truly improve your health.
But, first, let’s mention some of the medications that are used to lower blood sugar levels to acceptable levels, which most individuals that deal with high blood sugar need to use.
Medications are one of these. You and your doctor will talk about your need for medications, which generally will include insulin products that will regulate your body’s ability to bring sugars from your blood stream into your body’s cells for use.
There are also many different types of home remedies or unproven methods of treating and lowering blood sugar levels. Anyone can benefit from these, but they aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone. While science still works on proving that they work, you can benefit from them.
What’s more, there are many other small changes that you can make that will make a significant change in your lifestyle as well as improve your overall blood sugar levels. Simple, and maybe something you want to do, these elements can truly improve your health.
But, first, let’s mention some of the medications that are used to lower blood sugar levels to acceptable levels, which most individuals that deal with high blood sugar need to use.
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