5 Tips to Control Blood Sugar Levels

Are you doing enough to control your blood sugar levels?  It's no secret that maintaining and regulating blood sugar is important for your health. When levels of glucose (sugar) levels remain elevated for a prolonged length of time, it increases the risk of diabetes. Furthermore, high blood sugar levels can cause hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia and organic damage. So, if you struggle to maintain and regulate your blood sugar levels, consider the following tips to help.

#1) Avoid Simple Carbs

It's not just the obvious culprits like candy and soda that you need to avoid; it's also the simple carbohydrates. White bread, for example, is a refined starch made with white flour. When digested, it's treated in a similar manner as sugar, thus causing elevated blood sugar levels. Stick with complex carbs like whole grains while avoiding simple carbs.

#2) Get Your Weight Down

If you are currently overweight, you should focus on slimming down to a healthy weight. Research shows that obesity is a key risk factor in diabetes and other blood sugar problems. By dropping just 5 to 10 pounds, you'll have an easier time controlling and managing your blood sugar levels.

#3) Don't Skip Meals

Some people assume that fasting is the best way to avoid sudden blood sugar spikes, but this couldn't be further from the truth. When you skip meals, your blood sugar levels may drop to dangerous levels, causing nausea, fatigue, headache and other problems. To prevent this from happening, you need to eat several small meals throughout the day.

#4) Snack on Nuts

Of course, it's important to choose the right snacks to prevent blood sugar problems. If you consume sugary snacks between meals, you'll struggle to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious and nutritious snacks available, including nuts. Whether you prefer peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, etc., you can't go wrong with nuts. They are loaded in protein, fiber, unsaturated fats and other beneficial nutrients, all while containing little

#5) Eat Veggies

Finally, try to eat more vegetables with your meals. Vegetables are low on the glycemic index, meaning they won't cause issues with your blood sugar levels. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans currently recommends between five and 13 servings of fruits and vegetables, which translates into 2 /12 to 6 /12 cups daily. You can easily achieve these recommendations by making vegetables a part of every meal.