How to Lower Blood Sugar - Part2 Lowering Blood Sugar through Exercise

1 Consult a doctor about an exercise plan. While the following steps describe actions that are generally helpful for people with high blood sugar and associated health problems, they will not be as effective as specific recommendations tailored to your health problems and characteristics.

·         Visit your doctor or doctor-recommended nutritionist regularly to check on progress and keep an eye out for possible health problems that result from high blood sugar.

2 If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels before and during exercise.While exercise reduces blood sugar in the long run, it can actually increase your blood sugar in the short term by encouraging your body to produce glucose (sugar) to fuel your muscles.If you have diabetes or other health issues that require testing your own blood sugar, it's important to check your blood sugar levels before you begin exercising and about every 30 minutes during exercise.

• A doctor or drugstore may be able to provide you with a blood glucose meter or testing strip for testing your blood sugar.

3 Decide how to exercise based on the results of your blood sugar test. If you are diabetic, it's important to adapt your exercise routine to the results of a blood sugar test, as mentioned above. Decide whether exercising is safe at this time using these instructions, or the instructions your doctor provides for your specific case:

• If you blood sugar is lower than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L), raise your blood sugar before exercising. A small snack containing carbohydrates should accomplish this, such as fruit or crackers. If you do not eat any carbohydrates and exercise anyway, you risk experiencing shakiness and anxiety, falling unconscious, or even entering a coma.
• If the test result is between 100 and 250 mg/dL (5.6–13.9 mmol/L), no action is required unless your doctor instructed you otherwise. Continue to exercise.

4 Perform a ketone test if your blood sugar is above 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L). If you are diabetic, and especially if you have type 1 diabetes, you should not exercise when blood sugar is high without first testing for ketones. These are substances that cause serious health problems if they build up, and exercising might increase their levels. Test your urine for ketones using as ketosis test strip from a drugstore, following the instructions carefully. Do not exercise if ketones are present, and test regularly if ketone levels are moderate or high. Seek medical attention immediately if you have very high ketone levels or if the ketone levels don't drop after 30–60 minutes.

• If your blood sugar is higher than 300 mg/dL (16.7 mmol/L), do not exercise. Wait for 30–60 minutes without eating, and test again to see if your blood sugar has dropped to a level that is safe for exercising. Let a doctor or nurse know if you experience this high level of blood sugar frequently or for several hours at a time.

5 Perform frequent, moderate exercise. Exercise helps convert glucose into energy, makes your body's cells more sensitive to insulin, and reduces excess fat, which is associated with high blood sugar. The more active you are, the less likely you are to have problems with high blood sugar.

• Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, for at least 5 days a week. In total, you should exercise 150 minutes or more each week.
• Try to find an exercise that you enjoy; this way you will be more likely to stick with it in the long run. Fast walking, swimming laps, or bicycling are common choices.

6 Stop exercising and call a doctor if you experience pain or blisters. If you have diabetes or are at risk for diabetes, keep an eye out for signs that the exercise may be causing health problems. If you feel faint, have chest pain, suddenly feel short of breath, or notice blisters or pain in your feet, stop and call your doctor.

How to Lower Blood Sugar - Part1 Lowering Blood Sugar through Diet

High blood sugar is most commonly caused by diabetes, which should be managed and treated carefully under a doctor's supervision. However, there are many actions you can take to reduce your blood sugar to healthy levels. Moderate exercise and reasonable dietary changes are great for reducing blood sugar, but they are best achieved with the guidance of a medical or dietary professional who is familiar with your medical history.

Part1 Lowering Blood Sugar through Diet

1 Reduce your intake of sweets, animal products, and refined carbohydrates.Your doctor should be able to recommend a diet more specific to your needs, as there is no single perfect diet for people with high blood sugar or diabetes. However, if you have high blood sugar, it is usually a good idea to lower the amount of meat, dairy, white bread, white rice, potatoes, and sugary foods you consume.

2 Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods, and other foods high in fiber and moderate in fat, are recommended for people with high blood sugar. Whole grains may not be appropriate for every person with high blood sugar, so consult your doctor before making them a major part of your diet.

• Fresh apples, dried apricots, or peaches canned in juice or water are good choices. Avoid canned or frozen fruits that have added sugar.
• At least 3 cups (700mL) of raw vegetables or 1.5 cups (350mL) cooked vegetables every day are recommended. Try artichokes, cucumbers, or salad greens. Fresh vegetables are better than frozen or canned ones, which sometimes have added sodium.
• Oatmeal and barley are especially good whole grain options for most people with high blood sugar.
• Note that eating too many carbohydrates can increase your blood sugar and cause obesity.

3 Look up foods you're not certain about. If you are not certain whether a food is harmful, ask a doctor or look up the food on a glycemic index, which gives a rough idea of its effect on blood sugar (but not its overall healthiness). "High glycemic" foods with a Glycemic Index rating of 70 or above should be avoided if you have high blood sugar. Replace these with "low glycemic" foods (GI rating 55 or below), such as the foods recommended above. Foods with a rating between 55 and 70 have a "medium" rating, and can be eaten in low to moderate amounts depending on your needs.

4 Cut down on tobacco and alcohol. If you use these substances daily or imbibe them in large quantities, you could be seriously affecting your body's ability to produce insulin, which breaks down sugar in your bloodstream. If you are trying to quit smoking, realize that products containing nicotine may cause similar effects. Nicotine patches or gum may be used as a temporary replacement, but should not be treated as a long term solution if you are concerned about high blood sugar.

5 Be skeptical about specific food claims. Newspaper headlines often make claims about managing blood sugar or other health issues with common foods, but these are not always backed up by high-quality medical studies. Studies of coffee have produced contradictory results, so its overall effect on blood sugar is unclear. One study of cinnamon found possible benefits, but only a small group of similar people were tested. All of them were people over 40, with type 2 diabetes, who were not using insulin therapy or taking medications for health conditions other than diabetes.Even if a claim seems reasonable to you, realize that one food item is never a replacement for exercise, other dietary changes, or medical treatments.

3 Method to Avoid High Blood Pressure - Method3 Managing Stress

1 Identify different areas of stress in your life. Blood pressure is directly impacted by stress. When you’re in a stressful situation, your blood pressure is increased by a sudden increase in hormones.^[21] It is important to note what triggers stress for you so you can work on managing it. Some common stresses include job loss, death, marriage, and moving.

2 Reduce or eliminate stresses through physical activities. Yoga, meditation, and deep relaxation techniques can all help lower your stress levels. Yoga and meditation also not only relax you and strengthen your body, but also may lower your systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg or more.

·         Yoga: Yoga consists of a series of movements or postures that increase strength and flexibility. Another part of yoga is controlling your breathing, which helps to quiet your mind and control your body.

·         Meditation: Meditation involves focusing your attention and eliminating thoughts that may be cluttering your mind, which may result in physical and emotional well-being improvements.

·         Deep Relaxation: Deep relaxation includes controlling your breath as well as contracting and relaxing different muscle groups, leading to a more calm state of mind.

3 Learn effective mental stress coping techniques. We all handle stress in different ways; however, some ways like overeating work against lowering blood pressure. More helpful methods include positive reframing, seeking support, problem-solving, and adjusting expectations.

·         Positive reframing: Note the positive or upbeat aspects of the situation.

·         Seeking support: Ask for help or emotional support from friends, family members or medical professionals.

·         Problem-solving: Find the source of the problem and determine a solution.

·         Adjusting Expectations: Change your anticipated outcomes as different scenarios unfold.  

3 Method to Avoid High Blood Pressure - Method2 Staying Fit

1 Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Being physically active lowers your risk of high blood pressure by 20% to 50%. Doctors recommend 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day, or a total of 150 minutes per week. It is important to be consistent. Your systolic blood pressure can be lowered by as much as 5 to 10 mm of mercury from exercise.

2 Keep your weight within a healthy range. You are 2 to 6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure if you are overweight or obese.

·         By maintaining a healthy weight, your waist is trimmed down, too. Experts claim that a large waist circumference can be a predictor of high blood pressure and heart disease. Studies show that waist measurements of 40 inches (102 cm) or more for men, 35 inches (89 cm) or more for women are linked to high blood pressure. Waist measurements vary by ethnicity. For example, for Asian men, the linked waist measurement is 36 inches (90 cm) or more and 32 inches (81 cm) or more for Asian women.

·         While the mechanism of its role is still unknown, one theory is that peripheral insulin resistance leads to impaired glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia. While a variety of mechanisms have been proposed to explain how hyperinsulinemia leads to increased hypertension, none have been proven definitively.

3 Get enough sleep every night. Sleeping 7 to 8 hours every night may help prevent high blood pressure. Sleep helps to keep your nervous system healthy and to regulate stress hormones. Too little sleep, less than 6 hours, could hurt your body’s ability to regulate stress hormones over time.

4 Stop the use of all tobacco products and avoid secondhand smoke. Blood pressure is temporarily increased for many minutes after a cigarette is smoked. Atherosclerosis (fatty buildups in arteries), cancer, and other lung problems can also be caused by smoking and secondhand smoke exposure.

5 Nip problems in the bud early. If your blood pressure is occasionally high, but not that way every time you go to the doctor, you may still have a problem. Studies indicate that occasional high blood pressure can be a sign of a chronic problem in the future or even a strong predictor of strokes. Discuss this with your doctor. By catching any problems now, you may be able to alleviate problems in the future. 

3 Method to Avoid High Blood Pressure - Method1 Eating a Healthy Diet

High blood pressure or hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and failure, strokes, and kidney disease. Make sure to have your blood pressure checked regularly and either lower it or keep it low to avoid serious long-term health complications. A blood pressure of 140/90 (150/90 in those who are 60 years of age and older) or greater is considered high. You can avoid high blood pressure by eating a healthy diet, staying fit, and managing stress.

Method1 Eating a Healthy Diet

1 Incorporate vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low-fat dairy products into your daily diet. Certain nutrients have been found to help prevent high blood pressure: potassium, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3s. There is no need to take supplements of these nutrients if you have a well-balanced diet.

• Potassium: Good sources of potassium include winter squash, sweet potatoes, and yogurt.
• Calcium: Surprising sources of calcium include white beans, canned salmon and dried figs.
• Magnesium: Almonds, cashew, and tofu are all great sources of magnesium.
• Omega-3s: Excellent sources of omega-3s include tuna, walnuts, and broccoli.

2 Decrease the amount of salt you consume. To reduce salt consumption, read food labels closely and cut back on processed and restaurant foods. Also, use spices and herbs as seasoning instead of salt. More than 75% of the salt consumed is in restaurant and processed foods. Dietary guidelines state that everyone over the age of 2 should consume less than 2,300 mg of salt daily. Some groups of people should reduce their intake to 1,500 mg a day, including those who are 51 years of age or older, of African American descent, or have high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease.

3 Reduce your alcohol intake. Experts recommend that two drinks per day for men (one drink for men who are 65 and older) and one drink per day for women of any age are acceptable alcohol consumption levels. While having more than three drinks in one sitting can raise your blood pressure temporarily, long-term increases occur with continued binge drinking. Scale back your alcohol consumption or substitute an alcoholic beverage for a non-alcoholic one.

• One drink is considered to be 12 ounces (355 ml) of beer, 5 ounces (148 ml) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 ml) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

4 Limit your caffeine intake. Studies show that caffeine can cause instant blood pressure spikes. It’s recommended to drink no more than two cups (200 ml) of coffee per day. Other significant sources of caffeine include chocolate, soda, and energy drinks. All should be consumed in smaller quantities as well.