High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, occurs when too much sugar (glucose) is in the bloodstream. It can happen for many reasons, including eating too many foods that contain carbohydrates, not getting enough physical activity, not taking enough diabetes medication (insulin or an oral medication), stress, and illness.
If you have diabetes, you can learn how to control your blood sugar levels with diet and exercise. This is important because when your blood sugar is too high, it can damage your heart, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys. Keeping your blood sugar levels under control can help you feel better and live a long, healthy life.
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in your blood. It comes from the food you eat, and is your body's main source of energy. Your blood carries glucose to all of your body's cells to use for energy.
Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells. When you eat or drink, your blood sugar level rises. Insulin is released into your bloodstream, and helps move blood sugar into your cells.
If you have diabetes, either your body doesn't make enough insulin, or it can't use the insulin it does make as well as it should. When there isn't enough insulin — or when it doesn't work properly — too much sugar stays in your blood. This can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and amputations.
The role of blood sugar in the body
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main source of energy for the body's cells and the only source of energy for the brain and nervous system. The body needs a constant supply of energy to function properly.
When you eat or drink, blood sugar levels rise. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move blood sugar into your cells to be used as fuel. To keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high or too low, your body tightly regulates how much sugar is in your blood.
Certain health conditions can affect how well your body regulates blood sugar. When this happens, you may have high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) or low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).
The benefits of controlling blood sugar
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main type of sugar found in blood. It comes from the food we eat and is used by our bodies for energy. Our bodies keep blood glucose levels within a narrow range by using a hormone called insulin.
If you have diabetes, your body can’t make enough insulin or can’t use it effectively. This causes your blood glucose levels to become too high. High blood sugar levels can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and nerve damage.
Fortunately, you can take steps to lower your blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of developing these complications. One important way to do this is to learn how to control your blood sugar through diet and exercise.
The benefits of controlling blood sugar include:
- improved cardiovascular health
- lower risk of stroke and heart attack
- lower risk of kidney disease and nerve damage
- lower risk of blindness
- improved circulation
Foods that raise blood sugar
When you have diabetes, your blood sugar (glucose) levels may be consistently high. Over time, this can damage your body and lead to complications.One way to help control your blood sugar is to watch your diet and choose foods that have a low glycemic index (GI).
The glycemic index is a scale that ranges from 0 to 100. It shows how quickly a food raises your blood sugar levels. Foods with a high GI score raise your blood sugar more than those with a lower score.
Some examples of high-GI foods include:
-white bread
-processed breakfast cereals
-white rice
-mashed potato
-corn
-parsnips
-instant oats
-couscous
-melons and watermelon
-pineapple
Foods that lower blood sugar
There are many different foods that can help to lower blood sugar levels. Some of the most effective are listed below.
1. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is high in fiber, which helps to slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. It also contains a substance called beta-glucan, which has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels.
2. Fish: Fish is a good source of protein, which helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. In addition, fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to have a positive effect on blood sugar control.
3. Whole grains: Whole grains are also high in fiber, which helps to slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. In addition, whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are important for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
4. Green leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals that are important for blood sugar control. In addition, they contain substances that help to lower blood sugar levels.
Tips for controlling blood sugar
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in your blood. It's the sugar that comes from the foods you eat and is your body's main source of energy. Your blood carries glucose to all of your body's cells to use for energy.
Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. When this happens, too much glucose stays in your blood. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems.
Tips for controlling blood sugar
There are many things you can do to help control your blood sugar:
-Eat healthy foods
-Be active
-Monitor your blood sugar
-Take medication as prescribed
-Learn about stress and diabetes
-Know your A1C goal
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