High blood sugar is a hallmark symptom of prediabetes and diabetes. In addition to taking prescribed medication, individuals should adopt a healthy diet, prioritizing vegetables, lean protein, and limiting processed meats and sugary foods to avoid impacting blood sugar levels. Several lifestyle changes can contribute to better symptom management.

Increase physical activity:

Regular physical activity improves insulin sensitivity, helping the body use glucose more effectively. If you don't have time for the weight room, gym, or aerobics classes, a 10-15 minute walk or bike ride in the morning, or a short 15-minute walk after dinner, can also lower blood sugar levels.

Avoid prolonged sitting: Set a timer on your phone to stand up and walk around every 30-60 minutes while working. Consider standing during meetings instead of sitting for extended periods, walking to a distant water cooler, or taking a 5-10 minute walk during breaks or lunch.

Take the stairs: People with diabetes should take advantage of short bursts of activity like climbing stairs at work, home, or the mall instead of using the elevator. These short activities are both easy to implement and effective for blood sugar control.

Change your scenery: Take walks to enjoy the scenery or choose different routes when going to the market or picking up children to increase daily activity.

Follow workout videos at home: While cooking, cleaning, folding laundry, or helping children with homework, you can play workout videos and follow along. Increasing daily steps provides more energy and improves blood sugar control.

Get enough sleep:

Poor sleep quality affects all bodily functions, including blood sugar control. Those who sleep less often have irregular eating habits, snacking, and consuming unhealthy foods. Sleep deprivation affects hormones like cortisol, which raises blood sugar and causes weight gain.

People with diabetes need 7-9 hours of sleep each night and should wake up early in the morning. Limiting screen time on phones and computers in the evening promotes healthy sleep. Create a quiet sleep environment with comfortable bedding, a dark and cool room to facilitate better sleep. If poor sleep quality persists, individuals with diabetes should consult a doctor for a timely check-up and diagnosis.

Reduce stress:

Stress increases hormones like cortisol, prompting the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. When this occurs frequently, consistently elevated stress hormones negatively impact blood sugar, contributing to weight gain and fatigue. Prolonged high stress can also increase the risk of developing insulin resistance.

The following tips can help people with diabetes manage stress more effectively: practicing deep breathing exercises, mindful meditation, journaling, socializing, taking walks and talking with friends.

Anh Chi (According to Eating Well)