Diabetes has taken our country by storm. The obesity rates are now reaching epidemic numbers. Seventy percent of America is overweight and almost forty percent is obese. For the most part, our diet and lifestyle are the root cause of these numbers. It’s not our family history and genetics causing this to happen, but rather our ability to make better choices. The great news is there are some simple ways to win the battle when is comes to blood sugar and they are helpful when the body has broken down to the point of hypoglycemia, pre-diabetes, and even type 2 diabetes. The way we eat, exercise, and even think has more to do with our blood sugar than we can imagine. As a matter of fact, researchers are even learning that our environment is playing a major role in the outcome of our blood sugar numbers. So what can we do to help stabilize and even reverse these types of health challenges?
The power lies in your ability to ask the right questions and then make great lifestyle choices. With blood sugar issues we know that we must create some level of consistency in our habits. So let’s dive into the top 5 natural ways to support healthy blood sugar.
1.Eat 5-6 Meals Per Day
Typically our health coaches would say that we now know that eating more frequent smaller meals throughout the day can help stabilize blood sugar levels. But what does that look like? The goal is to balance out your carbohydrate (such as fruit, brown rice, sweet potato, vegetable) with either a protein (chicken, beef, fish, eggs, etc) or a fat(nuts, seeds, avocado, oils). The reason is that the protein and fat help to balance the blood sugar of the carbohydrate before it ever gets started going in the wrong direction.
2.Exercise
This is a must. No more excuses. You have to get moving. Now I am an exercise fanatic. I really do enjoy it. So I realize it’s easier said than done. However, if you really want results, exercise has to be woven into your lifestyle. The best way to do this is to just start. Start walking 10 minutes per day. That’s it. But do it every day and watch what happens to your blood sugar levels when you check it just after 1 week.
3.Drink Cinnamon Tea
Easy to do. Just take hot water, and add ½ teaspoon of organic cinnamon to the water. Drink just before your meals. Research is so strong on the benefits of cinnamon that they compared it to some of the conventional medications.
4.Eat More Fat
Blood sugar can be slowed down and even managed better when we have more fats in our diet. Don’t worry. Fat doesn’t make you fat, if it is the right kind. Your fat intake should be about 30% of your calories for empowering your health.
5.Check Your A1c
So listen, without a doubt, here is power in the blood. The hemoglobin A1c is the powerhouse indicator. The A1c should be 4.8 or less to show that you are not becoming insulin resistant. If you are above that number, you need serious help with your eating and lifestyle game plan.
