What Can a Type 2 Diabetes Patient Do to Lower Their Blood Sugar Level?

Being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is a stressful experience. For the rest of your life, you will need to be careful of what you eat as well as how much you exercise. The pancreas produces insulin when blood sugar rises in the healthy body, but in a Type 2 diabetic, the pancreas is no longer working as it should and the cells are not absorbing blood glucose efficiently, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Avoid Blood Sugar-Spiking Foods

• Bringing blood sugar under control is like trying to drive a remote control plane, according to the Nemours Foundation. To manage Type 2 diabetes you need to change what you eat, lose some weight and exercise. By following this program, some type 2 diabetics have even learned to stabilize their blood sugars without additional medication.

  Simple sugars like any non-diet soda, candy and juice are banned. Simple carbohydrates like white rice, white bread and some fruits spike blood sugar and should never be eaten alone. Protein and fats slow the absorption of sugars and should be part of every meal. Foods like vegetables, nuts, beans and grains are part of what are known as low-glycemic foods. See the Resources for a handy chart of foods with their glycemic indexes.

Foods that Lower Blood Sugar Levels

• High fiber foods like sweet potatoes (without added sweeteners), old fashioned rolled oats and green leafy vegetables supply complex carbohydrates. Meat does not raise blood sugars, but it can be high in calories, so choose lean meats like roasted turkey, grilled chicken, shrimp and even pork. Beans are excellent sources of protein, fiber, minerals and complex carbohydrates. Fruits eaten raw are always better than drinking just their juice because the fiber in the flesh and skins slows down the sugar absorption.

Exercise

• Your doctor will tell you if your Type 2 Diabetes is caused by weight gain. Work an exercise routine into every day even if it is as simple as walking for 30 minutes. Exercise decreases insulin resistance and controls the amount of glucose in the blood. It burns calories and improves your outlook on life. You might be surprised to find out that walking downhill lowers blood your blood sugar levels more than walking uphill.

Add Some Extras

• Try almonds, oysters, chicken and sardines for extra zinc, which helps lower glucose levels. Avocados are high in healthy fats as are flax seeds, coconut and nuts. Drink green tea, decaffeinated coffee and red wine and add cinnamon to your foods. Chromium supplements also are reputed to lower blood sugar.