Alternatives to Control Blood Sugar

Having problems with blood sugar levels leads to hypoglycemia---low blood sugar levels--or hyperglycemia--high blood sugar levels, also known as diabetes.

Many people who have high or low blood sugar problems eventually end up taking medications to help regulate those problems, but it is now recognized that alternative treatments work extremely well too.

There are three key ingredients to controlling blood sugar naturally: weight loss, diet and exercise. As you might expect, they're all related.

Weight Loss

• Being overweight or obese is one of the primary indicators of developing diabetes, so losing weight or maintaining a healthy body weight can be a primary way to help control blood sugar levels.

  If you're overweight and having problems with your blood glucose levels, it's important to get started with a comprehensive weight loss plan right away. In fact The American Diabetes Association states that losing extra weight can bring your blood sugar levels down to normal ranges.

Exercise

• Exercise is an excellent way to start losing excess body weight, and the physical activity helps force your body to release the extra glucose it has stored. CNN health expert Dr. Melina Jampolis explains that numerous studies have shown how regular exercise helps control blood sugar levels, and more intense physical activity may help work the best. She states that a combination of physical exercise and fat loss will provide the most benefits.

Diet

• Perhaps the easiest alternative method of controlling blood sugar is to change your diet. Changing your diet is done for two reasons: To lose weight and to reduce the amount of simple sugars.

  Since weight loss is one of the best ways to control blood sugar levels, many doctors and nutritionists work with you to develop an eating plan that will help accomplish those weight loss goals. For diabetics however, it's also crucial to control the amount of simple carbs and sugars eaten each day.

  Some foods raise your blood sugar levels quite slowly, while others raise it very quickly. Foods high in fiber and rich in healthy protein tend to cause much more slow and gradual rises, while sugary foods and simple carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta are quickly converted into sugar by your body, causing your blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Complex carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains also cause your blood glucose levels to rise, but it happens at a slower pace.

  By changing your diet to include more complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy protein, you'll be able to regulate and control your blood sugar levels much more easily and naturally.