8 habits for healthy blood sugar

Keep your blood sugar in check

If you are living with diabetes-and nine million Canadians have diabetes or prediabetes-one of the challenges is keeping your blood sugar in check. Even the most careful of us can slip into the occasional unhealthy habit, and for a diabetic, this can have consequences, including weight gain. Of the Canadians with this disease, 90 percent have type 2 diabetes, which can often be managed with lifestyle changes. Just one of these eight habits-done daily or weekly-will help to keep your blood sugar and insulin levels healthy.

Focus on relaxing

Spend 10 minutes a day tensing and then relaxing the muscles in your body, from your toes to your eyes. A study of 100 people with high blood sugar levels found that this kind of stress relief significantly improved their levels.

Walk a little every day

In one large U.S. study, it took just 1.5 kilometres of walking a day to slash the risk of dying from diabetes by more than a third. Believe it or not, if you walk about 10 kilometres a week, you’ll be 34 percent less likely to die from heart disease, the leading cause of death in people with diabetes -and nearly 40 percent less likely to die from all diabetes-related causes. Why? Walking makes your cells more receptive to insulin, which leads to better control of blood sugar. It also raises the levels of good cholesterol.

Walk a little every day

In one large U.S. study, it took just 1.5 kilometres of walking a day to slash the risk of dying from diabetes by more than a third. Believe it or not, if you walk about 10 kilometres a week, you’ll be 34 percent less likely to die from heart disease, the leading cause of death in people with diabetes -and nearly 40 percent less likely to die from all diabetes-related causes. Why? Walking makes your cells more receptive to insulin, which leads to better control of blood sugar. It also raises the levels of good cholesterol.

Walk a little every day

In one large U.S. study, it took just 1.5 kilometres of walking a day to slash the risk of dying from diabetes by more than a third. Believe it or not, if you walk about 10 kilometres a week, you’ll be 34 percent less likely to die from heart disease, the leading cause of death in people with diabetes -and nearly 40 percent less likely to die from all diabetes-related causes. Why? Walking makes your cells more receptive to insulin, which leads to better control of blood sugar. It also raises the levels of good cholesterol.

Get eight hours sleep every night

Numerous studies have found that sleep deprivation has a dramatic effect on your blood sugar and insulin levels. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day so you are consistently getting enough rest.

Make it decaf

If you can’t resist a croissant or donut in the morning, drink decaffeinated coffee with it. British researchers found that combining decaf with simple sugars reduces the blood sugar rise that sweet treats create. Caffeinated coffee did not have the same benefit, because while plant chemicals in coffee slow the rate at which your intestines absorb sugar, caffeine delays sugar’s arrival in the muscles, keeping it in the bloodstream longer.

Do resistance training

Try to fit in at least one session a week. The more muscle mass you have, the more efficiently your body burns glucose (sugar)-so less stays in your blood. Plus, it will re-energize you for the rest of the week.

Have a glass of wine with dinner (just one)

One study found that women who had a glass of wine a day cut their risk of diabetes in half compared with teetotallers. (Not a wine lover? The same effect was found for beer.) But cork the wine once dinner is over. An Australian study found drinking a glass of wine immediately after eating can result in a sudden drop in the insulin in your blood, meaning the glucose from your meal hangs around longer, eventually damaging the arteries.

Watch a funny movie

A Japanese study found that people with diabetes who laughed while watching a comedy soon after eating had much lower blood sugar than those who listened to a lecture. This applies to non-diabetics, too.

Try soba noodles

Traditionally served cold, this is a popular lunchtime meal in Japan in the hotter months. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, a grain that lowered blood glucose levels between 12 and 19 percent in one well-controlled study on rats. Buckwheat is an excellent source of fibre and the evidence linking fibre and blood glucose improvement is well documented.

Related:
• NEW! 2-Day Diabetes Diet
• How to track your blood sugar levels
• 6 ways to lower your blood sugar with sleep