by Olaide Akande

Created on: July 24, 2009

Diabetes affects 5% of the American population on the average and as high as 18% of elderly Americans. The symptoms of diabetes as diverse as it is, is hinged on one and only one factor; high blood sugar levels. It is no wonder then that controlling blood sugar levels is very essential in the management of this chronic condition.

According to the WHO, a fasting sugar level of greater than or equal to 140mg/dl is diagnostic of diabetes. Those having a range of 115-140mg/dl fall into the impaired glucose tolerance range. This category of people will also benefit from lowering their blood sugar. Normally, the hormone insulin is responsible for facilitating uptake of glucose from your blood into your cells after a meal, thereby reducing the amount remaining in your blood.

The following are ways to get your blood sugar level within normal limits.

Diet

Watching your diet is the first step to take in lowering your blood sugar levels. Most of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates, about 55%. Fats should constitute 30% and protein 15%. Your diet should consist of complex carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, brown rice to name a few, and be devoid of simple, refined sugars.

Complex carbohydrates are absorbed less rapidly than simple carbohydrates hence prolonging the time taken for your blood sugar to rise after a meal. This is known as the glycemic index. So in effect carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (GI) are better than those with a high GI.knowing the GI of different foods can thus be helpful as even complex starches differ in their GIs.

Fats should consist more of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated (usually found in plant oils, fish, and nuts) than unsaturated fats such as those found in animal fats, butter and whole milk. Plenty of fruits and vegetables are obviously beneficial. They provide some amount of fiber which helps in also decreasing post meal rise in blood sugar by delaying absorption from the gut.

Exercise

This helps in lowering your blood sugar by increasing the number of cell receptors in your body tissues. As the cell receptor increases, more glucose can be taken up by these cells, hence leading to a fall in the amount of sugar in your blood. Exercise should be individually tailored, and built up gradually. For a patient on insulin, the timing of dosing and exercise is important as its absorption in an exercised limb is more rapid. This can lead to hypoglycemia. Be sure to eat a snack before exercising if you experience

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