Researchers studying older adults with pre-diabetes found that 15 minutes of easy-to-moderate exercise after every meal curbed risky blood sugar spikes all day.
Now you can add another reason to take a post-meal stroll – it may lower your blood sugar. That excursion doesn't need to take up a huge amount of your time either: Walking as little as two to five minutes after a meal can do the trick, according to a 2022 study in the journal Sports Medicine.
For the biggest health benefits, aim to walk within 60 to 90 minutes after you finish a meal; this is when blood sugar levels tend to peak, Cardel says. This could be a walk around the block, a quick stroll around the office after lunch, or taking a phone call on-the-go.
In most folks, 30-60 minutes after exercise, levels will lower. Often in type 1 diabetes, however, it takes longer for levels to come down post exercise.
Drinking water regularly may rehydrate the blood, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce diabetes risk ( 20 , 21 ). Keep in mind that water and other zero-calorie drinks are best. Avoid sugar-sweetened options, as these can raise blood glucose, drive weight gain, and increase diabetes risk ( 22 , 23 ).
250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L) or higher.
The presence of ketones indicates that your body doesn't have enough insulin to control your blood sugar. If you exercise when you have a high level of ketones, you risk ketoacidosis — a serious complication of diabetes that needs immediate treatment.
Good news: Two new studies found that exercising 30 minutes a day reduces your risk of diabetes by 25 percent, and walking for 10 minutes after meals lowers your blood sugar by 22 percent.
Try to work your way to 10,000 steps per day or at least 30 minutes a day to cut your risk of type 2 diabetes. If you have trouble walking 30 minutes at a time, try walking in smaller amounts throughout the day, such as 10 minutes in the morning, afternoon, and evenings.
Exercise (even just 10 or 15 minutes)
Physical activity can be a very effective method of reducing a high blood sugar. If you don't take insulin, exercise can be a very simple approach to reducing high blood sugar levels. Even just a 15-minute walk can have a big impact on your blood sugar.
Adrenaline raises blood glucose levels by stimulating your liver to release glucose. The food you eat before or during a workout may also contribute to a glucose rise. Eat too many carbs before exercising, and your sweat session may not be enough to keep your blood glucose within your goal range.
In general, the best time to exercise is one to three hours after eating, when your blood sugar level is likely to be higher. If you use insulin, it's important to test your blood sugar before exercising.
A diabetic coma could happen when your blood sugar gets too high -- 600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or more -- causing you to become very dehydrated. It usually affects people with type 2 diabetes that isn't well-controlled. It's common among those who are elderly, chronically ill, and disabled.
Barley or jau water is high in insoluble fibre, which makes it good for diabetics. It is recommended for diabetics as it helps stabilise blood glucose levels. Make sure you drink unsweetened barley water to get effective results. The antioxidant properties of barley water also helps keep many diseases at bay.
There is a belief that walking just after a meal causes fatigue, stomach ache, and other types of discomfort. However, the author and one volunteer participant had no such negative reactions, and found that walking just after a meal was more effective for weight loss than waiting one hour after eating before walking.
Very strenuous activity, heavy lifting or straining and isometric exercise. Most moderate activity such as walking, moderate lifting, weight lifting with light weights and high repetitions, stretching.
Some studies suggest that drinking coffee — whether caffeinated and decaffeinated — may actually reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, however, the impact of caffeine on insulin action may be associated with higher or lower blood sugar levels.
The quick answer is yes, drinking water may help lower blood sugar. Water not only prevents dehydration, but also helps flush out excess sugar through your urine.
Lemon juice significantly lowered the mean blood glucose concentration peak by 30% (p < 0.01) and delayed it more than 35 min (78 vs. 41 min with water, p < 0.0001).
If your blood sugar levels are consistently high (usually above 20 mmol/L in adults and above 14 mmol/L in children), you may have moderate to severe symptoms of high blood sugar.
Anything under 40 mg/dL is considered extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. A person is at a significantly higher risk of falling into a diabetic coma if they cannot get their blood sugar above 40 mg/dL for several hours.
After eating, blood sugar levels rise as the body begins to break down food into sugars and tend to peak one to two hours after eating. People without diabetes will produce enough insulin to bring their blood sugar level back down from its post-meal high.
Conversely, aerobic exercise (also known as “cardiovascular” or “cardio”) will generally burn glucose for fuel, lowering your blood sugar.