Low GI foods, like complex carbs, won't raise your blood sugar very quickly. Examples of these include oatmeal, pasta, sweet potatoes, fruits, and carrots. Medium GI foods include rice, couscous, pita bread, and brown rice.
These are your starchy carbohydrates, and include fruits like apples, blueberries, strawberries and cantaloupe; whole intact grains like brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta and oatmeal; starchy vegetables like corn, green peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and plantains; and beans and lentils like black beans, ...
Experts advise drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day for oxygen to flow freely in your body and help the kidneys and colon eliminate waste. What's best, it helps in flushing out excess sugar from your body.
In general, foods that cause blood sugar level to rise the most are those that are high in carbohydrates, which are quickly converted into energy, such as rice, bread, fruits and sugar. Next are foods high in protein, such as meats, fish eggs, milk and dairy products, and oily foods.
The American Diabetes Association recommends filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at meals, such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans, squash and mushrooms.
The body transforms carbohydrates into simple sugars. Even non-sweet carbohydrates like starchy foods undergo metabolic conversion to simple sugar. Consequently, the blood glucose levels start to increase. In some cases, a low-carb diet can also elevate blood sugar.
The others are protein and fat. Carbs give your cells energy. People with diabetes need to know about carbs because all carbs raise blood sugar levels.
Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.
When a person is fasting, their blood glucose levels decrease. This triggers the pancreas to make and release more glucagon, a hormone that keeps glucose from dropping too low. Glucagon does this by causing the liver to break down glycogen (stored glucose) and release the glucose back into the bloodstream.
Although blueberries are loaded with sugar i.e. 15 grams of sugar is present in a cup of blueberries, they do not elicit an increase in blood sugars drastically. This is because blueberries bioactive enhance insulin sensitivity, thereby controlling the blood sugar level of people with diabetes type 2.
Lemons are high in soluble fiber, which slows digestion and, by doing so, helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Target blood sugar levels differ for everyone, but generally speaking: if you monitor yourself at home – a normal target is 4-7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5-9mmol/l two hours after a meal.
Oatmeals have a low glycemic index of about 55. It means that consuming oatmeal does not cause sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. In addition, oatmeals are high in fibre content and help prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and fulfil the daily ideal fibre intake.
Nigma Talib, a naturopath who works with celebrities, has popularized the term “Sugar Face” to describe the effects that excess sugar has on the skin. Supposedly, she can look at someone's face and determine if they have a sweet tooth by the appearance and the location of their blemishes and wrinkles.
Cutting down sugar helps in improving insulin resistance, makes you feel active and energetic and further boosts your kidney function and metabolism. "Cutting down sugar will reduce your hunger pangs and also prevent mood swings since they are mostly caused by sugar spikes," the expert added.