12 simple tips to prevent blood sugar spikes

12 simple tips to prevent blood sugar spikes: You could give you the chance to assist keep your blood sugar secure by making changes to your diet, including reducing sugar and refined carbs, drinking enough water, and getting common exercise.

Blood sugar spikes happen when your blood sugar rises and then falls sharply after you eat.

In a brief time period, they will cause lethargy and hunger. Over time, your body will not be in a position to lower blood sugar successfully, which might lead to kind 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a rising health problem. In reality, 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 25% of them don’t even know they’ve it (1Trusted Source).

Blood sugar spikes can also cause your blood vessels to harden and slender, which might lead to a heart assault or stroke.

12 simple issues you are able to do to prevent blood sugar spikes.

1. Go low-carb

Carbohydrates (carbs) are what cause blood sugar to rise.

When you eat carbs, they’re damaged down into simple sugars. Those sugars then enter the bloodstream.

As your blood sugar levels rise, your pancreas releases a hormone referred to as insulin, which prompts your cells to take in sugar from the blood. This causes your blood sugar levels to drop.

Many studies have proven that consuming a low-carb diet may help prevent blood sugar spikes (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

Low-carb diets also have the additional benefit of aiding weight loss, which might also reduce blood sugar spikes (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9).

There are heaps of methods to reduce your carb intake, including counting carbs. Here’s a guide on how to do it.

SUMMARY:

A low-carb diet may help prevent blood sugar spikes and assist weight loss. Counting carbs can also assist.

2. Eat fewer refined carbs

Refined carbs, in any other case often called processed carbs, are sugars or refined grains.

Some common sources of refined carbs are desk sugar, white bread, white rice, soda, sweet, breakfast cereals and desserts.

Refined carbs have been stripped of virtually all nutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Refined carbs are said to have a high glycemic index as a result of they’re very simply and quickly digested by the body. This leads to blood sugar spikes.

A large observational examine of more than 91,000 girls found {that a} diet high in high-glycemic-index carbs was related to an increase in kind 2 diabetes (10Trusted Source).

The spike in blood sugar and subsequent drop chances are you’ll expertise after eating high-glycemic-index foods can also promote hunger and can lead to overeating and weight achieve (11Trusted Source).

The glycemic index of carbs varies. It’s affected by a number of issues, including ripeness, what else you eat and how the carbs are cooked or ready.

Generally, whole-grain foods have a lower glycemic index, as do most fruits, non-starchy vegetables and legumes.

SUMMARY:

Refined carbs have virtually no nutritional worth and increase the risk of kind 2 diabetes and weight achieve.

3. Reduce your sugar intake

The common American consumes 22 teaspoons (88 grams) of added sugar per day. That interprets to round 350 calories (12).

While some of that is added as desk sugar, most of it comes from processed and ready foods, such as sweet, cookies and sodas.

You don’t have any nutritional want for added sugar like sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup. They are, in impact, simply empty calories.

Your body breaks these simple sugars down very simply, inflicting an virtually immediate spike in blood sugar.

Studies present that consuming sugars is related to developing insulin resistance.

This is when the cells fail to reply as they should to the discharge of insulin, ensuing in the body not having the ability to control blood sugar successfully (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified the way foods have to be labeled in the US. Foods now have to show the amount of added sugars they contain in grams and as a percentage of the beneficial every day most intake.

An different choice to giving up sugar solely is to change it with sugar substitutes.

SUMMARY:

Sugar is successfully empty calories. It causes an immediate blood sugar spike and high intake is related to insulin resistance.

4. Keep a healthy weight

At current, two out of three adults in the US are thought of to be overweight or overweight (15Trusted Source).

Being overweight or overweight could make it extra difficult on your body to use insulin and control blood sugar levels.

This can lead to blood sugar spikes and a corresponding increased risk of developing kind 2 diabetes.

The exact methods it really works are still unclear, but there’s heaps of proof linking weight problems to insulin resistance and the event of kind 2 diabetes (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

Weight loss, alternatively, has been proven to improve blood sugar control.

In one examine, 35 overweight people lost an common of 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg) over 12 weeks while they had been on a diet of 1,600 calories a day. Their blood sugar dropped by an common of 14% (19Trusted Source).

In one other examine of people with out diabetes, weight loss was found to lower the incidence of developing kind 2 diabetes by 58% (20Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Being overweight makes it difficult on your body to control blood sugar levels. Even losing a bit weight can improve your blood sugar control.

5. Exercise extra

Exercise helps control blood sugar spikes by rising the sensitivity of your cells to the hormone insulin.

Exercise also causes muscle cells to take in sugar from the blood, serving to to lower blood sugar levels (21).

Both high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise have been found to reduce blood sugar spikes.

One examine found related improvements in blood sugar control in 27 adults who carried out both medium- or high-intensity exercise (22Trusted Source).

Whether you exercise on an empty or full stomach might have an impact on blood sugar control.

One examine found exercise carried out earlier than breakfast managed blood sugar extra successfully than exercise done after breakfast (23Trusted Source).

Increasing exercise also has the additional benefit of serving to with weight loss, a double whammy to fight blood sugar spikes.

SUMMARY

Exercise will increase insulin sensitivity and stimulates cells to take away sugar from the blood.

6. Eat extra fiber

Fiber is made up of the parts of plant food that your body can’t digest.

It is commonly divided into two teams: soluble and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber, in explicit, may help control blood sugar spikes.

It dissolves in water to kind a gel-like substance that helps slow the absorption of carbs in the gut. This results in a gentle rise and fall in blood sugar, moderately than a spike (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

Fiber can also make you’re feeling full, reducing your urge for food and food intake (26Trusted Source).

Good sources of soluble fiber include:

• Oatmeal
• Nuts
• Legumes
• Some fruits, such as apples, oranges and blueberries
• Many vegetables

SUMMARY

Fiber can slow the absorption of carbs and the discharge of sugar into the blood. It can also reduce urge for food and food intake.

7. Drink extra water

Not drinking enough water can lead to blood sugar spikes.

When you’re dehydrated, your body produces a hormone referred to as vasopressin. This encourages your kidneys to retain fluid and cease the body from flushing out extra sugar in your urine.

It also prompts your liver to launch extra sugar into the blood (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).

One examine of 3,615 people found that those that drank at the least 34 ounces (about 1 liter) of water a day had been 21% much less seemingly to develop high blood sugar than those that drank 16 ounces (473 ml) or much less a day (28Trusted Source).

A long-term examine on 4,742 people in Sweden found that, over 12.6 years, an increase of vasopressin in the blood was linked to an increase in insulin resistance and kind 2 diabetes (30Trusted Source).

How much water you should drink is commonly up for dialogue. Essentially, it is dependent upon the person.

Always be sure to drink as quickly as you’re thirsty and increase your water intake during hot climate or while exercising.

Stick to water moderately than sugary juice or sodas, for the reason that sugar content material will lead to blood sugar spikes.

SUMMARY

Dehydration negatively affects blood sugar control. Over time, it might lead to insulin resistance and kind 2 diabetes.

8. Introduce some vinegar into your diet

Vinegar, particularly apple cider vinegar, has been found to have many health benefits.

It has been linked to weight loss, cholesterol reduction, antibacterial properties and blood sugar control (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

Several studies present that consuming vinegar can increase insulin response and reduce blood sugar spikes (31Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).

One examine found vinegar considerably reduced blood sugar in participants who had simply consumed a meal containing 50 grams of carbs. The examine also found that the stronger the vinegar, the lower the blood sugar (31Trusted Source).

Another examine seemed into the impact of vinegar on blood sugar after participants consumed carbs. It found that vinegar increased insulin sensitivity by between 19% and 34% (37Trusted Source).

The addition of vinegar can also lower the glycemic index of a food, which may help reduce blood sugar spikes.

A examine in Japan found that including pickled foods to rice decreased the glycemic index of the meal considerably (38Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Vinegar has been proven to increase insulin response and assist control blood sugar when taken with carbs.

9. Get enough chromium and magnesium

Studies present each chromium and magnesium might be efficient in controlling blood sugar spikes.

Chromium

Chromium is a mineral that you simply want in small amounts.

It is assumed to improve the motion of insulin. This might assist control blood sugar spikes by encouraging the cells to take in sugar from the blood.

In one small examine, 13 healthy males got 75 grams of white bread with or with out chromium added. The addition of chromium resulted in a few 20% reduction in blood sugar following the meal (39Trusted Source).

Recommended dietary intakes for chromium might be found hereTrusted Source. Rich food sources include broccoli, egg yolks, shellfish, tomatoes and Brazil nuts.

Magnesium

Magnesium is one other mineral that has been linked to blood sugar control.

In one examine of 48 people, half got a 600-mg magnesium supplement together with lifestyle recommendation, while the opposite half had been simply given lifestyle recommendation. Insulin sensitivity increased in the group given magnesium supplements (41Trusted Source).

Another examine investigated the mixed results of supplementing with chromium and magnesium on blood sugar. They found {that a} mixture of the 2 increased insulin sensitivity more than both supplement alone (42Trusted Source).

Recommended dietary intakes for magnesium might be found hereTrusted Source. Rich food sources include spinach, almonds, avocados, cashews and peanuts.

SUMMARY

Chromium and magnesium could assist increase insulin sensitivity. Evidence shows they could be simpler together.

10. Add some spice to your life

Cinnamon and fenugreek have been used in different medication for 1000’s of years. They have each been linked to blood sugar control.

Cinnamon

The scientific proof for the use of cinnamon in blood sugar control is mixed.

In healthy people, cinnamon has been proven to increase insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar spikes following a carb-based meal (43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source, 45Trusted Source, 46Trusted Source).

One of these studies followed 14 healthy people.

It found that eating 6 grams of cinnamon with 300 grams of rice pudding considerably reduced blood sugar spikes, compared to eating the pudding alone (45Trusted Source).

However, there are also studies that present cinnamon has no impact on blood sugar.

One overview checked out 10 high-quality studies in a complete of 577 people with diabetes. The overview found no important difference in blood sugar spikes after participants had taken cinnamon (47Trusted Source).

There are two types of cinnamon:

• Cassia: Can come from a number of totally different species of Cinnamomum bushes. This is the sort mostly found in most supermarkets.
• Ceylon: Comes particularly from the Cinnamomum verum tree. It is costlier, but could contain extra antioxidants.

Cassia cinnamon contains a potentially dangerous substance referred to as coumarin.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the tolerable every day intake of coumarin at 0.045 mg per pound of body weight (0.1mg/kg). This is round half a teaspoon (1 gram) of Cassia cinnamon for a 165-pound (75-kg) person (48Trusted Source).

Fenugreek

One of the properties of fenugreek is that the seeds are high in soluble fiber.

This helps prevent blood sugar spikes by slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbs.

However, it seems that blood sugar levels could profit from more than simply the seeds.

An evaluation of 10 studies found that fenugreek considerably reduced blood sugar two hours after eating (50Trusted Source).

Fenugreek could assist reduce blood sugar spikes. It might be added to food, but it does have fairly a strong taste, so some people favor to take it as a supplement.

SUMMARY

Both cinnamon and fenugreek are relatively secure. They could have helpful results in your blood sugar when you take them with a meal that contains carbs.

11. Try berberine

Berberine is a chemical that may be extracted from a number of totally different plants (51).

It has been used in traditional Chinese medication for 1000’s of years. Some of its makes use of include cholesterol discount, weight loss and blood sugar control (52Trusted Source, 53Trusted Source).

Berberine reduces the amount of sugar produced by the liver and will increase insulin sensitivity. It has even been found to be as efficient as some medication used for kind 2 diabetes (54Trusted Source, 55Trusted Source, 56Trusted Source, 57Trusted Source).

One examine checked out 116 people with kind 2 diabetes who both acquired berberine or a placebo for 3 months. Berberine reduced blood sugar spikes after a meal by 25% (58Trusted Source).

However, one other examine found berberine brought on side results in some people, such as diarrhea, constipation and gas (59Trusted Source).

Although berberine seems to be pretty secure, converse to your doctor earlier than taking it when you’ve got any medical conditions or are taking any medicine.

SUMMARY

Berberine has minimal side results and studies have proven it might reduce blood sugar spikes by 25% after you eat it.

12. Consider these lifestyle factors

If you actually need to reduce your blood sugar spikes, you should also think about these lifestyle factors that may have an effect on blood sugar.

Stress

Stress can negatively have an effect on your health in a number of methods, inflicting headaches, increased blood pressure and anxiety.

It has also been proven to have an effect on blood sugar. As stress levels go up, your body releases sure hormones. The impact is to launch saved energy in the shape of sugar into your bloodstream for the fight-or-flight response ((*12*)).

One examine of 241 Italian staff found an increase in work-related stress was straight linked to an increase in blood sugar levels (61Trusted Source).

Actively addressing stress has also been found to profit your blood sugar. In a examine of nursing college students, yoga exercises had been found to reduce stress and blood sugar spikes following a meal (62Trusted Source).

Sleep

Both too little and too much sleep have been related to poor blood sugar control.

Even having one or two dangerous nights can have an effect on your blood sugar levels.

A examine of 9 healthy people confirmed that sleeping too little, or just for 4 hours, increased insulin resistance and blood sugar levels (64Trusted Source).

With sleep, high quality is as necessary as amount. A examine found the deepest level of sleep (NREM) to be most necessary in phrases of controlling blood sugar (65Trusted Source).

Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks usually contain so much of added sugar. This is particularly true for mixed drinks and cocktails, which might contain up to 30 grams of sugar per serving.

The sugar in alcoholic drinks will cause blood sugar spikes in the same way as added sugar in food. Most alcoholic drinks also have little or no nutritional worth. As with added sugar, they’re successfully empty calories.

Furthermore, over time, heavy drinking can lower the effectiveness of insulin, which leads to high blood sugar and can finally lead to kind 2 diabetes (66Trusted Source).

However, studies present that reasonable, managed drinking can even have a protecting impact when it comes to blood sugar control and can also lower the risk of developing kind 2 diabetes (67Trusted Source, 68Trusted Source, 69Trusted Source).

One examine found that drinking reasonable amounts of alcohol with meals could reduce blood sugar spikes by up to 37% (70Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Poor sleep, stress and high alcohol intake all negatively have an effect on blood sugar. That’s why it is crucial to think about lifestyle interventions in addition to diet.

What can cause your Blood Sugar to Spike?

1. High-carb meals or snacks

Consuming high-carbohydrate meals or snacks can cause a speedy increase in blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are damaged down into glucose, which is a major supply of energy for the body. However, consuming extreme amounts of carbohydrates, especially refined ones like white bread, pasta, or sugary snacks, can result in a spike in blood sugar levels.

2. Lack of physical activity

A sedentary lifestyle or lack of common physical activity can contribute to insulin resistance and increased blood sugar levels. Exercise helps your muscles make the most of glucose for energy, which helps lower blood sugar levels. Without ample physical activity, your body could wrestle to control blood sugar successfully.

3. Stress and hormonal changes

Stress can have a major impact on blood sugar levels. When you expertise stress, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol, which may cause an increase in blood sugar. Additionally, hormonal changes during periods of sickness, such as infections or hormonal imbalances, can also contribute to spikes in blood sugar levels.

4. Medications and sicknesses

Certain medications, such as corticosteroids used for conditions like asthma or autoimmune disorders, can elevate blood sugar levels. Additionally, sicknesses just like the flu or a cold can cause short-term spikes in blood sugar due to the body’s inflammatory response. It’s important to remember of the potential results of medications and sicknesses on blood sugar levels.

5. Insufficient sleep

Insufficient sleep can disrupt blood sugar regulation. Lack of sleep will increase stress hormone production, resulting in increased blood sugar levels. Poor sleep high quality and disrupted sleep patterns also have an effect on insulin sensitivity, making it difficult to control blood sugar successfully. Understanding the causes of blood sugar spikes is essential. Lifestyle modifications, including a balanced diet, exercise, stress management, medication consciousness, and sufficient sleep, assist maintain steady blood sugar levels and promote general health.

Why do blood sugar spikes after meals happen? 

Sudden will increase in blood glucose after eating are regular, even in people with out diabetes. After consuming carbohydrates, blood sugar levels rise as our our bodies break carbohydrates down into sugars. 

In people with out diabetes, this increase in blood sugar triggers the immediate launch of insulin. Within minutes, insulin begins transporting glucose from the bloodstream into cells, serving to to reduce blood sugar after eating. Post-meal blood glucose spikes are often short-term and typically go unnoticed in these with out diabetes. 

However, in people with diabetes, blood sugar spikes may be extra pronounced and last more. Insulin delivered by way of injections or an insulin pump takes longer to start out working compared to the insulin produced naturally by the body, which means blood glucose will proceed to rise while the injected insulin kicks in. 

People with diabetes produce other hormonal variations that may have an effect on the pace of digestion. Those with out purposeful beta cells also can not produce the hormone amylin, which helps slow digestion and reduces post-meal glucose. That means people with out enough amylin could expertise challenges with high glucose levels after eating. 

If you’ve been fighting post-meal hyperglycemia, take inventory of your present circumstances and when you’ve skilled main life changes lately, advised LaurieAnn Scher, certified diabetes care and schooling specialist.  

Have you skilled stressors, such as learning for a big examination, switching jobs, or shifting? This can set off the discharge of stress hormones like cortisol, which may promote weight gain and have an effect on metabolism, including insulin resistance. 

Maybe your eating or exercise patterns have shifted, maybe due to changes like beginning faculty, shifting in with a companion, or navigating parenthood. Diet changes can lead people to gain extra muscle or fat. With a distinct proportion of fat and muscle mass, insulin resistance can fluctuate, impacting your insulin wants, Scher added. 

Many other factors can have an effect on insulin resistance and blood glucose management, such as using beginning control, environmental conditions, dehydration, and extra. 

Why is it important to reduce blood sugar spikes? 

High blood sugar after meals raises your risk of diabetes issues, including kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetic neuropathy. Post-meal hyperglycemia can also have an effect on high quality of life, resulting in negative results on mood, diabetes distress, and points like brain fog or sluggishness. 

To put it simply, high blood sugar after eating “doesn’t feel great, and it can be hard to think and see,” said Scher.

Research also suggests that better glycemic control after meals is linked to improved A1C and fasting glucose levels. 

According to the American Diabetes Association 2024 Standards of Care, you should goal for blood sugar to be less than 180 mg/dL inside 1-2 hours after you begin eating. By distinction, in most people with out diabetes, two-hour postprandial blood sugar levels are sometimes less than 120 mg/dL and not often exceed 140 mg/dL. 

The bottom line (12 simple tips to prevent blood sugar spikes)

Simple dietary changes, such as sticking to a low-carb, high-fiber diet and avoiding added sugars and refined grains, may help you keep away from blood sugar spikes.

Exercising frequently, maintaining a healthy weight and drinking loads of water can also have added benefits to your health past serving to to control your blood sugar.

That said, when you’ve got any medical conditions or are on any medicines, converse to your doctor earlier than making any changes to your diet.

For most people, making these simple diet and lifestyle changes is a good way to lower your risk of developing insulin resistance or kind 2 diabetes.

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Pros:

1. Mindful Eating: One perk of these tips is that they encourage you to eat mindfully. That means savoring every bite, not just inhaling your food like it’s a magic trick.
2. Balanced Meals: They emphasize having balanced meals, which is like having a little party in your plate where all the nutrients get along and don’t start drama in your body.
3. Regular Exercise: These tips include getting active. It’s like giving your body a high-five for doing a good job at being, well, your body.
4. Portion Control: They teach about portion control. Think of it as being a food artist, creating a masterpiece on your plate, not a food monster devouring everything in sight.
5. Healthy Habits: They promote healthy habits like drinking enough water. Hydration: the most delicious way to keep your body from feeling like the Sahara Desert.

Cons:

1. Overwhelming Information: Sometimes, these tips can feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. There’s so much information, it can be a bit confusing.
2. Time-consuming: Following all these tips might make you feel like a busy bee trying to manage a flower field. It takes time and effort to incorporate them all into your routine.
3. Social Challenges: When you’re out with friends and trying to follow these tips, it can feel like trying to dance ballet in a mosh pit. It’s not always easy to stick to the plan in social situations.
4. Expense: Eating healthy can sometimes be a bit heavy on the wallet. It’s like paying for a VIP ticket to the wellness club, and sometimes, it’s more than you planned.
5. Cravings: Resisting temptation can feel like trying to convince a cat to take a bath—challenging and often futile. Those cravings can be sneaky little devils.