In This ArticleView AllIn This Article1. Walk It Out2. Eat More Barley3. Bump Up Your Exercise Intensity4. Combine Your Macronutrients5. Go for Whole Fruit over Juice6. Walk After Meals7. Pick Veggies Wisely8. Get Enough Vitamin D9. Drink More Water10. Snack on Nuts11. Eat More Mindfully12. Think Long Term for Your Health

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

  1. Walk It Out

  2. Eat More Barley

  3. Bump Up Your Exercise Intensity

  4. Combine Your Macronutrients

  5. Go for Whole Fruit over Juice

  6. Walk After Meals

  7. Pick Veggies Wisely

  8. Get Enough Vitamin D

  9. Drink More Water

  10. Snack on Nuts

  11. Eat More Mindfully

  12. Think Long Term for Your Health

Whether you havediabetesor prediabetes—or just generally suffer ill effects from blood sugar swings—you want to know what really works to control your blood sugar levels. It can make all the difference in living well and staying off the blood sugar roller coaster that can drag down your mood and energy and skew your hunger levels. Here are a dozen tips that will help your blood sugar and your overall health. (If you have diabetes, remember you should always work with your health care team first to help control your blood sugar.)

Read More:Best Foods for Diabetes

Walking is agreat way to lower your blood sugar levelsand keep them stable. Take the stairs, run errands on foot (if possible), keep that promise to your dog to take them on a walk, and go for that weekend bike ride. Even taking a few minutes break to walk each day can add up. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

In your effort to eat more quinoa, you might have forgotten about an oldie-but-goodie carb: barley. This whole grain is packed with fiber that tamps down your appetite and can help decrease blood sugar, according to a 2019 study published in the journalNutrients.Why? Your gut bacteria interact with barley, which may, in turn, help your body metabolize glucose (sugar). Besides, 1 cup of cooked barley, per theUSDA, contains 6 grams of fiber, which helps to mute blood sugar spikes. Don’t be afraid to toss it in soups, on a roasted veggie salad, or have it as a side with fish or chicken.

Exercise is a great way to boost your body’s ability to manage blood sugar, but making sure it’s a heart-pumping workout will help even more.Performing high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—like sprinting on the treadmill for 30 seconds, then walking or slowly jogging until you recover—improved blood glucose levels, particularly in people with impaired glucose, per a 2022 review inDiabetes Research and Clinical Practice. Muscles soak up glucose during exercise to burn for energy, and the higher-intensity movements may aid this process even more.

Walking After Meals for Just 2 Minutes Is Enough to Lower Blood Sugar—Here’s Why, According to Science

You know vegetables are good for you—but they’renot all equal when it comes to carbs. A half-cup of starchy veggies, like peas, corn or squash, equals 15 grams of carbohydrates, Wylie-Rosett points out. But nonstarchy veggies contain about half that, so you can eat much more of them while making less of an impact on blood sugar. Everything in moderation is fine, but make your most-of-the-time choices the nonstarchy variety, like lettuce, cauliflower, spinach, kale and Brussels sprouts.

Here’s another reason to ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels: it could help you decrease your risk of diabetes. If you are deficient,supplementing with vitamin Dand calcium can help stabilize blood sugar levels. Scientists think the sunshine vitamin might impact insulin resistance. Your doctor can tell you if you need a supplement or not; in the meantime, make sure you fill your diet with D-rich foods like sardines, wild or UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milk and non-dairy milk.

6 Foods with More Vitamin D Than an Egg

Yes, sipping water can affect your blood sugar. But the important point is avoiding dehydration, says Wylie-Rosett.When you’re dehydrated, sugars in your blood are more concentrated, and thus, your blood glucose levels are higher. But you don’t need to glug a ton. You should generally drink water when you’re thirsty—whether you have blood sugar problems or not, says Wylie-Rosett.

They’re one super-portable food that you can pop in your mouth without worrying that they’re doing something funky to your blood sugar levels. When eaten alone or with meals, nuts can help keep blood sugar levels steady because they’repacked with healthy fatsand few carbs. For instance, an ounce of almonds contains 164 calories and only 6 grams of carbs, per theUSDA. Aim for five 1-ounce servings a week of nuts like pistachios, almonds and cashews.

Jennifer Causey

Pizza Pistachios

Pictured Recipe:Pizza Pistachios

“There isn’t a magic diet for people with diabetes,” says Wylie-Rosett. “It’s about how your diet relates to metabolic factors like blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol,” she says. To suss out exactly what you need, many insurance plans cover medical nutrition therapy, which pairs you up with a registered dietitian to create the best plan for your unique needs. And remember, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a nutritious diet and staying active all go a long way in keeping your blood sugar under control.

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