Sugar is the main source of energy for humans. It is ingested with carbohydrate-rich foods. Under favorable conditions, complex carbohydrates (sugars) in the intestines are broken down into simple ones, and act as a substance called glucose, which enters the bloodstream and is then transported to individual cells and throughout the body.
There, it is utilized by insulin (pancreatic hormone) to release energy. If at one of these stages there is a violation of insulin production, blood glucose rises. Of course, the body gives signals about this, and they should be paid attention to. In the article, we will talk about the causes, signs of the disease, ways to lower blood sugar at home.
Preparation and Precautions
An important step towards lowering and normalizing sugar levels can be called monitoring and passing tests. During the consultation, the doctor will determine the need for blood sugar for an objective assessment of the situation.
Even with elevated sugar, you should not self-medicate, you need to get recommendations only from a doctor. Perhaps he will prescribe certain drugs or a diet that will help eliminate the problem without medication. Even the use of alternative methods and means should be discussed with a specialist.
Causes of High Blood Sugar
If the results of the examinations showed an increase in sugar, the doctor should find out the root cause and eliminate the provoking factor. The reasons for the change in blood glucose are many and they are divided into several groups. Below is a table that describes them in detail.
| Physiological | Pathological | Short-term |
|---|---|---|
| Within hours after eating. | Diabetes. | Acute heart attack. |
| After experienced stress, excitement, overwork. | Endocrine Disorders | Burns. |
| After smoking. | Pathology of the pancreas. | Intense pain. |
| Due to high physical exertion. | Diseases of the liver, neoplasms. | Angina pectoris. |
| Before menstruation. | Infectious processes in the body. | Epilepsy. |
| - | Taking certain types of drugs. | Skull injuries. |
| - | Diabetes pregnant. | Surgical intervention in the work of the digestive tract. |
How to recognize that sugar is elevated
The following symptoms may indicate an increase in sugar:
- frequent urination
- feeling of thirst, dry mouth at night;
- lethargy, loss of strength;
- nausea, sometimes vomiting, headaches;
- weight loss in a short period of time;
- decreased vision, itching of the skin, the addition of a fungal infection.
The presence of at least one symptom may indicate an increase in glucose.
Effective folk sugar reduction methods
The use of folk remedies should be combined with the rejection of bad habits - alcohol, smoking. Compliance with sleep and rest, balanced nutrition is also of great importance. Particular emphasis should be placed on nuts, dairy products.The diet should include: beets, garlic, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, legumes, grapefruit, raspberries, unsweetened apples, strawberries, blueberries, cereals, seafood, fish, dietary meats. Vegetables and fruits should be consumed after minimal heat treatment.
Natural juices (freshly squeezed and without added sugar), which are better to drink before meals in the morning and evening, help in the fight against the problem. Useful cabbage and beetroot fresh.
Hawthorn fruits, which make excellent tea, help to cope with high glucose levels. The drink is also suitable for hypertensive patients and people suffering from heart disease.
To normalize the sugar index, a variety of herbs and plants are used:
- chicory;
- bean pods;
- walnut partitions;
- burdock root;
- blueberry leaves;
- St. John's wort
- strawberry leaves;
- plantain;
- Bay leaf;
- currant;
- Birch buds;
- lilac buds;
- clover;
- nettle;
- sagebrush.
Decoctions are prepared from these plants and teas are brewed, but without consulting a doctor, you should not resort to self-medication.
Pharmacy drugs, medicines and vitamins
Drugs for lowering blood glucose:
- Secretagogues - enhance the production of endogenous insulin. Derivatives of sulfonylureas and methyl glinides are fast-acting, normalize blood sugar and liver, promote the production of insulin by the pancreas, and affect hormone levels in tissues. Preparations: “Himeperid”, “Glycvidon”, “Nateglinide”, “Repaglinide”.
- Sensitizers: biguanides and thiazolidones. The medicine "Metformin" is a reliable drug, well tolerated by patients. “Rosiglitazone”, “Pioglitazone” increase the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to the effects of insulin. They have a severe side effect.
- Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitors - prevent the active absorption of insulin in the digestive tract. Representative: "Akarobaza". The new drug - “Liraglutide” (syringe pen) affects adipose tissue, does not deplete the pancreas.
Among the popular pharmacy products are:
- Exenatide;
- Repaglinide;
- Pioglitazone;
- Glimepiride;
- Metformin.
It is important for those who have a problem of high blood sugar to receive a daily norm of micro and macro elements. First of all, we are talking about zinc and chromium. As for vitamins, special emphasis should be placed on vitamins C, E, A, B, H groups, which act as antioxidants and stabilizers, help protect those organs and systems that suffer most from diabetes. Vitamin complexes are taken regardless of the season, due to the low content of nutrients in food.
Physical activity and gymnastics
Properly organized physical activity helps to achieve positive results with high glucose levels and maximizes blood counts. Moreover, constant training helps stabilize blood pressure, boost energy, and reduce body weight. Increase insulin susceptibility, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, strengthen stress resistance. The first results of classes will be visible in two months. The appropriateness and frequency of exercise should be discussed with your doctor.
The greatest efficiency can be obtained by distributing the load on the arms and legs in rhythmic exercises. The following types of sports loads will help in this:
- jogging;
- walking;
- swimming;
- cycling.
These types of physical activity help normalize sugar levels and achieve positive dynamics in the treatment of diabetes.
The fastest ways to lower sugar at home
There are many folk recipes for reducing sugar at home, but not all of them act quickly.Consider some of the fastest options.
- Green coffee. Unroasted coffee beans are ground in a coffee grinder and a drink is prepared in the usual way. Just one cup of green coffee lowers sugar levels.
- Cinnamon. Spice that is added to a variety of dairy dishes, coffee. If sugar has risen, stir 20 g of cinnamon in a glass of kefir and drink immediately.
- Sauerkraut juice. Accepted 30 minutes before a meal of 100 ml.
High sugar diet
For those who have elevated sugar levels, diet food No. 9 is recommended. The daily menu should contain complex carbohydrates, animal and vegetable proteins, fruits and vegetables. More specific recommendations are listed in the table below.
| Without Borders | Prohibited | Other recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetables: pumpkin, bell peppers, eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions and greens. | Starchy vegetables - potatoes. Or after soaking. | Vegetables can be present in the diet fresh, as well as in boiled, stewed or baked. |
| Fruits and berries: citrus fruits, apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, raspberries, strawberries, red and black currants, blueberries, cherries, cherries, cranberries | Fruits and berries: figs, bananas, melon, raisins, grapes, dates. | It is best to eat seasonal fruits. |
| Unsweetened drinks: compote, lemonade, fruit drink. | Carbonated sweet drinks, sweet juices. | It is good to drink herbal teas. |
| Fish and meat, offal, seafood are allowed. | Meat: fatty beef and pork, smoked and boiled sausage, sausages | Particular emphasis in diet with high sugar should be placed on lean meats and fish. It is best to cook baked and boiled dishes. |
| Milk and dairy products: cottage cheese, low-fat kefir, fermented baked milk, suluguni, unsweetened yogurt, feta cheese. | Fatty dairy products: cream, butter, yellow cheese, spread and margarine. | Fat-free dairy products can be purchased at every supermarket. |
| Cereals: barley, oatmeal, buckwheat, millet, couscous and bulgur. | White rice and semolina. | - |
| First courses: okroshka, bean and mushroom soup, vegetable broths. | Fatty first courses: hodgepodge, borscht. | - |
| Flour: bran bran bread, rye bread. | Baking with white flour. | - |
| Desserts: berry mousse, baked unsweetened apple. | Sweets, cookies, rolls, cakes and pastries. | Sugar-free fruit desserts. You can add Stevia substitutes |
You will also have to abandon store sauces, alcohol and fast food.
Sample menu for the day
Nutritionists recommend creating a menu for a week so that there are no difficulties with cooking. Sample menu options for different occasions.
- Breakfast. The following dishes are suitable for the first meal: fish cakes, oatmeal on the water, boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese with any of the allowed fruits, buckwheat, steamed omelet with mushrooms, white varieties of hard cheese.
- Lunch or lunch. It may consist of such dishes or products: unsweetened cottage cheese, apple, vegetable salad, grapefruit.
- Dinner. For example: baked beef with salad, pickle, porridge with a steam cutlet, borsch and vegetable salad, stewed vegetables with chicken, mushroom soup and seafood salad, steamed fish and vegetable salad, turkey with grilled vegetables, zucchini soup.
- An afternoon snack. Make it easy. Suitable: fermented baked milk, unsweetened yogurt, nuts, pear, fruit salad.
- Dinner. A great option: steamed omelet with vegetables, fish fillet and baked peppers, vegetable slices and meatballs.
Features of sugar reduction during pregnancy and in children
Expectant mothers and children belong to the sensitive category of patients, since in most cases doctors prescribe them gentle treatment measures. To normalize glucose values, doctors most often recommend a diet and maintain good physical shape.
It is difficult for both pregnant and children to keep gastronomic desires under control. But in this case, proper nutrition plays a key role. Expectant mothers and parents whose children have a high sugar problem can take advantage of the dietary guidelines discussed above. As for physical activity, pregnant women in the early stages are shown: aerobics, Pilates, yoga, swimming, fitball.
Children can engage in almost any physical activity, if there are no contraindications. Special sections will help to tear the child from the computer, where he can spend time with his peers.
Doctors' opinions on homemade sugar reduction
Doctors are always clear about home treatment. They focus on the need for examination and obtaining advice from a qualified doctor. Increasing sugar is a signal of the body to which you must respond correctly and quickly. Timely contacting a medical institution will help to identify diseases in the early stages and increase the chances of recovery.
Doctors are sure that methods for home sugar reduction should be discussed only with your doctor, who will be able to determine the feasibility of certain methods in each case. Particular care should be taken by expectant mothers.
How to control sugar and prevent its increase?
The best treatment is prevention, so if you have a predisposition to diabetes, you should take care of your health. For those who are already sick, doctors recommend purchasing a special apparatus for measuring glucose levels. This portable device with interchangeable disposable nozzles will help you to always be aware of sugar surges in order to respond in a timely manner.
Quite often, those suffering from diabetes can observe a drop in blood sugar, which also poses a risk to health and life. In such cases, experts recommend that you always have something sweet at hand.
Compliance with therapeutic measures and the prescribed diet will help prevent an increase in sugar.
If there are people in the family who are at risk of increased sugar, be sure to go through the examination and carefully consider even a slight deviation from the norm. Timely reaction and competent measures will help to avoid aggravation of the condition.
Loading ...Those who are already diagnosed with diabetes should take special care of their health. A combination of medicines, diet, exercise and alternative methods will help increase the effectiveness of treatment. Stay healthy!
