Time Tested Blood Sugar Tips

Choices that you make every day with Lark as your coach are the things that have the greatest impact on blood glucose levels. These are some strategies for lowering blood sugar.

Losing Just a Bit of Weight

Are you among the majority of people with diabetes who carry extra weight?  If so, your work may be cut out for you. Losing just a bit of weight, as little as 2 lb., can lower blood sugar levels. If you want to lower risk more, aim to lose 5% of your body weight, or 10 lb. if you weigh 200 lb.

Small changes can help with weight loss. Ideas include taking two-thirds of your usual portion of foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta, and desserts; trimming fat from meat before cooking it; ordering vegetables or a salad instead of pasta or potatoes for a side dish; and swapping half your dessert for a piece of fruit. Over time, these changes can lead to noticeable results, and Lark has plenty more ideas about small changes that work so just log your meals for instant feedback.

Getting Moving

Getting active directly improves blood sugar control, and there is no wrong choice for how you choose to get active. Exercise classes, brisk walking, aerobics, water jogging, cycling, playing tennis, gardening, and carrying wood all count. The recommended amount is at least 150 minutes per week, but more is better. 

If you are not currently active, ask your doctor for guidance and be sure to start with small amounts to be safe. If you have diabetes, be sure to check blood sugar before and after exercising and to talk to your healthcare provider about other precautions.

Getting These Nutrients

Foods that raise blood sugar the most include sugar-sweetened foods as well as refined starches, such as white bread, rice, and pasta, crackers, and potatoes. Fatty meats and fried foods can also lead to higher blood sugar. Reducing those types of foods and replacing them with vegetables, nuts, fruit, beans, fish, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains all have beneficial compounds that can lower blood sugar. Making good choices is simple when you let your Lark coach guide you.

Self-Care

Are you ready for some good news? Here it is. Taking care of yourself can help reduce blood glucose levels. Getting enough sleep, using stress management techniques, and maintaining relationships with the people you care about are all part of self-care and can help keep you healthy.

Monitoring with Lark

If you have diabetes, your doctor may have asked you to measure blood sugar levels one or more times daily. Doing so can keep you on your toes so you keep making good choices to lower blood sugar. Monitoring with Lark can also help gain insight into what may affect blood sugar, so you can make the best decisions for yourself as an individual.

Taking Medications

Most people with diabetes are on diabetes medication. These medications help keep blood sugar down, and skipping dose or taking them incorrectly can lead to high blood sugar. You can set up your reminders in Lark, too.