Exercising regularly, managing stress, and eating more foods high in fiber and probiotics may help lower blood sugar levels. However, these lifestyle adjustments do not replace medical treatment for diabetes or other metabolic conditions.
Your body usually manages your blood sugar levels by producing insulin, which allows your cells to use the circulating sugar in your blood. However, multiple factors can impair blood sugar management and lead to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
Blood sugar management is especially important for people with diabetes, as the condition may lead to limb and life threatening complications.
Here are 14 easy and evidence-backed ways to naturally lower blood sugar levels.
Exercise and movement throughout the day
Regular exercise and physical activity can help you manage your weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity means your cells can use the glucose in your bloodstream more effectively.
Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction.
If you have problems with blood sugar management, consider routinely checking your levels before and after exercising. This will help you learn how your body responds to different activities and keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high or low.
You can still benefit from shorter sessions even if you have trouble dedicating more time to exercise throughout the week. For example, try aiming for 10-minute exercise sessions 3 times a day for 5 days, with the goal of 150 minutes per week.
So-called “exercise snacks” also help prevent the damage that sitting for prolonged periods can do. Exercise snacks mean you break up your sitting time every 30 minutes for just a few minutes throughout the day. Some recommended exercises include light walking or simple resistance exercises, like squats or leg raises.
Other useful forms of exercise include:
weightlifting
brisk walking
running
biking
dancing
hiking
swimming
jumping jacks
half squats
Any activity that gets you up and moving — regardless of the intensity — beats a sedentary lifestyle.
Manage your carb intake
Your carb intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels. Your body breaks carbs down into sugars, mainly glucose. Then, insulin helps your body use and store it for energy.
This process fails when you eat too many carbs or have insulin-function problems, and blood glucose levels can rise.
That’s why the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes manage their carb intake by counting carbs and being aware of how many they need for daily activities.
Carb counting can help you plan your meals appropriately, improving blood sugar management.
A low carb diet helps reduce blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.
It’s important to note that low carb and no-carb diets are different.
When monitoring your blood sugar, you can eat (and need) some carbs. However, prioritizing carbs from whole grains and unprocessed sources provides greater nutritional value while helping decrease blood sugar levels.
Eat more fiber
Fiber slows carb digestion and sugar absorption, promoting a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.
There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.
While both are important, soluble fiber has been explicitly shown to improve blood sugar management, while insoluble fiber hasn’t been shown to have this effect.
A high fiber diet can improve your body’s ability to regulate and minimize blood sugar levels. This could help you better manage type 1 diabetes.
Foods high in fiber include:
vegetables
fruits
legumes
whole grains
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for females and 35 grams for males. That’s about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories.
Drink water
Drinking enough water could help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy ranges. In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar through urine.
One 2021 review of observational studies found that people who drank more water had a lower risk of developing high blood sugar levels.
Drinking water regularly may rehydrate the blood, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce diabetes risk.
Keep in mind that water and other zero-calorie drinks are better for hydration. Avoiding sugar-sweetened options is ideal, as these can raise blood glucose, drive unwanted weight gain, and increase diabetes risk.
Implement portion management
Managing how much you eat can help you regulate your calorie intake and maintain a moderate weight.
Consequently, weight management promotes healthy blood sugar levels and has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Monitoring your serving sizes also helps prevent blood sugar spikes.
You may manage portion sizes by:
eating slowly
measuring and weighing your food
using smaller plates
avoiding all-you-can-eat restaurants or those that serve large portions
reading food labels and checking the serving sizes of each item
keeping a food journal
using a food-tracking phone app
Choose low glycemic foods
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly carbs break down during digestion and how rapidly your body absorbs them. This affects how quickly your blood sugar levels rise.
The GI divides foods into low, medium, and high GI scores and ranks them on a scale of 0 to 100. Low GI foods have a ranking of 55 or lower. Consistently eating low GI foods may reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
Some examples of foods with a low to moderate GI include:
bulgur
barley
unsweetened Greek yogurt
oats
beans
lentils
legumes
whole wheat pasta
non-starchy vegetables
Furthermore, adding protein or healthy fats to your plate helps minimize blood sugar spikes after a meal.
Focusing on the overall quality of the food is a better approach than eliminating or adding specific food groups.
Manage your stress levels
Stress can affect your blood sugar levels. When stressed, your body secretes hormones called glucagon and cortisol, which cause blood sugar levels to rise.
Stress management strategies may include:
exercise
meditation
mindfulness
deep breathing
journaling
arts and crafts
psychotherapy
your favorite hobbies
Exercises and relaxation methods, like yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction, may also help correct insulin secretion problems among people with chronic diabetes receiving medical treatment.
Track your blood sugar levels
Monitoring blood glucose levels can help you better manage them. You can do so at home using a portable blood glucose meter, known as a glucometer. You can discuss this option with a doctor.
Keeping track lets you determine whether to adjust your meals or medications. It also helps you learn how your body reacts to certain foods.
Try measuring your daily levels and keeping track of the numbers in a log. It may also be more helpful to track your blood sugar in pairs. For example, before and after exercise or before and 2 hours after a meal.
This can show you whether you need to make small changes to a meal if it spikes your blood sugar rather than avoiding your favorite meals altogether.
Some adjustments include swapping a starchy side for non-starchy veggies or limiting them to a handful.
Get enough quality sleep
Less than optimal sleeping habits and a lack of rest can affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, increasing the chance of developing type 2 diabetes. They can also increase appetite and promote weight gain.
Sleep deprivation also raises levels of cortisol, which plays an essential role in blood sugar management.
Adequate sleep is about both quantity and quality. Adults are advised to get 7 to 8 hours of high quality sleep per night.
To improve the quality of your sleep, try to:
follow a consistent sleep schedule
avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed
get physical activity throughout the day
cut down on screen time before bed
keep your bedroom cool and comfortable
limit your naps during the day
use soothing scents, such as lavender
avoid working or studying in your bedroom if possible
take a warm bath or shower before bed
try meditation or guided imagery
Eat foods rich in chromium and magnesium
High blood sugar levels and diabetes have been linked to micronutrient deficiencies, including chromium and magnesium.
Chromium is involved in carb and fat metabolism. It may enhance insulin’s action, thus aiding blood sugar regulation.
Chromium-rich foods include:
beef, chicken, and turkey
whole grains, such as barley
fruits and vegetables, like green beans and apples
almonds
However, the mechanisms behind this proposed connection are not entirely known. More research is needed.
Magnesium also benefits blood sugar level regulation. Diets rich in magnesium are associated with a significantly reduced risk of diabetes.
In contrast, low magnesium levels may lead to insulin resistance and decreased glucose tolerance in people with diabetes.
You likely won’t benefit from magnesium supplements if you already eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods and have adequate blood magnesium levels.
Magnesium-rich foods include:
dark leafy greens
squash and pumpkin seeds
tuna
whole grains
dark chocolate
bananas
avocados
beans
Be careful with foods marketed as ‘medicinal’
Multiple foods and plants are known to have medicinal properties. However, the quality of evidence on these ingredients is low due to insufficient human studies or small sample sizes. Therefore, no conclusive recommendations can be made regarding their use.
Some of the foods touted to have anti-diabetes effects include:
Apple cider vinegar: According to a 2014 article, this ingredient may reduce blood sugar levels by delaying the emptying of your stomach after a meal. A 2020 study in rats also found that apple cider vinegar reduced blood sugar spikes. The authors concluded that the use of apple vinegar could help prevent metabolic disorders, like diabetes, in individuals eating a high calorie diet.
Cinnamon: This spice is said to improve blood sugar levels by enhancing insulin sensitivity and slowing the breakdown of carbs in your digestive tract. This moderates the rise in blood sugar after a meal. Nevertheless, more research is needed.
Berberine: Research suggests this compound lowers blood sugar by stimulating enzymes’ breakdown of glucose, promoting your tissue’s use of sugar and increasing insulin production. More studies are needed.
Fenugreek seeds: Like the other foods on this list, more high quality studies in humans are needed, but there is some evidence that fenugreek may help support blood sugar management.
It’s essential to talk with your doctor before adding any of these foods to your diet if you’re already taking diabetes medications, as some herbal supplements may negatively interact with them.
Finally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements like it regulates prescription medications. Purchasing supplements that an independent lab has tested for purity and ingredient content is important.
Manage your weight
Maintaining your doctor’s recommended weight range for your age and height promotes healthy blood sugar levels and reduces your risk of developing diabetes.
If you have overweight or obesity, research shows that even a 5% reduction in body weight can improve your blood sugar regulation and reduce the need for diabetes medication.
For example, if a person weighs 200 pounds (91 kilograms) and loses 10 to 14 pounds (4.5 to 6 kilograms), they may see significant improvements in their blood sugar levels.
What’s more, losing more than 5% of your initial weight may benefit your HbA1c readings. These are used as indicators of your blood sugar levels over the past 3 months.
Eat healthy snacks more frequently
Spreading your meals and snacks throughout the day may help you avoid high and low blood sugar levels. Snacking between meals may also reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day could improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels. In addition, eating smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day may lower HbA1c readings, indicating improvements in blood sugar levels over the previous 3 months.
Eat probiotic-rich foods
Probiotics are friendly bacteria with numerous health benefits, including improved blood sugar regulation. Probiotics may lower fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, and insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes.
Interestingly, a 2016 study found that improvements in blood sugar levels are more significant in people who consume multiple species of probiotics for at least 8 weeks.
Probiotic-rich foods include fermented foods, such as:
yogurt, as long as the label states that it contains live active cultures
kefir
tempeh
sauerkraut
kimchi
Frequently asked questions
What are the three signs of hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, tiredness, and sores that don’t heal.
What are the 3 P’s of diabetes hyperglycemia?
The 3 P’s of diabetes hyperglycemia are polydipsia, polyuria, and polyphagia. These are defined as excessive thirst, urination, and appetite, respectively.
Is type 2 diabetes hypo or hyper?
Type 2 diabetes can cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) because your insulin isn’t allowing glucose to be used in your body the way it’s supposed to.
The bottom line
Managing blood sugar levels involves certain lifestyle strategies, such as managing weight, stress levels, and sleep quality as well as prioritizing physical activity and hydration. That said, some of the most significant improvements involve dietary choices.