Diabetes home remedies - Do’s and don’ts for controlling blood sugar levels at home
Tags: Medical, Diabetes, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Home Remedies

We often wonder, “Can diabetes be treated at home?”. But do we get a proper solution for it? The treatment of diabetes at home is a continuous challenge. You will always require to be under the guidance of a Doctor.

But apart from this, with some knowledge of diabetes home remedies for controlling sugar levels, diabetes care at home can become second nature. Let us take a look at what to do in order to manage and treat diabetes at home effectively.

Diabetes home remedies- Do’s

1. Know your nutrients: What should I eat to treat diabetes at home?

Healthy eating is essential in the effective treatment of diabetes at home. It involves making each and every meal well balanced in terms of its nutritional content.

Your meal should include a variety of foods to provide you with carbohydrates, proteins, fat, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Options include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, pulses, almonds and walnuts etc.

Fruits are a great source of fibre.

While carbohydrates might seem like an enemy to a person with diabetes, you should know there are good and bad carbs.

Good carbs such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide you with fibre and energy for a longer period, making you less hungry.

Bad carbs like refined flour (maida), sweets and sugary drinks shoot up your sugars immediately after eating them. So, it is better to stay away from them.

For a personalised treatment under the guidance of experienced doctors, you can download Zyla app. See more details on our website- Zyla.in

2. Small frequent meals: How much should I eat for better diabetes control?

Knowing your portion sizes is key to creating a balanced meal that will help you in treating diabetes at home.

Instead of having two or three big meals, many people have found that eating smaller portions of food five to six times a day keeps them energetic and helps to control high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) after a big meal.

Try to distribute your meals evenly throughout the day such as three main meals and at least two in-between meals that include either fruits or protein-rich snacks.

This is one of the most effective diabetes home remedies and will prevent blood sugar spikes. Know more about small and frequent meals in our blog, “Diabetic meal planning: A brief about diabetic diet”.

3. Diabetes home remedies for sweet cravings

Did you know that sugar cravings can be addictive!

The idea of managing sugar craving is easier said than done! Let us see what we can do to manage our cravings by using these simple diabetes home remedies to manage diabetes cravings:

Have fruits like banana, chikoo, mango to curb the cravings. Fruits are naturally sweet with a lot of nutrients and are perfect home remedies to control diabetes cravings.

Wondering if a diabetic can eat fruit? Then read our blog: Fruits that a diabetic can eat.

Take a WALK, as this trick helps when you are craving a sugary snack and it has the added benefit of helping you exercise daily as well. This trick kills two birds with one stone!

Add 1-inch licorice (mulethi) or a pinch of cinnamon (dalchini), 3–4 dates (khajur) or 4–5 raisins (kishmish: overnight soaked) to your sweets instead of white sugar or artificial sweeteners to manage the craving. This is an effective home remedy to lower blood sugar that still ensures that you can enjoy a sweet treat.

Read more about sugar substitutes in our blog, “5 Natural and healthy sugar substitutes for Type 2 Diabetes”.

4. Hydration

Keeping yourself hydrated will help in detoxification of the body along with regulation of body temperature and electrolyte balance. It boosts your metabolism, eases digestion and makes you look younger.

Less water in your body can increase the blood sugar concentration and can cause symptoms contrary to what is mentioned above.

Water is the best option when it comes to hydration as it won’t raise your blood sugar levels. You can also add slices of lemon, orange or leaves of herbs such as mint and basil to add exciting flavours to your plain water.

Fluids like lemon water, coconut water, chia seeds water, buttermilk, sattu etc also help in increasing your hydration levels.

Try avoiding sugary drinks or juices as they could lead to high blood sugar levels.

5. Keep yourself fit with regular exercise

Exercise is as important as diet and medication to help you in the treatment of diabetes at home.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to keep yourself physically active and helps in lowering blood sugar levels. Try to walk or do any exercise at a comfortable pace for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week and do not overexert yourself.

Exercising on a regular basis will keep you motivated, energised and will lift your mood throughout the day.

All you need is 30 minutes of exercise every day.

Did you know? Regular exercise may help in enhancing the action of insulin, help in sleeping better at night and improve cholesterol levels for a healthier heart. Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program to be sure it is medically safe to exercise.

For a doctor or physiotherapist’s consultation, download Zyla app or checkout our website- Zyla.in

6. Sleep

When you sleep soundly at night, you may have an easier time controlling your sugar levels. Conversely, high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) at night may contribute to poor sleep quality and next-day tiredness.

The good news is — good sleep will improve your next day’s blood sugars. And just like that, careful management of blood sugar levels can help in achieving good quality sleep and in turn, improve overall health.

The science behind is the work of hormones! With improved sleep quality, you’ll be more alert during the day along with more energy and less stress.

Disturbed sleep increases stress hormone levels.

7. Stress management — Take care of your MIND just as much as you do for your BODY.

Stress is a normal part of life in today’s time. It is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. You may experience stress while measuring blood sugar levels after a meal.

Did you know? High levels of stress can raise your blood sugar levels! Go through our blog, “Stress, meditation and diabetes” to know more.

Here are a few tips for you to lower your stress levels:

Try deep breathing and meditation

Take a walk or do gardening

Start working on a fun and exciting hobby

Listen to your favourite music

Laugh — it is an excellent stress buster

8. Self & regular monitoring of blood sugar levels at home

Do you know the importance of monitoring your blood glucose levels regularly?

Regular self-monitoring of sugar levels through a glucometer is key to managing diabetes.

It is as important as healthy lifestyle habits and medications.

It will help you see the impact of the measures you are taking for sugar control.

A regular check on your sugar levels will minimize the risk of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.

It will also help effectively determine if your medication is working or if the dosage needs to be adjusted.

9. Take your medicines at the right time

It is always a trouble to remember which medicine to take and when especially if you are taking more than one medication to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

To overcome this challenge and take your medicines at the right time, here are a few tips for you -

Create and try to follow the same routine by taking your medicines at a fixed time every day.

Use a Pill Box — This is one of the best ways to take all your medicines correctly. “It will not only help you to remember to take your medicines but also remind you visually if you missed any medicine.

Set an alarm for your medicines and take it when the alarm buzzes. Shut it down only when you have taken your medicines.

We always think about the medicines that we take and it is always better to take them as prescribed by our doctor. If you want to learn more about the medicines that you are taking, you can read our blog, “Which is the best medicine for diabetes?” or visit our website Zyla.in for an expert’s advice.

10. Self-care: Care for the feet

We all have many responsibilities in life and we forget to take care of ourselves. Foot care is an important aspect in managing diabetes as healing is impaired in diabetes which makes it important to monitor small wounds in order to prevent ulcer formation.

While a yearly foot exam is the best prevention of diabetic foot ulcers, regularly examining your feet for small wounds and scrapes can help prevent serious wounds later down the line.

Here are a few suggestions for foot care -

Keep your feet clean and dry.

Keep your nails trimmed and avoid cutting the corners.

Inspect your feet daily for scratch, crack, cut or blister and apply oil/moisturizer to avoid dryness.

Wear shoes that fit well and do not walk barefoot, even at home.

Foot care is important for diabetics.

Diabetes home remedies- Don’ts

1. Avoid the intake of fried, sweet and outside food

To keep your blood sugar levels under control, make wise food choices and eat the best food for diabetes. Avoid foods like fried, packaged or outside food as these are high in salt and fat which could cause sugar levels to rise quickly.

Read, “8 Types of foods to give up with diabetes” for a list of foods with explanations that you must avoid in order to manage your diabetes.

2. Alcohol & smoking

You have worked hard enough to keep your sugar levels in check, do not make the task even more difficult with alcohol and smoking.

Consuming alcohol may cause sugar levels to either rise or fall as it contains a lot of calories and stimulates your appetite, which may result in overeating and may affect your blood sugar control.

On the other hand, smoking could make your body more resistant to insulin which could cause high blood sugar levels.

3. Sedentary lifestyle

Today, most people have a sedentary lifestyle — lack of exercise, long working hours of sitting in offices, overeating due to skipped meals. It has made people more prone to obesity and diabetes.

A more active lifestyle can help you manage your sugar levels and reduce the chances of complications. You can reduce the time spent being sedentary by -

Take a walk during your lunch breaks.

Set reminders to stand up and stretch every 30–45 minutes when working at a desk.

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

4. Disturbed routine

Disturbed routine and skipping meals can impact your sugar levels. If you are skipping meals regularly you are more likely to binge on sugary and high-fat foods which may lead you to feel irritated.

Skipping meals could also lead to reduced energy levels and low blood sugar levels resulting in hypoglycemia. So avoid it to successfully treat diabetes at home.

Follow a scheduled routine to improve your blood sugar levels.

5. Medicine skipping or self-modifying it

It is important for diabetics to take their medicines and insulin regularly and in the correct prescribed manner for the following reasons:

Prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) — Missing medications can cause your blood sugar to rise to dangerously high levels.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) — Taking more than the prescribed dose can cause episodes of low blood sugar which present as shivering, sweating, tremors, disorientation etc and can be fatal.

If you are taking insulin, then you need to know how to store and inject it the right way. Do not self-modify doses, always consult your doctor in case you have any queries regarding medication.

Now you can manage and treat your blood sugar levels with these diabetes home remedies.

Knowing about your disease and being involved actively in its care, can help you positively influence your own life and the other members of your family.

Make sure to have balanced meals that include protein and fibre. Be physically active, sleep well, stress less and monitor your sugar levels daily to keep a check.

Do not get affected by the diabetes myths and misconceptions but take regular advice from your doctor and nutritionist to control sugar levels and lead a healthy balanced life.

Also, if you require personalized treatment then Zyla can help you. Zyla has a team of experts who work on your overall health to provide you with personalized care and treatment 24*7.

So, download the Zyla app now and start your health journey today!

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