11 Simple Ways to Lower Your Blood Sugar

3. Don’t complicate exercise

Lifestyle changes in which you incorporate regular physical activity needn’t be overly involved or difficult to be effective.

“You have to exercise 150 minutes a week,” says Dr. Elbert Huang, general internist and director of the Center for Chronic Disease Research and Policy at the University of Chicago. That needs to be at least a brisk walk, he notes, but it doesn’t have to be more strenuous than that.

Experts say the key is to pick a routine you’re likely to stick with, rather than one with onerous requirements you’re not likely to follow. It could be any form of exercise, says Dr. Minna Woo, a clinician, scientist and endocrinologist at Toronto General Hospital, and director of the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre. You don’t need a gym membership, she adds. To optimize the benefits, consider taking that walk after you eat. Research suggests exercising 30 minutes after a meal may be optimal to help with blood glucose control.

Don’t stop at just cardio, since building muscle can also help with glucose control. Research published in 2023 in the scientific journal Diabetologia found that strength training is more effective than aerobic exercise for glycemic control in some people with type 2 diabetes.

“In general, you need muscle to fight off insulin resistance,” says Dr. Jennifer Hwang, internist and instructor of medicine at the University of Chicago. Aim to do weight-bearing exercise twice a week, she advises, in line with public health recommendations. As noted by the CDC, you should try to work all major muscle groups, including legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.

4. Get professional help

Doctors and dietitians who regularly work with patients who have diabetes can help a person with prediabetes create a road map for getting blood sugar back in a healthy range.

Dr. Sudipa Sarkar, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, recommends talking with your doctor to see if you’re eligible for the research-backed National Diabetes Prevention Program, a public-private partnership that’s been shown to help prevent the progression to diabetes. 

5. Cut back not just on sugar but on all ultraprocessed foods

Obvious blood sugar spikers like cookies and cake should be consumed in moderation. But you’ll also want to be circumspect about other foods that can cause glucose levels to rise quickly.

In particular, go easy on all those processed carbs. “When people talk about diabetes and sugar, most people think it’s the sweets they need to avoid, and that’s, of course, true. But really what’s more common is the starchy carbohydrates,” Woo says. That includes things like bread, pasta, noodles and white rice. “These are the most deadly culprits that will raise their sugar levels,” she says.

6. Get with the guidelines for a balanced diet

A balanced diet that cuts carbs could help with weight loss — which itself is protective against diabetes — and quickly bring blood sugar back into a healthy range, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.

Aim for an eating pattern that’s similar to the Mediterranean diet, with a well-balanced plate.

7. Fill half your plate with veggies

Kristan recommends a dish loaded up with vegetables. You can’t go wrong with dark leafy greens like spinach as well as pulses, such as chickpeas and beans, which have all been linked to lower blood sugar levels.

Short of going vegan or vegetarian, you may still reduce your risk of developing diabetes by following a healthy, plant-based diet, according to recent research published in Diabetes Care. The study followed 11,965 adults ages 45 to 64 over more than three decades. It found that those who ate a healthy diet emphasizing fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, tea and coffee, while minimizing less healthy plant foods like refined grains and fruit juices along with animal-based proteins, had a lower risk of developing diabetes. However, eating an unhealthy plant-based diet with more refined and sweetened foods wasn’t linked to a lower risk of developing diabetes. 

8. Fill a fourth of your plate with healthy carbs

This macronutrient, like the others — protein and fat — has a place in a healthy diet. But carbs shouldn’t cover half your plate — which is typical with the Western diet, Kristan emphasizes.

Experts add that it’s important to swap in healthy carbs. Try to have more foods like quinoa or farro, lentils and chickpeas, and brown rice, and fewer processed carbs.

Instead of villainizing foods, understand where they fit on your plate. Starchy favorites like corn or potatoes will raise your blood sugar and go in the carbs category rather than the half of your plate devoted to veggies, Kristan says.

9. Pump up the fiber

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with diabetes and those at risk for it eat at least 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories (or 28 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet), following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for everyone. AARP’s Whole Body Reset, based on the latest research in people age 50 and over, recommends 20 to 25 grams a day for women and 30 grams for men.

Vegetables like lentils, nuts and fruits, especially those with edible skin, such as apples and pears, and edible seeds including berries are good sources of fiber, according to the ADA.

10. Sleep on it

Tired of the daily grind? Take it lying down.

“Adequate sleep is critical not only for diabetes management but in terms of all metabolic diseases, including weight management,” Kristan says. Conversely, not getting at least seven hours of shut-eye nightly is associated with insulin resistance, according to a review of research. When that happens, the cells don’t respond to that hormone like they should — to efficiently take in sugar from the blood and convert it to energy — and blood glucose rises.

Plus, being sleep-deprived can make it harder to handle stress, which also contributes to the stew of toxic hormones like cortisol linked to insulin resistance. Think about being overtired and overstressed. “Those two are so interrelated,” Kristan says. She adds that when more insulin is produced, in response, that increases hunger and you eat more calories.

Here are some tips to put the spiral to bed.  

11. Lifestyle changes alone not enough? Consider medication

For certain patients, medication like metformin may also be helpful to lower blood sugar.

“Some people are going to have a really difficult time making lifestyle changes, and some people will tell you, ‘I’m more likely to take my medicines every single day to control the prediabetes,’” Huang says.

While lifestyle changes are part of a comprehensive approach, experts say what’s most important is doing whatever it takes — and not waiting — to lower blood sugar so you can live a longer, healthier life.