Struggling with high blood sugar levels? Whether you’re dealing with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or diabetes, there are natural solutions that can help get your levels under control.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover lifestyle changes, diet tips, and nutrition facts that may help you manage your blood sugar effectively.
#1: Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes Through Intermittent Fasting
One of the key strategies is to avoid frequently spiking your blood sugar levels throughout the day. This can be achieved through intermittent fasting, where you go for extended periods without eating.
Here’s how it works:
- Instead of eating multiple small meals, stick to 1–2 larger meals per day
- During your fasting periods, your blood sugar levels remain stable without spiking
- This approach challenges your body to become more efficient at regulating blood sugar
You can start by experimenting with different fasting windows, such as 16 hours of fasting followed by an 8-hour eating window.
2: Try Rotational Fasting to Overcome Plateaus
Like with any lifestyle change, your body can adapt and hit a plateau. If intermittent fasting isn’t giving the results you want, rotational fasting may be the better option.
Rotational fasting helps prevent this by continually challenging your metabolism. The concept is similar to how you’d train for a race — you vary the intensity and duration to keep progressing.
With rotational fasting, you might:
- Start with 16-hour daily fasts
- Then move to 18 or 20-hour fasts a few times per week
- Occasionally do 24-hour fasts
This strategic variation in your fasting/eating windows keeps your body adapting and prevents plateaus.
#3: Focus on Blood Sugar-Friendly Foods
What you eat during your eating windows is crucial. Prioritize foods that have little to no impact on raising blood sugar, such as:
- Healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, nuts/seeds)
- Clean proteins (eggs, fish, lean meats)
- Non-starchy vegetables
If you do include carbs, stick to low-glycemic options like:
- Leafy greens
- Cruciferous veggies
- Berries
This minimizes blood sugar spikes while still providing nutrients.
#4: Leverage Exercise and Breathing for Blood Sugar Control
Diet and fasting aren’t the only factors — exercise and breathing practices can also help regulate blood sugar levels.
For exercise, even high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts as short as 10 minutes can significantly lower blood sugar post-workout by burning glucose. This also has the benefit of building muscle, helping your heart, and improving your overall longevity.
For breathing, the best option is deep diaphragmatic breathing. This helps reduce stress hormones like cortisol that can negatively impact blood sugar
Try taking 1-minute “breathing breaks” several times daily: inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds
#5: Incorporate Blood Sugar-Friendly Herbs
Specific herbs and supplements may provide additional support. For example:
- Cinnamon: Helps improve insulin sensitivity when added to coffee, smoothies, etc.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): May increase insulin sensitivity and prevent blood sugar spikes before carb-rich meals. You can take ACV liquid or capsules.
- Turmeric: Reduces inflammation in the body and helps to better absorb Omega-3’s, allowing for clearer blood.
#6: For Sweet Cravings, Choose Natural Sweeteners
If you have a sweet tooth, artificial sweeteners are best avoided as they can negatively impact blood sugar regulation. Instead, opt for natural sweetener alternatives like:
- Monk fruit
- Stevia
- Allulose
You can find baked goods and treats using these sweeteners that allow you to indulge cravings without spiking your levels.
The Takeaway?
By implementing strategies like intermittent fasting, low-glycemic eating, exercise, breathing, and natural supplements, you can take a holistic approach to better managing your blood sugar levels. Be patient and keep challenging your body — you’ve got this!
