Every morning, a type 2 diabetic starts his day by deploying a few techniques to live with his altered blood glucose levels. His challenge is difficult. There are times when he has to deal with a very low, coma-inducing sugar level. Moreover, on other occasions, the sugar level breaks all previous records.

However, his problem is much deeper. He gets symptomatic relief with drugs but does not make enough changes in his lifestyle and food intake to improve his life as a diabetic.

Nutritional food planning by following four easy steps can lower blood glucose levels: low-calorie food consumption, scheduled meal intake, no overeating, and knowledge of food labels

Eat carbohydrates the right way to lower your blood sugar

Diabetics need to understand the importance of glycemic index and glycemic load of carbs-rich food as it swings the glucose levels in the blood after food intake.

Low Glycemic Index (GI) carbs help in the release of energy for a longer period and help diabetics fight low blood glucose levels that make them hypoglycemic. Low GI food (value 55 or less) or medium GI food (value 56-69) are preferable.

Learning about Glycemic load (GL) is very important as it helps in understanding the altered blood glucose levels after food intake. Here is a formula to help you understand the value:

GL = GI/100 X net carbohydrates

(Net carbohydrates are subtracting dietary fibers from the total carbohydrates.)

Food choices that constitute whole grains (non-sweetened) and oatmeal; non-starchy vegetables like celery, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage; plant-based proteins like beans and pulses; fresh fruits with low GI; white meat like chicken and fish and low-fat dairy products can also help. This list may look tedious, but if followed properly, it can help you control your blood glucose levels. In the beginning, diabetics should stick to low GI food. From then on, they can choose between low GI and medium GI food.

Fiber is the best friend of a diabetic to lower blood glucose levels. The recommended intake of fiber is 14 grams/1000 calories per day.

Losing weight is also important in type 2 diabetes if the person is overweight. Sticking to low GI food also helps diabetics in controlling their blood glucose levels.

How to reduce blood glucose by eating nutrients

To lower your blood glucose level, you can eat all form of nutrients, but you have to keep a check on the kind that you are eating.

For fats, the rule is simple. According to ADA, the total consumption of saturated fats should be less than 7%, and total cholesterol consumption should be less that 200 mg daily. The protein consumption is a bit tricky with the diabetics. If you are suffering from kidney disease, do not exceed protein intake by more than 0.8 to 1 g per kg of body weight/day. However, if your kidney function is fine, the total protein intake can range from 15% to 20% of total calories.

A man is what he eats, especially for a diabetic. Keep a lookout for the kind of food that you eat, and that will help you control your glucose over time.

Special thanks to Daniel Gill for writing this article.