COLUMN: Nine top tips for managing your blood sugar levels

With World Diabetes Day happening this week it’s a great opportunity to discuss and bring awareness to the importance of managing our blood sugar levels.

This is essential for our overall health and particularly important for individuals with diabetes or those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Whether you’re striving to prevent diabetes, are already living with the condition or you want to prevent the dreaded sugar crashes, here nutritionist Laurann O’Reilly and owner of Nutrition By Laurann guides us through some valuable tips to help you manage your blood sugar effectively and prevent the dreaded blood sugar rollercoaster.

1. Up the fibre:
Fibre-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help stabilise blood sugar levels. Fibre slows down the absorption of sugar, preventing rapid spikes and crashes.
Tip: Aim for at least 25-30 grams of fibre daily.

2. Stay hydrated:
Proper hydration is essential for blood sugar management. Drinking enough water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar from your blood.
Tip: Aim to drink a minimum of 35ml/kg body weight of water per day
Tip: Avoid sugary beverages and opt for water/fruit infused water and herbal teas instead.

3. Include Chromium:
Chromium is a mineral involved in carbohydrate and fat metabolism. It helps to regulate insulin, manage blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings.
Note: Vitamin B3 (niacin) and Vitamin C help to improve the absorption of chromium.
Chromium Food Sources: Meats, grain products, fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, brewer’s yeast, beer, and wine contain small amounts of chromium. Studies have also found that the chromium amounts in these foods vary widely depending on local soil and water conditions, agricultural and manufacturing processes used to produce them as well as cooking.
Recommended Chromium Supplement: Pharma Nord BioActive Chromium 100mg, I really like this one as it’s organic and is easily absorbed in the body. For a 15% discount on Pharma Nord Products visit www.pharmanord.ie/webshop and enter the code LAURANN15

4. Add some Cinnamon:
Not just a tasty spice, many studies have proven that cinnamon can help to regulate and balance and regulate blood sugar levels.
Tip: Why not add a teaspoon of cinnamon to your porridge, yogurt, on top of some smashed banana on wholegrain bread and into savoury dishes such as curries.

5. Add a little Apple Cider Vinegar:
As well as its many other benefits, apple cider vinegar (due to it being a little more on the acidic side) can help to slow the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream, helping to balance blood sugar levels.
Apple Cider Vinegar Tip: When purchasing apple cider vinegar look for one that says ‘with mother’ as this has real healing properties and give it a gentle shake before use.
Apple Cider Food Suggestion: Why not mix 1-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with 1-2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a delicious, healthy and appley flavoured salad dressing
Recommended Apple Cider Vinegar: My favourite is the locally sourced Apple Cider Vinegar from The Apple Farm in Cahir, which can be purchased online, in their shop and is also supplied in many local and national stores/ supermarkets.

6. Stress management:
Chronic stress can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. When stressed, your body secretes hormones called glucagon and cortisol, which cause blood sugar levels to rise
Tip: Engage in stress-reducing activities like meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, listening to music, reading a good book, cooking, art or other hobbies you enjoy. Managing stress is crucial for overall well-being.

7. Get your sleep:
Inadequate sleep can disrupt hormonal balance, affecting blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity and can result in insulin resistance. This can often be compounded by the need of stimulants or quick sugar fixes to make up for the lack of sleep.
Tip: Establish a consistent sleep schedule to promote better blood sugar control and aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night.

8. Get Diabetes screened:
It’s always good to stay on top of our health with regular health screening, that includes screening for type 2 diabetes. If you have any of the signs or symptoms listed below along with the risk factors, please contact your GP who can arrange testing for you.

Signs and symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
According to the HSE, the most common signs and symptoms of undiagnosed or poorly managed type 2 diabetes include:
- Feeling thirsty all the time
- drinking excessive amounts of liquids or unable to quench your thirst
- Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling tired, lack of energy, sleeping more than usual
- Losing weight without trying to
- Frequent infections, cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- Numbness, pain or tingling in your hands or feet
- Blurred vision

What makes you at a higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes?
In addition to the above symptoms there may be additional factors which can put you at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which according to the HSE are if you:
- Are over the age of 45
- Have a close relative with diabetes such as a parent, brother or sister
- Are an adult who is overweight or obese
- Have a diagnosis of pre-diabetes
- Have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- Are physically inactive - for example, if you take less than 30 minutes of physical activity most days
- Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides
- Have a history of heart disease
- Have a medical condition that requires long-term steroid use
- Have haemochromatosis - storing too much iron in your body
- Are a woman with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

9. Keep active:
Exercise is an effective way to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar.
Tip: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. Additionally, resistance training can help build muscle and control blood sugar.