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Last Updated on June 21, 2023
Suffering from high blood sugar may be more common than you think. Many assume it’s a condition that only affects those with diabetes, but that’s not always the case. Chronic diseases, hormonal changes, weight gain, stress, and diet can elevate your sugar levels, so keeping them in check is essential.
Here’s a look at the causes and symptoms of high blood sugar, what to eat when blood sugar is high, and how intermittent fasting can help regulate and even reverse the condition.
What causes high blood sugar?
High blood sugar, also known as hyperglycemia, happens when the sugar (glucose) levels in your blood are too high. When sugar levels are raised, the pancreas should release insulin to regulate the levels. If this doesn’t happen, hyperglycemia can occur, which can have serious impacts if not treated. It can cause poor circulation, hardening of the arteries, and the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Although high blood sugar is common in diabetics, it can also occur if you are stressed, have recently been unwell or had a severe infection, if you’re overweight, or if you eat too many carbohydrates and sugary foods in your diet. Fortunately, there are ways to control blood sugar, and scientific studies have shown intermittent fasting as a powerful way to regulate blood sugar fluctuations.
Symptoms of high blood sugar
Many symptoms are associated with high blood sugar, and being aware of the warning signs is essential if you or a family member has diabetes or hyperglycemia. Common symptoms of high blood sugar include:
- Frequent urination
- Nausea
- Extreme thirst or hunger
- Drowsiness
- Blurred vision
Does high blood sugar make you sleepy?
Yes, high blood sugar can make you sleepy or fatigued. This is because when your blood sugar levels become too high, your body tries to remove the excess sugar from your bloodstream and this can cause increased urination, which can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance.
Also, high blood sugar prevents glucose from being properly absorbed by your body’s cells, depriving them of the energy they require to function properly. This can contribute to tiredness or sleepiness, too.
So, if you experience any of these warning signs regularly, it’s time to act and get your blood sugar levels checked by your GP. If you are diagnosed with high blood sugar, changing your diet and lifestyle is often necessary to help bring your sugar levels back into range.
A structured diet like intermittent fasting has proved to be a very effective way of regulating blood sugar levels. You can easily apply this diet to your life with the help of Kompanion.
In one study, insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes patients were put on an intermittent fasting plan and monitored. The results showed an overall improvement in the patient’s glucose levels, and some were even able to stop taking insulin.
What to eat to lower sugar in blood
A healthy diet and an active lifestyle can help to reduce high blood sugar levels. Some foods, like refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, and candy, cause spikes in sugar levels. Others with a low glycaemic index (GI) have proved to aid with regulating the levels.
Foods to lower blood sugar
The following foods and fruits have proved most effective at reducing and helping to regulate blood sugar levels:
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and broccoli sprouts
- Seafood, including shellfish
- Nuts and nut butter
- Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds
- Beans and lentils
- Sauerkraut and kimchi
- Flax and chia seeds
- Cabbage and kale
- Oats and oat bran
- Eggs, yogurt, and kefir
Fruits to lower blood sugar
Certain fruits can also help to lower blood sugar levels, including:
- Avocado
- Apples
- Pears
- Citrus fruit like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit
- Berries, especially blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries
Blood sugar when fasting
If you want to maintain optimum blood sugar levels, a healthy diet is essential. Although many people start intermittent fasting to achieve weight loss, the benefits of a fasting diet extend far beyond losing a few pounds.
Not everyone who follows an intermittent fasting diet wants to lose weight. In a study on the effects of fasting on diabetes patients where weight loss didn’t occur, the fasting plan, including the foods listed during mealtimes, helped regulate the patient’s blood sugar levels. The result was interesting as it proved it’s not weight loss alone that can reduce blood sugar levels. In this case, the sugar levels lowered directly from the intermittent fasting diet.
Whether you have hyperglycemia or diabetes or simply want to reduce the risk of developing these conditions and adopt a healthy lifestyle, intermittent fasting can help. Most who follow Fasting Kompanion notice weight loss and an improvement in blood sugar levels within a month of starting the diet.
