How I Lowered My Blood Sugar to "Non- Diabetic" And What You Can Learn From My Experiment

Most of you know that I have a condition called MODY diabetes- not much is known about this super rare form (>10% of Type 1 Diabetics) that is caused by a genetic mutation and therefore runs in my family. Research is limited and a few years ago I set out to understand how I could control my blood sugars and manage my condition without medication, under the guidance of my doctor of course!

After a lot of trial and error I came away with a few key strategies that could benefit anyone looking to lower, or just manage, their blood sugars- whether you're diabetic, prediabetic, or neither, keeping blood sugar spikes at bay is key to helping your body function optimally and age gracefully.

1. Adopting a Diabetes-Friendly Diet: Learning What Works for Me

One of the most significant factors in managing my blood sugar has been diet. There’s a lot of information out there about what you should or shouldn’t eat as a diabetic, but I found that not all advice works for everyone. I had to figure out what worked best for my body through trial and error.

Early on, I tried different approaches, from low-carb to Mediterranean-style eating, to see how my blood sugar responded. Here’s what I learned works for me:

• Getting enough fiber: Fiber is key for managing blood sugar- it's a type of carb that the body can't digest, so it passes through the body, meaning it's never broken down into sugars. It helps regulate the body's use of sugars, keeping hunger and blood sugars in check. Check out my latest blog on this powerhouse nutrient!

• Protein first: Protein takes longer to digest than carbs, which means it can help slow down the absorption of glucose in your bloodstream. It acts like a kind of "buffer" to slow the carbs down and help your body handle them.

• Incorporating healthy fats: Healthy fats also help slow digestion to prevent blood sugar spikes. But be careful- saturated fats can have the opposite effect, reducing insulin action. Focus on mono & poly fats.

  
  

• Key Takeaways

  • All adults should be aiming for 25-30g of fiber daily. Check out my blog on fiber rich foods and how to incorporate them for inspiration

  • Eat your protein at the beginning of the meal, or at least mix it with your carbs so that it can help slow your digestion of glucose.

  • Eating smaller, more frequent meals can be helpful if you find yourself super hungry between meals or snacking constantly

  • Get enough healthy fats by incorporating foods like fish, nuts, soybeans, flaxseed & olive oil.

2. Keep Moving

Exercise is key for so many reasons- from keeping your heart healthy to keeping your bones & muscles strong as you age. But it's a real all star when it comes to managing blood sugar- muscle mass allows you to store more glucose, which can help lower your blood sugars after meals. It can also increase insulin sensitivity giving your body a jumpstart.

Here’s what has worked for me:

• Finding the right intensity and timing: I realized that I didn’t have to do intense, hour-long workouts to reap the benefits of exercise- I actually found that more intense exercise raised my blood sugars temporarily because my body was releasing glucose to my muscles, but my muscles weren't able to uptake it fast enough. Moderate activities like walking or cycling helped me keep my blood sugars stable without causing dramatic drops. After meals, going for a 15-20 minute walk has had the most profound impact on my post-meal blood sugars.

• Lifting heavy: Lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises (such as squats, lunges, and push-ups) not only helps build muscle but also improves insulin sensitivity. The more muscle I build, the more efficiently my body uses glucose. I’ve made resistance training a part of my weekly routine to help regulate my blood sugar over the long term.

• Staying consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to diabetes management and exercise in general.

  
  

• Key Takeaways:

  • Movement is key- aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity on most days

  • Lift weights- the science is becoming more and more clear that muscle mass is the key to aging gracefully, both structurally and metabolically.

  • Go for short walks after meals to help with digestion and manage post- meal spikes

  
  

3. Managing Stress: A Silent Factor in Blood Sugar Fluctuations

I actually didn't realize the impact that stress had on my blood sugars until recently when I was wearing a CGM and saw the spike after a stressful morning- it was wild! When you get stressed your body releases a hormonal cocktail of cortisol, adrenaline and growth hormones that spike your sugar, and fast. There's even evidence that continued stress can cause Type 2 diabetes, so managing it's impact is key.

Here are some of the techniques that helped me manage stress:

• Meditation and deep breathing: Practicing mindfulness meditation for just 10-15 minutes each day helped me lower stress and improve my emotional well-being. When I feel overwhelmed, I take deep breaths to calm my mind and body.

• Sleep hygiene: Lack of sleep was another trigger for high blood sugar. I made it a priority to get at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night by establishing a calming bedtime routine, avoiding screens before bed, and keeping my bedroom environment quiet and cool. It doesn't always work but I've definitely made improvements.

• Lifestyle changes & prioritizing hobbies: I used to wake up at 5am and hop on the computer to start my workday which would end around 6pm (hello, tech industry!) This was bad in so many ways. I learned to manage my time better, step away from the work chaos, and spend time each day doing something that made me feel good and that I enjoyed.

Managing stress became just as important as managing my diet and exercise routine. By taking care of my emotional well-being, I saw more consistent blood sugar levels and felt more balanced overall.

• Key Takeaways:

  • Find a mindfulness practice that you can stick with- this can be a 20 minute walk in the morning, meditation, journaling, yoga, beating the crap out of a pillow- whatever helps you reflect on daily stress and release it from your body. Don't overthink it.

  • Establish a sleep hygiene routine- turn off your phone, reduce screen time, do something relaxing each night that helps you wind down and tell your brain that it's time to "turn off"

  • Look at your overall stress levels- make sure that you're taking time each day to enjoy yourself- it's just life!

4. Drink up! (Water!)

Water helps your kidneys filter out excess blood sugar and dilutes the sugar in your blood. When you're dehydrated, the amount of water in your bloodstream decreases, which means the glucose is even more concentrated. It can also help you feel more full so that you eat less at meals.

• Key takeaways: Make sure you're getting enough hydration! The easiest way to estimate how much water you need each day is to take your weight and multiply it by 2/3 (.67). If you exercise, take that number and add 12 ounces for every 30 minutes you work out. Here's a quick cheat sheet:

  
  

In Conclusion: Everyone can benefit from keeping their blood sugar fluctuations in check, diabetic or not. Out of control blood sugars can cause a host of health issues from blurry vision to nerve & kidney damage. Luckily the science is clear on tried and true ways to manage spikes & lower overall blood sugars.