Tips for Fighting High Blood Sugar

You've probably seen a five pound bag of sugar before. Imagine taking that bag and dividing it into pound portions, then eating one pound a week. That is exactly what the average American is doing today. Since some health-minded individuals eat little or no sugar at all, we can conclude that others are doing more than their share.

It's not hard to get your weekly quota of sugar, for you can find it in the most unlikeliest of places. There is sugar in ketchup, sugar in soup, sugar in crackers, sugar in just about anything that is processed or refined. It might not say sugar on the label-it might say corn syrup or one of about 50 other names for sugar. But it is there just the same, waiting to wreak havoc on your body's chemical balance.

Sugar-and the high blood sugar that so often accompanies a well-sugared diet-is one of the major factors driving the obesity epidemic today. Nutritionists estimate that many Americans gain up to ten pounds a year simply by drinking pop, and more than a few have found that when they make the one dietary change of dropping pop from their diet, they start losing weight.

Drinking pop or eating other well-sugared foods can raise your blood sugar significantly, which is very detrimental to the body. Blood sugar levels that are out of control can negatively affect your healthy, energy levels, and efforts at weight loss. An increasing body of medical research has linked high blood sugar to specific health challenges such as obesity, food cravings, mood swings, heart disease, strokes, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and fertility. Blood sugar that's out-of-whack can also cause problems during pregnancy.

You don't have to have diabetes to have blood sugar that's out of control, although high blood sugar can certainly lead to diabetes. If you suspect that you may have problems with blood sugar, there three simple steps you can take to start on the road to recovery.

Step #1: Have your blood sugar tested

Begin by having a simple blood sugar test done at a local medical laboratory or hospital. If your blood sugar is between 60 and 90 milligrams of glucose per 10 millileters of blood, it is in the normal range. If your blood sugar falls in the 100-120 mg/dl range you have high blood sugar, and if it is above 125 mg/dl you should be checked out for diabetes. As you try to make changes in your life, have your blood sugar taken from time to time to help in measuring progress.

Step #2: Cut down on sugar in a few simple steps

Do you eat a bowl if ice cream every night before you go to bed? Try every other night. While the ideal thing would be to stop eating ice cream at all, it's even more important to get started. Try replacing sweets and refined foods with healthier alternatives. There are many tasty replacements out there today, and many people have been amazed at how easy it is to make positive changes in their diets.

Step #3: Do some reading

There are many good books out there on how balancing your blood sugar can improve health and lead to a fuller, happier life. Reading such a book will give you many more ideas on how to control blood sugar, in addition to providing additional motivation to stick with your program.