The cornerstone of diabetes management – regardless of whether it's Type I or Type II – requires the monitoring of blood glucose levels and subsequent steps to lower blood sugar if necessary. Before venturing into medications either orally or through injections, there are a few easy ways that you can try to lower your blood sugar level naturally.

The first is to watch the food you eat, as it will directly affect how much sugar is absorbed by your digestive system into your blood stream. Although there have been various changes to what constitutes the perfect diabetic diet throughout the years, the current consensus is that you should consume a diet that is rich in soluble fibers, and low in saturated fats and sugar, while adhering to the recommended guideline to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day.

Perhaps as important as what to eat is the time when you should eat. You see, glucose level reaches its peak in your bloodstream an hour or two after your meal, after which it starts to fall depending on your metabolism, your diabetic medication (if any) and your activity. By eating at regular meal times, your digestive juices will be conditioned to be released in a more controlled fashion therefore contributing to a lower blood sugar. Furthermore, if you are taking diabetic medications, it's important to ingest some long-acting carbohydrates if you find your blood sugar low before you to bed – this will prevent dangerous hypoglycemia during your sleep.

While difficult for some diabetic patients because of their weight, exercise is one of the proven methods of how to lower blood sugar. It achieves this by burning away the fat (hence reducing weight) and increasing your body's sensitivity to insulin, meaning that less of this digestive enzyme is required to achieve the same fall in blood sugar. Now exercise in this context should be undertaken in moderation... there's no need for a 20-mile marathon. Research have shown that a 30-minute medium-pace walk is adequate; sometimes housework and light gardening will fulfill your daily quota.

Most people are not aware that elevated stress levels actually lead to higher blood sugar because of the release of adrenaline (stress hormones) which mobilizes the sugar from your body reserves (very logical: in the days gone by this enables our ancestors to run away from danger). Furthermore, a stressed lifestyle will inevitably disrupt your normal routine which keeps your blood sugar low, like a healthy diet and exercise ritual. Should you be affected by excessive stress, you should take a step back, put things into perspective and start recording your stress level every time you measure your blood sugar level. If you find a correlation, try to restore your blood sugar level by maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine, while obtaining enough sleep and learning useful relaxation techniques.

In a nutshell, the 3 natural ways to lower blood sugar without resorting to medication is diet, exercise and proper stress management. If your blood glucose level remains high after you have tried out these steps for 3 months, fortunately there are some more advanced methods out there that can help.

Dr Vincent T is a UK physician who empathizes with the emotions of helplessness and frustration affecting people with diabetes mellitus worldwide who are struggling to control their blood glucose level. If you've found this article useful, you can learn more about how to lower blood sugar at his dedicated website http://how-to-lower-blood-sugar.infomycin.com