How to Improve Your Memory

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
There is no such thing as a "bad memory", and everyone can improve their memory, as long as you are not suffering from memory loss as a medical condition. If you want to improve your memory, there are a number of things you can do, from eating blueberries to using a variety of mnemonic devices. If you're optimistic and dedicated, you'll be able to improve your memory, whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys.

Steps

Use association to remember facts. To use association effectively, you can create an image in your mind to help you remember a word or an image. For example, if you have a hard time remembering that JFK was the president involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion, just picture the handsome president swimming in an ocean surrounded by happy, oinking pigs. This is absolutely silly, but this concrete image in your mind will forever help you link the president with this event.[1]

Use association to remember numbers. Let's say you keep forgetting your student ID every time you need to use it again. Just break down the number into smaller chunks and create images associated with those chunks. Let's say the number is 12-7575-23. Find a way to make these numbers meaningful. Let's say "12" happens to be your house number, "75" happens to be your grandmother's age, and the number "23" is Michael Jordan's jersey number. Here's what you can visualize to remember the number:

• Picture your house with two copies of your grandmother standing to the right, showing that the house comes first. Then imagine Michael Jordan standing to the right of your grandmothers. There you have it -- 12 (your house), 7575 (double-dose of Grandma) and 23, the basketball star.

Use chunking. Chunking is a way of grouping things together to help you memorize them. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. For example, list all of the fruits together, the dairy products together, and the bread products together. This will not only help you memorize the list, but it'll make your shopping experience much faster.[2]

• If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
• Chunking is what we do when we list a phone number with dashes. Which looks easier to memorize, 8564359820, or 856-435-9820?
• You probably won't remember 17761812184818651898, but try putting a space after every fourth number. Now you can see that those numbers are years, and you can pick key events from each year to help you remember the string of numbers (such as the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, and Spanish-American War).

Use rhymes. Using a variety of common and silly rhymes can help you recall basic information. For example, if you're trying to figure out if April has 30 or 31 days, just say the old rhyme aloud: "Thirty days has September, April, June, and November." Then you'll remember that April does indeed have 30 days. Here are some other rhymes to use as memory tools:[3]

• "In fourteen-hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue."
• A child can learn the alphabet by singing it to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," which makes the letters rhyme.

Use acronyms. Acronyms are another wonderful tool for remembering a variety of things, from the names of the five Great Lakes to the words used as conjunctions. You can use a popular acronym, or create one for yourself. For example, if you're going to the store and know you only need Butter, Lettuce, Bread, and Unagi, then just create a word out of the first letter of each term: "BULB" -- Butter, Unagi, Lettuce, and Bread. Here are some popular acronyms to use:[4]

• HOMES. This one is used for remembering the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
• ROY G. BIV. This man's name can help you remember the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
• FOIL. This will help you remember how to multiply two binomial terms: First, Outer, Inner, Last.
• FANBOYS. This acronym can help you remember simple coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

Use acrostics. Acrostics are similar to acronyms, except instead of just remembering the acronym, you can remember a new sentence made out of the first letters of a set of words that you have to memorize in a certain order. For example, you can say, "My very educated mother just sent us nine pizzas" to learn the order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. You can also make up acrostics of your own. Here are a few more popular acrostics:[5]

• Every Good Boy Does Fine. This is used for memorizing the lines on the treble music staff: EGBDF.
• Never Eat Sour Watermelons. This is used for remembering the points of a compass in clockwise order: North, East, South, and West. Another good example is Never Eat Shredded Wheat which also rhymes too.
• King Philip Can Only Find His Green Slippers. Use this to memorize the order of the classification system: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
• Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Use this to remember the order of operations in mathematics: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

Use the method of Loci. This method has been used since the time of Ancient Greece. To use this method, simply imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you're very familiar with, or in specific locations in a familiar room or building. First, pick a familiar path; then, picture the things you want to do or memorize along that path.[6]

• If you needed to memorize the acronyms HOMES, FANBOYS, and FOIL, you can picture a miniature home, on your front porch, a loud group of fan boys cheering on your stairs, and some foil wrapped around your bed.

Trying Other Tricks

1. Remember a person's name. Use a popular trick out of FDR's playbook for memorizing a person's name. When a person introduces themselves to you, picture them with their name written on their forehead. This will associate the image of that person with their name.
2. Move your eyes from side to side. Studies show that moving your eyes from side to side for just 30 seconds once a day will align the two parts of your brain and make your memory work more smoothly. Try this trick when you wake up in the morning.[7]
3. Smell rosemary. Studies show that smelling rosemary can improve your recall. Carry around a spring of rosemary or smell rosemary oil once a day. The Ancient Greeks even put a spring of rosemary behind their ears on exam days to help them boost their memories.[8]
4. Use your environment.Change the normal location of things to remember to do something. If you need to remember to take your multivitamins every morning, then put the toaster on its side, and only put it back in its normal place after you've taken your vitamins. Seeing the toaster out of place will remind you that something is off and that there's something you need to remember.[9]
   • If you need to remember something important, such as a person's birthday, just wear your wristwatch on your other wrist. You'll remember that there was something important you had to do when you see that the watch is out of position.
5. Exercise your brain. Regularly "exercising" the brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills -- especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument -- and challenging your brain with puzzles and games, you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
   • Try some fun puzzle exercises everyday such as crosswords, Sudoku, and other games which are easy enough to for anyone.
   • Get out of your comfort zone and pick something that is new and challenging, which makes you flex your brain muscles. Try to play chess or a fast-paced board game.
6. Stop thinking that you have a "bad memory." Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Celebrate even little achievements to keep yourself motivated.
7. Say things you want to remember aloud. If you have trouble remembering whether you took your medication every morning, just say, "I just took my medication!" right after you took it, to reinforce this idea in your mind. Saying this aloud will help you remember that you did indeed take your medication.
   • This also works if you're meeting a new person and don't want to forget his name. Just repeat the name naturally after you learn it: "Hi, Sarah, it's nice to meet you."
   • This also works to remember an address or a meeting time. Just repeat it aloud to the person who invited you: "The Grand Tavern at 7? That sounds perfect."
8. Deepen your breathing when you have to remember something. When it's time to study or remember something new, switch your breathing pattern to be slower and deeper. Deeper and slower breathing actually changes the way your brain works, by inducing the brain's electrical pulses to switch to Theta waves, which normally occur in your brain in hypnogogic sleep.
   • To activate your Theta waves, switch your breathing to your lower abdomen - in other words, start breathing deeply from your stomach. Consciously slow your rate of breathing too.
   • After a few moments, you should feel calmer, the Theta waves should be flowing in your brain, and you should be more receptive to remembering new information.
9. Use flash cards. Flash cards are especially useful for studying. It's essentially a card with a question on one side and the answer on the other. (You can also put two things you want to associate on opposite sides of a flashcard.) In the course of learning a topic, you would have a stack of cards and would go through them testing yourself. Those that you got right you would put to one side and review a few days later.
   • Place the terms you remembered in one pile, and the ones you need to know in another. Keep going until all of the cards are in the "know" pile, even if you need to take breaks.
   • Go back to your flash cards the next day and see if you've still memorized the terms on them.
10. Don't cram for an exam. Cramming only works to put information in your short-term memory. You may remember the information for your exam the next day, but you will barely recall the unit when it's time to take the final. Spacing out your studying is important because it gives your brain time to encode the information and store it in your long-term memory.

Improving Your Lifestyle

1. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things.
   • Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
2. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body -- including the brain -- and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental "pictures".
   • Even just walking for 30 minutes a day is a fantastic form of exercise.
3. Reduce stress. Chronic stress does in fact physically damage the brain, it can make remembering much more difficult. After prolonged stress, the brain will start to become affected and deteriorate. Stress may never be completely eliminated from one's life, but it definitely can be controlled. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things.
   • Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress as soon as possible.
   • Meditate for at least 15 minutes a day. This will help you slow down your breathing and relax.
   • Reduce your caffeine intake. Caffeine can make you feel more anxious and stressed.
   • Give yourself a massage or get one from a friend. This will help your body loosen up.
   • Reduce stress by spending more time being social with your friends. Being a more social creature and talking to people more will also improve your memory.
   • Take the time to laugh. Laughing will not only make you less stressed, but it will make your mind more receptive to forming new memories.
4. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests. A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants -- broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example -- and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning.[10]
   • Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Niacin and Vitamin B-6.
   • Grazing, or eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain. Make sure it's healthy stuff.
   • Some studies show that drinking at least 8 ounces of purple grape juice a day can improve your memory.

Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better.

• One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.

Sleep Well

 The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep -- a minimum of seven hours a night -- may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.

• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every night. This will make you feel much more rested.
• Spend at least half an hour reading in bed and winding down before you go to bed.
• Shut off the TV, your computer, and any other visual stimulants at least an hour before bed.
• Take catnaps during the day. They can help you recharge your batteries and boost your memory.

Tips

• When studying, take a break every so often, and do something dynamic, run up and down the stairs a couple of times, go back to your work in ten minutes
• Most people’s brains are not very good at remembering abstract information, such as numbers. This is one of the things that separate those with eidetic, or photographic, memory from those with a great, normal memory. The key to being able to recall such things is to build associations and links that evoke the memory. This is why almost anybody with normal brain functioning can dramatically improve their ability to recall things using mnemonics. While building a memory palace, for example, actually requires that you "remember" more, by associating the thing to be remembered with other things (emotions, other memories, images, etc.) you build more mental "links" to the memory, thus making it easier to access.
• There are also games that have been created to help you improve your memory. Playing some of these will help.
• A large number of memory improvement products are available (a search on the internet will produce hundreds of such products). Most of these products actually teach you mnemonic strategies, and while some are no doubt bunk, some are legitimate.
• Memorize your favorite song or poem until you can say it to yourself without any help. Try to do this often.
• Write the event or task down immediately. If you don't have a pen, one thing you can do is change the time on your watch; later on you will remember why it is set at the wrong time. You could also wear your watch upside down.
• One easy method to help you remember people’s names is to look at the person when you are introduced and say the person’s name: "Nice to meet you, Bill." Another way to remember someone's name is to visualize that person holding hands with another person you know well with that name. It's weird but it works.
• If you're poetically inclined, try turning some things you need to know into a song or poem.
• Visualize whatever you have to do as part of something you see every day. For example, if you have to give your dog some medicine, visualize your dog in your fridge every time you walk past it or look inside. This will keep your dog fresh in your mind.
• Put black ink at the end of your palm to remember any important thing for the next day or for that day itself. Whenever you see the black dot, you'll remember what to do.
• Leave yourself a telephone message reminding yourself of important "to do" tasks.
• Take a tray of objects (say, 10 objects). Study them for 30 seconds. Take the tray away and write down all the objects you can. Increase the number of items to exercise the mind even more. Or, get someone else to find the objects on the tray; this makes them harder to remember and will test you more.
• Try memorizing the order of a deck of playing cards. Although this may seem like a pointless task, it will allow you to discover memorization techniques that work best for you.
• Write in a diary or journal every day without fail. Even small issues should be written down -- this is a good way to make sure you don't miss anything.

Warnings

• If you notice a severe or sudden deterioration of memory, talk to your doctor immediately. Sometimes these can be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
• Solve any personal or some concerns that bother your mind. A peaceful mind leads to a good memory.
• Exercise due diligence when purchasing a memory improvement product. Find out as much as you can about how the program works, and do your own research to determine if it will work for you. Some of these products are simply scams. Be especially wary of products that promise to improve your memory instantly or with little or no effort: effective strategies to improve recall take time and practice.
• While some herbal supplements that claim to improve memory may in fact work, there is no conclusive evidence that any of these are effective. Most are harmless, however, and may be worth a try, but exercise caution: some supplements can have harmful effects, and not all contain what they say they contain.

Related wikiHows

• How to Memorize Lists Using the Pure Link System
• How to Memorize a List in Order
• How to Memorize a Grocery List
• How to Add 5 Consecutive Numbers Quickly
• How to Express Yourself
• How to Improve Emotional Intelligence
• How to Improve Mind Power
• How to Focus on Healthy Eating to Improve Exam Performance

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
2. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
3. ↑ http://www.clubtnt.org/my_collegian/memory_tips_&_tricks.htm
4. ↑ http://www.thememorypage.net/acronyms-for-school/
5. ↑ http://www.thememoryinstitute.com/poems-acronyms-rhymes-and-acrostics.html
6. ↑ http://www.web-us.com/memory/mnemonic_techniques.htm
7. ↑ http://www.livescience.com/1473-moving-eyes-improves-memory-study-suggests.html
8. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/9979776/Shakespeare-was-right-rosemary-oil-boosts-memory.html
9. ↑ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-ways-to-improve-memory.htm
10. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/memory-loss/HA00001/NSECTIONGROUP=2

1. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
2. ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
3. ↑ http://www.clubtnt.org/my_collegian/memory_tips_&_tricks.htm
4. ↑ http://www.thememorypage.net/acronyms-for-school/
5. ↑ http://www.thememoryinstitute.com/poems-acronyms-rhymes-and-acrostics.html
6. ↑ http://www.web-us.com/memory/mnemonic_techniques.htm
7. ↑ http://www.livescience.com/1473-moving-eyes-improves-memory-study-suggests.html
8. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/elderhealth/9979776/Shakespeare-was-right-rosemary-oil-boosts-memory.html
9. ↑ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-ways-to-improve-memory.htm
10. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/memory-loss/HA00001/NSECTIONGROUP=2

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Can Diabetes Make You Sleepy? -- powered by ehow

How to Lower Blood Sugar With Diet

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
High blood sugar can cause a number of health problems. Most notably, it can trigger the onset of diabetes, especially in people with a family history of the disease. Diabetics must monitor their diet to prevent their blood sugar from running dangerously high. Pre-diabetics or those with a genetic disposition to the disease can keep blood sugar levels low by being careful with their diet, possibly reducing the risk of needing medication.Once you are diagnosed as Diabetic, it is dangerous to assume that diet and exercise alone can help you manage your blood sugar. If you are disciplined, then a doctor could agree that minimal medication is all that you need. But we do not advise a diagnosed diabetic to take charge of managing his or her blood sugar with diet and exercise alone.

Steps

Eating the Right Foods

1. Understand the importance of the right food in your diet. Food, if carefully chosen, can cause a gradual rise in blood sugar levels (which is good) or it can cause the levels to rise too quickly (which most people should avoid). Which way your system reacts to your meal depends on the food you have eaten ––whole foods are likely to cause a gradual rise, while refined carbohydrates and sugar will cause a fast rise in blood sugar levels.[1]

1. Choose healthy carbohydrates. Ultimately all food is converted into blood sugar, and consumed to make energy; the idea is to avoid foods where this happens very fast. Sugars, and starches (as found in white bread, or cornstarch, and many other foods) are converted most rapidly, and should be avoided. On the other hand, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (lentils and beans), and a moderate amount of low-fat dairy foods are converted more gradually, and are better sources of energy for almost anyone, especially those avoiding high blood sugar. [2]
   • Note that low fat doesn't necessarily mean low calorie; always read the ingredients list.[3]
   • Healthy whole grains include barley, oats, spelt, wheat, kamut and brown rice.[4] See below for more about oats.
   • Bread and cereals are healthy provided you steer clear of the high fat and high sugar varieties. Choose bread and cereals containing less than 450mg per 100mg of sodium.[5]
   • Eat some carbohydrate at each meal, but only a reasonable portion. Eat more non-starchy vegetables over starchy ones.
   • Eat some protein in your meals, too. Proteins are good for you, and can sometimes help moderate the rise in sugar.
2. Eat more fiber. Fiber cleanses your system and soluble fiber (see below) helps control your blood sugar levels. Most vegetables are high in fiber, especially those with leafy greens. Many fruits, nuts, and legumes are also rich in fiber, as are whole-wheat products.
• Soluble fiber is very important for maintaining good health. It is found in such foods as beans, nuts, oat bran and seeds.[4]
• Flax-seeds are both a good source of fiber and for maintaining balanced blood sugar. Grind two tablespoons with 10 ounces of water and consume each morning to gain its benefits.[4]

1. Eat fish twice a week or more often. Fish is high in protein, which does not affect blood sugar as much as carbohydrates do. Fish also has less fat and cholesterol than meat and poultry. Many types of fish, including salmon, mackerel, and herring, also have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which lower fats called triglycerides and promotes overall heart health. Avoid fish prone to high levels of mercury, however, like swordfish and king mackerel.
   • Other sources of healthy, lean protein include legumes, nuts, seeds, peas and turkey or chicken.[4] You might also consider protein drinks with less than 5g of sugar content.[4]
2. Eat more oatmeal. Unsweetened oatmeal digests slowly, which prevents your blood sugar from spiking up dramatically while providing your body with the slow-release energy it needs.[6] Lentils and legumes (beans) are just as good. (Some people feel that these foods give them indigestion and gas, until their systems get accustomed to them, so use your judgement.) All of these foods contain soluble fiber, which delays sugar and carbohydrate absorption, which is good.
3. Look for non-starchy vegetables. Broccoli, spinach, and green beans are excellent examples.[6] These vegetables are low in carbohydrates, so they do not affect your blood sugar very much, but they are also high in fiber and have a cleansing effect. (Lentils, legumes and oats are certainly starchy foods, but their soluble fiber offsets the liabilities of their starch content.)
4. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a few strawberries. In spite of their sweetness, strawberries are actually rather low in carbohydrates and, as such, do not dramatically raise blood sugar levels.[6] They also contain high levels of water, helping you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. As a result, you may feel less tempted by a more harmful sweet later on.
5. Drink more water. Soda and sugary juice drinks raise your blood sugar quickly. Substituting these drinks with water, sugar-free tonic water and sparkling water can quickly reduce your sugar intake.[6]
   • Many commercially available waters are also flavored, which may make them more appetizing than plain water. However, beware of added sugar. You can add strawberries, lemon or lime slices or a dash of orange juice to flavor sparkling water at home without adding sugar's empty calories.
   • Keep some water in the refrigerator with lemon slices already added to it. Very refreshing on a hot day, this water will taste delicious. Keep it topped up and discard the slices and add new ones every two days. Vary the flavorings with other citrus fruits or strawberries, apples or berries.
   • Try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to ensure that you're adequately hydrated.[5]
   • Be careful when consuming fruit juice and keep it to a minimum––fruit juice contains carbohydrate from its natural fructose (sugars).[5]
6. Sprinkle cinnamon onto your food. Some experts believe that cinnamon has a moderate effect at reducing blood sugar levels, especially in people with diabetes. The results are far from conclusive, but early studies do support the claim.[7]
   • Do not rely on cinnamon as a magic solution! It should be treated as an extra addition to all the other excellent suggestions above.

Planning Things Out

1. Know how many calories you should consume per day.[8] Ingesting the correct number of calories may prevent you from taking in excess food that can lead to excessive sugar entering your blood.
   • Consume 1,200 to 1,600 per day if you are a small woman, a medium-sized woman who wants to lose weight, or a medium-sized woman who does not exercise much.
   • Consume 1,600 to 2,000 calories per day if you are a large woman who wants to lose weight, a small man, a medium-sized man who does not exercise much or wants to lose weight, or a large man who wants to lose weight.
   • Consume 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day if you are a medium to large man who exercises a lot, a large man at a healthy weight, or a medium to large woman who exercises a lot.
2. Make substitutions. Instead of completely altering the way you eat, substitute healthier choices in place of those that could raise your blood sugar.
   • Organic whole fat foods are considerably healthier than fat-free and low-fat alternatives. Foods in their original whole form are better options than processed.
   • Organic whole milk is superior to low fat. Coconut milk is also an excellent option. Medium chain fatty acids in coconut milk are excellent for metabolic conditions such as diabetes.
   • Vegetable oils are full of heart damaging polyunsaturated fats. Avoid vegetable oils. Saturated fats are a superior option. Americans are finally beginning to understand that dietary fat does not make someone fat, but they are essential for energy and tissue production.
   • Avoid chemical sugar substitutes. They are not recognized by the body and cause cellular damage. Raw stevia is the best option for a non-calorie sweetener.
3. Count your carbohydrates. In particular, count the refined carbohydrates you're consuming, such as white flour baked products, sugary cereals and fried foods. Carbohydrates have a greater impact on your blood sugar levels than anything else because they break down into glucose, very quickly.
4. Check the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks carbohydrates based on how much they raise blood sugar levels after consumption. Foods with a low GI rating are less likely to raise your blood sugar than those with a high rating.
   • Be aware that the glycemic index may not catch all sources of sugar beyond glucose. Other sugars, such as fructose and lactose, add to your blood sugar load.[1]

Tips

• Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables where possible, as most of the nutrients tend to be found just under the skin and peeling can remove this. Also, if steaming or boiling vegetables, try to reuse the water as soup or in a stew or sauce, to capture the vitamins that end up in the water. Eating salad vegetables raw will ensure that you get many unspoiled vitamins in your diet––just be sure to wash well first.
• The whole family can eat the same healthy foods; there is no need to single yourself out. Everyone benefits from the same healthy and nutritious meals eaten together.

• Talk to your doctor before significantly altering your diet. Your doctor can work with you to determine the healthiest plan to suit all your dietary needs and can steer you away from choices that may negatively affect your health.
• Walk a lot. Exercise helps your dietary measures by increasing your metabolic responses and keeping you fit. Walking is an ideal method of exercise for every person.[9]. If you are diabetic, your doctor must guide you in how to make sure you have enough blood sugar to deal with vigorous exercise. Once you have established a routine of exercise, you will know better how to maintain a balance of foods and medication that will allow you to exercise moderately as part of your blood sugar regulating plan.

Warnings

• Do not reduce your blood sugar levels down to nothing. An excessively low blood sugar level can be just as dire to your health as an excessively high level. Once your are clinically tested and found to have one of the range of conditions called "Diabetes", it generally means that your body's automatic sugar-regulation process (the Endocrine system) is not functioning well, so that you must partially take charge of regulating it. Just as too much blood sugar (and sugar in the diet) is bad, so is too little blood sugar. This is why we've suggested legumes and lentils in your diet. These foods are converted into blood sugar much more slowly, and supply a trickle of energy for a longer period of time, which is ideal. The three things a Diabetic person uses to balance his or her blood sugar are: diet, exercise, and medication. All three must be used in a good balance.

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sarah Bearden, Nutrition in Essence, p. 69, (2006), ISBN 978-0-340-92730-4
2. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00027
3. ↑ http://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2012/Sep/beware-of-misleading-claims-of-many-low-fat-foods-93949286.html
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mark Stengler, MD, Dodge Diabetes, Alive.com, November 2006
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Andrea Bidois, Diabetes Update, pp. 164-168
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://diabetes.webmd.com/features/diabetic-diet-6-foods-control-blood-sugar
7. ↑ http://diabetes.webmd.com/features/diabetic-diet-6-foods-control-blood-sugar?page=2
8. ↑ http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/eating_ez/
9. ↑ http://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-to/bring-down-high-blood-sugar-levels.html

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