5 steps to control your blood sugar

India has the highest number of diabetics and pre-diabetics, than any other country in the world. This is not a coincidence.

Indians and south Asians are genetically more prone to diabetes. Further, general lifestyles are becoming more sedentary, and our diets contain more sugar and processed foods like Maida, than before.

This form of diabetes that is acquired from lifestyle is known as Type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that Type 2 diabetes can be managed, if you take the correct precautions, and even cured in many cases of pre-diabetes. If you do not have diabetes, then you can significantly reduce your risk of acquiring diabetes in your life, by following the correct lifestyle of diet and exercise.

Here are 5 simple and important steps to control your blood sugar, and live healthier:

The obvious sugar in your diet includes desserts, sweets, chocolates, most packaged juices and the sugar you add to your tea. Finding that kind of sugar is easy.

The challenge is to overcome your will power to consume sugary food.

Excess sugar can wreak havoc in your body -- weight gain, diabetes, imbalance of hormones and much more. So, to control your intake of excess sugar, our tip is that you think about the kind of damage it can do to your body.

One tip to replace sugar cravings -- is to drink a glass of water, and to keep almonds close by. The texture of almonds, combined with their nutrition can help in overcoming sugar cravings.

2. Remove the Maida

After sugar, the next food to avoid is Maida. Maida is processed wheat that contains negligible nutrition & has a high glycemic index, which is almost the same as sugar. So, while Maida does not taste sweet, it raises your blood sugar levels as sugar does.

Again Maida sneaks into lots of common foods, like Naan, bread, noodles, pasta, pizza, white sauce, burger, buns, and Poori. Stick to foods that are made from Atta, instead of Maida.

3. Eliminate the hidden sugar in your diet

The hidden sugar in food is tricky. You may not think the food contains sugar, but it mostly does. Examples of such foods are biscuits, packages fruit juices, breakfast cereals, ice cream, Sherbets and fruit squashes.

Most biscuits contain Maida and sugar, both of which are bad for your health.

Even, drinks like Aam-Panna typically have sugar in it.

If it’s packaged food, check the nutrition label to know for sure!

4. Snack healthy

When you are hungry, resist the temptation to grab junk food and choose healthy snacks like almonds.

Almonds are a natural source of fibre and unsaturated fat, which have been shown to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and healthy blood glucose levels. And they help you keep fuller for longer.

As part of a healthy diet, the antioxidants in almonds can help reduce inflammation and oxidation in those with Type-2 diabetes. Almonds have also shown to lower bad cholesterol.

5. Exercise

Exercise is the key to manage or prevent diabetes. When you exercise, you improve your body's ability to naturally control sugar levels, and overall make you healthier. So, get some active exercise every day.

Follow these steps, manage your diabetes and live healthier!