Many people with diabetes, after discovering elevated blood glucose, prefer to "tough it out" and are reluctant to start medication immediately.

7mmol/L

10mmol/L

If your fasting blood glucose is often above 7 mmol/L and your 2-hour postprandial glucose is often above 10 mmol/L, you have already reached the threshold of prediabetes or early diabetes; it is indeed possible to attempt reversal or delay progression through intensified lifestyle interventions.

First clarify one point: when is it necessary to seek medical attention?

If after adjusting the following for 3 months your blood glucose still does not meet targets, or you already have obvious "three highs and one low" symptoms, be sure to follow your doctor's treatment recommendations.

Lifestyle interventions ≠ a complete substitute for medication, but are an important foundation and adjunct!

✅ 7 nonpharmacological blood-glucose control action guidelines

1️⃣ Adjust staple foods: say goodbye to “white, fine, soft”

Replace white rice and white noodles with brown rice, mixed beans, oats, and buckwheat; keep the staple portion at about the size of a clenched fist each meal.

Tip: Eat vegetables first → then protein → eat staples last; blood glucose will be more stable.

2️⃣ Move after meals: walking is the simplest “blood sugar–lowering medicine”

Rest for 15 minutes after a meal, then briskly walk or stroll for 20–30 minutes to effectively reduce postprandial blood glucose peaks.

♂️ Accumulate more than 6,000 steps per day for more sustained effects.

3️⃣ Learn to “choose foods”: eat more of these natural blood-sugar–controlling foods

✅ Dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli)

✅ Soy products (tofu, soy milk)

✅ Nuts (a small handful daily, choose unsalted/plain)

✅ Vinegar (drink a tablespoon of diluted vinegar before meals, or add vinegar to cold dishes; helps stabilize blood glucose)

4️⃣ Lose weight: even a 5% reduction helps!

5%-10%

Overweight patients with diabetes who lose 5%-10% of body weight will have a marked improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Set a goal of losing 1–2 kg per month; gradual progression is safer.

5️⃣ There’s a method to drinking water: drink enough “blood-sugar–controlling water” every day

1700-2000毫升

Drink 1700–2000 mL of water daily; plain boiled water or weak tea is recommended.

⚠️ Avoid drinking a large volume of water at once, especially within half an hour after meals.

6️⃣ Sleep and Mood: The "Hidden Driver" Not to Be Ignored

Staying up late and high stress increase cortisol, which leads to elevated blood glucose.

Ensure 7–8 hours of sleep each night and learn relaxation techniques (deep breathing, meditation, walking).

7️⃣ Monitoring and Record-Keeping: Let the Data Speak

Measure fasting and postprandial blood glucose 2–3 days per week: fasting plus 2-hour post-meal readings after each of the three meals, and record diet, exercise, and glucose values.

Identify your personal blood glucose patterns so you can make targeted adjustments.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Adjuncts to Try (Require Professional Guidance)

Tea substitutes: mulberry leaf tea and corn silk tea have some adjunctive blood-glucose-lowering effects.

Acupressure: try massaging Zusanli and Yishu (pancreas shu) points for 5–10 minutes daily.

⚠️ Do not stop hypoglycemic medication on your own and switch to herbal medicine!

❌ These Misconceptions Should Be Avoided:

✖️ Eating only vegetables and no meat → Possible malnutrition

✖️ Excessive dieting → Causes reactive hyperglycemia

✖️ Replacing whole fruit with fruit juice → Sugar concentrated, raises blood glucose faster

✖️ Believing in “folk remedies that cure diabetes” → delays treatment

In one sentence:

Diet is the foundation, exercise is the key, monitoring is the eyes, and mindset is the support.

Even if you temporarily don't take medication, treat every day as seriously as a “health manager.”

Controlling blood sugar is a long-term battle, but you are not alone.

If you are trying lifestyle adjustments, feel free to share your experiences in the comments

Share this with friends who need it, and let's move toward stable blood glucose together!

Reminder: This article is health science popularization; for individual circumstances please consult a physician or dietitian to develop a personalized plan.