While researchers continue to work on a cure for diabetes, following these tips can help you achieve wellness regardless of your condition. There are many natural steps you can take to help manage your diabetes. This article discusses some of the natural herbs and supplements you should consider adding to your diet in addition to your current plan.
Diabetics should increase the amount of fiber in their diet to help lose weight and keep regular. Fiber also has been shown to not raise blood sugar after a meal, so it can fill you up without giving you a sugar spike. There are many fruit and vegetables which have high fiber, so try to include them in your regular meals.
Diabetics need to eat small meals throughout the day to keep their blood sugar from spiking, so try to plan out at least five eating times if you can. Start with a large breakfast (but make sure it doesn’t have too many carbs or a lot of sugar), then have a snack before and after lunch. Eating some nuts or seeds before bed keep your metabolism going overnight.
If you’re craving french fries but are watching your weight due to Diabetes, try sweet potato fries! Slice up a sweet potato and sprinkle salt, pepper, and other spices on it (Cajun spice mix also works well.) Bake it at 425 for about 30 minutes and you’ll have sweet, scrumptious fries to eat!
If you have diabetes, talk to your insurance provider and healthcare provider to see if an insulin pump might be a helpful and affordable thing for you. While expensive and more difficult to maintain, it can provide your body with a more stable insulin level, which may be helpful for some patients.
Herbal tea is a great drink for diabetics as it contains many wonderful nutrients and can taste so good you don’t even think about adding cream or sugar. Be sure to check the ingredients as some manufacturers will add sugar or artificial sweeteners.
If you are diabetic, one of the most important tips to follow is to have a proper diet. A proper diet consists of plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. This type of diet is important for overall health for anybody, but for diabetics it’s important in order to keep blood sugar under control. As an added benefit, following a diet plan like this will also help you to lose weight.
Eat foods rich in fiber. By eating fruits, vegetables, and grains you will improve your diet. You will lose weight and feel great. Fiber can help give you more control over your blood sugar and lower your chances of getting heart disease. Other sources of fiber include nuts, seeds, and beans.
Be passionate about having Diabetes and become an advocate for the disease. Type II Diabetes is preventable, and it’s costing our government billions of dollars in treatment for people who can’t afford it. You may not be one of those who are tapping the system for your care, but speaking up about what you know to help others avoid the disease will help us be able to use our money for more important things.
Manage your blood glucose sugars with an added sense of urgency if you have been diagnosed with diabetic eye disease. Studies have shown that closely monitored glucose levels can slow the progression and worsening of eye disease over time. This is important even if you have been diagnosed with mild to moderate diabetes.
Make sure that your blood glucose levels do not get too low when taking medications for diabetes. It is common for certain medications to lower your blood sugar so low that a person can suffer from hypoglycemia. If this happens to you, talk to your doctor about lowering the dosage of your medication.
Remove contributors to the complications of diabetes. Try to avoid unhealthy habits that will affect your heart health and chances for stroke. Smoking should be stopped at all costs, maintain a healthy blood pressure through stress management and salt control and evaluate lifestyle choices that can have less than favorable results.
Keep checking your blood sugar after giving birth. While gestational diabetes usually resolves with delivery of your baby, you want to make sure you don’t continue to have problems with your blood sugar level. It is thought by a lot of people that once you give birth your blood sugar issues go away, but this isn’t exactly the case.
To reduce your body’s insulin resistance, eat plenty of rye. Whole-grain rye is rich in fiber, and has been shown to naturally increase your body’s insulin secretion. This is directly linked to a lower insulin resistance, and helps to increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Try eating rye pasta with a food rich in lycopene, like tomatoes.
Watch out for trans-fats. Trans fats are found in any foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. These fats are dangerous for everybody, but diabetics are at extra risk. Trans fats cause increased amounts of fat around the waistline which has been linked to heart disease. They are also extremely high in calories and low in nutritional content.
It is common for those people with diabetes to have serious undiagnosed health conditions, such as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing. If you notice that you are extra sleepy during the day, talk to your doctor about running some tests to see if you have sleep apnea.
When you are a diabetic there is an increased risk that you will develop some sort of gum disease. Making regular appointments at the dentist and following his suggestions on proper oral hygiene will ensure that you will stay healthy in that regard. Proper flossing and brushing are essential parts of a daily routine.
While these herbs and supplements will not cure your diabetes, they can definitely help. If you are unsure about trying these, talk about it with other people with diabetes and consult your doctor as well. Adding supplements and herbs can keep you healthy in other ways as well and help you lead a more healthier life.