What is Diabetes?
A diagnosis of diabetes is made by measuring the blood sugar level. Excess sugar in the blood must be managed as it leads to complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney failure and amputation of limbs.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body is unable to regulate the blood sugar level adequately. The two main types of diabetes are type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes and type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes.
The symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and frequent urination due to hyperglycemia or high glucose levels in the blood and dizziness and confusion due to hypoglycemia or low glucose levels in the blood.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body is unable to regulate the blood sugar level adequately. The two main types of diabetes are type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes and type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes.
The symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and frequent urination due to hyperglycemia or high glucose levels in the blood and dizziness and confusion due to hypoglycemia or low glucose levels in the blood.
Diabetic Diets
Diets to ensure adequate control of blood sugar should generally be low in all forms of simple sugars such as sucrose from table sugar and fructose from fruit juices. These should be replaced with complex carbohydrates such as whole grain products.
The diet should also be low in processed foods like white flour products such as white bread and cakes. Instead these should be substituted with whole grain products such as whole wheat bread and brown rice.
The diet should also be rich in fiber especially water soluble fiber as it is able to slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. This reduces the rapid rise in blood sugar levels after a meal. Good sources of water soluble fiber include beans, fruits, vegetables and high bran cereals. Diabetics should therefore ensure that they take in adequate amounts of dietary fiber to help in the stabilization of their blood sugar levels.
These dietary measures should be part of a wholesome balanced diet with plenty of fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, low in saturated fats and taken with plenty of pure water.
Nutritional Supplements for Diabetes
Supplements that help with the management of diabetes include chromium, magnesium and zinc. The B vitamins are also important if one has developed diabetic nerve disease also know as neuropathies. One should also take a daily multivitamin and multimineral supplement to ensure they get their full daily requirement of all the nutrients needed by the body.
Lifestyle Modifications for Diabetes
Lifestyle modifications that can help in managing diabetes naturally include loosing weight if one is overweight or obese. Loosing weight is very important especially for overweight noninsulin dependent diabetics as it can help them achieve effective blood sugar control. This can be achieved by exercising regularly and eating healthily.
Note that the goal of attaining a healthy weight and achieving optimum blood sugar control can be more easily attained if the whole family is committed to eating healthily as this results in modification of the family’s food shopping habits.
Stress Management and Diabetes
Stress management is also important in managing diabetes. This is because when one is under stress, the body naturally increases the amount of glucose in the blood stream to help with the fight or flight response. Effective stress management is therefore useful and can be accomplished by learning relaxation techniques such as abdominal breathing and having a strong spiritual life.
Holistic Diabetes Treatment
One should therefore combine eating healthily, using nutritional supplements wisely and various lifestyle modifications to help gain optimum control of their blood sugar level. Note that the natural therapies described here should be used in conjunction with the diabetes treatment prescribed by one’s doctor.
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