| A Three-Step Control Plan for Type 2 Diabetes |
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| Diabetes - Diabetes 2011 |
| Written by Frank Mangano |
| Tuesday, 29 March 2011 01:54 |
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Diabetes is a chronic health condition that is caused by chronically high sugar levels in the blood. Naturally, the body has the ability to control the amount of sugar in the blood. It produces a metabolic enzyme called insulin that promotes the cellular absorption of sugar. For people with type 2 diabetes, the cells are no longer properly responding to the insulin that is naturally secreted by the body. The blood, as an effect, becomes too saturated with sugar. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes include serious infection, numbness in certain parts of the body, kidney damage and poor blood circulation which can lead to cardiovascular disease. According to studies, around 80 percent of people with diabetes have heart disease. It takes a great deal of discipline for people with type 2 diabetes to keep their blood sugar on a healthy level. The common treatments for diabetes are the injection of insulin, constant blood sugar monitoring and oral medications. All of these methods are aimed at keeping the patient's blood sugar level low. But balancing blood sugar through pharmaceutical medicines may be a little tricky. After taking insulin, a person's blood sugar can drop too and may cause him to experience nausea and weakness. He will then need to find a way to raise his blood sugar by either taking a different medication or eating foods that contain sugar. Hitting the right mark for people with diabetes is hard and there is no sure way of telling how much insulin a person needs to keep his blood sugar on a normal level. The best way of keeping up with diabetes is by taking the natural approach. Although medications may still be required, watching your diet, keeping a healthy body weight and taking natural supplements may help in effectively controlling the disease. Step 1: Watch your Diet Food has a significant influence in a person's health and well-being. The common perception is that people with type 2 diabetes needs to follow a diet which consists of foods that are tasteless and bland is actually a misconception. Nature has provided healthy and flavorful food options to prevent and treat diseases including diabetes. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will help in satisfying the body's nutritional needs without the hazard of taking too much of the bad stuff. Although proper selection and dosage may still be needed, fruits and vegetables are practically the safest thing to eat for people with type 2 diabetes. A few pointers in creating a meal plan is by limiting the fats and calories while putting in as much nutrients as possible. You don't have to avoid carbohydrates if you have diabetes. Most of the foods that are rich in the nutrients needed to effectively treat diabetes, like wholegrain breads and high-fiber fruits and vegetables, contain carbohydrates. What you need to do is choose the healthiest source of carbohydrates and limit your consumption. It is also important to seek the advice of a dietician to help you make better choices. Eating more protein to replace carbohydrates can also lead to serious health problems. Foods that are rich in protein can also be rich in fat, and fat is something that you need to avoid. Protein needs to be limited to around 15 to 20 percent of your calorie intake in a day. You don't necessarily have to deprive yourself of the things you love to eat. All you need to do is change the way they are prepared, limit your consumption and balance your diet by putting more of the healthier foods. Keeping yourself comfortable with your diet will help you stick to it. Step 2: Keep Excess Weight Off Losing excess weight has been found to help in improving the cells' response to insulin and in better controlling type 2 diabetes. A study conducted by researchers from Australia found that a healthy body mass index plays an important role in improving insulin sensitivity. The researchers suggest that exercise is highly important for people type 2 diabetes. Having excess weight is a strong risk factor for the development of diabetes and poses a serious health threat for people who already have the condition. It is important for people with type 2 diabetes to lower their LDL cholesterol levels. And having excess weight can be a strong marker of high blood cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol, also referred to as bad cholesterol, results to metabolic dysfunction such as diabetes. Treating the condition will require lowering cholesterol level and trimming off excess pounds. Step 3: Go Natural, Go for Herbs Different foods and substances had been observed to improve the cells' response to insulin and promote the production of more insulin in the body. Some of them are magnesium, ginseng, flax seed, chromium, cinnamon, alpha-linoic acid, bilberry and gingko biloba. But always remember to ask your doctor if it’s okay to take certain herbs along with your prescribed medications since some food supplements can affect the efficacy of the drugs and vice versa. Studies on Ginkgo Biloba have shown that the botanical herb's strong antioxidant properties can help patients with type 2 diabetes. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas, for example, has found that the supplementation of 120 milligrams of Ginkgo Biloba in a day for a period of three months did not only improve the insulin levels of study participants with type 2 diabetes but it also reduced the risk of developing other diseases that are normally associated with the health condition. Ginkgo Biloba was observed to lower the expression of the inflammatory compound prostaglandin which intensifies the risk of cardiovascular disease. Bilberry on the other hand, also contains another powerful antioxidant called anthocyanosides. The berry is traditionally used to treat diseases and has similar features to blueberry. It is a native plant in Northern Europe and is not widely available in other countries. But the berry has been used as the primary ingredient for different food supplements due to its potential health benefits. Studies on animals observed that bilberry can significantly lower blood sugar levels and help people with type 2 diabetes.
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