How to Lower Blood Sugar Naturally - Useful Tips

Maintaining a low blood sugar should be the goal of everyone who is conscious about the general health of the body. High blood sugar levels are known to cause diabetes which brings about other complications that may well include nerve diseases, eye diseases and kidney diseases which can be fatal. Actually, diabetes causes hundreds of deaths since it is incurable hence the need to take care of one's health.

Spreading meals: One of the things one can do to naturally keep blood sugar in low levels is spreading meals through the day and keeping consistency in carbohydrate intake. This is good instead of skipping meals which in turn will cause you to eat a large meal. It gives the body time to regulate levels of sugars in the blood hence keeping them even.

Resistant starch food intake: Beans and potatoes are rich in resistant starch which is essential. The starch is metabolized by good body bacteria thereby serving as dietary fiber for the large intestines since it bypasses small intestines. This keeps blood sugar low even when taking the next meal.

Beans intake: If you are looking to naturally lower your blood sugar, it is important to increase your bean intake since they digest at a slow pace hence causes a small blood glucose rise. This helps in controlling diabetes. Beans are also known to reduce cardiovascular disease risks since they are rich in foliate.

Enough Sleep: Sleep is another natural way of lowering blood sugar keeping diabetes risks at bay. Limited or poor sleep affects important body chemistry and the control of sugar in the blood is linked to more shut eyes which can only be achieved when sleeping. Lack of enough sleep can also cause other medical conditions and should therefore be a priority for healthy lives.

Weight management: Extra weight hinders the hormone responsible in lowering blood sugar from performing effectively hence risking diseases. This is because of insulin resistance caused by the excess fats. There is a need therefore to lose those extra pounds and maintaining a healthy body mass. This can be done by eating balanced diet and exercising regularly.

Stress management: Stress causes the body to store lots of energy in form of fats and glucose and a piling up of these can cause very high levels of blood sugar. It helps a great deal to manage stress through meditation or even yoga in order to lower the risky levels of blood sugar. This is especially important for those suffering from diabetes.

You don't have to take medications to keep blood sugar levels low as these simple natural tips can take care of you more than you think they can. Before exposing one to medications and drugs that may have side effects, it is always good to look on how one can manage a problem using more natural means. When these fail, one can go ahead and have the intervention of a medical practitioner to have the right prescription to reduce suffering or even worse.

Eating Rules and Guidelines for Diabetics and Diabetes Patients

The treatment for the diabetics involves a lot of dietary modifications, apart from the medicines. The basic treatment of diabetes starts with regulating the daily diet and by following some guidelines strictly. In many cases the blood sugar level can be controlled through the dietary modifications and physical workouts, without the intervention of any medicine. Regulation in the diet does not mean to starve, but it emphasizes on eating the right kind of food in right amounts.

Following guidelines regarding eating habits and the diet will be useful for the diabetics.

1. Instead of eating four square meals a day, it is advisable for the diabetics to adopt frequent eating in small amounts.

2. Including low fat and low carbohydrate foods like nuts, fruits, cereals and yoghurt, instead of French fries, chips and cookies.

3. Sandwiches, salads are better options, but one should avoid the fatty dressings of it.

4. Food prepared from whole wheat or other whole grains keep the stomach filled throughout the day as these take a long time to break down completely. Brown rice, brown bread and whole wheat pasta are ideal food for the diabetics.

5. Raw sugar, refined food, white flour, spaghetti, noodles, cakes, pastries and other fast foods must be strictly avoided, as these are loaded with calories and does not carry any nutritive value.

6. Packaged foods must be avoided as these contain high amounts of hydrogenated fats and oils that may shoot up the blood cholesterol level. It is better to carry homemade food.

7. Drink plenty of water when thirsty, instead of carbonated drinks. These drinks contain high amounts of sugar that instantly mixes in the blood creating a spike in the blood sugar level. It is wise to drink chilled bottled water, butter milk or lassi without cream.

8. Always opt for a fiber based diet, which will prevent the pangs of hunger. Fibers take a long time to break down and slowly mix in the blood. This helps in controlling the blood glucose levels.

9. Proteins must be included in the diet in good amounts. Proteins also take long time to digest and moreover they maintain the energy levels of the body. But one should choose lean protein and vegetable protein, instead of red meats and hamburgers.

10. Always try to eat food rich in unsaturated fats like olive oil, almonds, avocados, peanuts etc.

11. Diary products like yoghurt, low fat skimmed milk are rich in calcium that helps in maintaining the body weight. Calcium deficiency favors the release of a hormone that aids in storing fat in the body.

Can Diabetes Patients Eat Fruits? Fact Uncovered

Many diabetics carry a wrong notion that fruits can cause a spike in the blood sugar levels. On the contrary, fruits are stuffed with essential vitamins, natural fiber, minerals and anti-oxidants that are very essential for the body. Total avoidance of fruits may invite some other undesirable health complications.

Fruits contain sugars like sucrose, fructose and other forms of carbohydrates. Fruits are equally important for diabetes patients, but they should be cautious in selecting the right kind of fruits and the right proportion. Fruits with high sucrose and fructose content demand more insulin production from the body for the metabolism. Insulin production is impaired in case of the diabetics, so they must avoid such type of fruits or take in small amounts.

Fruits beneficial for Diabetics

Fruits rich in fiber and with low glycemic index (GI) are ideal for the Diabetics. The amount of fibers present in these fruits results in slowing down of the metabolic processes, and therefore prevents the shooting up of blood sugar levels.

1. The fruit Avocado is not only rich in fiber, but it also contains high level of mono saturated fats, which is essential for the healthy cardio-vascular system. Diabetics tend to develop cardio- vascular diseases. Including avocado in the diet reduces the risk of heart ailments and also improves the glycemic index.

2. Fruits rich in fructose do not require insulin for metabolism, and so the diabetes patients can enjoy such fruits like guavas, pears, mangoes and apples, which have a fructose to glucose ratios more than 2.

3. Citrus fruits are beneficial for diabetics as they boost the immunity system, and also help in proper functioning of the pancreas. Guava, Indian gooseberry, grapes etc. are some fruits recommended for the diabetics.

4. Nuts are rich in fiber, with low glycemic index and are beneficial for the diabetics. Peanuts, walnuts and almonds if taken in restricted amounts are beneficial for the diabetes patients.

5. Besides high fiber and high fructose levels, raw apples are rich in pectin that reduces the insulin requirement to about 50%.

6. Grape fruit is another fruit useful for the diabetics, which helps in reducing insulin resistance and promotes weight loss. This fruit also helps in controlling insulin levels, when taken along with meals.

7. Fruits rich in water content but low in sugar content like water melon, cucumber are recommended for the diabetics.

Fruits are not harmful for diabetics, but fruit juices, processed and canned fruits may pose serious health problems. Fruit juices and canned fruits contain considerable amounts of added sugar and are devoid of fiber, which results in abnormally high blood sugar conditions.

Type 2 Diabetes - Is There A Relationship Between Diabetes and Thyroid Problems?

Continued research all over the world is bringing us closer every day to the causes of Type 2 diabetes. Thyroid hormones are generally normal in the majority of diabetic patients, but a group of researchers in Athens, Greece wondered if sight variations in normal levels of thyroid hormones could have something to do with insulin sensitivity.

Insulin resistance is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, so anything that might be associated with decreased insulin sensitivity is of interest. Most people with Type 2 diabetes still produce insulin; the problem is their cells resist it.

In an article published in the journal Endocrine, November 2010, researchers in the Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, Athens University Medical School, reported the results of their study of thyroid hormones and insulin sensitivity in seventy-eight volunteers made up of:

• seventeen healthy participants served as controls
• twenty-two first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) of Type 2 diabetics
• fifteen volunteers with impaired ability to handle sugar, and
• twenty-four people with full-blown Type 2 diabetes.

Thyroid hormones were measured via blood samples and their insulin sensitivity was also tested. The hormones were found to be lower in the control group than in the other three groups. Insulin resistance was found to be highest in those with the highest thyroid hormonal levels. The researchers concluded, therefore, that increases of thyroid hormones, although still normal, were associated with insulin resistance and suggested such increases could be at least be partly responsible for causing Type 2 diabetes.

The thyroid is a small gland is located in the front of the windpipe that plays a part in metabolism... the hormones the thyroid makes regulate how the body uses energy. When thyroid hormones are abnormally low, people can:

• gain weight
• feel fatigued
• feel cold at room temperature, and
• have coarse, dry hair

When thyroid hormones are abnormally high, people can

• feel excessive nervousness
• lose weight
• sweat abnormally
• have really fine hair
• suffer fast heartbeats and
• bulging eyes

Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, in which an under-active gland causes weight gain, develop over time and disturb efforts to control blood sugar. Thyroid problems should be treated by an endocrinologist doctor who specializes in the endocrine system, which includes the pancreas and the thyroid gland.

 

Hypothyroidism, or having too little thyroid hormone, is treated with a thyroid pill taken once a day. Hyperthyroidism is treated with medications such as beta blockers or radioactive iodine. The thyroid hormone levels measured in the study above were not considered abnormally high, but, with more study, what is considered a normal level might someday be reclassified as slightly too high for good health. A blood test called a thyroid panel is given when diabetes is diagnosed or when thyroid problems are suspected.

For the time being, we will have to await further developments as more and more parts of the puzzle of what causes Type 2 diabetes are put into place.

Type 2 Diabetes - Weight Loss and Race!

Type 2 diabetes is found in twice as many black women as white women and the percentage increases with age. As well, the risk of diabetes complications is much higher.

One of the keys to the prevention and control of Type 2 diabetes is sticking to dietary recommendation; the challenging part is actually losing weight and keeping it off. But it is not always easy to follow and maintain a healthy eating pattern; it is often challenging for people with Type 2 diabetes.

It's a widely accepted truth that losing weight results in a slower metabolism. As people lose weight, their bodies don't need as much energy, and the same diet results in less weight loss each week. Scientists at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, however, have found that dieting has different metabolic effects in white and black women.

Sometimes, scientists believe, dieting hard can slow down the metabolism so much that women easily regain weight when they actually stop the diet. To see if this effect is equally true for women of different races, the Wake Forest scientists recruited 26 healthy black women and 65 healthy white women aged 50 to 70 whose weight and height classified them as obese. They were all given a dietitian-prepared diet consisting of 60 per cent carbohydrate, 25 per cent protein, and 15 per cent fat. They bought an approved fast food breakfast and were given lunch and dinner by the research program to eat at home, and were allowed two free days a month.

All the women were given food and enrolled in a supervised exercise program to ensure a deficit of 2,800 calories (11,760 kilojoules) each week. The exercise program was based on walking, 20 minutes at a slow pace three times a week at the beginning of the program, gradually increasing to 55 minutes at a faster pace three times a week by the end of the program.

At the end of 20 weeks, all the women had lost weight, but the white women had lost more weight. The scientists also measured basal metabolic rate, the number of calories (kilojoules) needed just to keep basic life functions going. Basal metabolic rate, also known as resting energy expenditure, went down in black women, but not in white women.

Black women are also at a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. It may be that black women, in particular, need a cheat-meal system where they eat variable amounts of calories from day-to-day, but fewer calories week by week, so that they can continue to lose weight as they continue their diet plan.

Free Diabetes Supplies - Stop Letting The Pharmacies Bleed Your Pockets To Death

Having Diabetes is a very uncomfortable situation. Every day there you have to constantly monitor your blood sugar, not eat the food that you like, and prick yourself all the time to collect blood for the test strips. Nowadays Diabetes isn't as dangerous as it once was, but it sure is still a pain in the butt.

Even with all the medical advancements life is still difficult because of all the payments you have to make for all of it. Insurance usually covers a lot of it, but not everyone knows how much is covered. Plus most of the time the insurance companies will give you cheap versions that don't measure you blood glucose accurately. IF you don't measure it accurately how can you be secure with how you are living? You need to be exactly sure of everything or you could find yourself feeling tired or cranky at a time when you need to get things done. Plus there's more.

When dealing with diabetes your life can be very tiring. Everything seems to be so expensive these days, especially at the pharmacies. The pharmacies always are trying to find ways to take your money from you.

Did you ever notice how these "pharmacies" are more like little shopping markets nowadays? That's because their sole focus is to get you in there to get something you need, and then while you are in there getting your medicine they try to sell you something else. It's a billion dollar business, but you shouldn't be feeding your hard-earned money into their greedy pockets. Don't pay any more!

If you are paying for things like test strips for an old glucometer then you are wasting your money. You need to be using the right kind of accurate glucometer that has free test strips that are covered by your insurance. Unfortunately not everyone knows where to get these free diabetes supplies. That's has changed.

Now you can get free diabetes supplies from your insurance. That includes getting free test strips and a glucometer, directly from your insurance companies. This is a godsend for people suffering from diabetes because no one wants to worry about paying for a glucometer when you have your own health to worry about.

Type 2 Diabetes - What Type of Fiber Is Good for People With Diabetes?

How does dietary fiber work its magic to help with weight loss? Which type of fiber helps to slow down the absorption of other nutrients eaten at the same meal, which includes carbohydrates? It has also been suggested that a high fiber intake improves your body's sensitivity to insulin which could mean weight loss, and a reduction in the amount of medications required. Dietary fiber, which includes soluble and insoluble fiber, seems to be a vital component of blood sugar control for many diabetics.

Firstly, what is dietary fiber? Dietary fiber comes from plant foods. It is the edible part of plant cell walls that are resistant to digestive enzymes, that's why it is not absorbed by the human body. While other components of foods such as sugar, protein, fat and vitamins are broken down into simpler forms and are absorbed by the intestines, fiber passes through your digestive tract without being broken down by enzymes. Although dietary fiber is not absorbed by the body, it doesn't mean it's not of value. Fiber has a number of health benefits for diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

There are two categories of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble, depending on how it reacts when mixed with water.

Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber dissolves when mixed in water and forms a gel-like material. It can help reduce cholesterol levels, decreasing your risk of heart disease. Because soluble fiber attracts water, it slows carbohydrate absorption and reduces the rise of sugar and insulin following your meal.

Soluble fiber is found in

• oats and oatmeal
• peas and beans
• apples
• citrus fruits
• barley
• rye
• sweet potatoes
• psyllium seeds
• oatmeal
• broccoli
• carrots
• lentils
• brussels sprouts
• peas
• beans

Insoluble Fiber: As its name implies, insoluble fiber does not mix with water and stays in its solid form. Insoluble fiber is useful in maintaining intestinal health... it promotes the passage of material through the digestive tract, and helps produce bulk in the stool. Insoluble fiber is thought to help in lowering one's risk of colorectal cancer, constipation and hemorrhoids. In addition, insoluble fiber promotes weight loss which is one of the treatment goals for Type 2 diabetics. The amount of calories in insoluble fiber is very little or none at all and actually tends to make you feel full.

Insoluble fiber is found in cereals, vegetables, and fruits such as:

• psyllium husk
• brown rice
• flax seed
• bitter gourd
• artichoke
• lima beans
• brussels sprouts
• squash
• blackberries
• oranges
• grapefruit, and
• apricots

How much fiber is enough? The recommendation for non-diabetics is 14g of fiber. Fiber intake requirement may vary depending on age and gender. For diabetics, most health authorities recommend a daily intake of 20 to 50 grams. Findings of one study show that Type 2 diabetics who had 50 grams of fiber daily had better control of their blood sugar, insulin levels, and blood lipids (fats) than those who only had 24 grams of fiber each day.

There is also some evidence fiber can help cut calories by blocking the digestion of some of the fat, protein, or carbohydrates eaten at the same time. Either way, eating fiber is a good thing if you are wanting to lose weight.

Type 2 Diabetes - Is There A Relationship Between Diabetes and Thyroid Problems?

Continued research all over the world is bringing us closer every day to the causes of Type 2 diabetes. Thyroid hormones are generally normal in the majority of diabetic patients, but a group of researchers in Athens, Greece wondered if sight variations in normal levels of thyroid hormones could have something to do with insulin sensitivity.

Insulin resistance is the hallmark of Type 2 diabetes, so anything that might be associated with decreased insulin sensitivity is of interest. Most people with Type 2 diabetes still produce insulin; the problem is their cells resist it.

In an article published in the journal Endocrine, November 2010, researchers in the Department of Internal Medicine, Research Institute and Diabetes Center, Athens University Medical School, reported the results of their study of thyroid hormones and insulin sensitivity in seventy-eight volunteers made up of:

• seventeen healthy participants served as controls
• twenty-two first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) of Type 2 diabetics
• fifteen volunteers with impaired ability to handle sugar, and
• twenty-four people with full-blown Type 2 diabetes.

Thyroid hormones were measured via blood samples and their insulin sensitivity was also tested. The hormones were found to be lower in the control group than in the other three groups. Insulin resistance was found to be highest in those with the highest thyroid hormonal levels. The researchers concluded, therefore, that increases of thyroid hormones, although still normal, were associated with insulin resistance and suggested such increases could be at least be partly responsible for causing Type 2 diabetes.

The thyroid is a small gland is located in the front of the windpipe that plays a part in metabolism... the hormones the thyroid makes regulate how the body uses energy. When thyroid hormones are abnormally low, people can:

• gain weight
• feel fatigued
• feel cold at room temperature, and
• have coarse, dry hair

When thyroid hormones are abnormally high, people can

• feel excessive nervousness
• lose weight
• sweat abnormally
• have really fine hair
• suffer fast heartbeats and
• bulging eyes

Both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, in which an under-active gland causes weight gain, develop over time and disturb efforts to control blood sugar. Thyroid problems should be treated by an endocrinologist doctor who specializes in the endocrine system, which includes the pancreas and the thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism, or having too little thyroid hormone, is treated with a thyroid pill taken once a day. Hyperthyroidism is treated with medications such as beta blockers or radioactive iodine. The thyroid hormone levels measured in the study above were not considered abnormally high, but, with more study, what is considered a normal level might someday be reclassified as slightly too high for good health. A blood test called a thyroid panel is given when diabetes is diagnosed or when thyroid problems are suspected.

For the time being, we will have to await further developments as more and more parts of the puzzle of what causes Type 2 diabetes are put into place.

Type 2 Diabetes - Can You Ever Eliminate Your Diabetes?

If you really don't like to read articles, you can stop here: No, your Type 2 diabetes will be with you for life! It will always be a specter in the background, haunting you when you're thinking about eating something sweet and savory. It will still be with you, as you count your carbs and occasionally check your blood sugar level to make sure you are doing all right. However, this is not a gloom and doom, "woe is you" article. While it's perfectly acceptable to show sympathy to a victim, you are not a victim. In fact, since Type 2 diabetes is one of the most conquerable ailments in the modern world, you have every right and responsibility to be the victor in this particular battle.

Thank goodness for insulin: For one thing, diabetes is nowhere near the death sentence it used to be. Ever since they came up with synthetic insulin that can be used in humans, people with diabetes have had a fighting chance. Of course, insulin is not a cure, and it is not an excuse to completely ignore your health as a whole. If you do that, you will pretty much live a short and miserable life due to essentially giving yourself absolutely poor health. But then, that isn't going to happen... if you were the kind of person who couldn't care less about your health, you probably wouldn't be reading this articles in the first place.

Monitoring your blood sugar levels: What you can do is monitor your blood sugar (also known as blood glucose) levels. If they get too low, you could be in for some discomfort and even cell damage if you don't get them back up. But that is usually as easy as eating a piece of fruit or a candy bar... not that big of a deal in a world as abundant as ours is. The same is true if your blood sugar levels should happen to get too high. That isn't necessarily a big deal in the short term, but you would be wise not to make a habit out of it. If you're reading high most of the time, you need to make a few changes, lest your most delicate tissues (such as your corneas, heart and brain) could suffer permanent damage. People lose limbs because of things like that.

Reversing Type 2 diabetes: While the answer to "can you eliminate diabetes" is a no, it is also not a "no, and you might as well write out your will soon because you're not likely to see another birthday". People can live long and healthy lives in spite of their Type 2 diabetes. In some cases, having this ailment can be just the impetus a person needs, in order to take control of their life and their overall health.

Sugar Freak, Beware!

Been craving for sweets lately? Can't resist that chocolate-coated wafer or that high-sugar latte? Well, better change off your mind before you know, you'll be bedridden for the next 24-hours.

High-sugar intake may result to diabetes is a term used for two different endocrine diseases, both of which are characterized by excessive urination and thirst. The victims of this disease has so many do's and don'ts in order to maintain their sugar level, like they are not allowed to be injured, because for sure that injured part will linger for a long time. This is just one of the many related dos and don'ts of a diabetic patient. Life gets so complicated once you have this kind of disease. You are monitored 24/7 all the days of your diabetic years. You have to be so much aware especially on your food intake, like having this new food plan. Although it would change your lifestyle, this change is for the betterment of your health.

So, what are the causes and dangers of diabetes? There are two types, one is diabetes insipidus and the other is diabetes mellitus. Research says that diabetes insipidus is a condition associated with the inability of the kidney to conserve water. It is caused by a failure of the hypothalamus to release antidiuretic hormones. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus is a pancreatic disease affecting carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. In severe cases, the concentration in the blood of a sugar, glucose, is markedly elevated and large amounts of glucose are excreted in the urine.

Aside from the biological facts of this type of disease, it also affects more than 20 billion people in the world. The prevalence of this disease increases with age from about 0.2 percent for persons less than 17 years of age to about 10 percent for persons aged 65 years and over, and sad to say, the most affected are females.

Insulin is the only hormone that maintains a normal blood-glucose concentration, if your pancreas is not secreting enough insulin, then you are on your way to diabetes, probably, diabetes mellitus. Without insulin, the condition will develop into ketoacidosis. This is the condition wherein high levels of ketone bodies are located in the blood, causing lowered blood pH and possible heat failure. Meanwhile coma is another type of severe condition which is caused by very high levels of blood glucose.

What can you say? And did you know that long-term complications like kidney-failure, heart diseases, blindness and disorder of the nervous system are believed to be related to elevate blood-glucose concentration. You should be aware with the idea that you are putting your life at risk for craving too much of what your body can accommodate.

There is only one word in here: discipline. If you love yourself, then you should have this daily high-dose of discipline and self-control. You need to be aware of yourself. Check yourself, especially in your food intake. Do you have a balanced meal every day? There are so much more than having a bag of signature chocolates in your pocket. Get rid of too much sugar, because too much sugar will kill you.

Type 2 Diabetes - Clues For The Origin of Diabetes And Supplements To Help Protect Your Pancreas!

Changes in the pancreas that scientists once only thought occurred in Type 1 diabetes are now known to occur in Type 2 diabetes as well.

For a long time there was just one definition of diabetes. It was a disease in which blood sugar levels were too high. Before about 1950, the only medical treatment was insulin, and insulin was in short supply. It didn't really make a lot of difference whether diabetes occurred in childhood or adulthood, because there were very few ways for most doctors to treat it.

Types of diabetes: About 1950, doctors began making a distinction between childhood-onset diabetes, or Type 1, and adult-onset diabetes, or Type 2. When children got this disease, usually the only ways to control blood sugar levels were insulin or starvation. Without insulin, children either were limited to diets of as little as 500 calories a day, or they died of diabetic complications.

Adults were generally thought not to need insulin injections, which is just as well, because there wasn't enough to go around. They could live "many" years without injections, usually until they died of a heart attack or stroke in their 50's or 60's.

As scientists began to understand that the immune system attacked the insulin-making beta cells in the pancreas in Type 1 diabetes, they also recognized a "Type 3" kind of diabetes occurring in adults. This is the form of the disease known as LADA. It was understood to be a kind of "adult Type 1."

Nowadays, the way all three diseases are diagnosed is something like this.

1. Before the pancreas makes insulin, it makes a storage form of the hormone called proinsulin. Proinsulin is a "ball" of protein that "unzips" into insulin
2. Type 2's unzip proinsulin slowly
3. Type 1's don't unzip proinsulin at all

If scientists could just find the "zipper" that changes proinsulin into insulin, then there just might be a cure for diabetes. No more injections, no more drugs to make the pancreas work harder, no carb-blockers or hormone blockers in the stomach and intestines.

What can diabetics do right now? There is one hint from the recent research. Diabetes seems to result from stress on the endoplasmic reticulum, the part of the cell that makes proteins and also "detoxifies". Maybe, just maybe, helping the endoplasmic reticulum of the insulin-producing beta cells will stop their destruction, and maybe a "detoxifying" agent such as alpha-lipoic acid will do this.

How to protect the pancreas? There are some laboratory studies suggesting that a combination of alpha-lipoic acid and L-carnitine with the B vitamins biotin and nicotinamide might protect the pancreas from the effects of a high-fat diet and too much fructose. Of course, it's even better simply to avoid eating too much fat and fructose! However, consider adding these four supplements to your treatment program to slow, stop, and even contribute to reversing the progression of diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes - How To Enjoy Holiday Treats Without High Blood Sugar Levels!

The holidays are upon us once again. Basically, from near Halloween until about New Year's Day, you would be justified in thinking that someone was out to intentionally fatten you up. Of course, by far the most immediate threat to a Type 2 diabetic isn't gaining a few pounds, which you'll no doubt lose with your New Year's resolution to run a mile every day... done laughing yet? You need to watch out during these few months especially, because it can be very tempting to go crazy... and the consequences can be pretty dire. But you don't have to turn into Scrooge... it's all about moderation.

Moderation: If you can go through Halloween eating huge amounts of candy and not suffer any kind of harm from it, you are one lucky individual. Just try to limit yourself to just a piece or two an hour, and you should be fine. If that turns out to be too much, give yourself a little bit longer between sugar rushes. Again, moderation is a big deal, especially in this two month period where excess rules like it did back in the 90's.

Chew Slowly: For one thing, you can limit your sugar intake by eating more slowly. Yes, it may sound stupid and obvious, but you would be amazed how quickly some people eat. Just take one bite, put down your utensil and chew slowly. This is an old dieting trick that can help you to eat less of sugary foods like cranberries and full-sugar pies. You'll ultimately find that by eating more slowly, your mind actually has a chance to acknowledge that hey, you've had enough to eat. Some people just keep pushing the food in there until they're absolutely "stuffed"... and say what you will about that being "the point", how much do you really enjoy being stuffed? Coupled with the side effects of having too much blood sugar, you might as well just give that a pass.

Substitutions: Another way to limit the amount of sugar you take in is to make some substitutions. Go a little lighter on mashed potatoes, and a little heavier into the turkey... suddenly the GI of your meal drops dramatically. Get used to sugar-free or low sugar alternatives to pies, and that will make a significant dent. Every recipe where you can cut down on the sugar and lower the glycemic index will have an impact on the nutritional quality of your meal. And not only that, but you'll also find that your family will develop better health habits over time through you "encouraging" them into doing so.

Just keep in mind that complaints are temporary, and the maintenance of stable blood sugar levels and good health is forever.