Understanding Diabetes & Foods To Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Have you been recently diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and are now considering a natural solution to help you get better control? If so, then it’s vital that you know what you’re putting into your body, and why.

You’ve likely been feeling a little worried and stressed about your diagnosis of diabetes, and what it means for you for the rest of your life. Well you’re certainly not alone at all, although it can feel very lonely when you’re suffering from this disease. Unfortunately due to our diet and junk food we consumes on daily basis, diabetes is growing at an epidemic rate in the United States. According to Centers for Disease control & prevention, more than 29 million Americans are living with diabetes currently. It’s taxing on your mind, and if not controlled properly can be taxing on your physical body as well. In fact it’s the threat of the complications of diabetes that have probably got you worrying in the first place.

Understanding Diabetes – What Is Diabetes Actually?

In a nutshell, diabetes is the disease that occurs when your pancreas stops doing one of its key jobs. That job is to regulate the levels of sugar (blood glucose) in your blood stream. Your pancreas does this by releasing a hormone called insulin.

There must be a certain amount of glucose in your bloodstream in order for you to be able to survive and function. Basically it provides a source of energy to your brain. Sort of like fuel to a car’s engine. You’ve likely felt the effects when you begin to get low on “fuel” in your bloodstream. When your blood sugar drops too low (below 80 milligrams per deciliter) you begin to feel tired, lethargic, and shaky, basically like a car running out of gas and it’s not a good feeling at all.

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But unfortunately for most diabetics, their levels are usually up so high that they rarely feel these episodes of low blood sugar. When your blood sugar levels are too high, your body begins to take on damage and this is when complications begin such as:

  • Nerve Damage (or neuropathy… usually starting in the extremities – toes, fingers, then legs, and arms)…
  • Impotence (Not fun for anybody)
  • Blindness (diabetes is the leading cause of blindness)…
  • Kidney Disease or Kidney Failure (diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure)
  • Heart Disease
  • Stroke

 

and a host of other things that can eventually lead to the disease being fatal if not properly controlled but don’t let that give you any sort of loss of hope because ultimately diabetes is about the most controllable disease that you can have, whether you are Type 1 or Type 2.

How Do Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Differ?

The fact is that most diabetics in the world are Type 2 diabetics. Luckily this is the diabetes that is easiest to control, and even reversible.

Type 1 diabetes (also known as juvenile diabetes) is the least common, and only about 5 to 7 percent of diabetics have this type. You can actually get this type at any age, but very often younger people get it – hence the name.

The easiest way to understand the difference is that Type 1 is when the pancreas burns out all of its beta-cells (the cells that produce the hormone insulin) and can no longer produce any insulin at all. This is caused by an auto-immune dysfunction. Basically your body attacks its own organs…in this case the pancreas being the target. Type 1 diabetics must inject insulin in order to survive.

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Type 2 diabetes is caused most often by lifestyle, as well as family history and even ethnicity playing key roles. Type 2 diabetics are often overweight or have a sedentary lifestyle. Because of this their body does not produce either enough insulin to control blood sugar levels, or the body does not respond to the insulin correctly…which keeps the levels elevated…again which causes damage to your body.

The good news is that Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by lifestyle, eating habits, exercise, and some medications. The pancreas still produces insulin, just not correctly. Or your body does not react to the insulin correctly. The problem with most of the medications is that they seem to do more harm as far as side effects than they help in many cases.

Do Natural Supplements Work for Helping Control Diabetes?

There are tons of naturally occurring foods, minerals, plants, spices, and extracts that help with controlling diabetes and blood sugar levels… as well as help protect you from diabetes complications.

For instance, green tea extract has been known to increase insulin sensitivity and help keep blood sugar levels lower. Other essential minerals and herbs seem to very conclusively help with blood sugar level stability including:

  • Chromium
  • Zink
  • Magnesium
  • Bitter Melon
  • Indian Kino

 

Natural substances are also extremely helpful for fighting off the complications of diabetes. For example, Luteolin is a natural substance that is vastly more effective at keeping blood sugar levels more stable than Green Tea.

Foods That Can Help You Lower Your Blood Sugar Level

foods-diabetes

Any food rich with the above mentioned minerals can act as a good source of counter measure for your diabetes. As a rule of thumb, eating a Green and Whole Diet will help you keep your sugar levels down. Following are some of the food that can help you keep your blood sugar in check & can lower your sugar level quickly.

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Green Magnesium Rich Veggies: Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, Collards, Romaine, Swiss chard

Seeds: Chia, Hemp, Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Sesame seeds

Fruits: Blue Berries, Cherries, Grapefruit, Avocados, Apples, Pears

Dry Fruits: Almonds, Cashews, Nuts

Whole Grains: Oat, Rice, Barley

Other Foods: Cacao Beans, Vinegar, Cinnamon, Onions, Garlics

Conclusion:

Simply Put, the only effective treatment for diabetes is diet control. You can use all types of natural supplements or pills like Glucophage, but if you are not controlling your diet, nothing gonna help you. Its hard to control your diet when almost all of our daily usage edibles contains sugar, in one way or another, but this is the only way to keep your sugar levels in balance. Diabetes can lead to many and far worst condition, if not taken seriously. A little effort of controlling your diet can help up you live healthy with diabetes without any complications.

FAQS:

Q. What are the normal or average Blood Sugar Levels?
A. Your levels should be between 80 – 140

Q. What is normal blood sugar level after eating?
A. Less than 180

Q. What is normal blood sugar level during fasting?
A. Your levels should be between 90 – 130

Q. Signs & Symptoms of high blood sugar?
A. Increased Thirst, Fatigue, Blurred Vision, Rapid Weight Loss, Headaches, Weakness

Q. Signs & Symptoms of low blood sugar?
A. Shakiness, Cold Sweating, Dizziness,  Sleepiness, Rapid Heart Beat

Blood Sugar Level Chart

blood-sugar-levels-chart
References & Sources:
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/diabetes.htm
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/conditions/diabetes/keeping_diabetes_in_check_know_your_blood_sugar_numbers.htm
https://www.drugs.com/glucophage.html