Can natural remedies replace modern medicines for diabetes treatment? In this post, I will share some amazing Natural Remedies For Diabetes and a complete guide on how to manage your diabetes.
Nowadays many diabetics are actually opting for natural or herbal remedies to cure their diabetes rather than modern medicines. Due to the current demand, many companies have decided to venture into the manufacturing of alternative medicines.
What is Diabetes?
In short, diabetes can be defined as a high level of sugar in the bloodstream. This means a condition where the pancreas is unable to produce a hormone or sufficient hormone called insulin to convert sugar into energy.
Now the unconverted sugar goes into the bloodstream and causes blockages in the blood vessels. Anyway, are you experiencing any of these signs?
Symptoms of Diabetes
- fatigue
- itchy skin
- blurred vision
- unusual thirst
- feeling drowsiness
- frequent urination
- numbness in the legs
- slow healing of wounds
- tingling in the feet and fingers
If you do, you may be going through an initial stage of diabetes or pre-diabetes. These are some of the early signs of type II diabetes. Please do not ignore, consult your doctor as soon as possible and do all the necessary tests. Diabetes can strike anyone at any time.
The good news is type II diabetes can be treated or reversed. Early detection of diabetes helps to cure the disease much easier and quicker. In the beginning, it will only show mild symptoms and you won’t even know about it.
Therefore you need to go for a health check-up even though you may feel that you are healthy. You can be in the diabetes high-risk groups if your parents are diabetics. By taking natural remedies for diabetes, you can treat the early symptoms.
Why wait? Remember health is your wealth. So if these symptoms are left untreated, the chances of you getting other health problems are very high, such as :
Diabetes Effect on your body
- Infection
- Blindness
- Heart attack
- Loss of libido
- Kidney disease
- Foot nerves damage
- Blood vessel damage
- High blood pressure
Table sugars are considered pure sucrose. Some call it the sweet poison. Try your very best to control eating too much sugar because it raises blood sugar levels very quickly. Best are the complex carbohydrates such as soybeans, kidney beans, lentils, and peanuts, which raise sugar levels slowly and yet maintain at low levels.
Any form of sugar whether it is white or brown is still bad for your health. Better to choose grains, peas, beans, and potatoes because they raise the blood sugar levels slowly.
Hidden Sugar
A recent study finds that sugar has a more intense feeling of pleasure than drugs. Most consumers are not aware of the hidden sugar in most food products that are perceived to be healthy. Such as
- Bread
- Biscuits
- Pancakes
- Muffins
- Cereals
- Dried fruits
- Pastries
- Snackers
- Sauces
- Dressings
- Beverages and more
Sugar is added to baby’s milk formula and children’s medicines. Even some of the roasted coffee beans are coated with sugar. Practically most of the food products prepared by the manufacturers add sugar to their products as an important ingredient.
Why do they add sugar to their food products?
provide sweeter taste – sweetness improves the overall taste, flavor, and palatability
preservation – sweet products can be kept at room temperature for a longer time period
color – caramelization gives beautiful golden brown and improves the overall appearance
moisture – baked products can be kept for a longer period without losing moisture
fermentation – aids the proofing process for bread slice
Sugar makes you crave more sugary foods. Below is a list of common food products consumed daily and the actual sugar content per cup.
- chocolate ice cream (58g)
- grape juice – (36g)
- chocolate milk – (25g)
- gold kiwi – (20g)
- raw cherries, pineapple, and plum – (17g)
- raisins – (98g)
Now let’s see the sugar content of breakfast products.
- 1 blueberry muffin – (37g)
- 6 ounces of fruited yogurt – (35g)
- a bowl of breakfast cereal (30g serving) – (12g)
- 1/2 can of fruit unsweetened cocktail – (15g to 17g)
Natural Remedies For Diabetes
1. Stop Sugar Cravings
Distract your mind:
When you feel sugar cravings block your mind and think about something else that may interest you. Quickly change your task and keep yourself busy.
Drink water – keep your body hydrated. Drink 8 glasses of plain water consistently throughout the day.
Grab a fruit – eat a variety of fruits and avoid thinking about the sugary stuff.
Snack with nuts – keep some nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamias with you all the time. You can snack whenever you start to crave.
Eat other unsweetened foods – eat other foods that are not sweetened such as meat, cheese, vegetables, and other products from the shelf that says “no added sugar.” Be selective.
You may also Like: List of foods for diabetic patients
2. Regular Meals
Take 5 regular meals a day for your blood sugar levels to be normal. Insulin produced by the pancreas is enough to control the sugar levels if you take small meals. On the other hand, if you take big and lesser meals daily, your blood sugar levels will rise.
Insulin produced by the pancreas is not enough to control your blood sugar. So if you eat less frequently, your body may have too much insulin in between the meals which can trigger hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia attacks can be sudden. Symptoms are feeling dizzy with bad headaches, stomach pain, vomiting, and the body becoming very weak. A quick remedy to treat this problem is to eat sweets or any other sugary stuff immediately.
3. Salads:
Salads are one of the best foods for diabetes. Eating green fresh vegetables is one of the natural remedies for treating diabetes. These fresh vegetables are very rich in natural enzymes and fiber that can absorb sugar slowly.
Moreover, they also help to balance blood sugar levels. Most of the ingredients in the salad benefit diabetes except for the dressings. Be selective when choosing salad dressings because most of these dressings are high in saturated fats.
At the same time try to avoid creamy dressings, especially the mayonnaise-based dressings or sauces such as
- thousand island
- tartar sauce
- creamy Italian
- ranch dressing
- French dressing.
Replace these salad dressings with Italian dressing, like classic vinaigrette, or make your own dressings without mayonnaise. Make simple dressing like adding olive oil, lemon juice, mint leaves, salt, and pepper to replace these mayonnaise-based sauces. Remember it is important to add salads to your daily diet.
4. Guavas:
An amazing tropical fruit that is extremely rich in nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. Besides its wonderful taste and crunchiness, guava is a healing plant that has numerous health benefits.
Since the 1950s guava leaves have been used as a natural remedy to treat diarrhea. Guava leaves are very rich in carotenoids and polyphenols. In addition, guava fruits and seeds are used as natural remedies for treating diabetes and other diseases as well.
Guava seeds oil is rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids, and minerals. Both are being used as remedies for healthy skin and fight diseases. These “super-fruits” are a great source of
- dietary fiber
- vitamin A
- folic acid
- flavonoids
- phytochemicals
Vitamin C in this extraordinary fruit is 4 times more than oranges and potassium is more than bananas. Now it is recommended as one of the best natural remedies for diabetes. Drinking chilled guava juice can be very refreshing and helps to manage diabetes.
The outer skin of the fruit must be removed first before placing the slices in the juice blender. Findings show that the skin contains high simple sugars like glucose. You will not get the best results if you insist on having the skin on.
Guava fruits have the ability to increase the strength of insulin and control sugar levels.
5. Okra (Lady Fingers):
Most countries call okra ladies fingers. Lately, it is getting very popular because studies show that okra’s skin and seeds are very rich in vitamins and minerals. Drinking okra water and eating the seeds are effective natural remedies for diabetes.
- Simply cut okra into small pieces.
- Soak in a glass of water.
- Leave it overnight.
- Drink the next day.
Okra is a very common vegetable that is normally used in home cooking for
- pan-fry/ blanched vegetables
- soup
- stew
- curry
Vegetable provides vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, high dietary fiber, and low calories. Other health benefits are
- zinc
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
- folic acid
- potassium
In Turkey, diabetics have been taking roasted okra seeds for a long time. Okra seeds are rich in flavonols and polyphenolic molecules which entrap glucose. Therefore it helps to manage the blood sugar levels.
6. Cinnamon for diabetes
One of the popular ingredients used in natural remedies for diabetes is cinnamon. An amazing ingredient used for cooking, baking and even adding into coffee for its sweet aroma smell, and flavor. A scientific name for cinnamon is Cinnamomum zeylanicum.
The common cinnamon that is easily available in the market is called cassia variety. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin a substance that is toxic. Study shows that it can cause liver problems if the intake is too much.
On the other hand, Ceylon cinnamon is believed to be a safer ingredient. It is richer and sweeter in flavor. Only available in certain places and sold at a higher price compared to cassia variety.
While the antioxidant properties are similar to dark chocolate and green tea that is able to prevent diseases. A bioactive component in the cinnamon stick improves insulin effectiveness and normalize blood sugar levels. Here are some findings made by the US Agricultural Research Service about cinnamon.
Taking less than ½ a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon powder per day can reduce blood sugar levels.
Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon to your daily hot beverages such as
- coffee
- tea
- hot chocolate
- milk
Add some to your dishes, bread, or pastries if you enjoy cooking or baking.
After all, it is going to make your food smells awesome and tastes good.
7. Bitter Gourd:
Bitter gourd can sweeten your health by fighting diseases and prevent illnesses. Even though the taste is bitter, this vegetable is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, it provides a chemical substance called Charantin that has blood sugar lowering properties.
Charantin reaction is very similar to insulin which is produced by the pancreas. Moreover, it can control diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels.
Drinking fresh juice of bitter gourd is the best natural remedy but it can be very challenging due to its bitter taste. Add some lime juice or honey to enhance the taste. Cooking the bitter gourd can be another way to consume this vegetable.
8. Exercise:
Regular exercise provides many health benefits. For diabetes, exercise can help to move sugar from the bloodstream into cells. Once in the cells, it burns to become energy. Exercise makes the cells respond well to insulin.
By the way, if you are on medication you need to consult your doctor first before choosing any kind of exercise. Diabetes weakens the capillaries in your eyes. Thus intense exercise may easily hurt these capillaries and cause ruptures that can lead to vision problems. Good examples of high-impact exercises are
- running
- aerobics
- tennis
- hiking
are not recommended. These may hurt or damage the nerve endings in the feet. Medical experts agree that the ideal exercise for a diabetic is brisk walking. Follow an exercise program with a balanced diet. Avoid yourself being in a too high or too low blood sugar levels situation.
Finally, In this post, you have gone through the effective natural remedies for diabetes and other useful information. Which helps to be well aware of the disease and natural ways to treat it. Please share this post with your friends and known ones so that they can also get the knowledge of this complete information on diabetes.
Image Credit: Pixabay
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