Alternative Health Options For Diabetes Sufferers

If we are healthy it is our body’s job to break down the proteins, carbohydrates and fats we eat and then use them as the building blocks of our bodies. Carbohydrates typically found in bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and cereals are first digested and converted into simple sugars in the intestines and from there go from the intestines into the bloodstream. These simple sugars are our body’s first choice for energy production.

Glucose is the basic fuel the body uses for energy. Before our bodies can use it it must be transported across the cell membrane where it can be used to feed and fuel our cells. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, and more specifically by the islets of Langerhans which are scattered throughout the pancreas, stimulates our body’s cells to absorb sugar, thus removing it from the blood stream.

When our bodies cannot properly use glucose and keeps it in the blood we are diagnosed as having diabetes. Diabetes is a disease which disrupts the mechanism by which the body controls blood sugar. The build-up of sugar in the blood can cause the cells of our bodies to be starved for glucose and can lead to hurt of the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.

There are two types of diabetes that you can be diagnosed with: insulin dependent, or Type 1 diabetes, and non-insulin dependent, or Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes may be better known as juvenile or childhood-onset diabetes. With Type 1 diabetes the pancreas cannot make the insulin needed by the body to process glucose. Those who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes may be able to use natural therapies which can help the body be more receptive to insulin but they still require regular injections of insulin to maintain health.

On the other hand, the bodies of individuals with Type 2 or Adult-onset diabetes produce varying amounts of insulin; but more often than not, the ability of their body’s cells to absorb sugar is diminished. One of the problems that make this disease so perilous is that while there are “classic” warning signs that often accompany diabetes, i.e., excessive thirst, excessive hunger, excessive urination, excessive tiredness, and unexplained weight loss, many people with type 2 diabetes may never experience any of these symptoms.

Those at a greater risk include people who are: over age 40, are overweight, have a family history of diabetes, have had diabetes during pregnancy, have high blood pressure or high blood fats, have the stress of an illness or injury, or are a member of a high-risk ethnic group such as African-American, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian. If you fall into one of these categories natural and alternative health therapies tend to work well.

Recommendations For Wellness:

•         Reduce your consumption of starchy foods that are high in carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, processed cereals, rice or that have a high glycemic index rating. The Glycemic Index is a classification that ranks foods based on how they affect your levels of blood sugar.

•         Consume a high fiber, whole foods diet and work to eliminate preprocessed junk foods from your eating regimen.

•         Start an exercise program! In most instances weight reduction can help those who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. In addition to decreasing body stout and having a healthier body, regular exercise has been show to improve insulin sensitivity.

•         Dietary fiber, such as psyllium, LOCLO High Fiber Supplement and Nature’s Three has been show to improve glucose tolerance in some studies.

•         Incorporate brewer’s yeast or a chromium supplement into your health program. Chromium helps improve glucose tolerance by increasing our body’s sensitivity to insulin.

•         Supplement with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and zinc. Individuals with diabetes have been found to have low levels of these vital nutrients in their blood. Studies have shown that these supplements can help reduce hurt to the eyes, nerves and kidneys – health problems which are often experienced by people with advanced or long term diabetes.

•         Alpha Lipoic Acid has also been show to improve insulin sensitivity.

•         Evidence suggests that supplementation with vitamin D can increase insulin levels in some people.

•         The herb Nopal can help to strengthen the liver and the pancreas, thereby improving our body’s ability to utilize insulin.

•         Herbal combinations such as Ayurvedic Blood Sugar Formula and HY-A and Pro-Pancreas can help to normalize blood sugar levels.

•         Some sources recommend that you avoid the amino acid cysteine which has been reported to break down insulin and interfere with sugar absorption.

•         Stevia, a naturally sweet plant, makes an brilliant sugar substitute without the drawbacks of sugar. You can either visit your local health food store or look online for cookbooks that use stevia in place of sugar.

Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play The Diabetes Diet Game And Win. With this proven system you to can lower your blood sugar level and retake control of your health and your life.Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit me http://www.yourdiabetescure.com/Alternative_Health/Alternative_Health.html