Hi steemians. As you can see on my profile, I'm a medical student. Diabetes is one of the diseases most interesting for me, and I've researched and investigated a lot from it, learning some useful things.
Today I want to share with you some useful tips you can add in your daily basis if you are diabethic to try to reverse it using natural ways. But first, let's remember what Diabetes is about:
Diabetes is a metabolic disease which the patient has high blood glucose (glucose=sugar), and it can be because 2 different things:
- The insuline production (the hormone with the function to reduce the blood sugar): this is called Diabetes Mellitus Type 1.
- The body's cells don't respond adequate to insulin: this is called Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.
A diabetes diagnosis (or even prediabetes) can cause a shock, but it's posible to reverse that diagnosis in orden to have a normal life.
On this kind of disease, taking some pills can be benefitial, but it's not the only thing to do in order to cure yourself. It isn't enough. Changing your lifestyle makes a lot of difference too.
Let's start to learn how to do it:
REMOVE SOME TYPES OF FOODS FROM YOUR DAILY INTAKE
There are some foods that can affect negatively your blood sugar levels, so it's better to remove them from your diet:
REFINED SUGAR
It's your number 1 enemy. It spikes your blood sugar very fast. You can find it on soda, fuit juice and all kind of sweets (including honey and maple syrup).
You can change them to stevia, a natural sweetener made by a plant that won't have this impact in your blood.
ALCOHOL
I know this isn't easy, but try to cut it as much as possible. It can increase blood sugar very fast. Specially with the beer and sweet liquors, which are very high in carbohydrates and it's better for you to should avoid them.
FATS
There are good and bad kind of fats. Try to remove the bad ones, called hydrogenated oils, from your diet. It includes soybean oil, vegetable oil and even canola oil. They're very processed and won't do anything good to your condition.
TRY TO EAT MORE:
CINNAMON
It's a very tasty spice, and several studies have proven that cinnamon can control and lower blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. They recommend to limit your intake to 1 teaspoon per day.
EGGS
Eaten in moderation they're one of the most powerful foods. They improve insulin sensitivy, increase HDL levels (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL levels (bad cholesterol)
NUTS
They have a lot of fiber and very healthy fats. Regular consumption will reduce blood sugar levels and decrease LDL levels.
BROCOLI
A lot of studies in diabetics have proven that this amazing vegetable can help lower insulin levels (if you are insulin resistant).
GARLIC
It has impressive health benefits, like reducing blood sugar and LDL blood levels in people with diabetes.
CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE
This not only refers on changing the way you eat (and you know this can have A HUGE IMPACT on controlling diabetes disease), it includes some other things like:
EXERCISE MORE
I know that you may have heard this before, but believe me, making exercise will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. It will give you more energy, feel happier and younger. You only have to do at least 30 minutes 3-4 times per week, the activity of your choice, like walking around the corner or dancing your favorite music, but MOVE, it will improve your health A LOT and combining this with healthy food intake YOU CAN COMPLETELY REVERSE YOUR DIABETES.
LEARN DIFFERENT WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS
Stress hormones (like adrenalin and cortisol) can increase blood sugar levels. Obviously you can't control physical stress (like being sick) but you can control the emotional stress by doing some techniques that will help you in order to feel better. Try to meditate, do some yoga or even listen to music. But take on serious this advice, because a lot of people don't know this fact, and it will help you a lot on your way on fighting diabetes.
Follow this advices and you will notice an improvement in your blood sugar, and even your doctor can reduce your medication dosis.
Remember to stay flexible, and if you get out of the plan, try to come back as soon as posible, your body will be thankful in the long term.
Almost all of the diabetes complication are due to not making a change in your lifestyle. People believe that the medication will do all the work, but medicine can't do it by itself. You can improve your diabetes just by taking a metformin pill if you eat a big piece of cake everyday.
Believe me, following my advices will make you feel healthier and you will live longer and happier.