Rampant blood sugar can wreak havoc on your body. In a popular report, diabetic patient's claim that lack of control over glucose levels can lead to health complications. At 50, I had developed type 2 diabetes due to bad eating habits and a stressful life. The thought of taking metaformin for the rest of my life had me troubled.
Various types of diabetes exist and type 2 wasn't the worst
The doctors checked my blood values and prescribed me the typical treatment for this type of diabetes: a menu of low glycemic food and a healthy dose of metaformin with my meals.
Diet and pharmaceuticals, that was the recipe for success if you have type 2 diabetes. It was somewhat comforting that I did not have to take insulin, however my doctor cautioned that if I continued the way I was going this could be a possibility.
What is diabetes and how is the pancreas involved?
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces. The body needs insulin to use sugar as an energy source.
The pancreas is an organ that sits behind the stomach and releases hormones into the digestive system. In the healthy body, when blood sugar levels get too high, special cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) release insulin.
Insulin is a hormone and it causes cells to take in sugar to use as energy or to store as fat. This causes blood sugar levels to go back down.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can’t properly use the insulin that is released (called insulin insensitivity) or does not make enough insulin. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood instead of being used as energy.
About 90 per cent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes more often develops in adults, but children can be affected.
Changing habits and lifestyle
Physical activity was not something I could incorporate into my lifestyle. The low gylcemic index food was helping and I was getting my blood sugar under control.
The reduced insulin sensitivity however was not being addressed. Maybe if I had managed to support the pancreatic function and lowered glucose spikes I could have avoided this condition.
The search for natural remedies
Research helped me discover several natural remedies that help blood glucose metabolism. Medical journals and scientific research further validated the effects of these various naturally occurring medicinal ingredients.
The following herbal ingredients were on the top of my list of researched ingredients: Lagerstroemia Speciosa, Salacia Reticulata, Gymnema Sylvestre and Cassia Cinnamon.
How I controlled my blood sugar
The first advice I can offer is to reduce the stress in your life. Stress causes various diseases and can promote bad eating habits as well.
The other major lifestyle change was to change when I eat high glycemic foods.It really was not about what I eat, rather when I eat that really helped create the difference. I was still taking my medication but I did not need as much of it.
You too can control your blood sugar. If you are pre-diabetic or know that you are spiking your blood glucose levels several times a day I recommend to first make the dietary adjustments to reduce the spikes.
Complementing your diet with natural ingredients that are known to help regulate blood glucose is also a viable option.