To understand diabetes, it is good to learn something about pancreas, the long and thin situated behind our stomach. Pancreas is responsible for regulating the body’s use of glucose. It has two main functions: firstly to produce pancreatic endocrine hormones which assist in regulating our metabolism and secondly to produce pancreatic digestive enzymes. When the blood glucose levels begin to rise, it is insulin’s job to push muscle and fat cells to absorb whatever glucose they need for future activities whereas any surplus will store by the liver. There are some individuals either do not produce enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or their body resists whatever insulin is produced (Type 2 diabetes), thus an outside source production is necessary. Either way, the result is the same. Type 1 or also know as juvenile-onset diabetes, typically affects children and young adults and is genetically-linked. Type 2 which also known as adult-onset diabetes occurs in adults and is linked to obesity. Symptoms of both types include blurred vision, fatigue, frequent, bladder infections, increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, nausea, skin infections, vaginitis and vomiting. If not treated, diabetes type 1 and 2, can cause blood vessel damage, gangrene, heart attack, kidney damage, nerve damage, stork and vision problems.

How Glucosium Can Help: Glucosium is a popular diabetes treatment of natural ingredients which can help control blood sugar, stimulate your body’s insulin production, limit nerve damage and much more. This revolutionary supplement has shown amazing benefits for people with diabetes, as well as preventative properties for those who are exposed to a higher risk for diabetes. Last advice: do exercise, eat right and supplement your body with the proper nutrients that help your body to produce the insulin it was supposed to have.

So, when it comes to treatment of diabetes the main concern should be given to control blood sugar, which is main cause of diabetes. Managing blood sugar is the stepping-stone of this diabetes treatment program. To remove the complications of diabetes one must take it seriously and adopt some good diet process or healthy exercise. Apart from doing so some take insulin and any other type of medication program to be cured to some extent. Frequent testing of blood sugar can denote you how much you have improved on your part to manage suitable measure of sugar in blood. It is very important to learn the right range of glucose in blood unless and until you cannot have the idea about the complication you are facing about this disease. It depends on age mainly such as in younger age assuming not much complication is there the suitable range of glucose is 80-120 mg/dL and in older age it is 100-140 mg/dL.

Diabetes program includes some specific self-treatments like having good and suitable diet, having proper exercise, maintaining healthy weight and medication. When it is about good and suitable diet it does not make any suggestion to take all dull food which are not of your interest rather it denotes to have more fruits, vegetables and grains that means you should be conscious in taking the foods of high nutrition and lower fat and calories. Avoid taking sweets and animal products with no limit. The main part of this diabetes treatment program is that you own self should be challenging in this task otherwise this program will be harder enough. Consult any dietitian about meal plan and try to maintain it at the fixed times every day with same amount according to your diet plan.

On the part of having proper exercise you should be cautious about all aerobic exercises. In this diabetes treatment program you can make your choices among the daily exercises like doing morning or evening walk, jogging, hiking, biking, swimming and any other exercises of heart and lungs. Remember giving consistency to your exercise process is very important to get the best result through it.

Try to maintain weight according to your activity level and age because overweight is dangerous factor which help to make your cells more resistant to insulin. Making suitable weight loss plan and going according to that can make its result more effectively.

Sometimes medication takes a very important role in case where it is found that good dieting and exercise are not fulfilling it purpose. This type of diabetes program includes the insert of insulin as per requirement. As it can’t be taken in form of pill some people have it injected by syringe or some have it with insulin pump.

So now it is very clear that diabetes is always manageable if the sufferer give a serious daily attention to it. Although diabetes stands for life long suffering, yet it never means the end of your life. You just have to remember that the disease will be in your control only and only if you are self disciplined for your each and every step of treatment program.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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This popular sub-acid fruit one of the most valuable of all fruits, has been found beneficial in the treatment of diabetes of its rich pectin content. Pectin is a natural therapeutic ingredient found in the inner portion of the rind and the pulp. It aids in detoxification of the body by supplying the galacturonic acid needed for the elimination of certain harmful substances. This food element reduces the body’s insulin requirements by approximately 35 percent.

The apple is also considered valuable in depression. The various chemical substances present in the fruit, such as Vitamin B1, phosphorous and potassium, help the synthesis of glutamic acid, which controls the wear and tear of nerve cell. This fruit acts as a very effective tonic and recharges the nerves with new energy and life.

Grapefruit

The grapefruit occupies a high place among citrus fruits because of its favor, its appetizing properties and its refreshing qualities. It is a well-known authority on nutrition, believes that it is a splendid food for diabetics and if this fruit were taken more liberally, there would be much less diabetes.

According to Dr. Riley, any person suffering from high blood sugar should take grapefruit three times a day. A person who does not have high blood sugar, but a tendency towards it, and wants to prevent it, should also use the fruit three times a day. Simultaneously, consumption of starches, sweets and fats should be reduced and diet made rich in fruits, vegetables and juices. Two weeks of this grapefruit rich diet will bring down sugar level in individuals not taking insulin. In those who take insulin regularly, it takes longer.

Jambul Fruit

The jambul fruit also known as rose apple is grown all over India. It too possesses anti-diabetic properties.

In the indigenous system of medicine this fruits is regarded as specific remedy against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit, the seeds and fruits juice are beneficial in treatment of this disease. The jamboline’ contained in the seeds in believed to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in case of increase production of glucose. The seeds are dried and powdered. This powder mixed with water, taken three or four times daily reduces sugar in the urine and allays thirst.

In Ayurveda, the inner bark of the jambul tree is considered valuable in the treatment of diabetes. The bark is dried and burnt, to produce a white colored ash. This ash is pestle in the mortar, strained and bottled. The diabetes patient should be given. The diabetes patients should be given about two grams of this ash in the morning on an empty stomach and two grams each in the afternoon and in the evening and hour after meals.

The seeds of the jambul fruits are considered beneficial in the treatment of excessive urination. The powder of these seeds in doses of one gram each, in the morning and evening is effective in controlling this condition.

Brewer’s yeast is a wonder food. It is rich in traces of mineral chromium. This mineral helps the pancreas produce more insulin. It is one of the best supports for normal handling of sugar by the body. According to an article by Dr. Richard J. Doisy and others, which appeared in the Medical World News, Brewer’s yeast has lowered the insulin requirements of many diabetes patients.

Broccoli

Broccoli, a close relation of the cauliflower, has long been a popular food in Europe. This vegetable has proved to be an effective anti-diabetic food. It is rich source of chromium, a trace mineral that seems to lower blood sugar. This trace mineral regulates blood sugar, thereby often reducing the medication and insulin needs of diabetes. In cases of mild diabetes, chromium may prevent the onset of the full-fledged disease. If a person’s glucose tolerance is on border, chromium can help control it. Even low blood sugar levels can be brought to normal with chromium.

Curd

Curd injects friendly bacteria in to the digestive system that stimulate the pancreas. It also washes the pancreas of its acids and wastes. These cleansing actions enable the pancreas to perform much better and thereby help in the production of insulin.

Garlic

In scientific trials garlic and its constituents have been found to lower blood sugar in diabetes. This vegetable is rich in potassium, which effectively replaces the large quantities of potassium lost in the urine of diabetics. It also contains zinc and sulphur, which are constituents of insulin. Some authorities believe that low levels of zinc may be one of the factors responsible for the onset of diabetes. Garlic also contains manganese, a deficiency of which can contribute towards diabetes.

Garlic constituents appear to act by blocking the inactivation of insulin in the liver. The result is higher blood insulin levels and lower blood sugar.

Garlic has other benefits for diabetes besides lowering blood sugar. It prevents arteriosclerosis, which is a common complication of diabetes and relieves body paid. Diabetics can take the equivalent of one or two cloves of garlic a day in any form they like, either raw or cooked in food or as capsules. Garlic milk, prepared by adding four cloves of crushed garlic to 110 ml of milk, is one good way of taking garlic. The best way, however, is to chew raw garlic thoroughly first thing in the morning.

Bengal Gram

Bengal gram, also known as chickpea, is a widely used important component of Indian diet. It is a valuable anti-diabetic food. Experiments have shown that the oral ingestion of the water extract of Bengal gram increases the utilization of glucose in diabetics as well as normal people. In a study conducted at Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore, the requirement of insulin of chronic diabetes patients decreased from 40 units a day to 20 units, when kept on a diet which included liberal supplements of Bengal gram extract.

Diabetic patients who are on a restricted diet, which does not severely limit the intake of carbohydrates but includes liberal amounts of Bengal gram extract, have shown considerable improvement in their fasting blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, urinary excretion of sugar and general condition.

Bitter Gourd

The bitter gourd is a common vegetable cultivated extensively. It has excellent medicinal virtues. This vegetable has been used as fold medicine for diabetes from ancient times. Research has established that it contains insulin like principle designated as plant-insulin, which has been found beneficial in lowering blood and urine sugar levels.

Bitter gourd is thus and effective anti-diabetic food and should be included liberally in the diet of a diabetic.

Juice of three or four bitter gourds taken every morning on an empty stomach has been found more effective than eating fruits. The seeds of bitter gourd can be powdered and added to regular meals. A decoction prepared by boiling chopped bitter gourd is water is equally effective, as is its dry powder mixed with liquid foods.

Bitter gourd is rich in all essential vitamins and minerals especially vitamins A, B1, B2, C and iron. Its regular use, therefore, prevents many complications associated with diabetes including hypertension, eye complications, neuritis and the defective metabolism of carbohydrates.

Black Gram

Black gram is a highly prized pulse in India. It is an anti diabetic food. Germinated black gram taken with half a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice, forms and effective remedy for treating mild types of diabetes. It should be taken once a day, for three to four months, with a restricted intake of carbohydrates.

In severe diabetes, regular use of this combination is an effective complement to other treatments. It is also a useful health food for preventing complications due to malnutrition in diabetes. Milk prepared by grinding sprouted whole black gram is also recommended for diabetics.

Groundnut

Groundnuts are valuable in diabetes. Eating a handful of groundnuts daily by diabetics will not only prevent malnutrition, particularly the deficiency of niacin, but also checks the development of vascular complications.

There are no other alternative for you to eradicate the presence of diabetes in your body once you have been diagnosed with it. You must learn how to deal with the disease because it can certainly kill you once you do not have a proper diabetes diet included in your everyday food intake.

Eating the right kind of food and living a healthy lifestyle is the best arsenal that you have to fight diabetes. If you are still groping in the dark on how you can have the right diabetes diet, take a look in the proceeding sections:

• Have a regular check of your everyday meal and their nutrients. Remember that your main goal is to avoid all the sugar that you are not allowed to eat. Include in your everyday meal the right amount of healthy foods so that you are right on track of staying healthy in spite of the disease.

• Be careful and always check your sugar intake. If you have alternates for sugar-rich foods, then go for it. There are different kinds of sugar replacements in the market, especially if you are planning to bake some cakes and cookies. You can utilize these sugar-free products for your baking purposes. It also tastes delicious and you will enjoy whatever you baked for yourself and at the same time maintaining a good blood sugar level.

• The amount of food intake is also important because it can have positive or negative impact in your diet and health. You can seek some suggestions from a physician of how much food you should eat everyday.

As long as you follow the right diet for you, them you will stay healthy for the rest of your life.

I’ve had diabetes for seven years now, but to tell you that how I maintain weight is perfect would be totally wrong of me. However, I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn’t. Before I really begin I must also say that I have been brought up by great parents who taught me to eat everything, and so I do! If there is something that you don’t like, there are loads of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you will eat and appreciate.

I am a university student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe that this is important because it can be the most good for your body and contain more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarket produce. I like to source food from my fortnightly farmers market in town, which sells amazing meat and dairy produce and fresh in season fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to remember, that eating fruit and vegetables in their season means that they will taste better as well as doing you good. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you will tell, but I do not profess to be a chef and everything is easy to make and very convenient.

I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books, and I came to a conclusion that I think really works. I fused all the good things from the diets (but not from every diet) and sort of put together my own one. I call this my Juvenile Diabetes Healthy Diet!

The “rules” that I would lay down are as follows:

1. Cut back on snacks and then change the type of snacks you eat.
Certainly my biggest downfall although it wasn’t really apparent to me. When I first started at University, I had little or no routine which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter how healthy it felt, was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people, but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to be eating are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).

2. Cut back on white flour and embrace wholemeal carbs.
This is the most essential part of your diet, and the thing that can show the biggest increase in loss of weight. Some diets in fact jsut focus on this point, and are very successful. Wholemeal (especially stoneground wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that switching is much easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the ranges you can get in you supermarket, again remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest with least perservatives or added ingredients. Also, brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Wholemeal pasta is great and for your potatoes I would totally recommend the smaller new potatoes.

3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking wine.
Cocktails are full of sugar, colourants and preservatives. As a student I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails, so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu, who is to know. If you are out at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order, (except water of course!) and it has been proven that the anti-oxidants in red wine are great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day with your evening meal.

4. Start cooking more fruit and vegetables.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways in which to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best followed closely by steamed. Both of these ways preserve all their natural goodness as well. I will follow this post with another diabetes recipes post.

5. Drink more water.
I know you have heard people say this many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips on how to get more water into your day are firstly to put bottles of water at all the places you go in the house or work. So keep one in your desk, on your desk, a glass in the kitchen, the bedroom, the sitting room, etc. Try and drink all these glasses up and you will be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so, if you try to drink all that water in one go you won’t be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again, trust me! Have a go, it’s amazing how great you will feel.

1) You are more likely to get nerve damage (neuropathy). This is because smoking affects your blood circulation and that in turn means your nerve endings are not getting the nutrients they need. If this happens to the nerves in your feet it could lead to sores and infections and, if not taken care of properly, even amputation.

2) There is an increased risk – double in fact -of you getting limited mobility in your joints. It’s no fun trying to bend, climb stairs or lift something when you have a painful joint.

3) Because of smoking you could develop kidney disease.

4) When you smoke your blood pressure increases. Increased blood pressure creates a real risk of heart disease.

5) Research has shown that diabetics who smoke increase, 3-fold, the risk of dying of heart (cardiovascular) disease.

6) By smoking you increase your blood-sugar levels. This makes it more difficult to control your diabetes because your glucose levels could be fluctuating quite dramatically. This, in turn, leads to other problems.

7) And it also increases your cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of a heart attack.

In fact smoking – and passive smoking – have a seriously detrimental effect on the ABC’s of diabetes management:

A 1C – the measurement of your blood glucose over a 3-month period
B – your blood pressure, which should be below 130/80
C< – your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels include LDL, HDL and triglycerides. Your LDL should be below 100. HDL levels should be above 40 (for men) and above 50 (for women). Tryglycerides should be below 150.

And, of course, on top of all that there’s the proven risk of cancer!

Although for some the development of diabetes is inevitable, perhaps due to heriditery and other factors, for the vast majority it can be prevented by taking these 7 simple steps…

Before diabetes type 2 becomes fully developed you go through a stage known as pre-diabetes. This is where you start to show some of the symptoms, which if ignored, can lead to full blown diabetes.

Make these 7 action points part of your daily routine and you could stop this disease happening to you:

1) If you are overweight you risk developing diabetes. Reduce the amount of food on your plate so you gradually eat less and start to lose weight. Drink a glass of plain water or a sugar-free drink before your meal to take the edge of any hunger pains.

2) Reduce the amount of fat you are eating; grill or bake foods instead of frying; use low-fat spreads and reduced fat meals.

3) Check the Glycemic Index of the food you are eating – knowing what each food contains helps maintain your blood-sugars, which in turn can prevent the full onset of diabetes.

4) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. If you keep a bottle of water with you and sip frequently you’ll be surprised how much you do drink throughout the day.

5) If you are feeling peckish choose a healthy snack rather than a chocolate bar.

6) Use skimmed rather than full-fat milk in hot drinks.

7) Exercise is good for health. But if you are not use to exercise then start in moderation. 15 minutes gentle walking each day will ease you into a regular exercising pattern.

All of these action points are also the ones that diabetics are advised to take – if you take them now you might possibly prevent irreparable damage to your health.

1) If you find you are excessively thirsty, not just after extreme exercise or hot weather.

2) You seem to constantly have a dry mouth – even if you’ve just had a drink.

3) You find you are having to urinate frequently.

4) You have unexpected weight loss or gain (even though you may be constantly hungry and eating well. Of course you may be eating the wrong things which would probably make your pre-diabetes symptom worse).

5) You feel lethargic. You always feel as if you’ve got no energy; you are weak and tired all the time.

6) Sometimes your vision is blurry – be careful, untreated eye problems caused through diabetes can lead to blindness. You should have regular eye checks, especially as you get older because your eyes can be the early warning signal for many diseases – not just diabetes.

7) You have cuts or sores or bruises (especially on your feet) that are slow to heal.

If you experience excessive itching or soreness in the genital area or yeast infections (which can be misdiagnosed as thrush) it may be a sign of too much sugar in your urine.

AT RISK FACTORS:

There are different types of diabetes; pre-diabetes, type 1, type 2, gestational and maturity onset. And, dependent upon your age, lifestyle and family history you may be more susceptible to developing diabetes.

Foe example you may be more prone to developing diabetes if any of these factors apply to you:

Your family background is African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino.

You have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

You are aged over 45 and are overweight you might be at risk of diabetes type 2

You have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a baby over 9 pounds in weight.

You have high blood pressure.

Your cholesterol levels are not good.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a serious disorder of the glands, of pancreas to be exact, called Madhumeha in Ayurveda. It is one of the most insidious disorders of the metabolism and, if left undiagnosed, may lead to rapid emaciation and ultimately death.

What are the types of Diabetes?

According to Ayurveda Diabetes is of two types: Diabetes Mellitus- Insulin dependent Juvenile Diabetes (IDDM-Type I) in which the body is unable to produce insulin and Non Insulin Dependent Adult Onset Diabetes (NIDDM-Type II) in which the pancreas produces insulin, but it is insufficient for reducing the blood glucose to normal levels.

What are the common symptoms of Type- 1 Diabetes? Some of the common symptoms of Type- 1 Diabetes are:

Excessive Thirst Frequent urination Unexplained weight loss Irritability Weakness Fatigue

What are the common symptoms of Type- 2 Diabetes? Some of the common symptoms of Type- 2 Diabetes are:

Loss off weight Numbness in hands or feet. Uncontrolled infections Pain in the limbs Inflammatory chest infections Dimness of vision, contrast Excessive thirst Body weakness

What are the different tests for Diabetes?

Urine Test: Some chemicals are added to a few drops of urine. Colour change indicates presence of glucose in urine.

Blood Test: In this, blood is taken to test the glucose level. This is more accurate test to confirm diabetes

Which parts of my body are affected by Diabetes?

Blood Vessels: Higher level of glucose damage the blood vessels. As a result of this most of the diabetic complications occur in blood vessels.

Heart: Diabetes affects the heart by: Increasing the amount of fat in blood and increasing the amount of homocysteine in blood.

Kidney: In diabetes because of increased levels of glucose, kidneys have to do extra work to retain essential substances and separate waste products to produce urine. This affects the small blood vessels and their capacity to filter. After many years of work, it leads to kidney failure.

Eyes: Diabetes affects blood vessels of the eyes. Damage to these blood vessels leads to eye problems like: Damage to retina, Cataract or total loss of vision

Foot: Damage to blood vessels reduces blood flow to the feet and increases risk of developing foot ulcers and infections.

Nerves: High glucose level for a long time damages nerves. Nerve damage reduces sensation in some parts of body which may lead to: Numbness and tingling, Fainting and dizziness

Home Remedies for Diabetes:

The best remedy for this disease is the bitter gourd, better known as ‘karela’. Eat this vegetable as often as you can or have at least one tablespoon of karela juice daily to reduce blood sugar levels in your blood and urine.

Amla, due to its vitamin C content is effective in controlling diabetes. A tablespoon of its juice, mixed with a cup of fresh bitter-gourd juice, taken daily for two months will secrete the pancreas and enable it to secrete insulin.

Take ten tulsi leaves, ten neem leaves and ten belpatras with a glass of water early morning on an empty stomach. It will work wonders in keeping your sugar levels under control.

The leaves of Butea tree are very useful in diabetes. They reduce blood sugar and are useful in glycousia.

Take two teaspoons of powdered Fenugreek seeds with milk. Two teaspoons of the seeds can also be swallowed whole, daily.

Eat 10 fresh fully grown curry leaves every morning for three months. It prevent diabetes due to heredity factors. It also cures diabetes due to obesity.