Diabetes

People with diabetes may carry mental burden with them. Just because you have diabetes does not mean that you have to restrict your life. If we tell you that diabetes can be treated with natural diet will you believe it? Well, it is possible. If your lifestyle becomes healthy, you reduce the fat content in your body and manage the stress in your life then it is possible. Read all about diabetes and how to treat it naturally.

Diabetes is a long-standing disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer capable of making insulin or when the body is unable to use the insulin it produces.

When we digest our food, the carbohydrate (sugars and starches) in the food is broken down into a type of sugar called glucose. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose pass from the blood stream into the cells to produce energy. Without insulin glucose stays in the bloodstream resulting in high blood sugar levels. This is known as hyperglycaemia.

Over the period of time high glucose levels are associated with failure of various organs and tissues of the body.

Type 1 diabetes- Occurs most frequently among children and adolescents. It is also called juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. If you are having type 1 diabetes then your body will produce very little or no insulin at all. You will need daily insulin injections to keep blood glucose levels under control.

Type 2 diabetes– More common among adults. It is also called lifestyle disease. It can occur if you are obese or under immense stress. It accounts for around 90% of all diabetes cases. If you are having type 2 diabetes then your body will not make good use of the insulin that it produces. People with type 2 diabetes will require oral drugs and/or insulin to maintain their blood glucose levels.

Gestational diabetes- Consists of high blood glucose during pregnancy. It involves complications to both mother and child. It generally goes away as soon as the pregnancy ends but the woman and her child are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

People having diabetes are at a higher risk of developing a number of serious health problems. One can easily treat diabetes with proper diet. You can also use kitchen ingredients for the same.

• A particular threat in terms of risk of developing type 2 diabetes is the consumption of high sugar foods, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages. Therefore, avoid soda or other sugary beverages.

• Make sure that you take jamun vinegar before breakfast and lunch. Mix 1tbsp of jamun vinegar in half glass of water and have it fifteen minutes before your meal.

• Eat at least three servings of vegetable every day. Try to include green leafy vegetables as much as possible. Avoid all starchy foods which get converted to carbohydrates very quickly like potato, colocasia root (arbi), sweet potato and yam (jimikand).
• Eat up to three servings of fresh fruits every day. You can eat watermelon, cantaloupe, pomegranate, kiwi and strawberries but stay away from fruits like mango, banana and dates. It is a myth that watermelon, pomegranate and pineapple are not good for diabetic patients as they are very sweet in taste. Sweetness is not the problem but those foods which break down into glucose very quickly and get converted into energy are the main problem. So avoid those food rather than these fruits.

• Try to have small meals and have these meals frequently. If you don’t eat every two three hours then your sugar level can increase or decrease. But the question remains what to eat?? Take a fruit or methi infused water early in the morning. You can also take 1 tbsp Gond Katira (Tragacanth Gum Herb) as it is good for the summers. Then have your breakfast. The lower GI (glycemic index) food you take, the better it is for you. Jau, oat bran and oats are good for diabetes patients.

• Fenugreek (methi) seeds contain low glycemic index. They are very useful in treating diabetes. Soak 2 tbsp of methi seeds in six glasses of water. Let it sit overnight. You can boil them and include in your diet.

• If you consume alcohol then either stop it or limit its intake to a maximum of two drinks per day.

• Choose unsaturated fats (olive oil, sunflower oil or canola oil) instead of saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, ghee or palm oil) for cooking purpose.

Follow these easy tips regularly and treat your diabetes at home.