Scientifically Tested Herbs To Control And Regulate Diabetes

1. Fenugreek(Methi): the seeds have high soluble fibre content which help to slow down digestion and it absorbs carbohydrates, thus the blood sugar gets lower. Fenugreek seeds help to improve metabolism associated with both Type 1 and 2 diabetes by lowering the glucose level in blood. A property named trigonelline, found in fenugreek seeds help to reduce blood sugar. Soak Fenugreek overnight and drink the water. You can chew the seeds to get better results.

2. Bael leaves: They are significantly effective when it comes to lower blood sugar level. Ground the Bael leaves and take the powder with water every day for a week to see the result.

3. Mango leaves: Leaves (shaded but not plucked) when finely ground, take 2 gram of the powder every morning for two weeks which helps to control diabetes.

4. Cinnamon: If you are not suffering from liver diseases then cinnamon can be very effective to control diabetes. Too much of cinnamon can trouble the already affected liver.

5. Bittermelon (Karela): The fruit helps to reduce the blood sugar level significantly. Bitter melon contains a lectin that helps to reduce glucose and suppressing your appetite, the same what insulin does to the brain. Bitter melon is rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, C and Iron.

6. Aloe Vera: Consumption of Aloe Vera juice can improve blood sugar levels. Therefore, it is useful treating diabetes. It helps to decrease the blood lipids in patients who are suffering from an abnormally high level of molecules or acute hepatitis.

7. Cucumber and radish leaves: These leaves are low in carbohydrate which helps to lower the sugar level in your blood.

8. Onion: The hypoglycemic substance in onion helps to control diabetes.

9. Jambu fruit: The seed in the fruit contains jamboline, which controls the conversion of starch to sugar. It reduces the unquenchable thirst and controls the sugar in urine.

10.Amla: Amla stimulates pancreas which secrete natural insuline.

11. Ginger: Rich in gingerols, it can increase uptake of glucose into muscle cells without the use of insulin. Thus, it helps to control high blood sugar levels.

12. Turmeric: Turmeric is proved to be very beneficial when consumed with a equal amount of amla powder.

13. Beans: Beans are high in carbohydrate and fiber. It stimulates the production of insulin. It's useful to consume beans in a regular manner to control diabetes.

14. Curry leaves: This is an excellent and homely way to control diabetes if you can consume at least 10 full grown leaves in a daily basis for 3 months.

15. Isabgole: Isabgole inhibits the excessive absorption of sugar from intestines.

16. Gymnema or Gurmar: Gurmar leaves are believed to be capable of destroying sugar. Symnemic acids, found in Gymnema reduce the amount of sugar absorbed by intestine during digestion. If you chew on a few leaves of Gymnema, it can reduce your sense of sweetness and this may lead to suppressing appetite.

17. Guduchi or Amrit: Guduchi is a drug that helps the body to cope with stress and illness. The stem extracts help yo breakdown the glucose present in your blood. It helps to delay the process of digestion of carbohydrates. Glucose is absorbed much slowly, which helps to prevent hyperglycemia in diabetes.

18. Pterocarpus or Vijaysar: Pterocarpus extracts may help the intestines to absorb less glucose, which helps to control Type 2 diabetes.

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Diabetes – Symptoms That You Cannot Afford To Ignore

Diabetes Mellitus is commonly known as Diabetes and has become quite common these days. Diabetes is actually a chronic disease in which high levels of sugar can be found in blood and urine. It should be noted that it is a condition where the body fails to utilize the consumed glucose properly. One of the major reasons for this can be lack of hormone insulin.  Another reason can be that the insulin available in the body is not working effectively. Diabetes can be of three major types - Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes. Once you notice the symptoms of diabetes, you should consult the doctor and take diabetes medicines.

In order to avoid getting dependent on diabetes medicines, here are certain symptoms that you should keep in mind. Let's take a look at them:

Unusual weight loss: In case of people suffering from Type 1 Diabetes, unusual weight loss can be a major symptom. As your body is not producing the right amount of insulin, the body will seek to take help from other energy sources like muscle tissue and fat. They will be broken down for energy. As Type 1 is of a more sudden start and Type 2 is much more gradual, you will be able to notice weight loss with Type 1 diabetes.

Blurred Vision: You should remember that vision problems are commonly associated with Diabetes. High levels of glucose will damage blood vessels and pull away liquid from the eye lenses. This affects the ability of a person to see. If this symptom is ignored for a long time, then it can lead to blindness. This eye condition associated with diabetes is known as diabetic retinopathy.

Thirst and urination issues: Diabetics commonly face the problem of frequent urination and excessive thirst. The kidneys secrete high amount of fluids for which the body becomes dehydrated. As a result the body starts craving for essential amount of fluid in order to function properly. If insulin is non-existent, then kidneys will not be able to filter the glucose back to the blood. In this case, the kidneys try to draw extra water from the blood to dilute the glucose.

Tingling sensation in hands and feet: It should be noted that extremely high blood sugar levels tend to damage the nerves and blood vessels. As a result, there is a loss of sensation in the hands and feet. You will also feel a burning sensation in your hands and feet, arms, hands, legs, etc. due to a loss of motor nerve fibre. In medical terms, this is known as Neuropathy. This situation can improve when tighter blood glucose control is achieved.

Excessive time taken to heal bruises and cuts: If you are a diabetic, then you will find that your cuts and bruises will take excessive time in healing. When the amount of glucose in your body gets increased, its ability to heal cuts and wound get diminished. Thus, they take longer time than usual to heal or in some cases they don’t heal properly.

Now that you know about the diabetes symptoms, you will be at a safer side. It will help you decide whether or not you should consult a doctor. Once your diabetes is confirmed, take diabetes medicines and stay healthy!

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Effect Of Diabetes In India

Most of today's population suffer from blood sugar or diabetes. Diabetes has now become a common household name. But what is the solution to curb this 'silent killer' disease. The need for a solution is dire. This is the time, we need organisations that can provide innovative solutions. Quick-fixes might not be possible, but bit by bit solutions will be created, refined and implemented. Change will come, but it will come slowly. And the model for this change would have to be a very Indian model, replicable maybe across the world, but very ‘India-specific’ in terms of implementation and design. One may counter this argument by saying that there’s nothing ‘Indian’ about managing a disease – and people may want to know what we mean by an ‘Indian’ solution – is it better or worse? When we say 'Indian Solution' it means the solution would be reachable to the majority of population – the masses. Solutions may be crude, they may have 60-70 percent reliability, but they will need to benefit the nation overall. Any business which wants to create solution for managing diabetes will do extremely well, if they can manage to serve the scale. Ultra-low cost solutions on a humungous scale will dominate – however, how does anyone start? The problem is classic – if you have scale, you can lower the cost; but till you get scale, you may be compelled to keep prices high – and as a result it will be tough to scale.

The Scale of the problem

• Diabetes is amongst the largest and fastest growing diseases in India (40-50 M people; $30 Bn cost burden)

• 70 percent of the cost is because of complications due to lack of proper management of the disease

Why should diabetes be a key concern?

• Diabetes restricts the lifespan both in urban and rural population. There is considerable loss in potentially productive years (35 - 64) of life. Hence there is need for devising appropriate strategies for their proper control and management.

• The cost structure of diabetes to society is enormous and run into thousands of crores of rupees, if we take into account the direct costs to people with illness, their families, indirect costs to society, due to reduced productivity; and intangible costs, such as compromised quality of life. In other words, the overall increase in GDP and life expectancy through reduction in mortality due to diabetes can be quite substantial.

• It is estimated that overall prevalence of diabetes is 62.47 per 1,000 people in India.

• Some of the major reasons for high morbidity and mortality on account of this disease are low awareness of risk factors, the near absence of technical competence at different levels of health facilities and high treatment costs.

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Managing Diabetes At Work And Driving

No matter what happens, we all have to earn our daily bread. Even if you are diagnosed with some or the other disease, you need to keep on working. So, it's better to know the techniques of managing the disease when you are working. Many people continue to work after being diagnosed with diabetes. Support from employers in being flexible about working hours and the access to work scheme in providing equipment helped several people to continue working.

Sometimes the type of work people did make it hard for them to keep working, especially if their job is physically demanding. People who are affected by neuropathy (nerve damage) in their feet found it difficult to continue doing jobs which required walking long distances or standing for long periods of time. One man, who was a paramedic, said he took early retirement when he started taking insulin because he didn't want to be driving at high speed. A hairdresser found it hard to find time to eat properly and after developing neuropathy could no longer stand on her feet all day. Eating at the right time takes extra care and planning when working in a physically demanding job. However, desk-based jobs can also cause problems for people with diabetes. Some people whose eyes were affected said that they found reading difficult, particularly reading from a computer screen. One man said he had become more sensitive to fluorescent lights at work and he felt it created tensions amongst his colleagues that he needed to have the lights turned off. Some people felt there were times when they were less productive at work, either because of a rise in blood glucose levels or general fatigue.

A few people were concerned that they might have difficulty getting another job if they needed to. Although many people with diabetes would not consider themselves disabled, diabetes is listed in the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) which protects people with disabilities from being treated differently to other employees.

Driving and diabetes type 2

You may need to tell DVLA(Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency) about your diabetes, depending on how it's treated and the licence you have. If you drive a car or motorbike and your diabetes is treated by diet or tablets, you don't have to do anything. If you have a bus, coach or lorry licence you must fill in form 'DIAB1V' and send it to DVLA. If your diabetes is treated with insulin, all drivers by law must inform the DVLA.

Here are some tips that you can follow to manage your diabetes while you are at work.

Monitor your blood sugar at work. Try monitoring your blood sugar levels while you are working. You can test your blood sugar in private and in this way you can keep a track of your blood sugar level.

Make time for breakfast. When you work hard, it can be tempting to just have a cup of tea or coffee, and then get busy and not eat lunch. Instead eat a good breakfast and you won't be tempted to eat too much later. It's much healthier to have heavy meals earlier in the day and then eat light later on.

Get moving. Assuming you spend most of the day sitting at desk, make it a point to get up and move around every hour or so. This will help not only to burn calories, but your body will be more sensitive to insulin. Wearing a pedometer will help you keep track of how many steps you take and may even inspire you to take more steps!

Bring your lunch rather than buy it. In this way you will have more control over what you eat. You can prepare a large salad with protein but no white starches, along with some fruits.

Keep snacks that can treat an episode of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) at your desk. It's good to have healthy snacks on hand that won't spoil, such as protein bars, for when you get hungry.

If you take insulin, consider having two sets of supplies – one at home and one in the office. This way, you won't be rushing around having to pack everything at the last second in the morning, or worse, forget to bring anything.

Carrying a diabetes kit with you at all times  (especially at work) is essential to your health. So, remember to carry one with you always.

Alert a trusted colleague. Let someone in your office know that you have diabetes and explain to him or her how to manage it.

Diabetes is a kind of disease that can affect anyone and everyone. The main point is how efficiently you tackle it. For those who are working, try to follow these simple tips and you don't need to worry about handling the disease anymore. In this way you can stay as much fit as any other normal person.

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What To Do When You Are Out Of Your Diabetic Medication?

If you are suffering from Type 2 diabetes, then your diabetic medication is the most important thing. You should always keep it handy whether you are at home or when you are traveling. However, you might be in a situation, when you run out of your medicine stock or you might have lost your medication completely. Things can get quite tough at that point of time. You should always update yourself about the various alternative way outs that can help you support yourself when you run out of diabetes medication.
 

Save yourself when you run out of diabetic medication

Here are some of the alternative way outs which can help you to a great extent when you run out of diabetic medication. Let's take a look at them:

Continue your diet and exercise: If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, then the doctor must have suggested you with a specific diet and exercise. You should ensure that you eat small meals after regular intervals. Try to avoid simple sugars in your meals. Apart from this, you should stay hydrated with water. Avoid juices or other aerated drinks as they might contain sugar. You should also indulge in a little bit of exercise.

Alpha-lipoic acid: This is an important supplement which can help you keep your blood sugar levels under control. This is an excellent option for people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. This acid can be easily found in spinach, broccoli, liver as well as potatoes. You will also be able to find medicinal supplements for these. It should be noted that the recommended dose for these medicinal supplement is 200–300 mg per day.

Coccinia indica: Commonly known as ivy gourd, this is one of the effective remedies to control blood sugar levels to a great extent. If you cannot consume it as a vegetable, then you should try to take extracts of it in the form of supplement. It is better to take 1 gram of the extract per day, or 2 ounces of the gourd.

American ginseng: Consuming around 3 grams of this ginseng within two hours of a meal has been shown to lower blood sugar levels to a great extent. You can consume ginseng tea in order to get 3 grams of this ginseng. Regular consumption of this supplement will have good effect on your health and will help you control blood sugar levels easily.

Apart from the above mentioned options, you should also note that there are various studies which has shown that mineral chromium and garlic will also help to lower blood sugar levels to a great level. You will have to give it a try in order to know whether they will have a positive effect on your health. However, you should always be careful about your health and ensure that you carry all your medicines with yourself when you are traveling or have a stock of them when you are at home. With the option of e-commerce becoming popular, you will now be able to order the medicines sitting at home. You will simply have to upload your prescription, choose the right medicine and order the medicines when at home. The medicines will be delivered at your home within 72 hours.

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Home Remedies For Diabetes

Of recent, the disease diabetes, has become a threat to the entire population. It is now a common name in most of the households. Our eating habits and torpid lifestyle, to some extent, is responsible for its popularity. Nowadays, we even hear of gestational diabetes. Can you imagine, India is leading in Type 2 diabetes, than any other nation! As taking medicines on a regular basis is unwanted, similarly,  insulin and dialysis are still worse experience. Striking out the conception, that, eating too much sweets is the only cause for this disease, diabetes can also be caused due to stress and genes. Prevention is always better than cure. Instead of popping pills everyday, if we can follow certain food habits, then this disease can come under control. Here are some home remedies that you can do to prevent or reduce it.

If you are having a sweet tooth, try to be compatible with the taste of bitter also. Have bittergourd juice in empty stomach. You can also make stuffed karela (bittergourd) or fry them like chips, if you enjoy eating bittergourd. Not only, it will bring a change in your menu and give a reprieve to your taste buds, but is also beneficial for your health.

Soak a few seeds (1/4 tspns) of methi in water overnight. The first thing you do in the morning, after brushing your teeth, is, gulp down the methi along with the water. This is also an effective method of restricting your blood sugar.

The fruit, Jambul, is also  said to have its effect on controlling diabetes, as, it is good for your pancreas. The seeds of the fruit are dried, powdered and can be had with water twice a day.

The fruit, that is available most of the time of the year, is, guava. Its Vitamin C and high fibre content make it one fruit that diabetics can fearlessly have. But, a recent study reveals that guava with its skin can rise the blood sugar levels. So, make sure you peel off the skin before you consume it.

Gooseberry/amla juice are also helpful in cutting the blood sugar levels.

Honey can be a good substitute for sugar. Instead of sugar, try using honey in your tea and coffee.

Research suggests that black coffee without sugar cuts down the level of Type 2 diabetes.

Green tea helps to reduce the blood sugar and insulin levels in the body.

Try and stop the intake of red meat completely. Go for a vegetarian diet. Decrease the consumption of eggs and poultry. Eat lean fish two or three times a week.

Try to switch to low fat milk and its products like yoghurt. Replace high fat cheese with low fat cottage cheese.

Garlic can also reduce the blood sugar levels. Take three or four flakes of freshly crushed garlic daily. Garlic is rich in potassium and replaces the potassium that gets lost in urine. Zinc and sulphur, which are components of insulin, are also contained in garlic.

Onion's diuretic and digestive properties work against diabetes. Raw onion is more effective.

Flaxseed is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids. It maintains the sensitivity of the cell membrane, expedites insulin, and thereby the uptake of glucose by the cells, which results to restrict diabetes.

Diabetes can also be controlled by the soluble fibre found in apples, kidney beans, oatmeal, soyabeans, etc. . Excess bile acids found in the intestinal tract – the same acids that are converted to blood cholesterol, are soaked up. They help empty the stomach and trigger the satiety that aids Type 2 diabetics achieve weight loss goals. 

Boil cinnamon sticks in water and drink this water. Water extracts of cinnamon promote glucose metabolism and reduce cholesterol.

Apart from all these, make regular walks and exercise part of your routine.

These are some of the home remedies that you can follow, to control diabetes. If you are a diabetic, there's nothing to fear. Diabetes is curable. Be positive and try these tips. You can certainly win over this dreadful disease.

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Benefits Of Exercises For Diabetics

Physical exercises are highly recommended for people suffering from diabetes. Apart from monitoring your diet and undertaking prescribed medicines, as a diabetic, you are supposed to involve in some exercises. These assist you to reduce blood sugar level in your body.  Indulging in day to day activities like walking climbing stairs and sweeping the floor makes you fit and agile. It is advised to track your fitness routine. You can write down your fitness goals on your calendar or a diary. Initially, a diabetic can start off with small achievable goals. It helps to build up your confidence. Then you can look forward to your secondary goals. Let us go through in brief some of the physical exercises for diabetics.

 
Swimming is considered to be a highly beneficial exercise for diabetics. Apart from controlling your blood sugar level, it also burns your calories. It strengthens all the important muscles of your body. However this statement is true for all kinds of physical exercises. The usual fluctuations in the blood sugar level of a diabetic will decrease if swimming is done regularly. Use of insulin will be minimised and the diabetic will also become free of other diabetes medicines. A major diabetic populace of the world are obese. These individuals find other forms of exercises to be difficult. Swimming for them, is easy and time saving as well. Swimming is also absolutely painless and is advised for weight loss.  

Bicycling is also an ideal exercise for a better functioning of your heart and lungs. You can ride a stationary cycle which is preferred because a lot of aerobics can be done without moving out of your place. It enhances blood flow to your leg muscles. Cycling also helps in losing your weight and balancing it at a healthy level.

Brisk Walking 

Diabetics are advised by doctors and other medical professionals to walk for at least 30 minutes twice a day. It enhances physical activity, thereby improving the blood functioning of the body. You can take brisk walks during occasional breaks at workplace. You may also climb up the stairs and walk up to the marketplace or get involved in any other physical activity. People suffering from diabetes must always be active and avoid small cuts and bruises since it is difficult to heal.

Weight Training Exercises 

Moderate strengthening exercises at the gym are advised if you are diabetic. You must consult your doctor before you start a training programme. Usually, a training schedule twice a week is advised for diabetics. A fitness expert at the gym might help you with your movements during the training routine. Stringent training routine should be avoided since you may feel tired after a certain period of time. Hence be flexible while going for a weight training regime. Exercising with dumbbells also helps you to stay agile. Stand straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. As you start lifting the weights, squeeze your biceps. Other exercises as suggested by fitness consultants may be practiced after studying the state of complications of the diabetic in detail.

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Type 2 Diabetes - 5 Steps To Reverse It And Manage Insulin Resistance

Recent research and studies have found that there are certain compounds which can help you turn off all the genes that cause diabetes. The best part is that for this you will not have to take any diabetes medicine. Rather, these compounds can be found in food items like rye bread and pasta. Rye contains special phytonutrients which can help you in turning off all the genes which can be responsible for diabetes. There are various other ways which can also help you to either prevent or reverse diabetes. If you wish to reverse Type 2 Diabetes and manage insulin resistance, then you should balance your eating habits, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress as well as improve liver detoxification.

Steps to reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Here are some of the way outs which can help you in reversing type 2 diabetes:

Timing of the meal: At breakfast, make sure that you eat some kind of protein. This may include a soy protein shake, omega-3 eggs or nut butters. Also, you should eat something every 4 hours so that you can keep your insulin and glucose levels under control. You should also eat some kind of protein snacks during morning and afternoon (such as almonds). You should eat your dinner at least 2-3 hours prior to sleep. This will help you digest the food better.

Eat while you travel: Always keep two handfuls of almonds in your bag as an emergency snack. While you are traveling, you can eat them to keep yourself full rather than keeping yourself hungry for a long period of time. Also keep a whole fruit handy with you. Rather than eating oily and spicy fast food, fruits and nuts can be a better food option for you!

Composition of meal: As you wish to reverse Type 2 Diabetes, it is very essential to control the glycemic load of your meals. In order to do so, you will have to combine fats, proteins as well as whole food carbohydrates, nuts, fruits, seeds, legumes, etc. at every meal. Also, you should avoid eating quickly absorbed carbohydrates alone. They might raise your sugar as well as insulin levels.

Choose the right kind of food to eat: You will have to choose the right kind of food from a range of real or whole food. Ensure that your meal includes high quality protein including fishes like sable, salmon, herring, sardines, etc. Apart from this, you should also eat up to 8 omega-3 eggs a week.

Reduce excess weight and increase physical activity: If you wish to control Type 2 diabetes or prevent it, then you should increase your physical activity and reduce the excess weight gained, if any. You can indulge in regular exercise for at least 30 minutes. Apart from this, you should indulge in walking from time to time.

Apart from the above mentioned lifestyle changes, various diabetes medicines are also available in the market which will help you in reducing Type 2 diabetes. However, before you intake any diabetes medicine, consult your doctor and take his/her opinion in this regard.

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Diabetes – Facts, Causes and Prevention

Diabetes is a condition which prevents the body from processing sugars properly. It either forbids the body from producing enough insulin, or triggers an inability to use its own insulin efficiently. This can lead to various other health challenges.

Types:

The most common types include type 1 and type 2 diabetes, none of which can be considered mild. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is the condition that occurs during pregnancy. Other than these, there are other specific types as well.

The treatment of diabetes has seen a lot of improvement in the recent times, especially with the invent of self glucose monitoring devices. Good glucose contro

l helps in reducing diabetic complications by about 60%.

Causes & Facts:

•    Family history or genetics plays a major role in determining the chances of developing diabetes. Statistics have proven that the odds of developing diabetes in an individual increases if a parent or sibling is already suffering from the ailment.

•    The risk of diabetes type 2 increases with growing age, especially after 45. Nevertheless, it is also prevalent among adolescents, younger adults and children. Lack of proper exercise, reduced muscle mass and weight gain with age are considered common causes for this.

•    Obesity, primarily fat around the abdomen causes insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes.

•    Malnutrition, especially low intake of protein and fibre cause type 2 diabetes.

•    Gestational diabetes tends to develop into type 2 diabetes at later stages. 

Prevention Tips:

•    Increasing physical activity & losing weight – aerobics, resistance training etc.

•    Maximum intake of fibrous food – fruits, whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts etc.

•    Say no to fad diets – stick to healthier choices

•    See your doctor and share your concerns – especially if you are overweight or have a family history of diabetes.

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