Originally published May 8 2013
How to regulate your blood sugar without prescription drugs
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Nearly one-third of all Americans today are either diabetic or pre-diabetic, which basically means their bodies have lost the ability to properly process sugar. As a result, excess sugar molecules, typically from junk foods, accumulate in the blood and vital organs leading to chronic illness and eventually premature death. But if you are one of the millions of people that struggles with blood sugar issues, or even full-blown diabetes, you do not have to go the pharmaceutical drug route to find relief or a cure.
Like most other types of chronic illness, diabetes and pre-diabetes are more often than not the direct result of poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, and nutrient deficiency. Almost all chronic disease, in fact, is the long-term consequence of one or more of these dietary and lifestyle failures, which means correcting them also has the potential to fully cure disease, in many cases. Here are some helpful tips for overcoming your blood sugar woes, which in turn may help eradicate disease and restore your health:
1) Cut out the sugar, grains, and omega-6 fatty acids. The standard American diet, commonly referred to as "SAD," is jam-packed with simple carbohydrates like refined sugar, processed flour, and vegetables oil, all of which spike insulin levels and cause inflammation. Carbohydrates in general are toxic to the body, particularly when not enough energy is being expended, as whatever carbohydrates are not used are eventually broken down and turned into sugar.
"Any form of carbohydrate is eventually broken down by the body into glucose, a simple form of sugar," explains the Wellness Mama blog. "While the body can use glucose for fuel, levels that exceed what is needed are toxic to the body ... when the body senses glucose in the bloodstream, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin to signal the body to store the glucose as glycogen."
Once the body's glycogen receptors become "full," however, glucose continues to cycle through the body's bloodstream, triggering the production of even more insulin. Not only does all this excess insulin damage the glycogen receptors, but it also ends up overburdening the pancreas, which of course produces insulin, and storing the excess glucose as fat inside the body. Carbohydrates, in other words, are primarily responsible for making people fat, and not actually fat itself.
So rather than continue gorging on corn chips, cookies, snack crackers, breads, and other heavy-carbohydrate foods, switch to low-carbohydrate, nutrient-dense foods like grass-fed meat and butter, pastured eggs, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and raw, full-fat dairy products. As long as you are not allergic to any of these foods, you should be able to get your blood sugar and insulin levels under control, and avoid creating a toxic environment within your body where disease is able to thrive.
2) Reduce stress levels and recharge your adrenal glands. For many people, excess stress leads to the production of too many stress hormones, which can severely damage the endocrine system. And when the endocrine system is out of whack, and hormones are not being produced and regulated as they should, the body loses its ability to properly metabolize nutrients, including sugar. The end result, of course, is a propensity for high blood sugar and eventually diabetes.
"When stress occurs, whatever the source, the hypothalamus signals the adrenals to release cortisol (and adrenaline)," adds Wellness Mama. "Excess cortisol can contribute to hormone imbalance in the body since the body uses hormones like progesterone to manufacture cortisol. Excess cortisol ... can also interfere with the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, reduce fat burning ability, raise insulin, suppress thyroid function and cause gain in belly fat."
To avoid over-stressing your body, be sure to get plenty of rest every night, preferably going to bed before 10:30pm in order to allow your adrenal glands a chance to "recharge." You can also de-stress nutritionally by mixing one inch of fresh, minced ginger together with a one-half teaspoon of ground black seeds, also known as black cumin (Nigella sativa), and eating it. This natural remedy is just one example of a practical way you can promote relaxation.
3) Exercise regularly, repair your gut, and eat plenty of "good" fats. One of the most effective ways to remedy insulin resistance is simply to engage in more physical activity. Exercise, it turns out, has been shown in numerous studies to have a powerful blood sugar-correcting effect, especially smaller amounts of high-intensity exercise. Pushing your muscles on a regular basis will also help increase their ability to utilize insulin, which can effectively correct insulin problems over time.
To go along with this, make sure to avoid foods that may be damaging your intestinal lining and causing "cortisol belly." Such foods include wheat- and gluten-based products, grains in general, excess sugar, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), and lack of beneficial bacteria. Correcting gut problems may require supplementation with probiotic bacteria, zinc L-carnosine, and the amino acid L-glutamine, as well as consumption of healthy saturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
Sources for this article include:
http://wellnessmama.com
http://www.squidoo.com/balancebloodsugar
http://voices.yahoo.com
http://www.aloeplant.info/diabetes-and-aloe/
http://spirithappy.org/
http://www.naturalnews.com/030150_diabetes_Americans.html
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