Insulin has many functions, and while it can’t get glucose into your muscle cells efficiently when you have type 2 diabetes, it still manages to carry out its other tasks. What are they you ask, well it is still able to:

• convert carbohydrates to fat and store them in fat cells, and
• prevents stored fat from being released and used as energy for your body

In a non-diabetic, as much as forty per cent of carbohydrate eaten may be converted to fat, of course, that would depend on your calorie/kilojoule intake. If you have insulin resistance, as type 2 diabetics do, that figure would be higher. So when you take higher insulin doses, or if your pancreas is still releasing insulin and needs to release more to cover the food intake, it’s really more likely you will store extra body fat as a result!

Eating carbohydrates that require a lesser amount of insulin will make it easier for you to lose weight. So a low-GI carbohydrate diet, plus lowering your blood lipids (fats) and your blood sugar levels, will help you to stay slim or lose weight.

Facts about food that help raise your blood sugar levels quickly:

1. Boiling and cooking foods containing starch will enable them to be absorbed more quickly. Heating breaks down starch making the sugar more accessible and faster to digest.
2. Mashed potatoes are absorbed more quickly than whole potatoes, wheat-flour gives a higher blood sugar response when baked in bread, than when used in pasta
3. Salt in food increases the absorption of sugar into the blood stream
4. Drinking fluids with a meal encourages the stomach to empty more quickly
5. Fruit juices raise your blood sugars dramatically as they have had the fiber removed
6. Peeled fruits also raise your blood sugars faster than whole fruit

Just about everything we eat or drink causes our blood sugars to rise. There is one exception: water. Staying well hydrated can actually lower your blood sugar levels … part of the excess glucose will then be excreted in your urine.

The three major nutrients in food are protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Protein’s effect on blood sugars is minimal as very little, if any, is converted to glucose. Large amounts of protein though can have a sparing effect on your glucose metabolism giving a gradual rise in sugar levels.

The impact of dietary fat is usually of little significance. However, large amounts of fat causes a prolonged rise in your blood glucose levels. The reason this happens is not clear; researchers say large amounts of fat in your bloodstream contribute to temporary insulin resistance.

Carbohydrates are the nutrients that have the most effect on blood sugar levels.

The same dietary advice applies to people with and without type 2 diabetes and that is:

• eat less high-GI carbohydrates (refined)
• compensate with more low-GI carbohydrates

If you have high blood sugar the first step in getting it under control is scheduling an appointment with your doctor. Your physician will advise you of healthy ways to keep your blood glucose levels as close to a normal count as possible. If you are given a specific diet for diabetics to follow, be sure to stick to it! The key in keeping those levels down is eating the right foods that will prevent them to rise.

There are many delicious foods that even diabetics can enjoy. These include raw fruits and vegetables, baked lean meats, and even low sugar desserts or candies. The diet plan given to you by your physician will have a complete layout of which foods you can eat and which ones you need to avoid.

You may also be given a prescription of daily medication to take to help keep your diabetes under control. It is very important to take the medication as prescribed at the same time every day to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. If you can do this by taking medication and sticking to your diet, the chances of needing to begin insulin shots will greatly decrease.

Getting regular daily exercise can also help get your blood glucose count where it needs to be. This doesn’t have to be excessive, strenuous exercise. Taking daily walks or riding an exercise bike three times a week is a perfect exercise plan for anyone, especially diabetics. Getting out into the fresh air raises oxygen levels which can also assist in lowering those blood sugar levels.

Having high blood sugar doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying life. See your doctor and devise a safe plan to fight back! By eating right, taking your medication, and getting exercise you may find yourself the winner in the battle against diabetes.

The symptoms of diabetes are similar in children and adults. The symptoms in both often go unnoticed. The different types of Diabetes are Type 1, an autoimmune disease, and Type 2, caused by insulin resistance. Type 1 diabetes usually develops in children and Type 2 in adults. However, the recent rise in obesity in children is making Type 2 a more common problem. Both types of diabetes have the same symptoms even though the cause is different.

The most noticeable symptoms of Diabetes in both children and adults are increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, and fatigue. These symptoms are easily attributed to other causes, which is why people sometimes go undiagnosed. The increase in thirst and urination are caused by excess sugar in the blood stream. To counter the high blood sugar, the body pulls fluid from the tissues, resulting in thirst. Frequent urination results from the diabetic drinking more fluids to counteract the thirst. The increase in hunger is a direct result of the body not having enough insulin available. Muscles and organs do not get enough glucose if there is not enough processed because of insulin levels and then hunger occurs. Fatigue sets in when the body is deprived of the glucose it needs for energy. Other symptoms one should be aware of are blurred vision, decreased healing capability, and patches of darker colored skin.

Type 1 Diabetes will require treatment with insulin and the close supervision of a doctor. Type 2 Diabetes can often be managed, and prevented, with appropriate diet and exercise. People at risk for Diabetes or that develop any of the symptoms at any age, should seek out a medical diagnosis and treatment.

Receiving a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes can cause very different responses and reactions. There are around 10,000 people that are diagnosed with this serious condition in the United States each year, so remember you are not alone.

One of the first reactions from many people is to feel angry. They are angry to think that this disease could have entered into their lives and be a threat to the future they had all nicely planned out. The cry of “Why me?” can be frequently heard. Unfortunately as anger can be a very destructive emotion as well as a powerful force for good, you need to understand why you are so angry and then put this towards fighting diabetes, rather than using it against the disease itself. To comment that you hate the disease or want nothing to do with it, is not really going to help, although it is a natural reaction.

Another very common reaction to being told you are Type II Diabetic is pure denial. This happens particularly when the diagnosis has been made in the early stages of the disease when the symptoms may be particularly mild.

Type II diabetes will usually progress quite slowly, so if you go into denial it will not cause too much of a problem, and your medical team will often be quite happy to let you get used to the idea for a while anyway.

Denial will only really become a problem if it continues, and you try to carry on with your life in the same old way as before. Failure to accept the fact you have diabetes and therefore not to accept any treatment can and does lead to very serious complications.

From the very first day on which you are given your diagnoses of Diabetes, it is imperative to learn how to control your disease and to understand what your blood glucose levels mean to your diabetes. You will be advised when you first receive your diagnosis about the meter that you will need to use to keep a daily (or however often you have been advised) check on your sugar levels.

One of the easiest Blood Glucose Meters to use is the Accu-Chek Advantage - this will automatically turn on as soon as your testing strip has been inserted, which is much easier than some of the other available meters, which necessitate you pushing the strip in the machine in a certain way before the reading will commence. The Accu Chek Advantage is also able to store 480 readings, so you will easily be able to inform your diabetes care team of your readings, and the time and date they were taken. The Advantage Blood Glucose Meter will also enable you to download the readings onto your computer with the pc download kit which is available separately.

Something simple like making sure that you buy the appropriate blood glucose meter will make your life much easier, as this will quickly become just another part of your routine, and it really will not take very long at all to get the necessary readings so that you, and your medical team, can keep a check on your sugar levels.

Diabetes will not just disappear, and you really do need to accept this fact and begin to work with your medical team to learn how to control the disease.

Remember that you need to learn to manage the disease, and not let the disease manage you.

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So alongside 10,000 other people in the U.S, you have received a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes. Hearing this can cause people to react in many ways, and as already discussed this can be with anger, or denial. Becoming depressed is another reaction that is quite common.

To actually start living with your diabetes can be difficult some times, and this is especially so as the disease begins to progress, leaving you suffering with some of the complications of diabetes. It is quite a natural reaction for you to begin to feel as though you are fighting a losing battle.

It is also hard to keep your blood sugar levels under control at times, and sometimes you can feel as though you are fighting a losing battle. One way to help with keeping blood sugar levels under control is to ensure that you are using a top brand blood glucose meter, such as Accu-Chek Advantage, as this is simple to use, keeps a record of the last 480 readings including the date and time they were taken, and all the information can be downloaded to your computer with the help of the extra pc download kit that is available separately.

Should you feel that you are getting depressed then make sure you talk to your medical team and don’t just bottle it all up - it could be that there is an actual physical cause for how you are feeling which can be treated easily and quickly. Your team will be experienced in helping patients with these feelings, and you can find that talking things through with someone who you feel understands your problems and what you are going through can be a great help to you, and they will be able to help you come up with a plan to overcome your depression.

There is a lot to learn and to take on board once you know you have type II diabetes, and your feelings about this are bound to alter, especially in the beginning. That is why it is so important for you to be able to feel that you are able to control your disease, and not just literally lie back and let everyone else sort it out for you.

At the end of the day, it is you, and your family who are going to have to adjust to life with diabetes. You should not feel alone though, as there are many groups that are available to you, to help get through this difficult adjustment period.

Your medical team will be happy to put you in touch with people that can help and guide you through the first few confusing days, weeks and months as you come to terms with your type II diabetes. Many self help groups exist where other people that have diabetes get together and just talk - it is surprising how much better you can feel in yourself to actually meet and speak to someone who is going through the same thing as you are.

Remember diabetes will only change your life as much as you allow it to.

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I am providing information on the natural cures for diabetes and the benefits of fish oil for informational and educational purposes only. This information is not medical advice. Consult with your doctor about all your medical issues before adding or changing something in your treatment. If you have lost confidence in your doctor, seek the advice of a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND). NDs have a degree from both college and medical school and have several additional years of study in naturopathic treatments.

There are several known natural cures for diabetes. But first, I want to share a little news with you about the benefits fish oil can provide for people with unhealthy blood sugar levels. One of the “side effects” of high blood sugar is a thickening or hardening of the carotid arteries.

The results of a study linking the benefits of fish oil to the health of the arteries were published in March of 2007. In that study, half of the volunteers in the study were given 1800 mg per day of EPA omega3s from fish oil; the other half were given a placebo. The thickness of the carotid arteries was measured before and after supplementation. After two years, a total of sixty patients completed the study. Those that had been receiving the EPA showed a decrease in the thickness of the arteries and improved blood flow.

Due to numerous important studies like these, we have known for many years that one of the benefits of fish oil supplementation is that it is beneficial to heart health. It is not one of the natural cures for diabetes, but it will help you protect your organs and cardiovascular system from the damage that high blood sugar levels can have on the body.

Only within the last century has insulin become the recommended treatment for type I and II diabetes. The condition was described in written history as early as the sixth century AD, but most early practitioners felt the condition was a death sentence. The earliest recorded treatment was a mixture of lupine, a plant, fenugreek, an herb or spice commonly used in curry, and zedoary, a rare herb that has basically been replaced by ginger. Avicenna, a medieval Persian practitioner, reported only minimal success with this treatment.

Today, or course, we realize that diet and physical activity must be included in any plan to control type II-diabetes. A diet emphasizing complex carbs, fiber, whole grains, legumes and vegetables is highly recommended, as is regular physical activity. The nutritional supplements mentioned here should be considered treatments, rather than natural cures for diabetes, since you MUST continue to monitor your blood sugar levels, even after you begin to see results.

Dietary supplements can help give your diet and exercise plan a boost. When shopping for supplements, you want to look for those supplements that include ALA, bilberry, corosolic acid, green tea, chromium, biotin, gymnema sylvestre, inositol, iron, luteolin, quercetin, rutin, and selenium. Some of the better nutritional supplements contain all of these.

Discuss the benefits of fish oil with your health care professional or learn more about it on your own. There are people on the web who swear by some unusual natural cures for diabetes, but be wary of those cures. Many of them are dangerous. The best cures are those that focus on diet and exercise.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of ailments and diseases in our world, and there are different things that we have used to treat them. When it comes to successfully diagnosing and treating these things, there can be certain errors.

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For some of these treatments to work, they must have some kind of adverse effect to the body. In the case of diabetes, it is something of a difficult disease to handle. Luckily, one can find relief with the acai berry.

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The acai berry is used to treat many things, and it successfully has since people were made aware of this useful palm. In the case of diabetes, there have been many advancements as far as the acai goes to help people maintain their levels with the use of this berry.

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Acai treatments have been known to have much success in the field of diabetes, and that can be chalked up to its amazing work with the use of anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidants detoxify the body, and all the while helping the body lose weight, something that any diabetes sufferer can admit.

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In the case of the useful acai berry, it can be made into basically anything. Even if the person is not fond of the great tasting berry, it can be made into a tablet form for ingestion. Manufacturers of acai have made their treatment accessible to nearly everyone, a direct result of increasing popularity.

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Since diabetes is such a de-habilitating ailment, many people are exploring other methods to get the relief that they need. In some cases, it has even proven to reverse the effects that diabetes has had on the body. Using the acai for this relief should be heavily considered for one who really feels that they have tried all that they have and still have not gotten a result.

Sufferers of type 2 diabetes at times walk a fine line between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia simply because their bodies cannot process blood sugars as effectively and efficiently as non-diabetics. However, don’t despair about this because stable blood sugar levels can be achieved although, it must be emphasized, it will still be relatively higher when compared with non-diabetic levels.

Thus, you must consult with your health care provider to determine the target blood glucose range appropriate for you.

1: With the aid of your personal glucose meter, regular blood sugar level testing at times agreed with your health care provider, will help you determine the pattern with which your levels rise and fall. Of course your activities, foods consumed and time of day will make a difference. Don’t forget issues like stress, depression, pain, poor mobility and illness come into play as well.

When you have determined your personal pattern your diabetes management plans will be easier to customize to your needs. In other words, you can then make the necessary changes to your lifestyle to stabilize your blood sugars.

2: Various conditions, like type 2 diabetes, send you warning signals when something is not quite right. You must learn to listen to your “body talk” … your body will always show you but you must be aware of the symptoms of high or low blood sugars. For examples an unquenchable thirst, frequent urination and extreme tiredness are all signs your levels are high. If you are taking insulin and maybe missed a meal, you would have signs of a “hypo” and they could include pale sweaty skin, palpitations, confusion, slurred speech or maybe a headache.

Once you know your signs and symptoms take immediate action, i.e. monitor your blood sugar levels, inject insulin, take glucose tablets, and/or eat food. Don’t wait for your symptoms to go away as your capacity to remedy the situation may fade quickly.

3: Even when you give your type 2 diabetes your full attention, blood sugar levels can be unpredictable. So it is really important for you to know the level you should be aiming for. Most people who have diabetes should aim for:

• an HbA1c of less than 7 per cent
• a pre-meal blood glucose level of 4 to 6mmol/l (72 to 108 mg/dl) or 3.5 to 6mmol/l (63 to 108 mg/dl) if you are not taking insulin or diabetic medications
• a level of 4 to 8 mmol/l (72 to 144 mg/dl) measured two hours following your meal.

Don’t forget to share with your family and friends the steps you would like them to take if you are unable to help yourself. Post your health care provider’s telephone number in conspicuous places so they can contact him when emergency situations occur.

By keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range you can slash your risk of developing complications and live a long and healthy life even with type 2 diabetes.

If you are showing signs of diabetes. diabetic diet meal plans are now available for free on the Internet for those who are experiencing pre-diabetic or diabetic symptoms. Diabetes can become life-threatening within a matter of months if your diet is not controlled. And there is no reason why it should have to happen to you when a free diabetic diet plans are being released to the public that can help you gain control of this disease once and for all.

Fact: Diabetic diet lists are the main foundation for almost 100% of weight-loss programs.

Fact: No one should try to experiment with their nutrition plan if they are experiencing diabetic symptoms.

There is not one medication on the market that can help you your blood sugar levels more effectively than a properly planned meal plan. Medication only provides a small patch that helps to control insulin levels. The root of this disease is based on your diet, however, the medical community will not tell you this. They only want you to take medication so you become more dependent on them. This puts your health at risk.

A pre-diabetic diet or a diabetic meal plan must be professionally prepared or it will not help you control your symptoms. We have seen clients, who when following a strict eating diet plan along with a proper exercise regime lose a large amount of body fat and come off a majority of their medications.

Everyone who is experiencing symptoms of diabetes should get a free plan to help reverse this disease once and for all.

Fact: Diabetes is one hundred percent preventable and reversible if it is type II, but only with your diet. Medication will only draw out this disease.

Yes, it can and here is how.

The most frequent cognitive deficits noted in persons with diabetes are:

Slowing of information processing speed

Slowing of motor speed

Decreases in vocabulary and intelligence

Lessening of attention span

Decreases in motor strength

Loss of memory

The single most important factor that affects cognitive deficits in diabetes is glycemic or blood sugar control. Both too low (hypoglycemia) and too high (hyperglycemia) blood glucose can affect cognitive function. When you keep your blood glucose as close as possible to normal, all of the above items improve.

Complications such as neuropathy (loss of feeling), retinopathy (loss of eye sight), and nephropathy (loss of kidney funtction) may take years to occur with diabetes. Cognitive deficits can occur much earlier (especially when your hemoglobin A1Cis higher than8.4%).

In elderly diabetic persons this is especially true, with more than 10% showing at least some cognitive deficit due at least in part to poor blood glucose control.

Okay, so what can you do to keep your brain sharp? In other words, how do you keep all your marbles?

You can keep your blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. In keeping a tight control over your blood glucose you will sharpen your brain and prevent any further deterioration.

There are three main ways of doing this.

The first is to control your diet by counting your carbohydrates. Your health care professional can tell you how many carbohydrates that you should eat.

The second method is to exercise. Exercise has been proven over and over again to lower blood glucose (and it makes you feel better). Exercise can lower your blood glucose for hours to days after you are done. Make sure to check your blood glucose both before and after you exercise to make it remains within a normal level. Your health care provider can tell you what normal levels are for you. Never start an exercise routine without checking with your health care provider.

The third method is medications. Not all diabetics take medications but if you do, make sure you take them properly. If you receive a new prescription for a medication make sure you ask questions of both your physician and your pharmacist until you know:

What the name of the medication is

What the medication is for and why you are taking it

When to take the medicine.

If you still do not understand your new medication, continue to ask questions. Do NOT give up until you understand. (As a nurse I have seen numerous patients admitted to the hospital because they took their medications incorrectly. On one occasion, I know one patient died because of his lack of understanding of his new prescription). Do not be afraid to be a pest. Ask and ask again until you understand your medications (and this is true of your current medications as well. You do not have to wait for a new prescription to gain understanding of your medications.)