How to Balance Blood Sugar Naturally

A healthy diet is one of the most important steps to controlling blood sugar.

According to Maureen Salaman in her book, "All Your Health Questions Answered Naturally," 90 percent of diabetics are type 2, and 90 percent of them are obese. According to the American Diabetes Association, 7 percent of Americans are diabetic and twice that many are pre-diabetic. Diabetes occurs when we fail to balance blood sugar or glucose levels and the body becomes insulin-sensitive or insulin-resistant. There are a number of ways to naturally balance glucose levels. Most of these techniques require lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and weight control. Salaman reports that lifestyle changes can benefit type 1 and prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes.

Instructions

1. Balancing Blood Sugar Naturally

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     Eat a healthy diet. Surgeon-Captain T. L. Cleave's "The Saccharine Disease" reveals that the addition of refined sugar leads to diabetes and atherosclerosis. Cultures that avoid a high-sugar, high-fat diet, have much lower rates of diabetes than cultures that eat the typical Western diet.

     Limiting processed sugar and simple carbohydrates can help balance blood sugar. A sensible diet for balancing blood sugar is 1/4 protein, 1/4 complex carbohydrates and 1/2 non-starch vegetables. Fats that contain essential fatty acids are healthier than transfats, but should still be consumed in small amounts.
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     Avoid most American white foods: white sugar, white flour, white bread and white rice. Instead, reach for leafy greens, squash, tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini and other colorful, non-starch vegetables. The brighter and more colorful the food, the higher the vitamin and mineral content and the better it is for you.
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     Exercise on a regular basis. Exercise can lower blood glucose. MayoClinic.com recommends that you check your glucose levels before, during and after exercise; tracking blood sugar levels can help prevent blood sugar fluctuations as you learn how your body responds to exercise.
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     Consume gymnema sylvestre. The name of this Indian herb means "sugar destroyer." Consuming this herb in its raw form or as a supplement helps reduce sugar cravings and the absorption of sugar. In a recent article Intelegen Inc. demonstrated that gymnema reduces blood glucose as it raises insulin levels. Studies have shown that gymnema stimulates the growth of beta cells in the pancreas, literally rebuilding the pancreas from the inside out.
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     Supplement with chromium picolinate. This supplement aids in digestion and increases the efficiency of insulin by moving blood glucose into the cells where it can burned. According to Healthier Talk, most Americans are deficient in chromium.
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     Season your food with cinnamon. According to an article on Healthier Talk, investigators at the Maryland-based Human Nutrition Research Center discovered that consuming cinnamon improves blood sugar levels by increasing glucose metabolism.