Natural approaches to diabetes and insulin resistance
Most people have heard of insulin, but few know what it means to be insulin resistant.
There are many common questions: What is the cause? Is insulin resistance the same as diabetes? What does it mean if you have high blood sugar or high insulin? Can you reverse insulin resistance? What about diabetes?
If you think you don’t need to know about insulin resistance, think again. It’s estimated that almost half of the adult population is either pre-diabetic or has diabetes. Often years can go by before a diagnosis is actually given, and by that stage, you may have full-blown diabetes and need to be medicated.
So how do you know if you might suffer from blood sugar dysregulation? Here are some of the symptoms to look out for:
- Craving sugar
- Hunger
- Nausea
- Shaky
- Sweating
- Anxiety and nervousness
- Irritability and impatience
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Hyperactive
- Light-headed or dizzy
- Or HANGRY – hungry and angry!
Poor blood sugar control is a serious health issue, and can lead to a number of conditions, including:
- Weight gain
- Pre-diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Hypo/hyperglycemia
- Carbohydrate sensitivity
- Fatty liver
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Cardiovascular disease
So what do you do about it? The good news is it is possible to manage, improve and even sometimes reverse diabetes and blood sugar problems naturally.
Here are our top tips for managing diabetes and blood sugar naturally:
1. Improve your diet – Avoid highly-refined or processed carbohydrates, sugary drinks, artificial ingredients and packaged foods. Choose foods that are closer to nature, such as fresh vegetables, nuts and seeds, good quality fats and protein from organic meat, fish, eggs, avocadoes and olive oil. Keep carbohydrates to a minimum, particularly grains. Remember, when digested they are broken down to glucose.
2. Lose weight – Losing weight could both prevent you from developing diabetes, or help you to better manage your condition if you have already been diagnosed with diabetes.
3. Drink water – when you become dehydrated, your liver will secrete a hormone that increases your blood sugar. As you hydrate, blood sugar levels will naturally lower. Sometimes you can feel hungry when it is actually water your body is craving.
4. Exercise – 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily is a simple way to lower inflammation and manage stress. Insulin sensitivity is also increased so your cells are better able to use any available insulin to take up glucose during and after activity.
5. Manage stress – excess stress raises cortisol which will raise blood sugar levels and can increase cravings for comfort foods like sugar, chocolate, caffeine or alcohol. It can become a vicious cycle. Meditation, breathing exercises, time outdoors and connecting more with family and friends.
6. Sleep – not getting enough sleep can raise stress and appetite hormones and impair insulin secretion. Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep per night. Dim the lights at night, avoid using your phone or computer and limit television.
If you would like some advice on treating diabetes or blood sugar problems, book a free 15min phone chat with a qualified Naturopath. Click here to book now.
Did you know it’s possible to manage, improve and even reverse diabetes and blood sugar problems naturally?
Click here to download our free guide on how natural health can help you to manage your diabetes naturally.
