Each day in the United States, some 18 million people with diabetes walk a tightrope between too little sugar in the bloodstream and too much. Too little, which may come from a complication of medication, and they may quickly be overcome by dizziness, fatigue, headache, sweating, trembling, and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness and coma. Too much, which can happen after eating too much, especially if the person is older and overweight, and the person may experience weakness, fatigue, excessive thirst, labored breathing, and loss of consciousness.
If diabetes is poorly controlled or left untreated, it may lead to blindness, kidney disease, blood vessel damage, infection, heart disease, nerve damage, high blood pressure, stroke, limb amputation, and coma.
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Because the initial symptoms (fatigue, weakness, frequent urination) are usually mild, about 30 percent of all people with diabetes do not realize that they have the disease. And that can have tragic consequences, because with early diagnosis and treatment, the chances of living a long and productive life are higher than if the disease creeps along until irreversible damage occurs.
If you'd like some proof that diabetes is a disease you can live well with, consider the accomplishments of these prolific people with diabetes: jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, singer Ella Fitzgerald, actress Mary Tyler Moore, and baseball Hall-of-Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter. Even before treatment was as sophisticated as it is today, author Ernest Hemingway and inventor Thomas Edison, both of whom had diabetes, managed to leave their marks on the world.
If you are one of the lucky ones whose diabetes has been diagnosed by a doctor, you probably have some idea of what has gone awry in your body. Basically, the disorder stems from a malfunction in the way your body processes carbohydrates from the food you eat.
Normally, the process goes like this: The carbohydrates from your food are converted into a form of sugar called glucose. Glucose is the preferred fuel for your body's cells, and it's the only food your brain can use. The glucose floats along in the bloodstream until the pancreas, a large gland located behind the stomach, goes into action. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that signals body cells to take in the glucose. Once inside the cell, the glucose is either used as fuel to produce heat or energy or is stored as fat.
In a person with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin or the cells becomes resistant to the hormone's action. The result is that the glucose can't get into the cells; it accumulates in the blood and is later expelled in the urine. In short, blood sugar rises while cells starve.
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The vast majority of people with diabetes, on the other hand, have the type 2 form, which is sometimes referred to as adult-onset diabetes, even though more and more children these days are developing this type. Lifestyle changes can play a vital role in controlling type 2; they are generally the initial and preferred method for regulating blood sugar levels, although oral medication and even insulin may eventually need to be added to the treatment regimen.
People with diabetes face health hurdles every single day. In this article, we'll look home remedies for diabetes, including food remedies for weight control and blood sugar levels, and home care for diabetic foot health.
For more information about diabetes and how to control the digestive disorders associated with this condition, try the following links:
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- Bilberry, which can be used in pies, is also very effective in regulating blood sugar and managing diabetes. Learn more in Herbal Remedies for Diabetes.
- Find out how to manage your diabetes care and get the best results possible.
- When you read this straight-forward article, you'll understand how diabetes works.
- Read about how to adjust to life with diabetes, and get great ideas for lifestyle changes.
- Discover ways that you can control diabetes with exercise.
Home Remedy Treatments for Diabetes
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to see your doctor regularly to make sure that your medications are working to control your blood sugar. In the meantime, here are some home remedies that will help diabetics cope with their disease:
Be a sport. Whether or not you have diabetes, exercise is good for your body. It tones up the heart and other muscles, strengthens bones, lowers blood pressure, strengthens the respiratory system, helps raise HDL ("good" cholesterol), lowers LDL ("bad" cholesterol), fosters a sense of well-being, decreases tension, aids in weight management, enhances work capacity, and can confer a sense of control. However, if you have diabetes, exercise provides even more benefits because it can improve your body's ability to use blood glucose and insulin.
Maintain a regular eating schedule. This will reduce stress on your system and improve your body's ability to anticipate and regulate sugars.
Watch your mouth. People with diabetes must be diligent about oral health. The high levels of sugar in their blood make their mouths extra inviting to oral bacteria, and their decreased ability to fight off infection means they must be especially cautious about preventing tooth decay and periodontal disease. Keep a supply of toothbrushes on hand so you won't have to deal with old, worn brushing aids. Brush and floss without fail after every meal and before bedtime. And see your dentist regularly (every six months at least) for checkups and cleaning.
Check your dentures. Ill-fitting dentures or permanent bridgework can cause sores in the mouth that don't heal. If you notice sore spots in your mouth or find that your dentures are moving or slipping, see your dentist to have the problem corrected as soon as possible.
See your eye doctor. Be sure to visit your opthalmologist at least once a year. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness.
Take charge. The more you know about your disease, the better you can control it. Educate yourself through reputable books, magazines, and Web sites related to diabetes. If you need help understanding what you should do, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian or a diabetes educator.
Do something nice for yourself. While it's important to learn as much as you can about your diabetes and stay with your treatment regimen, you also need to keep things in perspective. Don't get so caught up in your diabetes that you neglect the rest of your life. Make a list of all the things you would like to do if you had the time, and then make the time to do at least some of them.
Do something nice for someone else. It's hard to dwell on your own problems when you are engaged in helping someone else. Doing volunteer work at a nursing home, hospital, school, or church can help others and can make you feel better, too.
Perhaps the most important step you can take in managing your diabetes is to monitor what you eat. In addition to making the healthy food choices you already know about, we will explain how certain foods can actually be considered home remedies for the diabtetic condition.
Natural Home Remedies for Diabetes
Natural Home Remedies for Diabetes
Diabetes is a complex disease, affecting many parts of the body. Some of the problems of the disease can be relieved with simple things right from the kitchen, though. And for a person with diabetes, a little relief never hurts.
Home Remedies From the Cupboard
Olive oil. Studies indicate this may reduce blood-sugar levels. Use it in salad dressing or wherever cooking oils are indicated. For an inexpensive and easy no-stick olive oil spray-on coating, buy an oil mister in any department store kitchen supply area and use it to spray your pans before cooking. Remember: As with all oils, olive oil is high in calories, and being overweight places you at risk for diabetes. Limiting the amount of olive oil by using the oil mister is a good way to control the calories.
Peanut butter. After you've experienced an episode of low blood sugar and corrected it, follow up with a protein and carbohydrate snack. Peanut butter on a couple of crackers supplies both, and it's easy to fix when you may still feel a little jittery. Just avoid brands that contain added sugar, glucose, or jelly.
Plastic container. If you're on insulin, keep your extra vials in the refrigerator. Designate a spot where your insulin bottle won't freeze, yet is away from the food. Then keep the vial in a plastic container, preferably one that shields it from light, in that spot to keep it from rolling around or getting knocked aside or misplaced. If the insulin bottle is frosted or the insulin clumps, do not use it. Consult your pharmacist and the package insert for information about proper storage.
Salt. Dry, itchy skin is a side effect of diabetes, and soaking in a tub of salt water can be a great itchy skin reliever. Just add 1 cup table salt or sea salt to your bathwater. This solution will also soften skin and relax you. To exfoliate, after you take a shower or bath and while your skin is still wet, sprinkle salt onto your hands and rub it all over your skin. This salt massage will remove dry skin and make your skin smoother to the touch. It will also invigorate your skin and get your circulation moving. Try it first thing in the morning to help wake up or after a period of physical exertion.
Salt shaker. Set it aside, put it back in the cupboard, hide it. High blood pressure is a side effect of diabetes, and that salt's a no-no. So don't cook with it, and don't make it handy to grab when you eat a meal or snack. If it's out of sight, or inconvenient to get, you might just skip it. Instead, reach for a nice herb or spice blend that's sodium free. Make one yourself with your favorite spices or buy one at the store.
Sugar. Yes, even people with diabetes need it occasionally, when their blood sugar goes too low. A spoonful of straight sugar will work, as will a piece of hard candy. Just be sure it's not sugarless. And only use it when necessary -- your doctor can help you know when that would be.
Vinegar. Muscle cramps, especially in the legs, can affect people with diabetes. For relief from the ache, add 8 ounces apple cider vinegar to a bathtub of warm water. Soak for at least 15 minutes.
Home Remedies from the Drawer
Fork. This is how you should apply salad dressing and sauces to limit your intake of sugar, as well as fat and cholesterol. Instead of dumping the dressing or sauce all over your food, have it served "on the side" and dip your fork into it, then pick up your food. You'll get the flavor without all the extra goop.
Notebook. Use this to keep track of glucose readings, medication schedules, and symptoms.
Home Remedies from the Refrigerator
Asparagus. This vegetable is a mild diuretic that's said to be beneficial in the control of diabetes. Eat it steamed and drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.
Lemon. A tasty substitute for salt. It's great squeezed into a diet cola, too. It cuts the aftertaste.
Parsley. Steep into a tea and drink. This may act as a diuretic as well as lower blood sugar.
Watercress. This is said to strengthen the natural defense systems of people who have diabetes. It's also a mild diuretic. Wash the leaves thoroughly, and add them to a salad. Or smear a little cream cheese on a slice of bread, then top with watercress for a delicious open-faced sandwich.
Home Remedies from Your Dietary Strategy
Knowing which food to eat is helpful, but knowing how much and when to eat them is essential. Following are important strategies to employ when using foods as home remedies to combat diabetes:
Know your carbohydrates. The traditional dogma for people with diabetes was this: Avoid simple carbohydrates, or simple sugars (such as table sugar), because they raise blood glucose quickly, and choose complex carbohydrates (such as the starches and fiber found in grains, potatoes, beans, and peas), because they raise blood sugar more slowly. But researchers have discovered that this is not quite the case. Simple sugars and the digestible complex carbohydrates known as starches raise blood glucose levels at about the same rate (although fiber is classified as a complex carbohydrate, it is not digested by the body, so it does not raise blood glucose).
What is more important is how the food is cooked and what those carbohydrates are eaten with. Fat, for example, slows digestion of carbohydrates and slows the release of glucose into the blood. This new dogma has given way to newer rules, which really aren't rules at all in the strictest sense.
Complex carbohydrates that haven't been highly refined or processed are still better dietary choices because of the valuable nutrients they provide (refining and processing often removes nutrients and fiber), but evidence suggests that sucrose (table sugar) may not need to be "off-limits" for people with type 2 diabetes. As long as you account for the carbohydrates and calories from the sugar and don't go overboard, an occasional sweet treat can fit just fine in a healthy diabetic meal plan.
Get fond of fiber. One of the reasons that unrefined complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain breads and beans, are so beneficial is that they are high in fiber. Fiber actually slows the rise in blood glucose after a meal.
Graze. Many experts believe that people with type 2 may more easily achieve normal blood sugar levels by not overloading with too much food at one time. Try eating three smaller meals plus two snacks each day, without increasing your total calorie intake, to see if it helps improve your control.
Now that you understand the ways you can affect your diabetes by controlling your diet at home, go to the next page to learn home remedies for keeping diabetic's feet and legs healthy.
Home Remedy Treatments for Diabetic Food Health
Home Remedy Treatments for Diabetic Food Health
Even though it looks much the same as any other foot, the diabetic foot requires special attention. Why? Nerve damage is common with diabetes, especially in the lower extremities. Blood vessels are damaged as a result of the disease and circulation is decreased. When this happens, feet and legs tend to be cold and sores heal slowly, in some cases taking years to heal. This can easily lead to infection. Nerve damage can also decrease your ability to feel sensations in your feet, such as pain, heat, and cold. That means you may not notice a foot injury until you have a major infection.
A common complaint from many people is, "My feet are killing me!" For a person with diabetes, that statement could be all too true. Loss of nerve function, especially on the soles of the feet, can reduce feeling and mask a sore or injury on the foot that, if left unattended, can turn into an ulcer or gangrene.
Neuropathy, damage to the nerves, is a common problem for people with diabetes. It occurs most often in the feet and legs, and its signs include recurring burning, pain, or numbness. In addition to being painful, neuropathy can be harmful because if it causes a loss of feeling in the foot, even a minor foot injury may go undiscovered. In extreme cases, this can lead to serious infection, gangrene, or even amputation of the limb. Because of this, people with diabetes must be meticulous in caring for their feet.
Moderate exercise, such as walking, cycling, or swimming, are best for people with diabetes. Because people with diabetes have to take some extra precautions while exercising, you will need to work with your health-care provider to design an exercise program that is right for you. For example, since exercise lowers blood glucose, you will need to learn how to maintain the correct balance of food, exercise, and medication to prevent your blood glucose levels from dropping too low.
Your doctor may recommend that you avoid intense, high-impact activities such as running because of the potential for foot injury. Also, intense exercise could endanger tiny blood vessels in the eyes that are already weakened by diabetes (all that glucose in the blood can damage fragile vessels as well as nerves), potentially leading to rupture, vision problems, and even blindness. Overall, however, the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks, and if you work with your doctor to create an exercise plan, you should be fine. Keep in mind that if you are over 40 years old, you will need to undergo a general medical examination, including a cardiovascular screening and exercise test, before proceeding with your exercise program.
Once your doctor gives the go-ahead, you need to set realistic goals in order to avoid too-high or too-low blood glucose levels. Begin with small goals, such as exercising for five minutes three days a week, and work up gradually to exercising for 30 minutes a day most days of the week.
It's important to take excellent care of your feet. Here are some tips on how to do that:
Look them over. Give your feet a thorough going-over every night to make sure that you haven't developed a sore, blister, cut, scrape, or any other tiny problem that could blow up into big trouble. If your vision isn't good or you have trouble reaching your feet, have someone check your feet for you.
Wash, rinse, and dry. A clean foot is a healthy foot, with a much lower susceptibility to infection. And clean feet feel better, too. Don't forget to clean and dry between the toes.
Avoid bathroom surgery. Under normal circumstances, there is little danger from using a pumice stone to reduce a corn or callus. But for a person with diabetes, such a practice might lead to a little irritation, then a sore, then infection, and finally, a major ulcer. Likewise, caustic agents for removing corns and calluses can easily cause a serious chemical burn on your skin. Never use them. If you develop a corn, callus, wart, or other foot problem, see a podiatrist.
Take care of the little things. Any time a cut, sore, burn, scratch, or other minor injury appears on your foot, attend to it immediately by washing it and covering it with protective sterile dressing. If you use adhesive tape, remove it carefully because it can weaken the skin when you pull it off. Consider using paper or cloth tape instead. If the sore is not healing or if you notice signs of infection, such as redness, red streaks, warmth, swelling, pain, or drainage, see a podiatrist.
Choose shoes with care. Select shoes that fit both feet well and won't cause blisters or sores on your feet. Specialty diabetic shoes are available.
Have your feet checked. Be sure your doctor examines your feet during your regular check-ups; taking your shoes and socks off as soon as you get in the exam room may serve as a reminder for you both. Or, find a podiatrist experienced in treating diabetic feet and together set up a schedule for regular foot check-ups, perhaps coinciding with nail trimming if you are unable to take care of this task yourself.
Go easy on the heat. Don't be tempted to warm your cold feet with a heating pad or hot water bottle. If you have neuropathy, you may burn yourself without even feeling it. Instead, wear warm socks, or indulge yourself in a gentle foot massage. Make sure that after the massage, you clean away any remaining oil from between your toes. A mild solution of vinegar and water will do it.
Expect dry skin. The nerves that control sweating in your feet may no longer work. So, after a bath, dry your feet and coat them with a thin layer of moisturizer. DO NOT use oils or creams between your toes. DO NOT soak your feet. The more you do, the more you put yourself at risk for infection. Moisture there can cause an infection, such as athlete's foot.
The mineral chromium is another natural substance that may be useful in controlling diabetes. Continue to the next page to learn more about chromium and diabetes.
