Food Remedies for Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is caused when your body fails to produce enough insulin to properly regulate blood sugar. If left uncontrolled, the effects of unregulated blood sugar can be severe, but type 2 diabetes is a highly manageable disease that can often be controlled through diet alone. There are numerous foods with the ability to help regulate blood sugar.

Eating a Proper Balance

• Carbohydrates provide fuel to the body in the form of glucose, the primary source of energy for the body's cells. The healthiest carbohydrates for the body are complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables, nuts and beans. Complex carbohydrates are more slowly digested than simple carbohydrates, such as white flour and sugar, and slower digestion provides a steadier source of energy. Eating the correct amount of carbohydrates at every meal is one of the most important steps in maintaining a proper blood-sugar level. One serving of carbs is 15 grams, and most adults need three to four servings of carbohydrates in each meal and one to two servings of carbs in each snack.

  Fiber can also help manage blood-sugar levels. It delays the absorption of sugar, which helps keep blood sugar levels low. Fiber also aids in weight loss, which is a main contributing factor in type 2 Diabetes. For optimum health, eat 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day in the form of fruits, vegetables, beans and cereal.

Meals to Control Blood Sugar

• There are several foods that have been proven not to increase the blood-sugar level in the body. Choosing these foods instead of foods that are known to raise blood-sugar levels is an easy way to eliminate fluctuating blood-sugar levels.

  Proteins fall into the category of foods that will not raise blood sugar. Cheese, chicken, turkey and eggs are all major protein sources that hardly affect blood sugar. These proteins alone do not include all of the vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy diet, but including them in every meal will help regulate blood-sugar levels.

  Replacing white flour, rice and pasta in meals will also help eliminate spikes in blood sugar. Barley, which can be used in place of rice, has a high level of fiber that can help keep blood-sugar levels low. Brown rice, while not as easy on blood sugar levels as barley, is better than white rice.

Additional Foods

• Eating foods that have a less substantial effect on blood sugar than other foods is one step in combating type 2 diabetes. There are some foods that can do more than just maintain blood-sugar levels, though. Cinnamon, for instance, has natural properties that mimic insulin and actually lower blood sugar. A study showed that ¼ to ½ tsp. of cinnamon per day brought individual blood sugar levels down by 18 to 29 percent. Flaxseed is another supplement that can be added to the diet that has the ability to lower blood sugar. Flaxseed contains protein and fiber and also has magnesium, an essential mineral that aids the body in its insulin use.