How to Prevent & Treat Diabetes With Natural Medicine

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease. You may be able to help control your illness by using natural medicine along with your doctor's recommended treatment program. If you do not yet have diabetes, but are at risk for it, it's important to take measures now to reduce your risk. This includes eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of the risk factors for diabetes include a family history, excess body fat (especially abdominal), and a high-fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Things You'll Need

• Cinnamon
• Fenugreek seeds
• Gymnema sylvestre

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Instructions

• 1

  Assess your daily diet and nutrition. Managing your nutrition properly is a natural way to prevent diabetes or help control it. If you already have diabetes, work with a registered dietitian to develop a meal plan tailored to your needs. The key is to control your blood sugar levels. You can do this by selecting complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains) instead of refined carbohydrates (such as bakery products like bagels and cakes).

• 2

  Evaluate your exercise needs. Exercising regularly is another natural way to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking. It will also help the insulin in your body work more effectively. This will help you both prevent diabetes or stop it from getting worse and causing complications. If you already have diabetes, meet with your doctor to discuss your exercise plans before embarking on them. Schedule at least three exercise sessions per week, for at least 30 minutes each.

• 3

  Supplement your diet with cinnamon. You can take cinnamon in capsules or sprinkle some on food or coffee. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, regular cinnamon intake may help regulate your blood glucose. In addition, it may also help you lower your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.

• 4

  Try taking fenugreek seeds. Like cinnamon, fenugreek is often used as a spice, typically for curry dishes. The University of Maryland Medical Center, suggests that fenugreek can help diabetics and pre-diabetics lower their blood sugar levels. They also contain fiber, which is a key ingredient in any healthy diet.

• 5

  Use an herb called gymnema sylvestre to help control your appetite. Gymnema may help curb your sweet tooth by changing how your body perceives these tastes. According to the National Institutes of Health, a study conducted in India revealed that diabetic patients taking gymnema were able to control their blood sugar levels to the extent that they could reduce their diabetes medications.