Understanding Diabetes
1 in 20 people suffer with Type 2 diabetes in the UK alone. This can be caused age-onset diabetes but unfortunately, we are seeing younger and younger people diagnosed with diabetes. In the USA, children as young as 10yrs have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms include: repeatedly getting thrush, feeling tired all the time, wounds taking longer to heal, blurred vision, increased frequency of night time urination, feeling extremely thirsty.
Diabetes occurs when your pancreas can’t make insulin or doesn’t make enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. The long term effects of untreated diabetes can be severe. Diabetes can cause blindness, heart disease, stroke, foot ulcers, nerve damage, kidney issues etc.
Conventional treatments are: diet control only, metformin, gliclazide and then lastly injected insulin.
Here are 5 tips to help keep you healthy if you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes:
1. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Quick-release sugars such as sweets, cakes and biscuits should be avoided but this is the same advice for a non-diabetic person. Starchy carbohydrates and protein helps to keep you fuller for longer and avoids blood sugar spikes.
2. Keeping active with movement and exercise
Any movement is better than none! Start small if you have not regularly exercised before. A 10mins daily walk is better than promising to go to the gym and then not going. Build slowly and steadily. This will also help you to maintain a healthy weight and waistline.
3. Get your feet and eyes checked regularly
Regular chiropody appointments are key as the nerve endings are not as sensitive in diabetic patients. This can mean a small cut or graze on your foot may not be felt and can lead to more serious problems. Similarly with your vision. Opticians are the experts on your eyes and can spot issues well before they become a problem.
4. Measure your blood sugar regularly
This can is done with urine sticks or blood sugar monitoring. There are now devices that are worn on the arm which continually monitor your blood sugar. Keeping your blood sugar level as constant as you can between 4-8mmol/l will help you avoid the more serious complications of diabetes in years to come.
5. Get support!
They have lots of useful information on their website, support groups, newly diagnosed packs etc.
Supplements that I would advise are: Chromium picolinate 200mcg, brewer’s yeast, garlic, zinc, manganese, magnesium, Vit B complex, Vit A, Vit C, Vit E, omega-3 2gm daily, mulberry leaf, glucomannan fibre with plenty of fluid, cinnamon. All of these should be taken with your GPs advice.
Homeopathy can help with the symptoms of diabetes as well as the side-effects of prescribed diabetic drugs. Diabetes is all about balancing blood sugar levels. Homeopathy is all about balancing everything in the body!
