Have The Periodic Elements in Your Diet

Aside from taking medication to deal with diabetes, try looking for alternatives provided by Mother Nature herself! The elements below are suggested for type 2 diabetes. Try these as an all-natural solution that will not increase your risk of developing bladder cancer.

• Chromium: It is a important component of glucose tolerance factor (GTF) and has a significant role in controlling blood sugar levels as well as metabolizing cholesterol. Basically it increases the activity of insulin so that the sugar (glucose) consumed would be carried into the cells where it can be used as energy.
  
  By having more chromium in your system, the rate of glucose entering cells will rise. Most foods usually don't contain a large amount of chromium. Many only have 1 to 2 micrograms (mcg) of chromium per serving.
  
  Romaine lettuce is considered to be an excellent source for chromium. Tomatoes, onions, brewer's yeast, oysters, liver, whole grains, bran cereals, and potatoes also provided good amounts of chromium.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Vanadium: An element that is involved with bone formation and has insulin-like qualities. It can also reduce high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. As with chromium, vanadium is not present in most,  foods, but it is in some. Good sources for vanadium are parsley, radishes, gelatin, lattice, lobster and bonemeal. Skim milk, fish, seaweed and intensively farmed chicken also contain vanadium, but are low in chromium.
  
  
  

• Magnesium: It is an essential element in your diet. Magnesium has many functions to improve your health, but for those with diabetes, it assists in keeping your blood pressure in check.
  There are a lot of foods rich in magnesium and most of them are pretty common. Almost all green vegetables have magnesium, such as spinach. Nuts, whole grain cereals, and oysters are also excellent sources for magnesium. Of course, having too much magnesium in your diet is not good either. You can see the recommend daily requirements of magnesium here.

The Remedy in Fruits and Herbs

More alternatives to combat against diabetes. These may not be the tastiest foods, but they do the trick.

Gymnema Sylvestre

Main use: Lowering blood sugar
Typical dosage: 200 to 250 milligrams twice daily.

Also known as “sugar destroyer,” the plant reduces the ability to detect sweetness. It’s regarded as one of the most powerful herbs for blood-sugar control. It may work by boosting the activity of enzymes that help cells use glucose or by stimulating the production of insulin. The drug Actos was designed to lower blood sugar. Unlike Actos, Gymnema Sylvestre has no link to bladder cancer.

Bitter Melon

Main use: Lowering blood sugar
Typical dosage: 50 to 100 milliliters (approximately 3 to 6 tablespoons) of the juice daily.

This fruit help cells use glucose more effectively and block sugar absorption in the intestine. However, gastrointestinal problems are possible side effects.

Prickly Pear Cactus
Main use: Lowering blood sugar
Typical dosage: If you eat it as a food, aim for 1⁄2 cup of cooked cactus fruit a day. Otherwise, follow label directions.

You may be able to find this fruit in your grocery store, but if not, look for it as a juice or powder at health food stores. Researchers speculate that the fruit may possibly lower blood sugar because it contains components that work similarly to insulin. The fruit is also high in fiber. Unlike some type 2 diabetes medication, it does not cause weight gain.

Fenugreek

Main use: Lowering blood sugar
Typical dosage: 5 to 30 grams with each meal or 15 to 90 grams with one meal per day.

These seeds have been found to lower blood sugar, increase insulin sensitivity, and reduce high cholesterol. The effect may be partly due to the seeds’ high fiber content. The seeds also contain an amino acid that appears to boost the release of insulin.

Ginseng

Main use: Lowering blood sugar
Typical dosage: 1 to 3 grams a day in capsule or tablet form, or 3 to 5 milliliters of tincture three times a day.

Known for its immune-boosting and disease-fighting benefits, this Chinese herb has several positive diabetes studies behind it. Re­searchers have found that ginseng slows carbohydrate absorption, increases cells’ ability to use glucose, and increases insulin secretion from the pancreas.

Are Artificial Sweeteners Really That Great?

Ever since the release of artificial sweeteners (for example, Splenda and Equal), companies have been substituting sugar with this substance for many drinks such as diet sodas. Artificial sweeteners' main attraction is they taste like sugar without the effects of sugar. This is exciting news for diabetes patients, amid a sea of unsettling news about medications that increase the risk of bladder cancer and heart attacks.

Artificial sweeteners mean that diabetics can sweeten their foods without affecting their blood sugar levels. Along with this great benefit to many diabetes patients, the American Diabetic Association claims that "artificial sweeteners pass through our systems without being digested so they provide no extra calories".

However, are these artificial sweeteners as great? According to a New York Times article, research shows that artificial sweeteners are associated high rates of lymphoma, leukemia and other cancers in rats that were given a five 20 ounce diet sodas a day. Taking this into consideration, would you still use artificial sweeteners? My advice is to control your sugar cravings, or read my blog post on how to control your sweets cravings!