by J. D. Heyes
Naturopathic medicine and alternative health treatments are much more than just a fad; they are legitimately becoming the go-to form of healthcare for millions of people all over the world. And why not? Many of “today’s” natural treatments and remedies have been around for centuries and were well known to medical practitioners of old.
Natural control of blood sugar, as opposed to controlling it with pills or insulin, is one of the areas where naturopaths are making inroads.
Exercise
It may be obvious to some people, but the health benefits of getting good, regular exercise are almost immeasurable. Certainly, one of those benefits is helping keep blood sugar in check.
Physical activity via exercise causes sensitivity to insulin and enables muscle cells to take in more glucose, notes ARYHealth.com. As such, this ensures there is less excess glucose circulating in the bloodstream, both during and even after your physical activity.
Frequent exercise is key in ensuring regular management of blood sugar levels. Various studies have demonstrated that exercise for someone with chronic high blood sugar levels can help reduce the incidence of related problems like retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney disease, heart disease and cardiovascular problems.
“While exercise is a natural way for lowering blood sugar naturally, you should ensure that you have made physical activity to be a key part of your lifestyle rather than just a tool for making fast results,” ARYHealth.com noted. “It will be necessary for you to get the recommended tests to help you and your doctor to determine if the control of blood glucose in as targeted. In case you are using a home meter to do the test, check whether there are any patterns in those results.”
The foods we eat
Changing our diet is also critical to curbing high blood sugar or preventing metabolic problems from occurring in the first place.
“Any form of carbohydrate is eventually broken down by the body into glucose, a simple form of sugar,” the Wellness Mama explained. “While the body can use glucose for fuel, levels that exceed what is needed are toxic to the body. … [W]hen the body senses glucose in the bloodstream, the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin… to signal the body to store the glucose as glycogen.”
Rather than processed or snack foods like chips, cookies, breads and other carbohydrate-heavy foods, your blood sugar-conscious diet should consist more of low-carb, nutrient-dense foods like grass-fed meats and butter, pastured eggs, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, and raw, full-fat dairy products, as we have reported.
Chill out
Another great way to reduce blood sugar levels naturally is by finding ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life. That may not seem like a big deal, but our bodies don’t deal well with high, continuous stress levels. Excessive stress leads to the production of too many stress hormones, for instance, and that can cause severe damage to your endocrine system. Powerful hormones are not being produced and regulated properly, leading to a loss of metabolism of nutrients and sugars.
“When stress occurs, whatever the source, the hypothalamus signals the adrenals to release cortisol (and adrenaline),” says Wellness Mama. “Excess cortisol can contribute to hormone imbalance in the body since the body uses hormones like progesterone to manufacture cortisol. Excess cortisol… can also interfere with the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, reduce fat burning ability, raise insulin, suppress thyroid function and cause gain in belly fat.” (Natural News).
