How To Reverse Diabetes Naturally With These 9 Superfoods

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a lack of or under-utilization of the hormone insulin and increase in blood glucose levels. Have bitter gourd, amla, and the seeds of purslane to regenerate insulin. Jambul, black and Bengal gram, fenugreek seeds, and grapefruit can all maintain a healthy blood glucose level by either checking the conversion of starch into glucose or helping the body use glucose better.

Superfoods For Diabetes

Bitter gourd

Amla

Jambul fruit

Grapefruit

Fenugreek

Bengal gram

Type 2 diabetes, often called non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90–95% of the 18.2 million people with diabetes. Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin; however, the insulin their pancreas secretes is either not enough, or the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it correctly. This is referred to as insulin resistance. When there is not enough insulin or the insulin is not used successfully, glucose (sugar) cannot get into the body’s cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body’s cells are not able to function correctly. Problems caused by the increase of glucose in the blood include:

·        Dehydration: The buildup of sugar in the blood can cause an increase in urination (to try to clear the sugar from the body). When the kidneys lose the glucose through the urine, a significant amount of water is also lost, causing dehydration.

·        Hyperosmolar nonketotic diabetic coma: When a person with type 2 diabetes becomes severely dehydrated and is not able to drink enough fluids to make up for the fluid losses, they may develop this life-threatening complication.

Over time, the high glucose levels in the blood may damage the nerves and small blood vessels of the eyes, kidneys, and heart and predispose a person to atherosclerosis (hardening) of the large arteries that can cause heart attack and stroke.

Who Can Get Type 2 Diabetes?

Anyone can get type 2 diabetes. However, those at highest risk for the disease are those who are obese or overweight, women who have had gestational diabetes, people with family members who have type 2 diabetes and people who have metabolic syndrome (a cluster of problems that include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, low good ‘HDL’ cholesterol and a high bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol and high blood pressure). In addition, older people are more susceptible to developing the disease since aging makes the body less tolerant of sugars.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?

Although it is more common than type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is commonly caused by multiple factors and not a single problem. Type 2 diabetes can run in families, but the exact nature of how it is inherited or the identity of a single genetic factor is not known.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes vary from person to person but may include:

·        Increased thirst

·        Increased hunger (especially after eating)

·        Dry mouth

·        Nausea and occasionally vomiting

·        Frequent urination

·        Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)

·        Blurred vision

·        Numbness or tingling of the hands or feet

·        Frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract or vagina

9 Superfoods For Diabetes

1. Bitter Gourd

Among the several home remedies that have proved beneficial in controlling diabetes, perhaps the most important is the use of sour gourd. It has lately been established that bitter melon contains a hypoglycemic or insulin-like principle, designated as “plant insulin,” which has been found valuable in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels.

It should be included liberally in the diet of the diabetic. For better results, the diabetic should take the juice of about 4 or 5 bitter gourds every morning on an empty stomach. The seeds can be added to food in a powdered form. Diabetics can also use sour gourd in the form of a decoction by boiling the pieces in water or in the form of dry powder.

2. Indian Gooseberry

Indian gooseberry, with its high vitamin C content, is considered valuable in diabetes. Just 1 tablespoon of its juice, mixed with 1 cup of bitter gourd juice, taken daily for 2 months, will stimulate the islets of Langerhans, that is, the isolated group of cells that secrete the hormone insulin in the pancreas. This mixture reduces the blood sugar in diabetes.

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3. Jambul Fruit

Jambul fruit is another effective home remedy. It is regarded in traditional medicine as a specific against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The fruit as such, the seeds, and fruit juice are all useful in the treatment of this disease. The seeds contain a glucoside “jamboline,” which is believed to have the power to check the pathological conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. The seeds should be dried and powdered. Mix 1 teaspoon of this powder in 1 cup of milk or water or 1/2 a cup of curd, and taken twice daily.

The inner bark of the jambul tree is also used in the treatment of diabetes. The bark is dried and burnt. It will produce an ash of white color. This ash should be nestled in a mortar, strained, and bottled. The diabetic patient should be given 10 grams of this ash on an empty stomach with water in the morning and twenty grams in the afternoon and in the evening an hour after taking meals. An equal quantity of amla powder, jamun powder, and bitter gourd powder also makes a beneficial remedy for diabetes. A teaspoon of this mixture once or twice a day would be useful in checking the progress of the disease.

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4. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a splendid food in the diet of a diabetic patient. If grapefruits were eaten more liberally, there would be much less diabetes. If you have sugar, use 3 grapefruits 3 times a day. If you do not have sugar, but a tendency toward it and want to prevent it, use 3 a day.

5. Fenugreek

The seeds of fenugreek have been useful in the treatment of diabetes. Fenugreek seeds, when given in varying doses of 25 gm to 100 gm daily, diminish reactive hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Levels of glucose, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides were reduced considerably with diabetes patients when the seeds were consumed.

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6. Bengal Gram

Experiments have shown that the intake of water extract of Bengal gram enhances the utilization of glucose in both diabetic and healthy persons. When kept on a diet, which included liberal supplements of Bengal gram extract, the condition of the patient improved considerably and his insulin requirement reduced to about 20 units per day. Diabetes patients who are on a prescribed diet which does not severely restrict the intake of carbohydrates, but includes liberal amounts of Bengal gram extract, have shown considerable improvement in their fasting blood sugar levels, glucose tolerance, urinary excretion of sugar, and general condition.

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7. Black Gram

For a milder type of diabetes, 2 tablespoons of a germinated black gram, taken with half a cup of fresh bitter gourd juice and a teaspoon of honey, is said to be helpful. It should be made once daily for three to four months. Try to cut carbohydrates out of your diet. Even in severe cases, regular use of this combination, with other precautions, is used as a health-giving food for the prevention of various complications that may arise due to malnutrition in diabetics.

8. Mango Leaves

The tender leaves of the mango tree are considered useful in diabetes. An infusion is prepared by soaking 15 gm of fresh leaves in 250 ml of water overnight and squeezing them well in the water in the morning. This filtrate should be taken every morning to control early diabetes. As an alternative, the leaves should be dried in the shade, powdered and preserved for use when necessary. Just 1/2 a teaspoon of this powder should be taken twice a day.

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9. Purslane

The seeds of purslane are useful in diabetes. Take 1 teaspoon of the seeds every day with 1/2 a cup of water for 3 to 4 months. It will increase the body’s own insulin and help in curing diabetes.

Other Foods

Besides bitter gourd, certain vegetables are beneficial and can improve a diabetic’s health. These include:

·        String beans

·        Cucumber

·        Onion

·        Garlic

·        Tea made of the pods of string beans

     Hope you enjoy reading:)

source: How to reverse Diabetes

Eating more salt might save your life? Not so much

The Salt Fix is the latest book attempting to overturn well-established dietary advice, but it leaves a bad taste, says Anthony Warner

By Anthony Warner

Newspaper headlines might lead you to wrongly believe that paradigm shifts in the world of nutrition occur regularly. Barely a week goes by without someone proclaiming that everything we know about diet needs turning on its head.

Despite this, one truth has remained pretty much accepted. Keeping our intake of salt down to around 6 grams per day is generally accepted as good for health, and features in dietary advice worldwide.

Apparently, this has left a gap in the market, because nothing attracts attention more than questioning the nutritional orthodoxy. Enter James DiNicolantonio, a US-based researcher who has made other controversial claims. 

His book The Salt Fix attempts to upend the orthodoxy, as its subtitle makes clear: Why the experts got it all wrong – and how eating more [salt] might save your life.

He asserts that despite what public health organizations have been telling us for decades, eating more salt than recommended is not, in most cases, linked to high blood pressure and to the risk of heart disease and stroke.

On the contrary, he says, it can help protect against heart disease, as well as insulin resistance, diabetes, and kidney disease.

The book’s references include dated research, fantastic opinion pieces, and occasional anecdotes, to back up the central argument that we’ve been getting bad advice on salt for decades. 

This runs counter to overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Key studies that support the book’s premise are criticised by leading medical bodies.

Leading public health experts say the totality of evidence is what’s important, and that this shows a still-robust link between a high-salt diet and disease.

DiNicolantonio meanders off into even more marginal territory with talk of dietary sugar causing excessive growth of the yeast candida. However, claims of common chronic illness related to candida growth have been dismissed as a pseudoscientific condition not supported in any serious medical literature.

Making the headlines

Regrettably, titles that suggest a paradigm shift are always likely to generate publicity. Because of its headline-grabbing approach, The Salt Fix received far more column inches than the repeated research findings that support guidelines on salt.

The public interacts with the world of nutrition to the extent that rarely occurs in other scientific fields. Despite dietary advice remaining remarkably consistent over the years, those who go against the grain tend to dominate coverage.

This matters. A recent World Health Organization report estimated that cutting salt intake to its recommended level could result in 2.5 million fewer deaths worldwide each year. 

The evidence for health benefits from salt reduction is perhaps stronger than that for dietary advice on almost any other foodstuff, including sugar, saturated fat or even fruit and vegetables.

A high-profile challenge based on such underwhelming evidence is therefore at best ill-advised, and at worst dangerous.

Reduce Inflammation and Lose Weight with Antioxidants

Did you know that besides doing wonders for your health, a certain nutrient group might also help you get rid of belly fat, keep you lean overall, provide you with energy to burn and reverse inflammation?  Antioxidants can do that.  Specific antioxidants found in fruits, veggies, chocolate, tea, wine and much more, help to ward off belly fat, inflammation and increase energy.

Antioxidants are nutrients — including vitamins like E and C — that prevent or slow oxidative damage throughout the body.  Antioxidants act as free radical bounty hunters that prevent and repair the damage done by the free radical.

Free radicals are oxidants and are a result of normal metabolic processes (such as with our mitochondrial function) in the human body or from external sources such as exposure to X-rays, cigarette smoking, air pollutants, industrial chemical chemicals.

Chronic inflammation is the core cause of most every illness or disease (including aging).  Even weight gain itself is a result of inflammation – the silent inflammation of fat cells that reduces metabolism and promotes health conditions as well.

When you reverse or reduce low-level inflammation, you are increasing every aspect of your health on a cellular level <=== This is key. You are increasing your mitochondrial health which are the tiny engines or the ‘batteries’ that run the cell. Without our healthy mitochondria, you begin to gain weight, become fatigued and increase vulnerability to disease and we are not even addressing mental wellness. We essentially are our mitochondria…if they are not healthy, we suffer.

Short sleepers need more antioxidants.  Recent research shows that the combination of low antioxidant intake and a lack of sleep promotes obesity.  Higher antioxidant intake could lower the chance of obesity simply by increasing antioxidant intake.

How can you obtain a plethora of health and weight loss benefits?  By Loading-up on these antioxidant superstars every time you hit the grocery store—they’ll help you bring out your healthy best in these five ways:

Multitasking Polyphenols

These phytochemicals help to curb belly bulge by improving the body’s metabolism, help fight aging by preventing — and repairing — cellular damage. The major sources of polyphenols in the average diet are flavonoids.  Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants, even more, powerful than vitamins C and E combined that also have anti-inflammatory effects that can protect against dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. 

Antioxidant Vitamins

The human body does not produce antioxidant vitamins naturally, so it is vital to add them in our daily intake of food, be it through foods or supplements. Common antioxidant vitamins include vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, and beta-carotene. Including a wide array of flavonoid foods to your diet will promote a leaner and healthier you.

Antioxidant Enzymes

Enzymes are types of antioxidants that come from the protein and minerals we eat as part of our daily diets. These enzymes are synthesized in the human body, and in order for antioxidant enzymes to provide optimum antioxidant activity, they require cofactors such as iron, copper, selenium, magnesium, and zinc. The quality of the protein source we eat does have an impact on the quality of the antioxidant enzymes.

So where can you get your fair share? 

Apples, cherries, cinnamon, turmeric, tea, chocolate, beans, onions, garlic, leeks, and sweet bell peppers, all berries (blueberries, strawberries etc), plums, spinach, beans (especially lentils), Brussels sprouts, broccoli, citrus fruits, watermelon, Pretty tasty choices! 

Alkaline Ionized Water

You read that right: There is a type of water –  ionized alkaline water that acts as an antioxidant within the cell. One of the greatest benefits of alkaline ionized water is the ability of H2- antioxidants (also called molecular hydrogen) to penetrate cell walls and do their work where no other antioxidant can. 

One reason H2 antioxidants are the most powerful antioxidants is that they are so tiny. These microscopic antioxidants can enter cells and give their benefits directly into them. No other antioxidant can do this. Another amazing feature of molecular hydrogen is that it can bond with other antioxidants, such as vitamin C or E after they have been “used up”, and regenerate them.

The health benefits are amazing: 

·        Increased Energy

·        Super-Charged Hydration

·        Better Sleep

·        Weight Loss

·        Healthy Skin

·        Anti aging

·        Healthy Immune System

LEMON WATER

Adding lemon to your water is also alkalizing to help keep you free from disease, inflammation and weight gain. Lemon peel contains pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to help with weight loss. Add an ounce of lemon juice and some zest to each of your eight daily glasses of water (which will help you feel fuller) as the pectin in the lemon turns to a gel that helps balance blood sugar – stopping hunger and cravings.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                source: Lori

THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO MASSAGE YOUR FEET EVERY NIGHT BEFORE BED

Massage is a treatment which incorporates putting some weight on specific parts of the body-stationary or moving, organised or unstructured.

It should be possible with strain, vibration or motion with body massagers or manually. Manual massage is possible with hands, fingers, forearm, elbows, feet and knees.

A massage is a curing treatment and it supports the digestion system. It enhances the blood flow and the emission of sweat. It can enhance your wellbeing and also help in relaxation.

A foot massage is one of the most advantageous.  Different foot areas are connected with diverse body parts.  That is the reason kneading the feet before retiring to bed is truly advantageous for your general health and wellbeing.

Below are the advantages of foot massage:

§  It is good for blood circulation

§  Treats various ailments and retains proper function of the organs

§  Great for restless leg syndrome

§  Improves your sleep

§  It reduces the impact of oedema during pregnancy

§  Great for the skin

                                                                                                                                         source: FoodMassage 

Is Vitamin D Harmful Without Vitamin K?

Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D and vitamin K is essential for your health.

But some sources claim that supplementing with vitamin D is harmful if you are low in vitamin K.

So what’s the truth? This article looks into the science behind those claims.

What Are Vitamins D and K?

Vitamin D and vitamin K are essential, fat-soluble nutrients.

They are generally most abundant in high-fat foods, and their absorption into the bloodstream is enhanced when they are consumed with fat.

Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is abundant in fatty fish and fish oil, but it’s also produced by your skin when it’s exposed to sunlight.

One of Vitamin D’s primary functions is to promote calcium absorption and maintain adequate calcium levels in your blood. A vitamin D deficiency may cause bone loss.

Vitamin K is found in leafy greens, fermented legumes and vegetables, as well as in some fatty, animal-sourced foods, such as egg yolk, liver, and cheese.

It’s necessary for blood clotting and promotes the accumulation of calcium in your bones and teeth.

Summary: Vitamins D and K are fat-soluble nutrients that play an essential role in your body’s calcium metabolism.

Vitamins D and K Work as a Team

When it comes to calcium metabolism, vitamins D and K work together. Both play important roles.

The Role of Vitamin D

One of the primary functions of vitamin D is to maintain adequate calcium levels in the blood.

There are two ways in which vitamin D can achieve this:

·       Improving calcium absorption: Vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium from the food you eat.

·       Taking calcium from bone: When you don’t consume enough calcium, vitamin D maintains its blood levels by drawing on the body’s main calcium supply — your bones.

Maintaining adequate blood levels of calcium is essential. While calcium is best known for its role in bone health, it has many other vital functions in the body.

During periods of insufficient calcium intake, your body has no other choice but to use the calcium reserves in your bones, even though that may cause bone loss and osteoporosis over time.

The Role of Vitamin K

As mentioned above, vitamin D ensures that your blood levels of calcium are high enough to meet your body’s demands.

However, vitamin D does not fully control where the calcium in your body ends up. That’s where vitamin K steps in.

Vitamin K regulates calcium in your body in at least two ways:

·       Promotes calcification of bone: Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, a protein that promotes the accumulation of calcium in your bones and teeth.

·       Reduces calcification of soft tissues: Vitamin K activates matrix GLA protein, which prevents calcium from accumulating in soft tissues, such as the kidneys and blood vessels.

At this point, few controlled human studies have investigated the effects of vitamin K supplements on blood vessel calcification, but more studies are under way.

Blood vessel calcification is implicated in the development of chronic diseases, such as heart and kidney disease.

Summary: One of vitamin D’s main functions is to ensure adequate levels of calcium in your blood. Vitamin K promotes calcium accumulation in your bones while reducing its accumulation in soft tissues such as blood vessels.

When it comes to calcium metabolism, vitamins D and K work together. Both play important roles.

The Role of Vitamin D

One of the main functions of vitamin D is to maintain adequate calcium levels in the blood.

There are two ways in which vitamin D can achieve this:

·       Improving calcium absorption: Vitamin D enhances the absorption of calcium from the food you eat.

·       Taking calcium from bone: When you don’t consume enough calcium, vitamin D maintains its blood levels by drawing on the body’s main calcium supply — your bones.

Maintaining adequate blood levels of calcium is essential. While calcium is best known for its role in bone health, it has many other vital functions in the body.

During periods of insufficient calcium intake, your body has no other choice but to use the calcium reserves in your bones, even though that may cause bone loss and osteoporosis over time.

The Role of Vitamin K

As mentioned above, vitamin D ensures that your blood levels of calcium are high enough to meet your body’s demands.

However, vitamin D does not fully control where the calcium in your body ends up. That’s where vitamin K steps in.

Vitamin K regulates calcium in your body in at least two ways:

·       Promotes calcification of bone: Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, a protein that encourages the accumulation of calcium in your bones and teeth.

·       Reduces calcification of soft tissues: Vitamin K activates matrix GLA protein, which prevents calcium from accumulating in soft tissues, such as the kidneys and blood vessels.

At this point, few controlled human studies have investigated the effects of vitamin K supplements on blood vessel calcification, but more studies are under way.

Blood vessel calcification is implicated in the development of chronic diseases, such as heart and kidney disease.

Summary: One of vitamin D’s main functions is to ensure adequate levels of calcium in your blood. Vitamin K promotes calcium accumulation in your bones while reducing its accumulation in soft tissues such as blood vessels.

How Do You Get Enough Vitamin K?

Vitamin K comes in many different forms, traditionally divided into two groups:

·       Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone): The most common form of vitamin K. It’s found in plants, notably leafy greens like kale and spinach.

·       Vitamin K2 (menaquinone): This form is much rarer in food and mainly found in animal-sourced food and fermented foods like natto.

·       Vitamin K2 is actually a large family of compounds, including menaquinone-4 (MK-4) and menaquinone-7 (MK-7).

·       MK-4: Found in animal-sourced foods like liver, fat, egg yolk and cheese.

·       MK-7: Formed by bacterial fermentation and found in fermented foods, such as natto, miso, and sauerkraut. It is also produced by your gut bacteria.

The current dietary recommendations do not distinguish between vitamin K1 and K2. For people aged 19 and older, the adequate intake is 90 mcg for women and 120 mcg for men.

The two charts below show the richest sources of vitamins K1 and K2, as well as the amounts these foods provide in a 100-gram serving.

Adding some of these foods to your daily diet would help you reach your requirements for vitamin K. Supplements are also widely available.

Since Vitamin K is fat-soluble, consuming it with fat can improve absorption.

For instance, you could add a little oil to your leafy greens or take your supplements with a meal that contains fat.

Fortunately, many foods rich in vitamin K2 are also rich in fat. These include cheese, egg yolks, and meat.

Do not take very high doses of vitamin K supplements before speaking with your doctor, as they may interact with certain medications.

Summary: Vitamin K1 is abundant in leafy, green vegetables, such as kale and spinach. Vitamin K2 is found in animal-sourced foods, such as liver, eggs and cheese, and fermented foods like natto.

The Bottom Line

Scientists are still investigating the functions of vitamins D and K.

They do not fully understand how they interact, but new pieces are gradually being added to the puzzle.

It’s clear that vitamin K benefits your heart and bones, but it’s unclear whether high-dose vitamin D supplements are harmful when you’re low in vitamin K.

Nevertheless, make sure to get adequate amounts of both vitamin D and K from your diet. Both of them are important.



source:Vitamin D and K