Diabetes has been around for millennia and it has only been recently that doctors and scientists have been able to develop medications to control the symptoms by lowering the average blood sugar. Before that, those with symptoms of diabetes needed to rely on holistic practitioners to help them stay healthy.

Nowadays, people with type 2 diabetes have a choice between conventional medicine and holistic medicine to manage the symptoms and complications of this complex disease.

Holistic practitioners take a holistic approach in treating patients, and in a partnership fashion with those patients attempt to use any and all available and safe treatments to restore the patient to wellness, including, mind, body and soul. Continue reading →

The diagnosis of diabetes can be a hard one and something you may not have expected. You know there will have to be changes in your lifestyle if you are to remain healthy. Here are some things you should know about the lifestyle choices that are critical to manage type 2 diabetes:

Take a Hard Look at Your Weight

Not everyone with diabetes is overweight but many of them are, especially those with type 2 diabetes. This means seeing a nutritionist or a doctor and determining the appropriate weight for you and setting that as your goal. Look into any number of the many locally- or nationally-based weight loss programs. You can work with your doctor to come up with a weight loss program you can stick with.

See a Nutritionist

This can become something you do regularly or just in the beginning of your diagnosis. You can get some great written materials and can take notes on how you will begin your eating life as a diabetic.

Begin to Eat Foods with a Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a measure of how fast a type of food raises blood sugar. Some foods have a lot of sucrose or plain sugar in them and raise the blood sugar very fast. This causes a great spike in the blood sugar and is not healthy for diabetics especially. Low glycemic index foods gradually let your body adjust to the slowly rising blood sugar. You can get a list of the glycemic index of foods from the nutritionist or at a bookstore. Continue reading →