Diabetes is more of a lifestyle statement than a disease. It controls us only when we’re no longer in control over it. It is one disease that can be managed with some common sense, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and an active lifestyle. Very often, unless you are on the extreme end of the scale and need insulin injections, you can lead a normal life without medication of any kind if your blood sugar levels remain within the allowed boundaries and don’t fluctuate too much.

If you’re a diabetic or even prone to diabetes because of your family history and your sedentary lifestyle, you need to adhere to certain principles in order to prevent your organs from becoming affected. Diabetes has been proved to cause damage to your liver and bring on kidney failure. When unmanaged and out of control, it also affects your eyes and your feet. Your blood sugar levels fluctuate wildly and you’re prone to hypoglycemia when they’re really low. Your chances of suffering a stroke or a heart attack are very high when you’re a diabetic. And to cap it all, you’re prone to hypertension and high cholesterol as well.

It’s easy to manage diabetes by following a diet that’s low in sugar and carbohydrates and rich in vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients. You also need to exercise at a moderate intensity for around half an hour every day. Besides these, you must take any medication prescribed and also get your blood sugar levels checked regularly to ensure that there are no fluctuations.

A few herbs have been proven effective in helping to bring down your blood sugar levels, like:

· Camellia Sinensis: or green tea as it is commonly known, is an effective fighter against diabetes. Studies show that it is capable of bringing down blood sugar levels after just four weeks of consumption. Both black and green teas have properties that help regulate your body glucose. Besides, they have also been shown to prevent the development of Type I diabetes and also slow down its progression once you’re affected.

· Gymnema Sylvestre: The leaf of this plant, which grows in tropical climates, has been proven to be effective in bringing down blood sugar levels in diabetics. It also helps reduce cholesterol and fat levels in your blood. Research at the University of Madras in India has proved that ingesting 400 mgs of dried gymnema extracts every day may help in repairing and regenerating the pancreas’ beta cells which are important for the production and secretion of insulin. GS4, a water soluble extract of the leaves of this plant, helps reduce insulin dependency and fasting blood glucose.

Caution: Do not change your medication or take new drugs and supplements without consulting your medical practitioner.

Visit Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of MRI Technician certification at her blog MRI Tech’s Health Blog.