17 tips to cure diabetes fast

It's no secret that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in the United States and around the world. But if you've been diagnosed with diabetes, there's a lot you can do to improve your health — and the best place to start is likely by making some changes to your lifestyle.

“Basic principles of good health like eating right, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight can be as effective as medicine in the management of type 2 diabetes for most people,” says Sue McLaughlin, RD, CDE, lead medical nutrition therapist at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. That's backed up by the Look AHEAD study, a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The researchers found that over a four-year period, changes like eating a healthier diet and getting more exercise led to weight loss and improved diabetes control in 5,000 overweight or obese participants with type 2 diabetes.

A December 2016 review in Diabetologia similarly found through 28 studies that participants who were able to achieve about 150 minutes per week of moderate activity lowered their risk of type 2 diabetes by 26 percent compared with nonactive participants.

If you're ready to make positive changes to help control diabetes, here's how to get started.

1. Improve Your Diet to Help You Treat Type 2 Diabetes Naturally

Keeping close tabs on your diet is a major way to help manage type 2 diabetes. A healthy diet for people with type 2 diabetes includes fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy. Focus on eating fruit and non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, and lettuce, and having smaller portions of starchy foods, meats, and dairy products. Be especially careful about loading up on foods that are high on the glycemic index (GI) and especially the glycemic load (GL), systems that rank foods according to how they affect glucose levels.

“High glycemic index foods are going to be primarily processed foods,” says Lori Chong, RD, CDE, at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Those processed foods tend to have more white sugar and flour in them, which are higher on the GI, she says. Foods lower on the GI include vegetables, especially non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, and leafy greens and whole-grain products, such as brown rice (as opposed to white rice), Chong says. She notes that even many fruits are low on the GI, with pineapple and dried fruit being some of the highest (Berries, apples, and pears tend to be fairly low.)

Limit fast food, too, as these eats contain trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and loads of sodium, which can be especially unhealthy for people with type 2 diabetes due to their effect on the heart and body weight.

To help you avoid or limit fast food, Chong recommends planning ahead by packing healthy meals or snacks. Diabetes-friendly snack ideas include a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, and yogurt. Also, if you absolutely must stop at a fast-food restaurant, steer clear of anything that’s deep-fried — such as french fries, chicken nuggets, and breaded fish or chicken, Chong says.

2. Lose Weight — Especially Belly Fat — to Help Lower Glucose Levels

Shedding pounds can improve blood sugar levels and help keep type 2 diabetes under control. And you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to make a difference. “If you already have type 2 diabetes, losing just 10 to 15 pounds can lower your glucose levels,” says McLaughlin.

In fact, the CDC notes that losing just 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. So, if you’re 200 pounds, aiming to lose about 10 to 14 pounds might help you prevent prediabetes from progressing to full-blown type 2 diabetes or help halt the advancement of type 2 diabetes if you’ve already been diagnosed.

Where your fat is distributed also affects your diabetes risk and management. People who carry most of their fat in their belly (referred to as having an apple-shaped body) are more prone to type 2 diabetes than those with fat mostly in the thighs, hips, and buttocks (having a pear-shaped body).

“The abdominal fat tends to increase insulin resistance,” Chong explains. “Insulin resistance is really the heart of the problem with type 2 diabetes.”

A woman whose waist measures more than 35 inches and a man with a 40-inch waist need to lose weight for good diabetes management regardless of what their body mass index (BMI) may be, says McLaughlin, adding that a healthy diet and regular aerobic exercise will whittle away weight in the stomach area.

3. Exercise Regularly as Part of Your Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Plan

Even without losing a pound, you can help keep type 2 diabetes under control with exercise.

“When you do physical activity, such as walking, your muscle contractions push glucose out of your blood into your cells,” explains McLaughlin. The result: better blood sugar levels.

The more intense the exercise, the better. According to the British diabetes association diabetes.co.uk, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be better for weight loss and glucose control than continuous aerobic activity like jogging. HIIT involves alternating between short bursts of increased intensity exercise and rest — for instance, running and then walking on and off throughout the workout.

Regular weightlifting sessions can also help keep blood sugar levels steady. McLaughlin recommends using hand weights or resistance bands for 30 minutes two or three times a week. The CDC recommends getting at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity, which comes out to about 30 minutes a day, five times a week.

4. Control Sleep Apnea to Help Manage Blood Sugar Spikes and Dips

Many overweight people with type 2 diabetes also have sleep apnea, a condition in which a person stops breathing temporarily while sleeping. In fact, a study published in 2013 in Family Medicine suggests that as many as one in two people with type 2 diabetes may have or be at high risk for sleep apnea, many of whom are undiagnosed.

People with type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea are at higher risk of death from diabetes complications such as heart attack and stroke.

Chong points to previous research in Circulation that describes the underlying mechanisms of sleep apnea. In people with sleep apnea, activation of the sympathetic nervous system — including increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and constriction of blood vessels — all led to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, which can be compounded in people who have type 2 diabetes (and thus already have a higher risk of heart disease).

“It’s a whole cascade of events, and no one is really sure what comes first,” Chong says.

Severe cases of sleep apnea may need to be treated with surgery or by wearing a special device while sleeping, but less severe cases can be managed by losing weight. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you may have sleep apnea — loud snoring, a large neck, and being overweight are all risk factors.

5. Make Sure Your Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Includes Stress Management

Poorly managed stress can make blood sugar levels harder to control, says McLaughlin. Try using relaxation techniques to chase away stress. Top-notch stress busters for diabetes include yoga, tai chi, meditation, massage, and soothing music.

As a bonus, stress relief may help you sleep better, which is important because studies show that not getting enough sleep can worsen type 2 diabetes. Sleeping less than six hours a night has also been found to contribute to impaired glucose tolerance, a condition that often precedes type 2 diabetes. In fact, a review published in 2015 in Diabetes Care analyzed 10 studies that involved more than 18,000 participants combined and found the lowest risk of type 2 diabetes in the group of participants that slept seven to eight hours per day. That’s the minimum recommended amount of sleep for most adults, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

6. Choose Foods With a Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index was developed to assess the body's blood sugar response to foods that contain carbs (29).

Both the amount and type of carbs determine how a food affects blood sugar levels (30, 31).

Eating low-glycemic-index foods has been shown to reduce long-term blood sugar levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetics (32, 33).

Although the glycemic index of foods is important, the amount of carbs consumed also matters (34, 35).

Foods with a low glycemic index include seafood, meat, eggs, oats, barley, beans, lentils, legumes, sweet potatoes, corn, yams, most fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

BOTTOM LINE:It's important to choose foods with a low glycemic index and watch your overall carb intake.

7. Control Stress Levels

Stress can affect your blood sugar levels (36, 37).

Hormones such as glucagon and cortisol are secreted during stress. These hormones cause blood sugar levels to go up (38, 39).

One study showed that exercise, relaxation and meditation significantly reduced stress and lowered blood sugar levels for students (40).

Exercises and relaxation methods like yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction can also correct insulin secretion problems in chronic diabetes (40, 41, 42, 43, 44).

BOTTOM LINE:Controlling stress levels through exercise or relaxation methods such as yoga will help you control blood sugars.

8. Monitor Your Blood Sugar Levels

"What gets measured gets managed."

Measuring and monitoring blood glucose levels can also help you control them.

For example, keeping track helps you determine whether you need to make adjustments in meals or medications (31).

It will also help you find out how your body reacts to certain foods (45, 46).

Try measuring your levels every day, and keeping track of the numbers in a log.

BOTTOM LINE:Checking your sugars and maintaining a log every day will help you adjust foods and medications to decrease your sugar levels.

9. Get Enough Quality Sleep

Getting enough sleep feels great and is necessary for good health (47).

Poor sleeping habits and a lack of rest also affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. They can increase appetite and promote weight gain (48, 49).

Sleep deprivation decreases the release of growth hormones and increases cortisol levels. Both of these play an important role in blood sugar control (47, 50, 51).

Furthermore, good sleep is about both quantity and quality. It is best to get a sufficient amount of high-quality sleep every night (49).

BOTTOM LINE:Good sleep helps maintain blood sugar control and promote a healthy weight. Poor sleep can disrupt important metabolic hormones.

10. Eat Foods Rich in Chromium and Magnesium

High blood sugar levels and diabetes have also been linked to micronutrient deficiencies (31, 52).

Examples include deficiencies in the minerals chromium and magnesium.

Chromium is involved in carb and fat metabolism. It also helps control blood sugar levels, and a lack of chromium may predispose you to carb intolerance (53, 54, 55).

However, the mechanisms behind this are not completely known. Studies also report mixed findings.

Two studies of diabetes patients showed that chromium had benefits for long-term blood sugar control. However, another study showed no benefits (55, 56, 57).

Chromium-rich foods include egg yolks, whole-grain products, high-bran cereals, coffee, nuts, green beans, broccoli and meat.

Magnesium has also been shown to benefit blood sugar levels, and magnesium deficiency has been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes (31, 58, 59).

In one study, people with the highest magnesium intake had a 47% lower risk of becoming diabetic (60).

However, if you already eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods, then you probably will not benefit from supplements (61).

Magnesium-rich foods include dark leafy greens, whole grains, fish, dark chocolate, bananas, avocados and beans.

BOTTOM LINE:Eating foods rich in chromium and magnesium on a regular basis can help prevent deficiencies and reduce blood sugar problems.

11. Try Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has many benefits for your health.

It promotes lower fasting blood sugar levels, possibly by decreasing its production by the liver or increasing its use by cells (62, 63, 64).

What's more, studies show that vinegar significantly influences your body's response to sugars and improves insulin sensitivity (63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69).

To incorporate apple cider vinegar into your diet, you can add it to salad dressings or mix 2 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water.

However, it's important to check with your doctor before taking apple cider vinegar if you are already taking medications that lower blood sugar.

BOTTOM LINE:Adding apple cider vinegar to your diet can help your body in many ways, including reducing blood sugar levels.

12. Experiment With Cinnamon Extract

Cinnamon is known to have many health benefits.

For one, it has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity by decreasing insulin resistance at the cellular level (70, 71).

Studies show cinnamon can also lower blood sugar levels by up to 29% (72, 73, 74).

It slows the breakdown of carbs in the digestive tract, which moderates the rise in blood sugar after a meal (75, 76).

Cinnamon also acts in a similar way as insulin, although at a much slower rate (77).

An effective dose is 1–6 grams of cinnamon per day, or about 0.5–2 teaspoons (78).

However, definitely don't take more than that since too much cinnamon can be harmful.

BOTTOM LINE:Cinnamon has been shown to reduce fasting blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.

13. Try Berberine

Berberine is the active component of a Chinese herb that's been used to treat diabetes for thousands of years.

Berberine has been shown to help lower blood sugar and enhance the breakdown of carbs for energy (79, 80, 81).

What's more, berberine may be as effective as some blood sugar lowering drugs. This makes it one of the most effective supplements for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes (79, 82).

However, many of the mechanisms behind its effects are still unknown (81, 83).

Additionally, it may have some side effects. Diarrhea, constipation, flatulence and abdominal pain have been reported (84).

A common dosage protocol is 1,500 mg per day, taken before meals as 3 doses of 500 mg.

You can read more about this impressive supplement here: Berberine - The World's Most Effective Supplement?

BOTTOM LINE:Berberine works well for lowering blood sugar levels and can help manage diabetes. However, it may have some digestive side effects.

14. Eat Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek seeds are a great source of soluble fiber, which can help control blood sugar levels.

Many studies have shown that fenugreek can effectively lower blood sugar in diabetics. It also helps reduce fasting glucose and improve glucose tolerance (85, 86, 87, 88).

Although not that popular, fenugreek can easily be added to baked goods to help treat diabetes. You can also make fenugreek flour or brew it into tea (89).

Fenugreek seeds are also considered one of the safest herbs for diabetes (87, 88).

The recommended dose of fenugreek seeds is 2–5 grams per day.

15. Control Your Carb Intake

Your body breaks carbs down into sugars (mostly glucose), and then insulin moves the sugars into cells.

When you eat too many carbs or have problems with insulin function, this process fails and blood glucose levels rise.

However, there are several things you can do about this.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends controlling carb intake by counting carbs or using a food exchange system (3).

Some studies find that these methods can also help you plan your meals appropriately, which may further improve blood sugar control (4, 5).

Many studies also show that a low-carb diet helps reduce blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes (6, 7, 8, 9).

What's more, a low-carb diet can help control blood sugar levels in the long run (10).

You can read more in this article on healthy low-carb eating with diabetes.

BOTTOM LINE:Carbs are broken down into glucose, which raises blood sugar levels. Reducing carbohydrate intake can help with blood sugar control.

16. Increase Your Fiber Intake

Fiber slows carb digestion and sugar absorption. For these reasons, it promotes a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels.

Furthermore, the type of fiber you eat may play a role.

There are two kinds of fiber: insoluble and soluble. While both are important, soluble fiber specifically has been shown to lower blood sugar levels (11, 12, 13).

Additionally, a high-fiber diet can help manage type 1 diabetes by improving blood sugar control and reducing blood sugar lows (13, 14).

Foods that are high in fiber include vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.

The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. That's about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories (15).

BOTTOM LINE:Eating plenty of fiber can help with blood sugar control, and soluble dietary fiber is the most effective.

17. Drink Water and Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water may help you keep your blood sugar levels within healthy limits.

In addition to preventing dehydration, it helps your kidneys flush out the excess blood sugar through urine.

One observational study showed that those who drank more water had a lower risk of developing high blood sugar levels (16).

Drinking water regularly re-hydrates the blood, lowers blood sugar levels and reduces diabetes risk (16, 17, 18, 19)

Keep in mind that water and other non-caloric beverages are best. Sugar-sweetened drinks raise blood glucose, drive weight gain and increase diabetes risk (20, 21).

BOTTOM LINE:Staying hydrated can reduce blood sugar levels and help prevent diabetes. Water is best.

18. Implement Portion Control

Portion control helps regulate calorie intake and can lead to weight loss (22, 23, 24).

Consequently, controlling your weight promotes healthy blood sugar levels and has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28).

Monitoring your serving sizes also helps reduce calorie intake and subsequent blood sugar spikes (23, 24).

Here are some helpful tips for controlling portions:

• Measure and weigh portions.
• Use smaller plates.
• Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants.
• Read food labels and check the serving sizes.
• Keep a food journal.
• Eat slowly.

BOTTOM LINE:

The more control you have over your serving sizes the better control you will have over your blood sugar levels.