Can going natural really cure diabetes? The role of natural foods and supplements continue to be debated among the diabetic community.
For some, a raw food diet or green tea supplement plan can mean increased energy and stable glucose levels.
However, critics believe the natural cure fad sends the wrong message to diabetics, encouraging them to forfeit their medication.
Like most things in this world, the raw food diet and green tea possess pros and cons.
Now, you might be wondering what qualifies as a raw diet.
Well, a raw diet means that 75% of your food cannot be cooked.
The motive behind this is that cooking destroys valuable nutrients.
Obviously, processed and junk foods possess less nutritional benefits than uncooked vegetables and fruits.
A raw food diet is known to reduce the risk of many diseases and conditions.
Diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are just a few.
In addition to reducing serious health concerns, a raw food diet can improve your energy dramatically.
This diet is made up of mostly fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Raw food enthusiasts encourage eating strictly organic.
In order to be certified organic, your fruits and vegetables must be grown in soil without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides.
Unfortunately, organic is substantially more expensive than natural fruits and vegetables.
Regardless of organic or not, fruits and vegetables are vital to the raw food diet.
Nuts also play a large role.
On the other hand, dairy does not play a role in the diet because it comes from a processed source.
Almond milk is a good substitute for milk.
When preparing meals, most raw foodies use a blender and dehydrator.
Although living on a raw food diet offers several benefits, there are drawbacks.
First, a raw food diet can lack enough protein and calcium.
For this reason, it is important to eat the vegetables, fruits, and nuts that are packed with protein and calcium.
What's another downside? The diet is a tad inconvenient because it prohibits the consumption of any processed food; however, the benefits appear to outweigh the negatives.
It is important to realize that going raw is not simply a diet, but it is a drastic change in lifestyle.
It is best to slowly integrate raw food principles in your current diet before deciding to go completely raw.
So, is the raw food diet really worth? Yes and no.
Just like so many other diet plans, the raw food diet has an upside and downside.
You can best decide whether or not the diet is for you because only you know your commitment to partaking in a healthier lifestyle.
Green tea is another natural food that has been linked to successfully controlling diabetes by reducing blood glucose.
Green tea is full of antioxidants that fight free radicals.
Although inexpensive to purchase, in order to gain the full benefits of green tea one must drink 5 cups per day.
Consulting your doctor before starting a new dietary plan is especially important for those with diabetes.
Your physician will be the best person to discuss the benefits and risks when beginning a new regime.
Regardless of how amazing you may feel, it is important to keep taking your diabetes medication and ordering your free diabetic test strips so that you can continue to check your levels on a daily basis.