Diabetes treatment, for some people, remains a mystery. For so many years, people have been led to believe that diabetes has no cure; that once you were diagnosed as a diabetic, you are a diabetic for life.

Indeed, when you think about it a number of diabetes treatment options are geared towards the control of diabetes only. The right diet, regular exercise, diabetic medications or insulin injections are all aimed at regulating blood sugar levels. This means that even if you have to do this everyday, you are not going to get rid of your diabetes totally; the most that you can do is only to control it so it does not worsen.

Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to a host of problems, some of which are debilitating, if not deadly. The unfortunate thing is that that more and more people from all over the world are now confirmed diabetics, making diabetes a worldwide concern; thus the urgent need for the ultimate diabetes treatment.

Thankfully, there just may be, although the ultimate diabetes treatment may not happen very soon. New studies of alternative treatments for diabetes are providing glimmers of hope for diabetics. The stem cell therapy technology and inhaled insulin, for instance, are said to revolutionize diabetes treatment if ever they get approved for implementation.

Stem Cell Therapy

One diabetes treatment proposal is called the stem cell therapy. This form of diabetes treatment which will make use of viable cells injected with proteins to trigger an insulin response. This, however, is still on the developmental stages and is yet to be tested on humans; nonetheless, if all goes well, the stem cell therapy is certainly going to provide relief for diabetics as this can mean no more insulin injections.

Inhaled Insulin

Inhaled insulin is a proposed form of diabetes treatment that enables diabetics to inhale insulin in powdered form via an inhaler. Once inhaled, the insulin goes directly to the lungs and then distributed into the bloodstream.

Apparently, these proposed alternative diabetes treatment options require more studies, and more researches, and of course they have yet to be approved by the regulating bodies prior to implementation.

Another approach to diabetes treatment that is worth looking into is the use of herbal remedies. Actually, a lot of people these days are preferring to go natural, especially when it comes to health. Herbal remedies are safe and without side effects, unlike certain medicines.

A number of herbs and spices are said to work well against diabetes, among which are:

o Cinnamon - cinnamon is very powerful spice in regulating blood sugar levels. Accordingly, a dash a cinnamon can cause a significant drop in the blood sugar levels. Diabetics on medications are even advised to observe themselves closely for signs of hypoglycemia if ever they take cinnamon along with their regular diabetic medications.
o Garlic - garlic not only lowers blood sugar levels, it also improves circulation and immunity to diseases
o Bitter melon
o Fenugreek
o Ginseng tea
o Huckleberry - this is believed to increase production of insulin

These herbs and spices may be taken in different forms and preparations, but of course, it is always best to consult with your diabetologist or physician first before taking any of these.

By Diana Mortenson

For people with diabetic, they are sensitive to sodium as it can raise blood pressure and create problems in addition to their diabetic condition. Less sodium in the body can help to retain less water and less fluid in the blood vessels and allow the blood flow to apply less pressure on the body. Let us look at some ways people with diabetic can do to their diabetic plan to help improve blood pressure.

Always taste your food first before adding too much flavorings. If you find the food to bland, you can then sprinkle some salt or soy sauce for flavor. Try avoiding salt or salt by products as food seasonings. You can try other great flavorings such as pepper, herbs, lime juice or onion and garlic. If you buy seasoning from supermarket, try to get those salt free seasonings instead. Some seasonings like garlic salt contain lots of salt, so switch to garlic powder or fresh garlic for a healthier choice.

When eating out, ask for food to be prepared without or with little amount of salt, and ask for a sauce plate so that you can add flavor to your food by yourself instead.

When buying packaged or canned food, read the labels before you buy. Look for those with no salt added or low sodium products.

Usually, packaged food contains higher salt content. Natural food is definitely a better choice. However, we always have processed food as part of our diet. So what can we do to stay away from sodium and keep our diabetic diet healthy? The key is food label. Food labels can give you important information that can help you to pick the right food. Right now, most processed food has labels that show:

• Standard serving size.
• Calories and calories from fat in each serving.
• A list of nutrients and ingredients in the food.
• The recommended daily amounts of nutrients in the food.
• The relationship between the food and any disease it may affect.
• For instance, some food is not recommended for children use.

For some food, you have a choice of different brand. By comparing the information on the labels, you can choose the brand that is healthier and more suitable for your diabetic diet plan to keep your blood pressure down. Food label information helps you to keep track of the amount of nutrients, salt, and fats you are eating every day, and this information is very important to a healthy diabetic diet plan.

So, start making the necessarily changes to your eating habits and take action to watch what you eat. Even with diabetic, you too can live healthily.

1200 - 1600 Calorie Diabetic Diet Plan
The basic principle behind a calorie controlled diabetic diet is of course controlling your daily calorie intake. A 1200-1600 calorie diet is based around consuming no more than those calories per day. The benefits of these diabetic diets is that they give you the opportunity to control your sugar levels in your blood stream, this in turn will give you better control over your weight and reduce any heart complaints. The 1200-1600 daily calorie diets are aimed at small women who exercise, small or medium-sized women who want to lose weight, and medium women who do not exercise much. The key to any calorie controlled diabetic diet is Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates is the main source of Glucose or sugar, this is also your body's main source of energy. A 1200-1600 calorie diabetic diet works on controlling your intake of fat, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

One gram of carbohydrates equals four calories.
There is no big secret to these diabetic diet plans other than eating a healthy balanced diet. A diabetic controlled diet is all to do with maintaining a balance of carbohydrates, fat and protein that you consume in your 1200 - 1600 calorie plan. For diabetics it is advised to break your meals into 4 to 6 small snacks and meals.

• 6 serving of starches
• 2 servings of milk and yoghurt
• 3 servings of vegetables
• 2 servings of meat or meat substitute
• 2 servings of fruit
• Up to 3 servings of fats
  

The above gives you a guide for portioning suggested from each food grouping. Sticking to your 1200-1600 calorie diet plan is essential because any excess calorie intake may increase your body fat.

To aid your success you could pack your foods the night before - ensuring you have your fresh foods maid already. Keep your food simple to start, just start by calorie counting and progress from there. Try eating you foods a little slower and avoid foods that have a high calorie and fat content.