Here are 3 ways to control your blood sugar that will probably surprise you…
And they’re so bizarre no one else out there is talking about them (including most doctors).
1) Acupuncture
The first time I ever witnessed the power of acupuncture was probably when I was in high school.
My dad had severe lower back pain from a pinched nerve. Excruciating!
I’m talking, he could barely walk.
He tried everything. He would use those heated rubs like Ben-gay like it was going out of style. With little success.
Then one day someone suggested acupuncture.
I never forget my father’s response. He was skeptical, but it’s like when your drowning… you take a life vest if someone throws it to you.
So he gave it a try.
Not only did his back pain get better, it went away completely. Now he’s been back pain free for years.
Acupuncture has been used in China for over 2000 years. In diabetes the effects of acupuncture can be seen after 25 treatments and type 2 diabetics tend to do better than type 1 diabetics in studies.
2) Biofeedback
Biofeedback has been used to train people to relax and reduce stress.
This is done through imagery, and peaceful images for controlling diseases like diabetes.
Another component is muscle relaxation to tense and relax certain muscle groups with deep breathing and mental imagery.
I’ve been a firm believer in mental imagery since my college sports days. I would visualize my performance on the court before I would play games and create the deja vu effect when I played.
It was a great feeling.
In studies, biofeedback was shown to reduce stress management and lower A1C by .5%.
A half of a percent drop in A1C? Not bad for mind of body techniques. 🙂
And last but not least…
3) Yoga
This is probably my favorite. I have done yoga for years and I swear by it. It’s fun once you get the hang of it.
Yoga originated in India and is practiced worldwide. It has been shown to also improve muscle strength and flexibility (this was a big one for me).
In small studies yoga has been shown to improve glycemic control.
The “how” is not well understood, but similar to the other two I mentioned, reducing stress and improved blood flow has a lot to do with it I’m sure.