Best times to take herbs/spices to manage blood sugars

[gman12]

I was diagnosed as type 2 a few months ago, my fasting was 120. I told my doctor i wanted to make changes to my lifestyle and add alternative medicine to manage it. She was respective of it and told me to monitor the sugar closely and to come back in 3 months if it doesn't come down or rises. Thankfully i have managed to get my average fasting blood sugar to 80-115 and have lost 15lbs. my biggest issue right now is the spike after i eat,. Just a few minutes after eating, my blood sugar shoots high as 180. but once the garlic kicks in, it drops down to anywhere between 80-130.

After researching online some of the spices i take, i may be taking them at the wrong times and that some may benefit me if i take an hour before meals (such as ginger). I take Ginger, Turmeric, Garlic, Cinnamon, bilberry, Zinc, Taurine, & Fish oil. I usually take bilberry, zinc, taurine in the mornings, garlic during meals, and ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, & fish oil at bed time.

Which of these are best to take before meals (how long before meal, 1hr, 2hr, 3hr? )and which are best to take during meals, after meals, and which are best to take at night for a lower fasting? Please feel free to add other spices/herbs, vitamins that may be beneficial.

Thanks!

gman

 

[Brunneria]

I'm curious why you are taking herbs and spices to correct blood glucose spikes, instead of adjusting what you eat, to prevent the spikes from happening in the first place?

That wasn't a criticism - I'm genuinely interested.

It seemed common sense, in my situation, to eliminate the spiking foods, which I do by eating low carb, and controlling the portions on what carbs I do eat.

Also, what evidence do you have that it is garlic which is reducing your BG spike? My BG will rise and fall after eating certain foods, whether I eat garlic, or not.

 

[jack412]

this site should be a help too
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

 

[sally and james]

gman12's post reminded me of a story told to me by a young, unmarried, female friend in the early 1970's. She had been to her elderly male GP to ask about contraceptives. (for those of you who are young, this was a pretty shocking thing to do, way back then) The advice she was given was to drink a glass of water - not before hand, not afterwards, but instead of.
Perhaps the same logic should be applied to the garlic and a carb rich meal?
Sally

 

[gman12]

I'm curious why you are taking herbs and spices to correct blood glucose spikes, instead of adjusting what you eat, to prevent the spikes from happening in the first place?

That wasn't a criticism - I'm genuinely interested.

It seemed common sense, in my situation, to eliminate the spiking foods, which I do by eating low carb, and controlling the portions on what carbs I do eat.

Also, what evidence do you have that it is garlic which is reducing your BG spike? My BG will rise and fall after eating certain foods, whether I eat garlic, or not.

It has been mainly a trial to see what helps and doesn't.

I'm curious why you are taking herbs and spices to correct blood glucose spikes, instead of adjusting what you eat, to prevent the spikes from happening in the first place?

That wasn't a criticism - I'm genuinely interested.

It seemed common sense, in my situation, to eliminate the spiking foods, which I do by eating low carb, and controlling the portions on what carbs I do eat.

Also, what evidence do you have that it is garlic which is reducing your BG spike? My BG will rise and fall after eating certain foods, whether I eat garlic, or not.

I have changed my diet greatly and have lost weight., but i struggle to find a way to slow digestion, which causes my spike. taking certain herbs before meals can help slow digestion, such as fenugreek. the key is to take herbs like that to prevent spikes and to increase the body's balancing effect on blood sugar after eating. It is hard to find information on what spices is good to take before meals and how long before eating a meal. It takes months for the body to adjust to changes and the blood sugar spike after meals has been a struggle for me. If i find a way to manage that, even with herbs, my body will learn to adjust to balancing blood sugar after meals as i lose more weight. I have had a lot of success but i want to be more aggressive on the blood sugar spikes after meals. There are times it only gets to 130 an hour after a meal, but there are times it is 160 an hour after eating.

I know for certain garlic extract lowers my blood sugar is because tested many times when i was experimenting with different spices/herbs. Garlic did a much better job lowering blood sugars for me than cinnamon after meals (but it doesn't help with sugar spikes or fasting)

 

[Brunneria]

So you must be eating exactly the same things, in exactly the same quantities, every time you test? Yes?

And what are the carbs that are causing these BG spikes? My experience is that my body reacts very differently to root vegetables than it does to grains.

I really don't see how eating carbs and herbs makes more sense than simply not eating the carbs in the first place.

 

[Indy51]

The site GreenMedInfo has a lot of information regarding natural therapies, so perhaps it may be of help:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/