Many of us battle our weight and are looking for ways to help control our weight easily and more naturally, helping us to avoid weight related health problems. One of the most serious weight related health complications is diabetes. And, while it's likely that we'll never find a magic pill, it is becoming more evident that there are ways to help improve our chances of both losing weight and controlling Type II diabetes.

Type II diabetes is a disease in which the body does not properly use insulin, the hormone that converts sugar and other food into energy. This results in a higher than normal level of blood glucose in the body.

Doctors are not entirely sure what causes diabetes, but being overweight and sedentary is definitely a contributor, as is family history. Today, about 20.8 million people in the US have diabetes. Nearly one third of these people don't realize they have the disease. In addition, about 54 million people are pre-diabetic, meaning their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

To help control diabetes or a pre-diabetic condition naturally, it's important to help keep blood glucose levels stable. Losing weight can help regulate blood glucose levels, but, losing weight the right way may help us lower our glucose levels even before we've lost a lot of weight.

One of the most important principles to helping lose weight and lowering blood sugar at the same time is exercise. Exercise burns off the excess glucose in our blood, having an immediate effect on our glucose levels. But, it also helps burn calories, which helps shed weight. In addition, the right kind of exercise can help build muscle, which helps you to burn more calories all the time.

Another important aspect to helping control weight and blood sugar is your diet. Going on a low calorie diet to lose weight is not enough if you want to stabilize your blood sugar. The kinds of foods you eat are just as important as the number of calories you consume. For example, eating 1500 calories a day made up of lean protein, whole grains, vegetables and fruits is far better for your blood sugar than eating 1500 calories made up from white bread, soda with sugar and white flour pasta.

It's critical to minimize sugar and simple carbohydrates when controlling blood sugar. And, this will automatically help you lose weight, too. Foods that contain white flour and sugar are harder for your body to process and make your blood sugar levels sky rocket. In addition, they don't keep you feeling full for very long, so you'll likely consume more calories in a day.

On the other hand, eating lots of lean protein along with fresh fruits and vegetables, along with limiting bread and bread products to those made only from whole grains can help you feel more satisfied on fewer calories and keep your blood sugar stable as well as protecting your health while you lose weight.

Another Little Known Secret

Another way to help keep your blood sugar levels stable and help control your weight is to drink tea. In study after study, tea has been shown to help regulate blood sugar and speed up the metabolism. So, adding a few cups a day of tea to your diet may be a simple and effective way to promote weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels.

One article reported in the UK Tea Council talked about the various studies that have linked tea with weight and diabetes control. The important ingredient seems to be EGCG, a powerful anti-oxidant. Study after study has shown that EGCG has many healthy benefits.

Anti-oxidants are important because they fight the free radicals that our bodies create as we process our food. These free radicals can cause cell damage and lead to disease if we don't keep them in check. A diet rich in anti-oxidants, such as those found in fruits and vegetables, helps keep the free radicals from taking over.

But EGCG, the most potent anti-oxidant in green tea, may be one of the most powerful of all. Green tea has a higher level of EGCG and contains this anti-oxidant in its most natural state because it has not been fermented during processing. Black tea, which is fermented, is still healthy, but doesn't prove to have quite the disease fighting properties that you get from green tea.

This same EGCG that fights disease also seems to regulate blood sugar, and this may help control diabetes and help promote weight loss. In addition, green tea is thought to speed up the metabolism, making it even more beneficial for weight loss.

So, as you can see, there are really two major steps to controlling weight and blood sugar - diet and exercise. Proper eating habits and physical activity are the most important things you can do to protect your body from weight related health concerns. And, don't forget your cup of green tea to go along with that healthy diet. It may be the easiest healthy thing you do all day!