Eat, Drink, and Make Your Blood Sugar Merry

All those holiday leftovers and New Year's party plates can do a real number on your blood sugar. But here's a drink that may help fix that: chamomile tea.

There just might be something in chamomile that not only helps keep blood sugar stable but also guards against the damage high blood sugar can do.

A Floral Phenomenon
The flower-infused brew is already credited with being a catchall of remedy powers -- easing anxiety, menstrual cramps, insomnia, and skin problems. The newest potential benefit of chamomile was uncovered during animal research. Extracts of chamomile helped steady blood sugar and also guarded against enzymes involved in diabetes complications. More studies are needed to see if chamomile tea does the same for blood sugar in humans. But we already know that drinking tea is one of the best health habits around -- so it won't hurt if you're drinking chamomile ahead of the curve. (Find out all the things that chamomile is used for.)

Coffee -- along with these other foods -- may also help lower your blood sugar.

Blood Sugar Basics
When you're looking for proven blood sugar control techniques, start with a balanced, portion-controlled diet that's rich in fiber, veggies, and fruit and low in processed foods and sugars -- like this healthful eating plan. Then rev it up with these four easy tweaks:

1. Eat more spinach. Here's how it helps.
2. Keep this staple in your kitchen.
3. Eat more peanut butter. Here's how much you need.
4. Ditch white potatoes in favor of these.

What's your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Find out with this quiz.

Protective effects of dietary chamomile tea on diabetic complications. Kato, A. et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2008 Sep 10;56(17):8206-8211.