Lower your blood sugar with huckleberry tea!

It’s long been known that keeping your insulin sensitivity high, so your tissues can easily absorb this sugar- controlling hormone, helps keep your blood sugar steady, a key to cutting your risk of Type 2 diabetes. And thanks to a dozen studies, it’s now known that it also cuts your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia 45%! How? By keeping your arteries and immune system in tiptop shape. To naturally boost your insulin sensitivity, experts advise:

● Fueling up in the a.m.

Eating breakfast switches on enzymes that heighten insulin sensitivity— and blood-sugar control—in about a week. Yet two in three of us are too busy for morning meals! The fix: a quick 100-calorie snack, such as a slice of cheese or a tablespoon of peanut butter, which studies show revs insulin sensitivity as effectively as a hearty breakfast!

● Sipping huckleberry tea

Drink three cups of this fruity brew daily, and your risk of high blood sugar and insulin resistance will fall 20%. Credit goes to a huckleberry compound that energizes and nourishes your insulin-producing pancreas.

● Supplementing with D-3

A daily 3,000-IU dose of vitamin D-3 cuts the odds of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes 50%, reports the journal Diabetes Care. D-3 helps shuttle insulin and blood sugar into the muscle cells that need it, says study coauthor Maria Petersen, PH.D. Important: Check with an M.D. before starting any supplement.

● Cooking with cumin

It’s a Tex-mex staple— and powerful medicine, too! In fact, cumin is so effective at revving insulin sensitivity, consuming just 1/4 tsp. daily can cut your bloodsugar level 22 points, say British scientists. Try adding ground cumin to meat rubs, stews, stirfries, bean dishes and even guacamole!

● Feasting on fish

Enjoying 12 oz. of fish weekly will cut your risk of insulin resistance 33%, according to a 20-year study in Diabetes Care. The combination of protein, healthy fats and minerals in fish helps your pancreas produce insulin— and encourage your cells to use it, explains study author Jyrki Virtanen, PH.D.