Now this is a big problem in a society. More and more people are being diagnosed with this insidious disease. This is not something to be taken lightly at all. It is the leading cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and new blindness in adults. It also contributes to heart disease and stroke.
It is easy to be a bit ho-hum about diabetes, as so many people now have it and they seem to mange quite alright. But it is a serious health problem that you are best to avoid.
If you have any family history of diabetes you need to be aware of this and keep it in the back of you mind. Don’t be complacent about. Avoiding diabetes is a case of keeping yourself fit and healthy. Studies have proven that regular exercise and a healthy diet will reduce your risk of contracting this by around 60%.
Exercising 3-5 times a week is a good goal. As we get older we do become a bit complacent about exercising. But we have to consider it a necessary part of life, just as we get up in the morning, have a shower, brush our teeth, we have to exercise. It has to become part of our daily routine.
A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables is a good basis for everyone. Of course that is not enough, but that needs to be the basis on what we eat. Think fruit and veg first, and then add to that, not the other way round. Fruit is an ideal way to satisfy that sweet tooth. Forget about the artificial sweeteners, you wouldn’t believe the long list of health problems they can cause. (If you feel you really need a sweetener, try Xylitol or Stevia, they are natural and actually have some health benefits. Research indicates that Stevia effectively regulates blood sugar and brings it toward a normal balance.)
Still have an insatiable desire for sweets?
There is an herb called Gymnema sylvestre that can really help eliminate your taste for sweets. (Email me for more info.) It also lowers fasting blood glucose levels and helps improve the health of the pancreas.
EFT offers helps for dealing with sugar cravings, click to learn more.
Now I’ve discussed before all the wonderful health properties of Essential Fatty Acids for just about everything. Here they seem to be important as well. It was noted that although Eskimos are essentially, to our standards, obese, these people do not suffer from heart disease or diabetes. Although their diet may be low in fresh fruit and veg, it is extremely high in Essential fatty acids, which they get from all the fish they eat. Studies have backed this up. It appears that the EFA’s work by improving sensitivity of insulin receptors.
There also appears to be some link between reduced insulin production and Alzheimer’s. Diabetes increases your risk of Alzheimer’s by 65%.
Now, I don’t want to freak people with diabetes out, but this is something that you must take very seriously. You must take care of your self. Don’t mess with this. There is a tendency for those on diabetes medication to use this to “prop” up their bad diet. If they eat some sugar laden food and their “sugars” go through the roof, they just take more medication. This is not good. If this is done of a regular basis, the situation is just going to get worse. The medication pushes the already struggling pancreas to produce more insulin. There is a limit to what it can do and eventually all the medication in the world won’t work. Please concentrate on keeping your condition under control with a good quality diet rich in healthy foods.
So, to summarise what you need to keep in mind, nutritionally:
Avoid simple sugars, refined carbohydrates, soft drinks, cordials, and milk products.
Avoid saturated fats and deep fried foods. Use good quality oils that are high in Omegas.
Increase foods such as oats, okra, mussels. Eat fish regularly e.g., cod, tuna, salmon, sardines.
Avoid nitrates which have been added to meats and sausages.
Pancreatic enzymes can help, or a dose of vinegar a day has been shown to be effective (make it into a salad dressing with a good quality oil, add some herbs and spices and Yummy!)
Chromium can be of benefit, so add foods such as brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, fruit s and vegies, esp. broccoli
Avoiding diabetes or keeping it under control should not be a battle. It’s about developing a sensible eating and exercise plan and sticking to it.
