Simple Health Cures

    Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the human body by the pancreas. It is released in the blood each time we eat a meal to help digest the glucose that the food release into the blood stream. This means that the glucose is prevented from sticking around in the blood and causing troubles to the body.

   In a diabetic person the body either does not produce the insulin in the right amount or is resistant to the insulin produced. If he is resistant to insulin it is type 1 diabetes, and if the body is unable to provide enough insulin it is called diabetes type 2. This is why he has to be given some insulin therapy.

   The articial insulin allows the body to control the blood glucose level. However one has to be very careful about the correct dosage of insulin needed by the body. This is why regular blood sugar teats are neede to be done by diabetic person.

   If the body has a higher level of insulin than normally needed other problems can crop up. One of the quickest conditions to manifest itself is high blood pressure. Another condition which comes about from insulin resistance is the weakening of bones as in osteoporosis.

   So you can see that too much or too little of the hormone insulin can cause a number of problems for the person. It is advised to consult a doctor and get blood tests done regularly to deal with the menace of diabetes and insulin. 

   It is scary but true that some of us may be suffering from one of the most common but often overlooked diseases without our knowledge. It is a disease caused by one’s bodys inability to breakdown the food one eats, and one out of three people suffer from this condition. This peculiar condition is called insulin resistance.

   Insulin has three main roles:

   1- Regulate the liver from releasing too much glucose. When there is enough glucose in the blood, insulin tells the liver to shut down its production of glucose.

   2- Allow glucose to enter the cells by opening the doors of the cells. Later the glucose can be turned into energy.

   3- Directing some of the glucose to be stored back into liver and muscle and directing the extra food to be stored as fat.

   In case of insulin resistant body the liver continues to release glucose. There is also a defect in how glucose is transported inside the cell and how it is utilized inside the cell.

   Insulin resistance is caused largely due to over consumption of refined carbohydrates like breads, pastas, cookies etc. Eating to much saturated fat and omega 6 fatty acids also seems to increase the risk of insulin resistance.

   Insulin levels remain chronically high, and cells become less responsive and resistant to insulin, if not taken care of. As a consequence, relatively little glucose gets burned and levels remain high. With chronically elevated glucose levels, insulin resistance evolves into diabetes.

   To combat insulin resistance one must exercise regularly, lose weight and stop smoking. Physical activity increases body’s sensitivity to insulin. Losing weight has shown to decrease insulin resistance.  Since smoking contributes to insulin resistance it is of utmost importance to quit smoking to improve one’s health.

   Eat healthy and exercise well is therefore the mantra to beat insulin resistance.

   You can catch diabetes from someone else:

   Diabetes is not an infectious or contagious disease. Scientist don’t know for sure exactly what causes the disorder, but it can’t be caught from another person, like a cold or the flu. There, does, however appear to be a genetic link with type 2 diabetes. If a family member has the condition, you’re at higher risk for the disease.

   There’s only one dangerous kind of diabetes:

   Not so. Diabetes refers to a group of disease- all of which require serious attention that have in common the body’s inability to properly convert glucose from food into energy, leading to a high level of sugar in the blood. The main kinds include type 1 ( formerly known as juvenile-onset diabetes), type 2 ( once called adult-onset diabetes), and gestational (which occurs only during pregnancy). The suspected causes differ for each type, but managing any type of diabetes requires balancing food, physical activity, and if needed, medications. And while people with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day for their entire lives, type 2 diabetes is no less of a concern, because ignoring it could lead to devastating complications such as blindness, heart attack and stroke.

   Only people with diabetes need insulin:

   Everyone needs insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows the body to convent food into energy for activity. People who don’t have diabetes make and use the right amount of this chemical. People with diabetes either don’t make any insulin, don’t make enough, or can’t use the insulin they make properly. If you or someone you’re caring for has type 2 diabetes, it’s important to balance food, activity, and in some cases medications, which may include insulin injections or an insulin pump (insulin isn’t available in pill form), to get the necessary amount of this essential hormone. And to dispense with another myth in this area. Insulin is a tool to manage diabetes, not a cure.

   It is a known fact that how intricately weight is entwined with type 2 diabetes. Researchers suggest that obesity and higher body mass index elevate the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes

   Since research suggests that bantaric surgery, also known as one form of weight loss, offers more than cutting pounds, it is increasingly being seen as one more option and also as an avenue to learn more about the mechanisms behind diabetes. This surgical intervention may prove to be the most profound discoveries since the discovery of insulin.

   Not only does baritaric surgery appears to be safe but also it appears to stave off diabetes for a long time. Some studies also indicate that weight loss surgery can lead to long term remission of diabetes. Total mortality was also found to be less than one percent. The people who were more likely to have their diabetes return were the ones who were insulin dependent at the time of surgery, which indicated that their disease was more severe.

   Laparoscopic gastric banding is another weight loss procedure. It can have a sustained and meaningful impact on diabetes and morbid obesity since the two are interrelated. This spells as good news for people with morbid obesity that have tried and failed to lose weight. Weight loss surgery in the hands of a skilled surgeon may be safer than previously thought but it isn’t entirely risk free.

   It could cause complications for people with a history of sleep apnea or a history of blood clots. Sleep apnea means temporary stoppage of breath while sleeping and it is associated with vascular changes and high blood pressure. Even with the risk of a surgery factored in, weight loss surgery can be a life saver for obses people.

   Exercise is beneficial for both diabetics and other without diabetes. According to researchers, people on the brink of developing diabetes who follow exercise and deit regime can turn things around and avoid the disease. Type 2 diabetes is linked with poor exercise and lack of deit.

   Through exercise people can lose weight and this weight is generally accompanied by a lowering of their rate of diabetes. Diabetes can be avoided or delayed through intensive effect and this intensive effort translates into exercise. Exercise has the potential to control diabetes through non medical means.

   It also has the ability to reduce its severity and in the process long term complications associated with diabetes. It helps control diabetes by:

   Improving body’s insulin usage

   Improving insulin sensitivity by burning excess body fat

   Improving muscle strenght

   Increasing strength

   Reducing stress and bone density

   Reducing stress and anxiety

   Along with proper nutrition, aeroblic exercise can increase insulin sensitivity and can help restore normal glucose metabolism by reducing body fat. Strenght training is also known to decrease fat by increasing metabolism. It also increases glucose uptake by muscle and enhances their ability to store glucose.

   Medication alone cannot make a diabetic feel good and enjoy a full life. A combination of exercise and nutrition can not only control diabetes but can prolong an individual’s life and improve its quality, which really matters in the long run. It’s not the quantity of life that matters if not combined with great quality.

   Since diabetics after exercising can see a twenty percent decrease in thier blood glucose levels, measuring one’s blood glucose before exercising can be a good motivator. One must remeber regardless of diabetes and weight problems that exercise is a lifetime commitment and should be done at least three to four times a week.

   We have seen earlier how raw foods and bitter melon is turning “SWEET” in diabetic cases. It is proven to have desirable and miraculous effects in diabetes treatment the Natural Way. It is no secret that not only does it rid body of insulin resistance but also has no knwon side effects. It thus is fast becoming a wonder drug preferred by diabetics all over the world. Having said all that we need to know exactly how this wonder fruit works?

   Bitter Melon contains a chemnical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels. The way it controls sugar is two-fold. First, it acts as a mediator between the body’s cells and insulin already produced by the pancreas. Its also blocks the formation of glucose in the bloodstream and breaks down the barrier that prevents cells from using their own natural insulin.

   Secordly, bitter melon has been shown to help increase production of beta cells by the pancreas, thereby improving the body ability to produce and release insulin. At the same time it may increase the number and activity of insulin receptors. It is also known to improve glucose tolerance and help the body process blood sugars.

   Researcher believe bitter melon may lower sugar by increasing the activity of hexokinase and glucokinase, enzymes in your body that convert sugar into glycogen, which can be stored in your liver and used later for energy. I guess now it is clear why this fruit is quickly gaining importance with not only doctors but also diabtics all over the world.

   A family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes is called Diabetic neuropathies. Over the years, diabetic people can develop nerve damage throughtout the body. About 60-70% of diabetic people suffer from some form of neuropathy. It can occur anytime but the risk increase with age and longer duration of diabetes. The high risk group includes people with diabetes for 25 years or more. It is commonly observed in people who have problems in controlling their blood sugar levels, people who have high levels of blood fat and overweight people.

   The Causes For Diabetic Neuropathies:

   Metabolic factors like high blood glucose

   Long duration of diabetes

   Abnormal blood fat levels

   Low levels of insulin

   Neurovascular Factors that Lead to Damage of Blood Vessel Carrying Oxygen and Nutrients to Nerves:

   Autoimmune factors which cause nerve inflammation

   Mechanical injury to nerves

   Inherited traits the increases susceptibility to nerve disease

   Lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol use

   The Signs or Symptoms of Nerve Damage:

   Numbness, tingling or pain in the toes, fingers, feet, hands, arms and legs

   Wasting of muscles of the feet or hands

   Indigestion, nausea or vomiting

   Diarrhea or constipation

   Dizziness due to a drop in blood pressure after standing or sitting up

   Urinating problems

   Erectile dysfunction in men or vaginal dryness in women

   Weakness

   Besides the neuropathy is often accompanied by weight loss or depression

   First of all a noteworthy point is that the raw food diet is based on survival rather than sensation. Secordly, our ancestors ate only raw food and suffered none of these new age urban problems of insulin resistance and thus diabetes. It also goes to prove that over the years how sensation has overwhelmed and taken over sensibility resulting in many diet based illnesses.

   Incidenyally milk and cooking were never part of the man’s natural diet and he ate a raw food diet for millions of years. Although man has not changed his plumbing, but he has drastically changed his eating habits towards consumption of junk foods, carbohydrates, high sugar and cooking.

   Man’s natural diet should be viewed as a short term fad but as a lifetime approach to healthier living. Researcher have made some interesting observations. Check out what they have found.

   Consumption of raw vegetables and fruits has beneficial and speedy effect on diabetics provided they have not taken any insulin.

  Several raw vegetables like Jerusalem artichoke contain insulin. Most raw vegetables in their natural state contain insulin, the precursor of insulin.

   Some chemists and physicians in America, after carrying out a protected examination of four thousand diabetics in America concluded that only 1% needed insulin, the rest of them recovered on nutrition alone.

   A raw plant food eliminates 100% of bad fatty acids from the diet and supplies pure and natural fatty acids required for good health. In addition they come with their own supply of insulin.

   Raw and unprocessed natural foods supply the chromium, needed to potentiate insulin.

   A diagnosis of diabetes does not have to be a death sentence. Nutritional approaches can be very effective.

   Finally, one must consider that in millions of years of evolution a body has never had to worry about insulin resistance. That itself speaks volumes about importance of raw food in eradicating diabetes.

   There are many signs of diabetes that body uses as a signal to alert the person. The top warning signs of Diabetes are listed below.

Frequent trips to bathroom-

   The root cause of this is excessive glucose in the lood stream. The ineffective use of insulin, cause the inability of kidneys to filter back glucose into the bloodstream. The kidneys hence draw extra water from the blood stream to dilute the glucose. This in turn, keeps the bladder full and makes one run to the bathroom more often.

Unquenchable thirst-

   This is an extension of the excessive urination. Since one urinates more than normal, the body feels dehydrated and to replenish the water requirements drinks more water.

Loss of weight without trying-

   This is more noticeable in Type 1 diabetes. Since the insulin producing cells get attacked and this results in lack of production of body fuel, namely glucose, the defense mechanism of body breaks fat cells and tissues for energy. Thus the weight loss. Type 2 happens with increased insulin resistence: therefore the weight loss is barely noticeable.

Weakness and fatigue-

   Glucose depletion from the cells plays havoc again. Due to ineffectiveness of insulin, glucose is not absorbed by the cells and the cells become energy starved. The energy deprived cells result in an energy deprived body thus making one feel weak and fatigued.

Tingling of hands, feet and legs-

   Also known as neuropathy, it occurs gradually over the time, since higher glucose levels affect the nerous system eventually damaging it.

   Other symptom’s besides the above mentioned include: blurred vision, cuts and bruises which are slow to heal, recurring skin, gum or bladder infections. Yeast/vaginal infections in females. Not everybody will have each one of these symptom’s. Indeed, some people may have no symptom’s at all.

   Their are millions of people with Diabetes. In addition to diet and insulin regulation, there is one thing every diabetic can do to take control of their health.

   Study after Study shown that exercise can lower glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol. It reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, relieve stress, and strenghten the heart, muscles and bones. Exercise also helps insulin work better, improve blood circulation and keeps joints flexible.

   Here are some exercise to do, physical training, yoga exercise, running, walking, fitness training, body building and aerobic dance.