After reading this article we will be able to know about
- what is diabetes,
- why it comes,
- how it can be reversed by naturopathy and yoga to be healthy
Diabetes is a major global health problem and life style disorder. Diabetes mellitus is not a disease but a chronic digestive system disorder of carbohydrate metabolism where glucose is not taken up by cells of the body from the blood. It is a life-long disease that affects the way your body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood. Glucose provides energy to the cells of all the organs of the body to perform their functions. The entry of the glucose in to the cell from the blood is helped by insulin, hormone secreted from islets of Langerhans located in pancreas. Pancreas is an organ in the body which is situated in the left side of abdomen connected to the main food canal. It produces insulin and pancreatic juices that are injected in to the food we take.it secrets 1.5 liters of digestive juice in to the small intestine per day.
Most of the carbohydrates in the food are decomposed as glucose and fructose. Glucose is converted in glycogen by insulin. The major part of this glycogen is injected in to the blood which is transported each cell of the body to give energy for survival. Some part of this glycogen is absorbed by lever, when glucose level falls in body this glycogen of lever is again converted in to glucose for use by the cells.
WHO IS DIABETIC—– diabetes occur when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin which balances the glucose level in our blood or when the body does not respond appropriately to Insulin. As we know the normal fasting blood sugar range is 80 to 120 mg per 100 ml of blood and post prandial blood sugar after two hours of meal should be up to 100- 140 mg per 100 ml of blood. Persons who are not within this range are considered as diabetic.
TYPES OF DIABETES
TYPE 1 DIABETES(IDDMT1) – where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. The body does not produce the insulin. Approximately 10 % of all diabetes cases are type 1. People having this type of diabetes are insulin dependent. Persons with this type of diabetes should follow a healthy diet plan, do adequate yoga practices or exercises and take insulin to lead life smoothly.
TYPE 2 DIABETES(NIDDMT2)—where the body does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin. Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide of this type. This type of diabetics need to eat healthy, be physically active, practice yoga or exercises regularly, monitor their blood glucose. They may adopt oral medication or insulin to control blood glucose levels.
TYPE 3 DIABETES- Gestational Diabetes– this type affects females during pregnancy, some women have such high levels of blood glucose that their body is enable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. In most of the cases after delivery It becomes normal.
PRE-DIABETES– mostly people have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This situation is known as pre- diabetes.
CAUSES OF DIABETES—
- Genetic
- Hypertension
- constipation
- Smoking, alchohal
- Extra weight
- Metabolic syndrome
- Too much glucose from lever
- Weakness of cell receptors
- Stress, sedentary life style
- Wrong food habits
- Less physical activity
- Deficiency of vitamin D
COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES–
Diabetes is a cluster of diseases that result from excess sugar in the blood. Too much sugar in your blood can lead to a serious health-issues as- high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, gangrene of foot, sexual problems and kidney diseases. Long term complications of diabetes are as follows:
- Retinopathy- (eye disorder)- blurring of vision or double vision
- Nephropathy- (affecting kidney)- impaired kidney functions
- Neuropathy- (affecting nervous system)- pain specially in legs
- Encephalopathy- (affecting brain)
- Cardiopathy–(affecting heart)
- Osteoporosis— (weakness of bones)
SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS
- appearance of sugar in urine
- frequent urination
- having excessive hunger and thirst
- very dry skin & itching especially of the genitals and other parts of the covered skin
- headache, vomiting, weakness and debility
- sweating
- palpitation
- loss of weight without trying
- weakness, fatigue and drowsiness
- eye disorder (blurred vision)
- tremor
- dizziness
- staggering
- heal slowly sores
- frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections
India is considered as the diabetes capital of the world. According to WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION the number of diabetic patients in India was 5crore in 2010. By 2030 it is estimated to be 8.7 crore. In 2015 deaths due to diabetes was over 1 crore. It is a serious concern for every one of us. diabetes is an incurable diseases which once diagnosed remains life-long but prevention and treatment involve maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical exercises, a normal body weight and avoiding use of tobacco are very useful tools to manage it .
MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELITUS
NATUROPATHY
Drugs and medicines are not the solution of diabetes. Naturopathy treatment reduces the high level of glucose in the blood which is increased due to the less production of insulin, but it can be under control by a change in life style and regulated diet. Naturopathy adopts the following tools to treat diabetes.
Hydrotherapy– it improves the metabolic rate and brings the sugar level under control. In this therapy warm water enema is given which cleanses and detoxify the toxins accumulated in the body. Hip-bath, alternate hip bath, wet abdomen girdle pack, immersion bath, hot foot and arm bath and steam bath, natural spinal spray, are also used.
Mud-therapy (mud-bath) – it is the best method to eliminate the toxins from the body. mud pack is applied on abdomen which increases the blood circulation, relieves inner congestion and eliminates the toxins from the body.
Chromotherapy (sun-bath) – yellow and green colors are used to treat diabetes. Yellow color stimulate the pancreas and green color stimulate thyroid gland.
Message-therapy– it improves the activities of circulatory system and nervous system. It also relaxes the muscles and reduces the stress that is closely associated to this disease.
Fasting-therapy– It is an important tool in naturopathy for health preservation. long fasting is not advisable, short and intermittent fasting can be helpful to manage it.
YOGIC TREATMENT– Yoga-asanas, pranayama, relaxation techniques and meditation is highly effective to treat diabetes.
Yogic exercises– brisk walk of at least 30 -40 minutes/cycling/ jogging or any other such physical activity helps to check sugar level and effectively helps to keeping body weight in check, selected yogic activities of micro exercises. After dinner go out for walking at least for20 minutes.
Kriyas– Shankh Prakshalan once every month for three month, kunjal (twice a weak), kapalbhati & agnisaar (25 rounds daily as per capacity), jal-neti (thrice a weak) kriya be done for three months.
Surya namaskar
Asanas– asanas (40 minutes daily) specifically useful to improve functions of lever, pancreas and digestive system are beneficial in managing diabetes. Tadasana, tiryak-tadasana, trikonasana, katichakrasana, paschimottanasana, gomukhasana, ardhmatsyenderasana, vajrasana, mandookasana, shaskasana, ushtrasana, bhujangasana, shalabhasana, dhanurasana, pawanmuktasana, uttanpadasana, setubandhasana, markatasana, halasana, sarvangasana, matsyasana, shavasana help tu control diabetes.
Pranayama– pranayama is an important part of naturopathy treatment to manage diabetes.
Deep long breath (20 minutes), Bhastrika(5minutes), anulom- vilom(10 minutes), nadi-shodhan(5rounds), surya-bhedana(5rounds), ujjai(5rounds) and bhramri (7rounds) are highly effected to manage it.
Bandhas- bahya kumbhak, mool bandh, uddiyan bandha and tribandha (five rounds) onca a day is helpful.
Relaxation technique -practice Yog- Nidra 20 minutes daily.
Meditation– breath awareness, om chanting (21 times) and om meditation. Gayatri mantra (1 mala) Meditation(10-20minutes) calms the mind and balances the hormonal levels.
Work on hobbies to reduce the stress as it will reduce diabetes- related complications such as heart-diseases, stroke, hypertension and anxiety. Always think positive and avoid negative talks.
Note: practice yoga under observation of a trained yoga teacher to get the maximum benefit from them.
DIET- BEST DIET FOR DIABETES PATIENT
DIABETES- REVERSAL DIET CHART
- Early morning lukewarm water at least 2 glass, after 20 minutes lukewarm water with honey+ lemon+ ginger + haldi (kachi)+chia/fenugreek seeds(soaked).
- 6:00 a.m.-7:30 a.m. ———-Work out yoga practices.
- 8:00 a.m. ——- seasonal vegetable juice 1-2 glass with amla, giloy and aloe vera
- 9:00 a.m. ——– soaked nuts 5 pcs. Almonds, munnaka , 2 pcs. Anjeer and walnut.
- 10:00 a.m. ——- seasonal fruits (four types)
- 12:00 noon ——– seasonal vegetable salad (no added salt)
- 12:15 p.m. ——- lunch sabji /daal /poha/ idli/upma/ with sambhar 1whole grain roti+2 bowl sabzi/ + chutney of coriander, mint, ginger, turmeric and amla.
- 1:30 p.m. ———- water normal or lukewarm 2 glass
- 3:00 p.m. ———2 glass lukewarm water
- 4:00 p.m.———green tea /vegetable soup/ sprouts with added cucumber+ tomato+ onion+ capsicum+ sweet corn+ green leafy vegetables+ alsi and seasame seeds.
- 4:30 p.m.to 6:00 p.m. workout yoga practice
- 6:10 p.m. —– drink luke-warm water
- 6:40 p.m. dinner boiled sabzi with samak chawal /daliya/ khichdi in less quantity.
- Try intermittent fasting. 8:16 hours, once in a weak Ras-aahar
Precautions
- Reduce intake of wheat, rice and maize, all sweets and sugar, potato family such as potatoes, arbi, kachaloo, cauliflower, shakerkandi and jimikand.
- Avoid fried, fast, junk, packed, stale, and processed food.
- Green leafy vegetables should be added to the diet.
- Avoid fruits like banana, black grapes, dates and mango.
- Include Fig leaves that are highly rich of anti-diabetic properties, in daily routine like tea in the morning.
- Divide your breakfast, lunch and dinner in to two parts each.
- avoid cooked starchy food.
- Include raw foods as they are the good source of vitamins and minerals which are important for diabetes
- Juice of jamun, bitter gourd, cucumber, tomato and bottle gourd are also helpful to manage it.
- Fenugreek(methi-seeds), aloe-vera, ginger, tulsi, amla, neem, curry-leaves kutki, chirayta, dal-chini, peppermint are some of the common herbs also recommended to include in daily meals.
- Monitoring regularly blood sugar is must.
- Always think positive.
Conclusion-
Diabetes is considered as a state with which one has to bear up to the end of life. solution of this diet is very simple as the causes are explained. However proper exercise, control of diet, cleansing process, yogic treatment and naturopathy keep major of symptoms under control. Regular yoga practice massages the internal organs and improves the immune system and the body’s ability to prevent and fight diseases.
Dr. Rajrani Singhal (M.A. In Preksha Meditation, Yoga & Science of Living, P.GG.Y.S., D.N.Y.S.)
(Naturopath, Yoga Expert, Corporate Trainer and Motivational Speaker )
