Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 47

Types and causes of diabetes

There are three main types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes: The ability of the body to produce insulin is impaired. It is due to damage or destruction of the insulin-producing organ pancreas. Such patients require insulin regularly to prevent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Type 1 diabetes is often inherited.

Then we have gestational diabetes which, is seen during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes affects the mother and the child.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the third type and accounts for approximately 90 percent of all diabetes.

Diabetes manifests itself when insulin produced in the body cannot adequately metabolize the sugar in the blood, causing blood sugar levels to spike.

Another reason is that the conversion process itself has become retarded. The cells of the body have become resistant to the available insulin. As a consequence, blood sugar levels rise. The medical name for such a condition is insulin resistance.

There are multiple causes of insulin resistance. Hepatitis C virus infection in the liver is one reported cause. (Petit et al., 2001) The pancreas themselves have become calcified and are unable to produce enough insulin is another reason. (Malka et al., 2000). There are other causes of insulin resistance.

The latest thinking is that an imbalance in the gut microbiota could contribute to diabetes.

Multiple risk factors like overweight or obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, enhanced cholesterol levels, smoking, gene dysfunction can cause diabetes. Racial factors also have been found to strengthen risk. (Feskens et al., 1989; Choi et al., 2001; Salman. I et al., 2013; Knowler et al.,1990)

Other risk factors identified are – strong family history of diabetes, age, obesity, and physical inactivity. (Fletcher et al., 2002)

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Is it possible to reverse insulin resistance Type 2 diabetes naturally?

Your best adviser is your diabetologist, who will modulate external insulin doses based on your condition.

However, based on my research on natural solutions for diabetes, let me present some facts to help you see things in perspective.

Diabetes manifests itself when insulin produced in the body cannot adequately metabolize the sugar in the blood, causing blood sugar levels to spike.

The inability of available insulin produced by your pancreas to fully break available blood sugar into energy leads to the rise in blood sugar levels.

Another reason is that the conversion process itself has become retarded. The cells of the body have become resistant to the available insulin. As a consequence, blood sugar levels rise. The medical name for such a condition is insulin resistance.

There are multiple causes of insulin resistance. Hepatitis C virus infection in the liver is one reported cause. (Petit et al., 2001) The pancreas themselves have become calcified and are unable to produce enough insulin is another reason. (Malka et al., 2000). There are other causes of insulin resistance.

Conventional treatment of diabetes broadly speaking is composed of:

1. Diet modification

2. Exercise

3. Medication

According to the American Diabetes Association, nutrient-dense foods are the best for individuals who have diabetes. These foods are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals but low in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.

These nutrients are available in non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, cucumbers, and the like. These should be consumed as far as possible, whole, and minimally processed.

Apple, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries, brown rice, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, and oatmeal are other food recommendations.

A diabetic diet can include starchy vegetables like corn, green peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, plantain, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and green lentils.

Nuts like peanuts, walnuts, and almonds have a lot of fiber, healthy fat. Keep the portion size small as these contain a lot of calories.

Similar recommendations are made by the Diabetes body in the UK too. While both these bodies do not prohibit the consumption of fish, meat, chicken, and dairy, they do not also expressly support their use.

Dr. Neal Barnard, associate professor of medicine at George Washington School of Medicine, recommends a vegan diet to people with diabetes. According to him, a vegan diet can even reverse diabetes. (Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes published his book in 2007)

You can learn more about natural solutions for diabetes, cancer, and obesity in this tri-series which is now available on audible and other Amazon platforms. The link is https://amzn.to/3dovSuYSimilar Posts:

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Tips on natural healing and prevention of cancer.

I have looked at this question from the standpoint of natural solutions. Two major natural solutions systems are widely acknowledged. They are Ayurveda and TCM. My comments are based on these two systems.
TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) believes that ailment conditions are to be treated with appropriate food to a specific meridian and its associated organs. The emphasis is on recommending the right food. This helps restore an imbalance in the body. Imbalances are the cause of disease. Restoring these helps in disease prevention.
TCM diet is varied with the type of cancer. Diet recommendations are tailored for an individual, something like the Ayurveda concept of personalized diet. Diet and exercise are prescribed to prevent cancer than to aid the healing process.
Ayurveda insists that dietary planning is aligned with nature and prevailing environmental conditions. Diet needs to be in tune with an individual’s personality (Prakriti), Vikriti (adverse personality traits), dosha, and body type.
Ayurveda and TCM emphasize the ability of the body to self-heal. There is emerging scientific evidence to support this thinking. It is now understood that the neural systems constantly undergo a cycle of death and renewal. Neurons die, and new neural connections are created. Kandel, the neuropsychiatrist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1990, found that if we do not use neural connections, they bring to shrink and die. These further point to our ability to reshape our brains. If this is so, relaxation and mind–body techniques will be valuable supports to prevention and healing in alternate medicine therapies.
In Ayurveda, TCM, and even in Tibetan Medicine, cancer is attributed to malefic and toxic effects generated from the environment and improper lifestyle. Detoxifying the body to get rid of these effects is one of the key treatment modes in all these ancient medicine systems. However, the scientific support to detoxification recommendations is tenuous.
Acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, and meditation, on the other hand, have been studied and scientific evidence in support of benefits in prevention and assistance in healing is quite strong.

Additional reading link to my books on natural solutions is https://amzn.to/3dovSuY. You will find these concepts and healing strategies explained in detail.Similar Posts:

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Can you really cure an illness with food?

The top killer diseases in the world are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. All three are lifestyle diseases. Some of the listed triggers for these diseases include food, exposure to repeated stimuli of oxidants, and carcinogens like smoke, radiation, pollution, inactive and sedentary habits, inadequate sleep, and genetic causes.
Much scientific research validates the important role of food in illness prevention and cure of lifestyle and other diseases. Diet is being used to treat many cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Esselstyn’s popular book on heart disease -Prevent and Reverse Heart disease describes in detail his diet therapy experiments on chronic patients with heart disease.
A lot of research supports a shift to a plant-based food diet can help reverse type 2 diabetes.
My own research on natural solutions for cancer, diabetes, and obesity presents a lot of scientific evidence on the role of food in disease prevention. However, this research also concludes that diet needs to be supported with exercise and modern medicine to reverse lifestyle diseases effectively. Indeed, my conclusions are that no single factor – food, exercise, natural solutions, and medicine- is successful. It is a combination that gives the best results.
This is a vast subject. I would not like to make sweeping statements in favor of or against food to remedy disease.

Additional reading: The link to the three books quoted below is https://amzn.to/3dovSuY

Natural Solutions for CancerNatural Solutions for DiabetesNatural Solutions for Obesity

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What are some non-insulin medications for Type 2 diabetes?

I have looked at diabetes from the standpoint of Natural solutions. Here the summary of my research. You may find this relevant. But do consult a diabetologist before implementing anything on your own.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease that can be positively impacted by emphasizing a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, and implementing dietary goals that help bring down calorie intake.

Natural solutions for diabetes control and management are a popular option that people with diabetes like to explore.

Several herbs and herbal combinations are used in Ayurveda to treat diabetes. After a detailed scientific review, I have been able to identify four plants – Gymnema sylvestre, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Eugenia jambolana, and Curcuma longa that has the most substantial scientific support for their anti-diabetic properties.

A review of herbs used in TCM shows that Atractylodes macrocephala, Codonopsis pilosula, Dioscorea opposita, Flos lonicerae, and Pueraria lobata retard the progression of diabetes by reducing blood glucose level.

The universe of plants with antidiabetic properties is vast. Scientific studies are restricted mainly to animal trials.

Beyond herbal medicine, there are practices like yoga, tai chi, qi gong, acupuncture in alternate medicine, which have found scientific support as useful tools in diabetes management. This experimental support has extended to human clinical trials.

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Diet for cancer patients – An Ayurveda, TCM perspective

Let me present generic diet recommendations as mentioned in the literature on Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In my research on natural solutions for Cancer, I noted that these have similarities with recommendations by Registered Dieticians.

Cancer is a debilitating disease. Nutrition management is an important part of cancer management. A diet that will help restore the body to a reasonable shape as soon as possible is recommended. Therefore, they recommend a low fat but nutrition-rich diet. The focus is on fruit and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants. Cancer patients are advised to avoid refined sugars and foods containing additives. The patient should avoid overeating.

Ayurveda specialists advise abstinence from foods that cause an imbalance between the three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. They recommend nutraceuticals that help improve the digestive functions of the body. Normally, Triphala, a combination of Terminalia bellerica, Terminalia chebula, and Embilica officinalis, is prescribed. It is said to tone the digestive functions.

The Ayurveda diet is associated with the dosha type. Vata-type people should eat cooked, warm foods, take spices such as cinnamon, cloves, ginger in food, and stay away from icy drinks. They should eat sweet berries, fruits, small beans, rice, nuts, and dairy products. Moderate exercise and meditative yoga are good for such people.

Pitta people should avoid alcohol and tobacco. Fresh vegetables, juicy fruits, salads, greens are recommended. Kapha individuals should take light, warm food, spices, ginger, chillis, etc.

After chemotherapy or radiotherapy, a protein-rich diet becomes critical. Proteins are required to repair body tissue and keep the immune systems healthy. Cancer patients require more protein than normal people to offset both the damage caused by both the disease and the effects of the cancer treatment medication.

Ayurveda practitioners and nutritionists in oncology hospitals recommend a rich diet in nuts, nut butter, beans, peas, lentils, fish, poultry, eggs, low-fat dairy products, etc. Modifications based on an individual’s dosha type are made while recommending a diet to a cancer patient.

TCM dietitians recommend a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit, cereals, and grain with high fiber to aid bowel movements and advise patients to avoid spicy and fried foods. Herbs such as ginseng, astragalus, reishi mushroom, and other adaptogen herbs are often recommended to build immunity.

Post chemotherapy, to help the patient overcome digestive problems that are an outcome of the treatment, a light, easily digestible diet of semifluid or soft foods is recommended. Fresh juices that have ginger, reed rhizome, or figs help relieve nausea and stimulate appetite. High protein foods of poultry, fish, pork, and vegetables and immunity-building foods are recommended. Fried and spicy foods are to be avoided.

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Are rapid changes good for business growth in an organization?

Change makes people, organizations, and institutions uncomfortable. Rapid changes are still more difficult for individuals and organizations to adapt to. These are facts commonly observed by all of us in our everyday life.
On the other hand, if a change becomes a normal occurrence, many of the questions around adapting to change disappear. An organization that is under threat of survival may be forced to introduce rapid changes. If the fire-fighting mode continues for an extended period, in such organizations, change also becomes routine. The organization, in these cases, starts expecting changes and learns to exist in conditions of instability and rapid change.
Frequent changes will stunts growth. The stability of business processes is missing in these organizations. The organization is constantly in a war-fighting mode. Its workforce behaves like soldiers expecting and prepared any moment for the unknown to occur.
Organizational growth will occur place when there is stability of policy, process, and systems. But change is essential for growth, renewal, up-gradation, and performance excellence. Organization and business growth lie in the balance.

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Curcumin – the bioactive molecule in turmeric

Curcumin is the yellow pigment in spice- turmeric. The spice is extensively used in Indian and Middle Eastern food. The most important turmeric chemical components are a group of compounds called curcuminoids, which include curcumin (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin constitutes 3.14% (on average) of powdered turmeric and gives the spice its peppery taste.
Traditionally, it has been used to treat skin, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, liver, eye, and other disorders. Turmeric is said to provide relief in allergies, gall bladder ailments, edema, tumors, and cataract. Its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties are used to treat inflammations and infections.
Curcumin is a widely studied molecule. It boosts levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein and brain hormone that increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in the brain. Curcumin has beneficial effects against several factors known to play a role in heart disease.
Researchers from Cancer Biology Research Center, South Dakota, claim that curcumin may be an effective chemopreventive and therapeutic agent for cervical cancer prevention and treatment. They found that curcumin treatment suppresses growth in cervical cancer cells by altering the HPV-associated molecular pathways. Basic research appears to validate the ability of curcumin to suppress several stages of cancer.

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What happens when we consistently consume excess protein?

Proteins are the building blocks of the human body, and they play a critical role in human health and well-being. Only 31% of protein intake is plant-based in the US compared to 80% in developing countries. Wheat (43%), rice (39%), and maize (12%) are the leading contributors.
Humans require dietary protein, which can be split into two categories: the first is composed of nutritionally indispensable amino acids like histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and lysine. The second component contains nutritionally dispensable amino acids like aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, alanine, and serine.
Excess protein consumed by the body is converted and stored in the body in the form of fat. Obesity and obesity-related ailments are a consequence.
Nutraceutical combinations of proteins have been developed, aside from natural food. Gummies containing collagen and protein are now available in natural flavors like cherry, lemon, orange, etc. These are also offered in powder format. Some of the protein products come combined with Vitamin C. Such products help older men (50 and above) meet the body’s need for collagen — essential to keep bones and cartilage healthy.
Among other products developed — and available in multiple flavors — we have vegan clear protein, low-sugar probiotic juices, lactose-free ready-to-drink nutritional supplements with casein, whey protein, vitamins, and minerals products. These are often recommended to elderly individuals and those suffering from general physical debility. Some of these are also popular sports supplements.

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Five practices for good health

Each individual would have a different take on the question of how to stay healthy; my take based on my research on natural solutions is as under:

Discipline: I rate this at the top. A disciplined lifestyle optimizes the operation of the body. You get up at a certain time, go to bed, eat, work, watch television at a fixed time. It does not matter if you are an early riser or not, but discipline is the key.Diet: Plant-based foods are best for health. They help build immunity, are rich in fiber, provide a combination of micronutrients, and have been scientifically proven to protect your heart, prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other ailments.Sleep (7 to 9) hours per day helps recharge your body, mind, and spirit. There is a ton of scientific studies supporting this body requirement.Find time to do exercise for both your body and mind. I prefer yoga, walking, meditation, tai chi. You can select your own preferred mode of exercise, but 3 hours of exercise a day keeps you fit. I like to split these 3 hours into one and a half of walking, one hour of pranayama and meditation, and half an hour of yoga and taichi which I alternate.Read – I like to read non-fiction. You can take your pick but a half-hour of reading re-invigorates you in mind. Mind is critical to good health.

These are my five takes on good health. Enjoy and stay healthy.

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