Diabetes


In this post I will focus on controlling blood sugar levels and diabetes. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death and is the main cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputations. It also contributes to high blood pressure and is a major risk for heart attacks and strokes.


I lost my Grandmother to Diabetes and many friends and relatives have had their lives lost or changed by this disease. I see many young people today on the verge of contracting this disease.

Although there are 2 types of diabetes, 95% of all diabetes is type 2, previously called “late onset” diabetes. The name was changed to type 2 diabetes because more and more young people became diabetic. In other words people are becoming diabetic at a younger and younger age.

Our modern lifestyle of fast food, lack of exercise and quick fix mentality is the main reason why we become diabetic. Here are some USA statistics published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

· Obesity increased by 57% from 1991 to 1999.
· Diabetes increased by 41% between 1990 and 1999
with a 70% increase in the age group 30 to 39.

Diabetes is on the rise and it is reaching epidemic proportions.

Fighting DIABETES!

The writing is on the wall and the statistics prove it: If we do not drastically change our eating habits we will become part of the statistics, suffering from diabetes and its health complications.

Diabetes is the most preventable disease of all chronic diseases and the secret is in controlling your blood sugar levels properly.

Blood sugar problems occur long before you are diagnosed with diabetes. In order to overcome diabetes let us first investigate why blood sugar levels are so important:

The graph shows what happens with your blood sugar after a meal. As soon as the blood sugar level starts to rise, the body starts to excrete insulin from the pancreas.

INSULIN transports the sugar into the body’s cells to be utilized as ENERGY. Thus your muscles consume the sugar as energy, which lowers the amount of sugar in the blood. This will cause you to eat again to increase your blood sugar level and the cycle repeats itself.

The body controls its blood sugar levels in a narrow range of between 4.4 and 6.6 mmol/L. However, when the blood sugar level exceeds the maximum or drops below the minimum the body responds in the following way:

1.When the blood sugar is too HIGH, insulin will store the excess energy (sugar) as FAT.
2. If the blood sugar DROPS too low your body will tell you to eat something to pick it up.


Obviously, problems occur if the body does not respond as it is supposed to.
The following 2 health problems commonly occur:

· Diabetes – high blood sugar levels
· Hypoglycemia – low blood sugar levels.

Fortunately, these conditions are EASILY treatable by changing your lifestyle and eating habits.

Your health is in YOUR hands and not in the hands of fate. Knowledge is power, act upon it and change your future!!!

SYNDROME X - Sounds cool but it isn't good.

Long before most people develop diabetes, they suffer from an imbalance in blood sugar control. This usually starts when the body becomes insulin resistant – the body is INSENSITIVE to insulin.

Insulin resistance, also called Syndrome X, has far-reaching health implications. Syndrome X is the name given to a group of symptoms that predicts the full onset of type 2 diabetes.

The main symptoms of Syndrome X include:

· obesity
· high blood pressure
· elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
· high levels of insulin/sugar in the blood.

The main job of insulin is to regulate blood sugar in the body by facilitating its entry into cells where it is utilized as energy. However, when our bodies become insulin resistant the cells do not respond to the insulin, which results in excessive insulin levels in the blood as well as elevated blood sugar levels.

This in turn leads to increased cholesterol and triglyceride (FAT) levels in the body.

How do we help our bodies to BALANCE our blood sugar levels? Eat a natural diet!!!

Our typical Western diet, which is high in sugar, refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and low in fiber, causes insulin resistance and contributes to Syndrome X.

How do we get more complex carbohydrates and fiber in our diet? You guessed it: vegetables and fruit.

Another way to balance your blood sugar level is by eating plenty of protein, especially FISH (protein does not contain any carbs thus it doesn’t affect your blood sugar).

Do this TEST to see if you suffer from Syndrome X

Excess body fat – usually around the middle but also in the face and neck

Craving for sweet food (includes junk/ refined foods) and carbonated drinks

High blood pressure

Chronic fatigue

Mental fuzziness

Bloated feeling after eating

Skin tags in the neck, groin and armpits

Dry and flaky skin, splitting nails and dull hair

Diagonal creases in the lower ear lobe

The key to preventing or reversing Syndrome X is diet and exercise. Both diet and exercise help with weight loss and prevent insulin resistance.

Because most people do not eat enough fish you need to supplement with Omega 3.

In a recent review it was demonstrated that people using high doses of Omega 3 showed the following benefits:

1. enhanced insulin sensitivity
2. lower blood sugar levels
3. elevated HDL (good) cholesterol by 7.4%
4. lower triglycerides by 21.5%
5. lower blood pressure.

Change your DIET, it will change your LIFE.

(Murray, F. 2003. Natural Supplements for Diabetes. Hampton Roads:Charlottsville.
Sirtori, C.R. & Galli, C. 2002. N-3 fatty acids and diabetics. Biomedicine & Pharmocotherapy. 56, 397-406)

TYPE 2 DIABETES

When the insulin resistance problem isn’t rectified the blood sugar level remains HIGH, which subsequently results in diabetes.

Although sugar is essential for life, too much is detrimental. When blood sugar levels remain high over a prolonged period of time it damages proteins producing AGE (Advanced Glycosylation End products), which accelerate aging.

This causes the blood to become thick and blood circulation problems occur. Without sufficient blood flow your cells are starved of nutrients and oxygen causing them to DIE. The result is blindness, kidney and heart disease, nerve damage and poor wound healing.

EVERY diabetic knows s/he has to eat a healthy diet in order to control her/his blood sugar level. Why wait until you have become diabetic before changing your diet? Prevention is much better than cure!!!

Supplementing your DIET with the following nutrients is an excellent way to help you manage diabetes:

1.Whole-leaf Aloe Juice contains fiber and other vital nutrients that help to control blood sugar levels lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.
2.Body Basics contains magnesium, which is essential for sugar metabolism and insulin action. zinc, which promotes normal insulin function vitamin B6 (together with zinc), which is required for the production of insulin and vitamin B12, which helps with proper nerve function.
3.Slim & Trim balances blood sugar levels with chromium, which is essential for insulin production and blood sugar control and herbs that help to reduce food cravings and appetite, lose weight and assist with blood sugar control.
4.Omega 3 is vital since it helps to restore insulin sensitivityimprove nerve function lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels improve kidney function reduce blood pressure.

Diabetes is not a death sentence. It can be effectively controlled, but ONLY if you take responsibility for your own LIFE.

You can improve your quality of life!

LOW BLOOD SUGAR!

On the other side of the scale there are LOW blood sugar levels (hypoglaecemia). Hypoglycemia is diagnosed when your blood sugar DROPS to abnormally low levels.

Just as your body uses insulin to lower your blood sugar level, similarly your pancreas stimulates the release of glucagon to prevent your blood sugar from dropping too far.

Glucagon stimulates the liver to release its stored energy reserves called glycogen. The liver then converts the glycogen into sugar to be utilised as energy.

Hypoglycemia typically results when your liver does not produce enough sugar in response to glucagon. Alternatively, your body produces too much insulin causing an abnormal sugar uptake by your cells resulting in LOW blood sugar levels.

LOW blood sugar levels also occur when there is a too long time period between meals or when we perform strenuous activity or even due to diabetes medication.

So, how do you SOLVE low blood sugar problems? The same way you solve diabetic problems. Avoid foods that cause your blood sugar to rise too rapidly.

Which foods? Sugar and refined foods like white bread, flour, pasta, rice and potatoes all rapidly increase your blood sugar level.

Do you suffer from LOW blood sugar problems?

Hunger and constant cravings

Headaches, dizziness and blurred vision

Unexplainable drops in energy levels

Overwhelming fatigue, especially in the afternoon

Trembling and rapid heartbeat

Mental fuzziness & difficulty concentrating

Always tired and sleepy during the day

Irritated and emotional with anger outbursts

Anxiety, sadness and depression for no apparent reason

Panic attacks


BLOOD SUGAR DIET!!!

Please, don’t be misled. You don’t need SUGAR to increase your blood sugar level!!! When you eat carbohydrates like vegetables and fruit they are broken down by your digestive tract to glucose before they are absorbed into your blood.

This breakdown of vegetables to sugar ensures a SLOW RELEASE of energy into the blood, which is how we were designed.

However, if you eat lots of sugar or refined foods like white bread, flour, pasta, rice and potatoes it is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream increasing your blood sugar levels almost immediately.

Similarly, stimulants like coffee, tea and caffeinated carbonated drinks cause the adrenal gland to release adrenalin, which releases sugar into the blood.

When eating to balance your blood sugar levels, consume a diet that focuses on whole, unprocessed foods and stick to the following:

Protein such as meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts

Vegetables, especially leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds

Limited amounts of fresh fruits or fresh juice

Only whole grain products or brown rice

Dairy products are limited to cheese and Bulgarian yoghurt (unsweetened)

Drink plenty of water. Herbal teas like aloe or rooibos are also allowed.

In conjunction with this diet it is imperative that you incorporate exercise. Even moderate exercise improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin. It also helps to build muscle mass, burn fat and improves weight control.

Give it a try, as a BONUS you will be more energetic and your brain will be sharper and more focused.

Blood Sugar EMOTIONS:)

Your body’s typical response to STRESS is the activation of the fight-or-flight syndrome. During this response the adrenal glands are stimulated to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline causes the liver to dump sugar into the blood stream to ensure there is enough energy available to fight or flee.

Cortisol on the other hand interferes with the pancreas’ production of insulin and makes the body become insulin resistant.

Chronic stress can actually CAUSE you to become diabetic since your body elevates sugar levels while simultaneously reducing insulin production.

When your blood sugar drops too low it also causes a stress response. Adrenalin is released to stimulate the liver to dump sugar in the blood to normalise your blood sugar level. However, the adrenalin also causes a rapid heartbeat and anxiety.

I have seen this phenomenon manifested numerous times. When people cannot control their blood sugar level (as well as blood pressure and cholesterol level) through medication or dietary changes the KEY to regaining their health is by eliminating their TOXIC emotions.

Normally people suffering from blood sugar problems also struggle with their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in combination are a serious threat to your HEALTH.

Aloe Ferox Natural Health products are available at your Local Agent or on the internet, give us a try.