A
Basic Understanding of
Diabetes
Can Control Type 2 Diabetes!
The classic presentation of diabetes is characterized by the three Ps:
polyuria
(frequent urination),
polydipsia
(increased thirst) and
polyphagia
(increased hunger). Hypertension and the development of heart
disease are of large concern. Complications arise by poorly handled
blood sugars such as kidney, retinal and limb damage. Blood sugars are
tightly regulated by the hormone insulin which lowers blood glucose
levels. Blood glucose is the major form of fuel for the
body. Hence diabetic blood sugar difficulties will make
impacts on all the systems of the body. There are three forms of
diabetes, known as type 1, 2 and gestational diabetes (pregnancy
induced). In type 1 insulin dependent diabetes the beta islet
cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin, are
damaged. Hence insulin production is limited and blood sugars
tend to be very high. This disease demands insulin
treatment. There are some botanical medicines that have some
research to restore beta islet cells. Insulin is
unquestionably still a must, but it may be possible to slow the
destruction of B islet cells with such medicines and other naturopathic
interventions. Type 1 diabetes has an autoimmune component and
often starts in childhood. Diary consumption may be associated with B
cell islet destruction and should be discontinued at once. Type 2
non-insulin dependent diabetes is where insulin is not readily accepted
by the cells due to cell receptor insensitivity. Type two is
the greater majority of diabetic cases and is the focus of discussion
here.
Metabolic_syndrome
or syndrome x is generally believed by many holistic doctors to be the
cause of the development of type 2 diabetes. Metabolic
syndrome is a combination of diagnostic blood markers that leads to the
development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Some
estimates suggest that 25% of the population have metabolic
syndrome. The following characteristics greatly increase your
risk to the syndrome: obesity, diet, sedentary lifestyle, aging and
genetics. The consumption of the standard American diet is high in
simple sugars (as opposed to complex carbohydrates), poor quality fats,
low fiber and low vegetable consumption. All these factors
result in some way or another to spiking of blood sugars, followed by
blood sugar instability and finally general metabolic
instability. The rising and falling of blood sugars causes the
receptors on cells to become insensitive to insulin leading to type 2
diabetes.
Holistic
Medicines and Diabetes:
There is a
large list of natural medicines that can be very effective in managing
diabetic issues. Holistic treatments can target blood sugar
balances, hormonal issues, metabolic markers and preventing and
managing complications. Depending on an individual’s commitment to
their health and nutrition, weight and blood sugar control, holistic
medicine has much to offer diabetes. No matter what level of
disease involvement people can start a program and make continued
changes in their treatment as they see results. It is very
important that individuals be under the care of a trained doctor.
Glycemic
Index
(GI):
The rest of this page is mostly
based on blood sugar control through education on the glycemic index
(GI). While GI is not the only important nutritional topic
(fats, fiber and protein are very important as well) GI is generally
poorly understood by the public. Learning and applying the principles
of GI diets will revolutionize a diabetic’s life.
Diabetes is a very complex disease. Blood sugars have impacts on most
system wide patterns. Many disease processes can either be
helped or hindered depending on blood sugar levels.
A
foods ability to raise blood sugars after consumption can be found as a
numeric value in the Glycemic_index.
The index is 0=100 with pure white sugar as 100. The glycemic index
does not necessarily correlate with the amount of carbohydrate in a
food item. For example orange juice has a higher GI then apple
juice. But apple juice has more carbohydrates. When
one is considering the GI they should consider the numeric GI value and
the total number of carbohydrates. One can purchase a GI book from most
any book store. Diabetics should consume no more than 50 points on the
glycemic index (GI). Keep in mind that total number of
carbohydrates can’t be overlooked. Just because an individual
eats below 50 points on the GI doesn’t mean total diabetic
control. There is more to nutrition for diabetics then
presented here. Weight management and exercise are crucial to
blood sugar control.
Examples of high glycemic foods/simple sugars/empty calories: white
sugars, candy, white pastas, cakes, fiber depleted breads, white
potatoes, sodas etc.
All
foods are Not Created
Equal:
The most important aspect of
diabetic control is low glycemic index (GI) and low net carbohydrate
(NC) = leading to a reasonable glucose load (GL).
GL
= GI/100 x NC
(Net Carbs are
equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)
Glycemic
Indexes and
Glycemic Loads for Common Foods:
The table below shows values of
the Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) for a few common foods.
GI's of 55 or below are considered low and 70 or above are considered
high. GL's of 10 or below are considered low and 20 or above are
considered high.
