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Tips On Losing Weight To Control Diabetes

Diabetes is a medical condition of the body which affects that way in which our body uses the food we eat to turn it into energy. Whenever we consume food, the majority of it is turned into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar, and when taken into our body’s cells, it is used as energy. However, for those who suffer from diabetes, many require insulin in order to deliver glucose to their body’s cells. Unfortunately, there are some diabetics who either produce too little insulin or no insulin at all. As a result, their body’s sugar to cell energy process is disrupted.

There are two known types of diabetes: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes is labeled as an autoimmune disease where one’s body begins to attack the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. On the other hand, Type II diabetes is known as adult onset diabetes which is caused by being overweight or lacking the proper physical activity. In most cases, Type II diabetes accounts for 90%-95% of diabetic cases. In fact, it is this type of diabetes that affects weight loss the greatest.

If you desire to take control of your diabetes, the first step you should take is to institute a weight loss plan. Unfortunately, for some, this is easier said than done.

Typical weight loss diets for diabetics should be low in fat, carbohydrates, and very restrictive of one’s calorie intake. It is recommended that at least 40% of your calorie intake be in the form of protein. For those who suffer from kidney problems, or other related illnesses, be sure to consult a doctor first before consuming this amount of protein per day.

Another component of effective weight loss for those who suffer from diabetes is exercise. Aerobic exercises help to strengthen your cardiovascular system as well as burn calories. Because muscle burns more than fat, it is also advisable to undergo a strength training routine in order to build muscle while simultaneously burning fat. This will greatly impact your weight loss efforts – much more than if you were to simply walk or bike ride.

The bottom line is: if you can adopt a whole foods diet in conjunction with regular exercise, you can realistically lose weight. For those who suffer from Type II diabetes, there’s a very strong chance that such weight loss can help your condition, if not cure it altogether.

Type II diabetes is largely due in part to a metabolic syndrome which goes hand in hand with high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary artery disease. If you can decrease your chances for one, you can certainly work towards a cure for the others. By losing weight and adopting a healthy diet, you are started on the right path to a cure.

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What is Alternative Medicine ?

Alternative and complementary medicine has swept through the world as people seek greater control of their health. It is now a popular belief that whatever ails man, the underlying cause is within himself, thus the word dis-ease.

Alternative medicine refers to practices not used by conventional medicine. Seeking alternative medicine means a referral to a homeopath or a naturopath instead of your regular doctor. The alternative practitioner do not intend for their clients stop receiving conventional care. They strive to develop a way to work alongside the family doctor with the best interest of the client in mind.

Alternative medicine is a part of complementary medicine, which means alternative practice is used with conventional medicine in treatment of a disease or illness.

Practitioners of alternative medicine use some basic and common principles, which may be similar to what conventional medicine offers.

Basic principles or alternative medicine:

LEARNING AND HEALING

Alternative practitioners believe that they can guide a patient to find ways to heal themselves. They act as mentors.

HOLISTIC CARE

Holistic care involves treating the whole person, not just the present ailment. Alternative medicine focus on treating the whole person, it recognizes that the physical, mental, spiritual and relationships are interconnected and these play a major role in staying healthy or cause of being sick. You cannot take these factors singly and treat these separately.

PREVENTION

This is an important factor in staying healthy, also prescribed by conventional medicine. Stay healthy, eat healthy, take good care of your health.

BODY ‘S ABILITY TO HEAL ITSELF

Alternative practitioners consider themselves as facilitators. It is within us to heal ourselves. Alternative therapy encourages the natural healing process.

LIFESTYLE

Our world today is too hurried, we seek too much instant gratification. A 24-hour day sometimes is not enough. This fast-paced lifestyle puts too much emphasis on the material world. It does not leave much time to look after the whole person, that is mind, body and spirit.

THERAPIES IN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

It is not a very clear system, some therapies may interlap with another. Some techniques may apply to other therapies.

HEALING SYSTEMS

These are sets of theories or practices or remedies. The focus of these therapies is on the power of nature or the energy field of the human body. Take massage- it is not a single practice or remedy. Many of these healing systems have been used before conventional medicine came to existence. Think of the medicine man of the North American Indians and other cultures. The Chinese have practised acupuncture, there is the Ayurvedic from India, and others.

CATEGORIES OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Ayurveda

This has been practised in India for thousands of years. The emphasis is a unique cure based on individual circumstances. Treatment may include yoga, meditation, diet, massage and herbs.

Homeopathy.

Minute doses of a substance is administered to stimulate the self-healing process of the body.

Naturopathy.

This is a non-invasive treatment to encourage the body to do its own healing. Naturopaths combine different forms of alternative and complementary medicine to stimulate healing. It may include massage, acupuncture, life-style counseling, exercise, diet and use of herbs and its derivatives.

Ancient medicines.

There is wisdom to be learned from the past practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine- although these were not labelled as such then. These include American Indians, Chinese, Pacific Islanders, Mayan Indians, Tibetan practitioners and others.

Mind-body connections

Mind-body techniques strengthen the communication between your mind and your body. Complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say these two systems must be in harmony for you to stay healthy. Examples of mind-body connection techniques include:

  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Biofeedback
  • Prayer
  • Hypnosis
  • Relaxation and art therapies, such as poetry, music and dance

Dietary supplements and herbal remedies

Herbs are so popular these days. Almost every household have a bottle or two.These medicines use ingredients found in Nature, they have been used long before conventional medicine was implemented and subscribed to. Examples are echinecea, ginseng, gingko, supplements like glucosamine, essiac, selenium Omega-3 are just a few on the long list. Herbs and supplements can be taken as tea, oils, syrups, powders, tablets or capsules.

CAUTION

It is advisable to consult with your family doctor, advise him of the natural supplements you are taking. Be aware of drug interaction especially if you are pregnant, nursing a baby, have chronic illness, elderly or having surgery or possible adverse interaction with regular prescribed medications.

Always, always, let your doctor know what herbal supplements you are taking. Remember that these supplements give no guarantee that they are always safe.

Manipulation and touch

These methods use human touch to move or manipulate a specific part of your body. They include:

  • Chiropractic and spinal manipulation
  • Massage
  • Other types of manipulation and touch therapies, such as osteopathy, craniosacral therapy and accupressure

Energy therapies

Many believe that there is an invisible energy force that flows through the body. You’ve heard the words: I have no energy to do this, or I am energized today.

A blockage or imbalance in this energy flow can cause illness. This energy Is called CHI, PRANA or LIFE FORCE, depends on what tradition you believe in. Energy therapy works on balancing or unblocking the flow of energy to bring about healing. In acupuncture, the insertion of needles into points along the energy pathways in the body restores natural energy.

Other energy therapies include:

  • Therapeutic touch
  • Reiki
  • Magnet therapy
  • Polarity therapy
  • Light therapy

Do doctors believe in alternative and complementary medicine?

While they may not be opposed, they are not comfortable with alternative medicine. However, as more people seek out CAM ( Complementary, Alternative Medicine), doctors are opening up to some of the therapies offered by CAM. Patients have to be more open and willing to discuss this issue with their doctors. It is a way to encourage them to learn more about CAM.

SKEPTICISM

As with any profession, there are always those who muddy the waters. Some practitioners of CAM, make exaggerated claims about treating disease and even go as far as recommending to forgo conventional treatment as prescribe by the family doctor.

Realistically, some forms of may be hurtful. There is a lack of solid research of the products and practices of CAM. Controlled research and studies are expensive .

Conventional medicine rely on methods and products backed by sound and solid research. These studies, including trials receive funding directly or indirectly by government funds. The dangers and benefits of CAM treatments remain unproved.

Don’t forgo conventional treatment

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Complementary & Alternative Medicine treatments for Diabetes

Now-a-days Alternative Medicines or Complementary Medicines and gaining popularity, because of its curing power with out any side effects.

Diabetes details: Diabetes means your blood glucose is too high. Diabetes is the inability of the body to ‘produce insulin – type 1 diabetes’ or ‘proper use of insulin – type 2 diabetes.

Allopathic medicine Diabetes: In allopathic treatment, they consider and treat everyone in a similar manner and drugs are used for treatments. These drugs are used to stop or block one particular function of an organ. It is not trying to correct the root cause and only gives temporary relief. Also they use only one force (compared to war utilizes land force only) that is the medication for diabetes.

Alternative medicines Diabetes: treatments they consider human as a whole and each human is treated differently for the same disease. They are not only considering the disease alone, but also its causes – physical and mental (psychological) reasons.

Homeopathic remedies diabetes:

For example homeopathic remedy is concern they find the correct remedy by looking for symptoms of:

  • Main complication
  • Physical symptoms
  • Mental/emotional/psychological symptoms
  • Modalities (when the disease is better and when it is worst)
  • Causation (reason behind the disease – root cause)

Homeopathic remedies for diabetes, different peoples are treated with a different medicine with respect to their individual physical, mental, modalities and causation.

Ayurvedic herbal remedies for diabetes:

It is also called as herbal medicines, herbal therapy, herbal treatment, herbalism and botanical medicines.

The herbal medication is prepared from plants, use medicinal herbs to prevent and treat diseases and ailments or to promote health and healing. Either the dried plant as a whole or a specific part of it (root, leaves, fruit, flowers or seeds) is formulated into suitable preparation. Ayurvedic natural remedies are not only control blood sugar, but at the same time it will take care of kidney, liver, eye and hearts. These are the organs that may be affected by long term of diabetes. Also the carbohydrate metabolism is by liver, kidney, pancreas and small intestine. Thus the herbal medicines correct these organs for proper utilization and elimination of the glucose. That is, it corrects the root cause.

Yoga poses diabetes:

Yoga refers to be the traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. It has the ability to balance body, mind & spirit. This discipline has curative power for many chronic diseases that include diabetes, by activating glandular systems responsible for the illness. In the case of diabetes, yoga poses give mild and gentle massages to the internal organs such as pancreas, liver, intestine, etc. These organs are responsible for the diabetes cause.

Acupressure for diabetes:

Accupressure is also called as acupressure or healing touch. TCM relies on a number of basic principles which have been refined over thousands of years of medical practice. One of the major principles of this medical tradition is the idea that health is governed by the flow of life force, or qi, through the body. Interruptions in this flow can lead to medical complaints, as the body’s balance of energy is disrupted. TCM practitioners also believe that disruptions in the flow of qi affect specific organs, and that all symptoms can be linked with a particular organ.

In the case of diabetes many patients have found that has either cured or decreased the severity of their diabetes.

Reflexology for diabetes:

Reflexology massage or zone therapy is particularly a healing art by applying pressure (using the hand, fingers and especially the thumbs). This massage is specifically done to feet, hands and some times even to the ears. It activates the acupoints which are interrelated to the organs in the body.

That is why reflexology massage is showing positive impact on promoting self-healing capabilities on diabetes.

Complementary Medicine:

All the above alternative medicine treatments are also called as complementary medicine. The name “complementary medicine” developed as the two or more systems began to be used alongside (to “complement”) each other.

So if we use all the above said alternative medicines together (used all the medicines at the same time) there is a amazing result because one complements the other;

  • Homeopathy treats disease by physical, mental, modalities and causation symptoms – human as a whole.
  • Herbal remedies correct the disease by correcting the organ responsible for the disease – this system corrects the function of the organ responsible.
  • Yoga is a physical and mental discipline that gives massage to the internal organ and calms the mind for proper function of the organ.
  • Acupressure is a healing touch which clears the blockage of qi (vital energy) and thus function of the particular organ is normalized.
  • Reflexology is an art of massaging the nerve points connecting with the organ responsible for the disease. If the nerves are stimulated the organ start function normally.

If you use all the above said complementary medicines each works differently, then the chance of cure for the disease is very high.

For example purpose we used to define alternative medicine diabetes, it is not only for diabetes but also for cholesterol, high and low blood pressure, eye problems, etc. I named a few the list is endless.

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