Naturopathy Beats The Diabetes – Its Significant & Fast

Dr.Satish Bajaj, Niramaya® Naturopathy

Going into the details of statistics of Diabetes will be the wastage of time of the reader as well as of the writer. The rise is so high that even the people not related to medical profession know the name of the disease “SUGAR”. So it becomes the duty of the medical professionals to guide the public to manage it at all levels, personal & mass.

Let us understand the phenomena of the disease first for a better management. Sugar (glucose, carbohydrates, starch etc.) is the very basic thing that is required by the body as its instant source of energy. Each & every function being performed by the body requires this energy-providing group (COOH). May be the muscles of heart, lungs, intestines etc. or external visible physical movements, all need energy. A definite level of Insulin hormone in the blood makes the Cells to absorb this glucose & this energy in the Cells performs all the functions of different organs of the body. This COOH group is like fuel which burns to produce heat (energy) in the body & its Carbon molecule (C) is excreted out by lungs in the form of Carbon dioxide (Co2)  – simple to understand.

The problem rises at two levels – either Beta cells of Pancreas, which secrete Insulin, start becoming inefficient & produce less insulin and / or Cells, become resistant to Insulin.

Further there are 2 types of Diabetes. (1) Where more than 90% of Beta cells of Pancreas get destroyed (systematic defects, viral attacks, accidental damage to pancreas) stopping the production of Insulin & is called Type1 diabetes mellitus – IDDM or T 1 DM. It is controlled only with administration of daily doses of Insulin injections. (2) Efficiency of beta cells of Pancreas starts deteriorating resulting in decreased secretion of Insulin. This is Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus – NIDDM or Type 2 DM – T2DM. T2DM is kept under control with daily doses of oral medicines. Medicines stimulate the pancreas to secrete more Insulin & slowly their effect decreases & dose increases & in 5 – 10 yrs time, the patient is bound to take Insulin injections.

Symptoms: include polyurea (frequent urination), polydypsia (increased thirst, dryness of mouth), dehydration, weight loss, delayed wound healing, lethargy, and sudden change of vision.

Complications: Renal failures (Diabetic Nephropathy), Cardio vascular problems (Hypertension, Heart attacks, Strokes, Atherosclerosis etc.), Neuropathies (Numbness feet, Erectile dysfunction etc.) & Diabetic Retinopathy are some of the major complications.

Causes: can be from heredity to obesity due to modern sedentary lifestyle where there is no time for self health care. Chemically treated junk foods, cold drinks, preserved & processed eatables are all to be blamed.

How to treat with Naturopathy?

Not at all difficult!

Naturopathy brings down the Blood glucose level significantly in a weeks time in case of T2DM though it is very difficult in case of IDDM. If diagnosed very early, it may even cure Diabetes in certain cases. A careful monitoring of B.Sugar levels is required by way of regular testing. If a patient is taking medicines, even more care is needed as B.Sugar starts coming down & there arises a need to taper down the dosage of medicines.

How Naturopathy works?

How medicines work?

There are two main groups of medicines – Sulphonylureas & Biguanides. Insulin is required in later stages. Mainly they work by three ways.

1.       They stimulate the Pancreas to secrete more Insulin – First of the groups.

2.       They increase the peripheral uptake of glucose & thus reduce glucose levels in blood – the other group.

3.      

Now if we concentrate upon the action of medicines, it is very clear that all these above mentioned actions could be performed with Naturopathy & Yog. While the stimulation of Pancreas is possible with Naturopathy Methodologies & specific Yog Aasans, the peripheral uptake of glucose can also be done with some other Naturopathy treatments & morning & evening brisk walks. Controlled assimilation of glucose from intestines is also possible by simply changing the diet patterns.

Diet: Diet part being most important for Diabetics, let it be discussed first.

Fasting or “Upvaas” being considered most powerful method to revitalization & healing of disease, it can be controversial in case of Diabetics. As per findings of Science, the instant energy in the form of glucose as mentioned early is regularly & speedily drained off from the body through urine. So if we go for Fasting, the energy required for body functions will be drawn from already stored energy in the muscles etc. & thus the condition of the patient will further deteriorate. So, is the Fasting advisable? A strong No should be the answer. However very short fasting on Vegetable juices or Vegetable soups may prove beneficial. But juices of fruits will prove harmful as they cause sudden rise in B.Sugar levels due to their quick absorption.

For Diabetics, the advice may be – Have a Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince & Dinner like a Pauper. A heavy breakfast is recommended for a Diabetic because increased B.Sugar will be consumed by his day’s physical activity without harming the internal organs. Lunch should be slightly lighter, again for the same reason. And the dinner should be very light because of the reduced physical activity during sleep. The diet planned in this manner will keep a check on rising B.Sugar levels.

Fiber / Roughage: This is the factor which is very important for Diabetics as it performs the function equivalent to a function of Biguanides, the 3^rd one as stated above. The fiber in fruits & vegetables does not get fully digested in the Alimentary canal. Rather at the first stage its semi-digested form absorbs the digested fluids & takes the shape of a bolus, which keeps on moving towards rectum with peristaltic movements of the intestines. In this process it keeps on releasing the digested fluids slowly & in a controlled manner. Thus its function is comparable to the medicines. So a Diabetic should be advised to have a lot of green leafy vegetables, plenty of salads & whole grains. Never take pulses without skin. A certain no to fruit juices as they lack in fiber & are readily absorbed causing sudden rise in B.Sugar levels. Wherever possible, fruits & vegetables should be taken with skin & seeds. However vegetable juices & soups may be taken because they have a very poor content of Carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates & Starch: are always prohibited in Diabetes. But the daily requirement is fulfilled even with the lesser quantities found in other foods. So potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, beetroot, fine wheat flour etc. should be avoided. Avoid taking very sweet fruits like banana, sapota, mangoes, grapes etc. but go for papaya, guava, jambu fruit, falsa, prunes, cherry, loquat, pomegranate, peaches, zizyphus, slightly sour oranges, sweet lime & there can be a lot of such fruits in different regions of the country. The mantra is that fruits that are less sweet and / or sour are a safer & beneficial option.

Medicinal diet: It is recommended to cover the very 1^st action by medicines, though not fully but it seems to help a lot. Take at least one vegetable a day that is slightly bitter in taste. Though it is not scientifically proven, yet it seems to work for Diabetics. Bitter gourd is a proven one but list may be extended to capsicum, fenugreek leaves, drumsticks & its leaves, guar beans, French beans, cowpea beans, sword beans, celery, colocasia leaves, curry leaves etc.

Aloe vera pulp, Green tea, Garlic, Stinging nettle are proving helpful. Cinnamon is supposed to multiply the efficiency of Insulin. Juice from fresh green Amla (Indian gooseberry) is the best bet. The quantity may be about 20 – 30 ml.

The very recent research by National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, Haryana (latest issue of international journal – “Nutrition”) have found that the bacteria in homemade Curd are very beneficial for Diabetics. The results confirmed that curd is a winner. It not only delays the progress of diabetes but also improves the Lipid profile. Suggestion may be for 250 Gms of curd a day.

The subject is very vast & needs much more to mention. In the coming issues we can discuss about Yog & Naturopathy treatments.

A lot of Yog aasans are there to stimulate Pancreas for insulin secretion. Brisk morning & evening walks are helpful in peripheral uptake of glucose. There are many Naturopathy therapies to do the above said strengthening of Pancreas as well as to improve the peripheral uptake of Glucose.    

How to deal with & treat Diabetic Nephropathy? -  The fatal renal failure.

Can Naturopathy help fighting Cardio vascular problems related to Diabetes? If so, question is how? Anxiety & Depression are also common in Diabetics; will Naturopathy do something for that?

Dr. Satish Bajaj

Niramaya® Naturopathy, 7, A.G.C.R. Enclave, Delhi-110092.

011 22374713, 986 856 9 986

satishbajaj@gmail.com