"A weed is just a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I live in a part of California where dandelion greens grow like weeds. In...
Diabetes is a health condition where the blood sugar is constantly elevated. There are two types of Diabetes. Type One Diabetes is typically an autoimmune condition and results from the body not producing enough insulin. The islet cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are targeted by the immune system. Type Two Diabetes is typically caused by lifestyle and genetics, and results in the body not properly producing or using insulin.
Type Two Diabetes in the United States is of epidemic proportions. It is estimated that more than 25 million Americans have diabetes, millions of those are undiagnosed. And to think that more than 90% of those cases could be avoided by changing the diet and making better lifestyle choices.
Diabetes is a serious illness. It can lead to obesity, blindness and many other horrible conditions, and will often result in early death. Why would anyone choose to have this disease? I believe we have been greatly misinformed. Our diet and sedentary lifestyle is most responsible for our epidemic of Diabetes.
One of the sad facts about the typical American diet is that we eat too much sugar. It is estimated that the average American ingests more than 158 pounds of sugar per year, and that number keeps rising. We must learn to curtail our desire for sweet foods.
Most of the clients I've worked with come into my office with some sort of blood sugar issue. Many are hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and others show signs of high blood sugar. Both are mostly caused by diet. These conditions are indicative of developing insulin resistance in the body from a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugar.
Without turning to medications to control blood sugar, there are several things one can do to balance blood sugar naturally.
- Eliminate high-sugar foods and drinks from ones diet
- Reduce or eliminate refined carbohydrates from ones diet
- Eat several smaller meals (3-4) throughout the day with protein in every meal
- Exercise daily (probably the most important choice!)
- Take natural supplements that help to balance the blood sugar levels
- Prayer and meditation (managing stress is key to helping the body cope with illness)
Don't wait to be diagnosed with Diabetes before choosing a healthy lifestyle. You don't want to be a statistic. And believe me, it's not that far fetched that you might be the one out of ten that is tagged by this disease! Diabetes kills. But it can be avoided, and even reversed.
Watch the film Raw for 30 Days to see how one group of folks were able to reverse their Diabetes by diet and lifestyle. It wasn't easy for them, but it is possible.
Are you at risk for Diabetes? Do you want to know if you are the type of person that doesn't metabolize food well and thus has blood sugar issues? Take the Metabolic Type quiz for some tips.
