Diabetes: Wrestling with a Twenty-First Century Monster

WELL SAID NDocR. Salute! The pain which prompted me to write this article is substantiated in your most professional, comprehensive and non-judgmental response. It is good to see support coming from a medical professional for a layperson who has seen tunnel-vision approach of the main stream medicine and wish to speak about it.

Re: # 47 (and #48)
Your statement: "The maids do not want to learn Yoga and Meditation. They only care for tablets."

According to our natural medicine approach, meditation and yoga do act as stress reducers. It goes something like this: Stress affects the adrenals, which affect our hormone balances. Therefore, there may be a stress-insulin link responding, at least to some part, to stress reduction.

However, to continue from our past message... no matter what, food intake plays a predominant role in either triggering or preventing blood sugar fluctuations.--In the type 1 diabetic aggravating the non-presence of insulin, in the type 2 diabetic exacerbating the excess levels of insulin or insulin resistance.

Both types benefit from avoidance of the blood sugar rollercoaster by sticking to a low-carb and potentially also gluten-free diet. Research already has linked type 1 with gluten-sensitivity/celiac disease. Please (re-)read posts #26 and #27!

Interestingly, today mainstream medicine refers to an uncanny number of "hybrid diabetes," meaning simultaneous type 1 and 2, especially in younger and lean individuals. Therefore, the sooner we become proactive the better the chances for controlling the growing "21st Century Monster, Diabetes!"

PS you asked... I am presently based in Canada.
author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Thanks for the comment regarding blood sugar control for Type 1 patients -- indeed that is fine but the issue here was the onset of diabetes being triggered by diet, which was the main point of Mr. Mooquin's article . This is only true for Type 2.

The triggering mechanism for Type 1 is based on auto-immune reactions which are caused by defective T-cells that are determined by genetics and by some environmental factors that are still poorly researched.

It is good for all of us to eat less carbs on average and eat more veggies for sure.

Re: # 46

"often the brain makes us crave what is the worst for us or what we are allergic to…"

Often?? When did it become often? Not from birth unless womb care taker (mother) was addictive and irresponsible!
The craving starts in mind-mind not in organ-(gut)-mind. In animal and plants mind-mind is almost non existent.

Postive change needs tremendous effort of intelect mind and body to get out of the vicious cycle. Acording to yoga the Manipur Chakra in guts gives the dermination to get out of this cycle. This might appear as not rational.

"The kind of cravings and patterns tell us natural medicine professionals a lot about the missing minerals and other triggers. By correcting them, cravings usually stop within as little as a couple of weeks. Avoiding diabetes is fairly easy early on. When an individual is already deep into it, improved control (and sometimes reversal) may still be possible but needs to be done under the supervision of a knowledgeable professional."

Interesting! The maids do not want to learn Yoga and Meditation. They only care for tablets.

Are you in US or India/Pakistan?

Re: # 44 Hello tuth100.
Excellent question you are posing! The kind I am looking forward to answering in greater detail on our avoidiabetes forum on Ning.

You are not commenting on your maids' body weights and ages... It sounds like your maid who experiences fainting spells has a real problem that needs attention immediately!
Fainting may be a sign of hypoglycemia (when the blood sugar drops too low). Hypoglycemia can be fatal. Get her in for lab tests and to see a capable MD!
No surprise that she reaches for the cookie/sugar jar to drive up her sugar levels... The big problem is, this will put her on a blood sugar rollercoaster. And, following her sugar snack high, her blood sugar will drop even lower. It's a vicious cycle.

I am happy to assist you with some detailed recommendations but believe that this does belong into a private message. Changing food habits is possible at any stage. Our brain is smart (or dumb) in that it realizes that the gut does not get the nutrients the body needs. Then it puts us into cravings mode. However, often the brain makes us crave what is the worst for us or what we are allergic to… Go figure! Yet, change (good or bad) happens from the gut!
The kind of cravings and patterns tell us natural medicine professionals a lot about the missing minerals and other triggers. By correcting them, cravings usually stop within as little as a couple of weeks. Avoiding diabetes is fairly easy early on. When an individual is already deep into it, improved control (and sometimes reversal) may still be possible but needs to be done under the supervision of a knowledgeable professional.

Best wishes - and I look forward to your private message.

author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Re: # 43
Your subtle humor is refreshing. Problem with poets like me is that they think everyone else too see things poetically, in particular, if someone talks with certain subtleness. Sorry for side tracking.
Back to the real topic of the article: As NDocR says, it begins with the gut. Everything begins with the gut for that matter. Even the feelings. This is my gut feeling. Cleansing mind is important – very important – but it goes hand in hand with cleansing of the body – mind purification is not the whole story. The whole story is BALANCE.
O, the typo of truth101 – can you excuse it as a typo :-)(pause for thought – why 100 – why not one or million or or trillion or infinite – 101 too can be reaching or may be teaching if not preaching - just rambling – no more in serious mode)

NDocR,

I have two maids who are suffering from diabetes. One has to take insulin shots on daily basis. Other one is having symptoms such as fainting and thurst. She eats/steals gud/sugar all the time. She has to have it in her mouth.

We can physically stop their destructive habits which is necessary, but do you think the body/mind/vasana will still go on trying to create destructive chemicals on its own with whatever raw material it finds from so called healthy food?

Stopping the tap of diesel pouring in wind shield wiper fluid tank (wswft) is necessary, but we should make sure that there is not something in the wswft which converts water into diesel.

BTW, who is 101? Might be a prof teaching others truth.

I hope I do not preach but reach.

Quin,

Beautiful Poem! Though I have hard time in understanding the poems unless they are sung.

Just curious, is Noise because of our reaction?

For a while at least
I have come home to me
To a different symphony.

Symphony of nothingness?
Home of pure awareness?

I guess you responded to this statement:
Then we do not want to face this internal mess so leave the house and try to stay outside in addictions to ideologies, so called faiths, material goods and drugs.

Re: # 35 Dear truth100.
I think I do understand where you are heading with your statement, "All diseases first start in the mind." However, as a medical professional and for the sake of the argument presented in the initial article about the growing impact of diabetes, I choose to stick to the "bodily" point-- and to the topic of diabetes/disease:

To grossly simplify the process, similarly as you put diesel into the tank of a gasoline-powered car, or brake oil into the windshield washer canister, the wrong food intake in our bodies causes oxidative stress and malfunction.
In human terms this means gastrointestinal inflammation (bloating, unpredictable events of the 2nd kind). An inflamed gut no longer can absorb the minerals and nutrients it gets from the food we eat.--Maybe that is a "smart" gut considering the garbage we tend to eat these days ;-)!--The result is not only fatigue and tiredness but also brain fog. Fewer (of the right) minerals and nutrients reaching our brain cells and nerve synapses means... yes, you said it, the mind is having a problem. But: the gut was first!
Therefore: All--make that "Most--diseases first start with the gut!"

Happy and healthy eating!



author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Re: # 35 Dear truth100.
I think I do understand where you are heading with your statement, "All diseases first start in the mind." However, as a medical professional and for the sake of the argument presented in the initial article about the growing impact of diabetes, I choose to stick to the "bodily" point-- and to the topic of diabetes/disease:

To grossly simplify the process, similarly as you put diesel into the tank of a gasoline-powered car, or brake oil into the windshield washer canister, the wrong food intake in our bodies causes oxidative stress and malfunction.
In human terms this means gastrointestinal inflammation (bloating, unpredictable events of the 2nd kind). An inflamed gut no longer can absorb the minerals and nutrients it gets from the food we eat.--Maybe that is a "smart" gut considering the garbage we tend to eat these days ;-)!--The result is not only fatigue and tiredness but also brain fog. Fewer (of the right) minerals and nutrients reaching our brain cells and nerve synapses means... yes, you said it, the mind is having a problem. But: the gut was first!
Therefore: All--make that "Most--diseases first start with the gut!"

Happy and healthy eating!



author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Re: # 36 akcheema,
I do thank you for the information and wish best all those who are suffering and will resort to every possible treatment avialable. Though to me, the developments you have referred sounds tentative and may prove to be a minefield in the long run. I am not a medical professional and my opinion is a layman's opinion, but the point is that more often emphasis is on treating the symptoms and not dealing with the underlying causes. Thrust of my argument is on early recognition and prevention. We need to bring mainstream medicine on board to make prevention a reality.

Re: # 33 Urstuly - I just realized that the links and specific info for you were cut off in my response #34... I shall send them to you in a private message.
Best wishes - Love your questions and comments!
author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Re: # 35: dear truth101
I hear you and I hear the subtle satire in it. In my poems, I have tried to capture similar streaks of thoughts. My poems are my meditation of solitude. But irony is that like flowers, they want to be seen, to be appreciated. They really are not mine. They are others'. They come from others; and they go to them. If you so incline, pl see my poems in my iLogs:
Different Tune; Wink; and Hush.
One is copied here:
Different Tune
It is too much noise
Out in the field
Out in the city
Out in the streets
In my work place
In my living space
On my friend’s face
It is too much noise
In my heart beat
In my thoughts streak
In my taut physique
It is too much noise
When someone goes by
When a glance strikes
And a muse revives
It is too much noise

O the rain drop
Why not quietly fall
O the noisy ocean
Why such a commotion
O the kind sweet breeze
Rustle not these leaves
O the chirping bird singing with zest
Let the rose for a while be at rest
O the elements, pause your wheel
For a while at least
I have come home to me
To a different symphony.

Re: # 32

recently there's been a great deal of interest in "obesity surgery"....especially gastric bypass and Sleeve gastrectomy almost curing Type 2 DM in overweight patients........a lot of ongoing research; early results are quite promising

Quinji,

"I should have also given you some idea about the early symptoms. "

All diseases first start in the mind. I am curious if you take a stock of your thoughts before the onset of this ailment. Were you addictive in thoughts? Internet and websites such as this are adictive. If you take a survey on this site you will find many who are on their to have this ailment.

Again it comes to the same place. Unless mind is purified we can not be sensitive to the early mental or bodily symtoms. Words clutter our mind, unnecessary thoughts pop up in our mind because these not well understood words. Then we do not want to face this internal mess so leave the house and try to stay outside in addictions to ideologies, so called faiths, material goods and drugs.

Urstruly

I wouldn't really call it a "tall claim" when we keep in mind that mainstream medicine (at least theoretically) considers food and lifestyle changes the most effective measures for controlling diabetes.

Success stands and falls with the individual's willingness and ability to stick to foods that do not promote blood glucose spikes, drops, and fluctuations. Kudos to you for wanting to find out more about gluten and its impact! Please remember to also read some of the other comments here for additional low-carb suggestions.

Here is a start:
author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books

Re: # 32 NDCOR

"Those of my patients who have done so have seen a huge change in their body and many--at least for now--control their diabetes without presciption medication and further degenerative complications."

This sounds like a tall claim. Where can I find info on list of high/low or gluten free diets. Some of the labels do say gluten free, but mostly it doesn't. Does gluten factor work something like glycymic index or is it something different.

Re: # 28 Urstruly,
Of course the gene HLA-DQ8 is already part of an individual's genetic make-up! It is not "triggered by changing dietary habits..." That would be a misinterpretation.

However, anyone who carries the HLA-DQ8 gene appears to be more susceptible to gluten-related problems and carbohydrate addiction.
And, since we know that gluten (there are 3 gluten proteins: gluten, gliadin, glutenin) may interfere with a stage of insulin production and its action, AND that gluten contains (not unsignificant) amounts of morphine, the "addiction theory" bears a second look in the context of tye 2 diabetes.

The presence of HLA-DQ8 (think of it as the body's "weak link") may thus fall among the early risk indicators. For now it may suggest that those individuals follow a low-carb, gluten-free lifestyle early on in order to avoid all the many metabolic and other conditions frequently connected with future diabetes.
Those of my patients who have done so have seen a huge change in their body and many--at least for now--control their diabetes without presciption medication and further degenerative complications.

PS: Mainstream medicine already fully acknowledges a link between type 1 diabetes and celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten-sensitivity).
Little mainstream research has focused on the role of the duodenum. But, now that some mainstream surgeons start calling money-maker "bariatric surgery/gastric bypass operation" (as performed in the morbidly obese) the "Cure for diabetes" that may change. This does not change the fact that for now there is NO CURE for diabetes except avoidance through proper food and lifestyle.
author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books
www.avoidiabetes.com

Re: # 27 NDocR
Thanks for clarifying.
Re:# 24 Urstruly
I take that you are in discussion with NDocR, so I am off the hook ... for now at least ...LOL
Thanks for your interest

Re: # 19 Truth100
I should have also given you some idea about the early symptoms. The details are of course in the book I referred. The author of that book has concluded that the symptoms of diabetes can be recognized 8 to 14 years before actually it is diagnosed by main stream medicine. Some of these symptoms are well know, though attention is not paid to them early enough, for example, dry mouth, extreme thirst and excessive urine, pangs of uncontrolled hunger etc. But there are many more which are not much know in relation to diabetes and the fact that these can be crucial in early recognition of diabetes, such as:
Burning tongue, metallic taste, mouth and body odor, gum and teeth problems;
Urinatary and sexual impacts, weight gain or loss, digestive issues;
Lack of energy, insomnia, daytime sleepiness (was big one for me), crankiness, depression, easy bruising, leg cramps and so on.
(The above list is from the content page of the book “At Risk?�
To detect the risk, more information and analysis is needed. This is just to give an idea. Diabetes Avoidance Society is working to develop a program where professionals will be trained to detect early symptoms so the action can be taken before it is diagnosed. Early recognition is an important link in any prevention program for diabetes.

Re: # 20: nb,
My encounter with Natural Medicine was on one hand a co-incidental blessing and on other logical conclusion after a long series of disappointments with mainstream medicine. To respond to your question, I will be limiting my note to pre-diabetes issues only. What shocked me most was that my two family doctors did not have a clue that they should check me for glucose level, despite me telling them all the symptoms. In retrospect, those symptoms were so obviously pointing to a diabetes diagnosis. In contrast, my NM doctor without me even telling her anything, just from very few outward cues, asked me to have those tests done. The test results sold NM to me forever. They came with pre-diabetes diagnosis, as predicted by her. So, right from the diagnosis, I began to see a very different approach taken by NM towards health.
It may be true that the amount of research available for main stream medicine may surpass the research for NM. I am not an expert, but by what I know, I believe, that there is a surprising amount of research available when it comes to the efficacy of food and lifestyle measures. Medical schools still teach that there is no cure (yet) for diabetes and that it may be largely controlled by diet and lifestyle changes. However, there is little support for the NM approach. In my humble opinion, the reason for this is twofold. Firstly, the mainstream medicine establishments and the pharmaceutical giants have a vested interest in not encouraging NM practice. (In North-America a diabetic patient nets her MD roughly US $250,000 for treatment costs in addition to costs and fees for prescription drugs, etc.) Consequently, trials are set-up in a way that they fail to address the core of the matter. Secondly, as the NM profession is not supported in any way, and many of the modalities remain unregulated, no synergistic pooling of resources has taken place in the NM research field. Sadly, this state of affairs provides opportunities for poorly trained and even outright dishonest persons to prop up their practices based on false claims and testimonials. This makes NM look suspect to those who have not checked deeply into it. Like in any other discipline, the profession gets as good as the practitioner is. And like any other field, the core principles are not understood by all or are forgotten.
In a true NM approach, body and mind are seen as one whole system. In a true NM approach focus is on bringing the body back to a healthy balance so it can recover itself. The natural healing substances are sought for support only and for underlying conditions. In contrast, mainstream heavily (I would even venture to say: SOLELY) depends on treating the symptoms with medication by suppressing them. Well known facts: the side effects and even deaths caused by prescription medications.
The NM approach in my case first and foremost was nutritional. Complete change in eating practice. Extreme care in amount of carbohydrates. My doctor’s advice was 6/12/12 grams of starch in breakfast, lunch and supper and going heavy on vegetables. Very little fruit, no dairy products except for a little bit of old, natural cheese low in lactose. Most importantly, avoid anything with gluten. So, I kept close to those guidelines and I also stopped using wheat-based products. If someone thinks, “what is left� – be assured, there is a lot. The vegetables can be converted into most delicious dishes, and rice and buckwheat and flax – thanks Providence.
The other important ingredient was quality dietary supplements. B-complex, other vitamins and important minerals were carefully selected for a balanced and essential support. The third ingredient was physical and emotional wellbeing. O, do the mainstream doctors have time for this stuff? No doctor spent more than 15 minutes with me in any one session. (I spent more time in waiting rooms than with doctors.) And my attempts to talk with them on those issues (as I still have to go through them to get my tests done – complementary practitioners are not authorized to order those tests) only draws blank and impatient looks.
Within six months, my results came back within normal range. I still try to keep close to my controlled regimen, but I have found many ways to bring all sorts of variety and enjoyment into my diet and activities. Occasional slips with guilt trips are also a source of some variety! My results have kept within range for the last 3 years or so. Ironically, now my (3rd) family doctor (I recently changed) does not consider me pre-diabetic as per the results. He has no idea how it is being done. Neither is he interested.
A lot more can be written, but I hope this answers your kind question in some ways. Please let me know if there is anything more you would like to know.

NDcor

Thank you for your reply.I am not a doctor or a genticist but I think the diabetes gene HLA-DQ8 is not triggered by changing dietry habbits. If that were the case then those societies that consume vegeterian diet only would have been more suceptible to this disease.

Nb

I googled Charak Samhita, but couldn't find any article that it relates to Diabetes. But I take your word for it. It will be iteresting to see if ancient ayurvadic also connects diabetes with the glutony of a society or not, as Ndcor did. The theory seems very plausible though.

Re: # 24 Since nobody else has taken on answering your questions allow me to provide some information.

Your 2-part question 1, "Is Diabetes a recent phenomenon?"
No it is not.
Already the ancient Chinese have recorded, named and treated it. Still today we use several of the ancient Chinese medicine herbal formulae in diabetes control and reversal.
Interestingly, throughout history, diabetes seems to "surface" whenever a society is "resting on its laurels" after acquiring great wealth. That was an issue for the Chinese and also for the ancient Egyptians. And, who knows, if Rome fell because most of its centurions lost their battle fierceness because they had become "diabetics"... At least their bucolic feasts just prior to the disintegration of the Roman Empire are proverbial.

Your question, "Any DNA evidence available?
It makes for food for thoughts that approximately 43% of the North-American population carries a gene (HLA-DQ8) that makes them potentially sensitive to gluten, an opioid-containing protein contained in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale and other grains. The majority of type 2 diabetics or individuals at risk of developing diabetes carry that same HLA-DQ8 gene...
Today we are starting to control (and avoid) type 2--and to some degree also type 1--diabetes by sticking to a low-carohydrate (and possibly gluten-free) diet for all HLA-DQ8 individuals. If you are interested in the why's and how's check back with Amazon.com in a couple of month for my upcoming books.

Your question 2, If left undiagnosed what is the moratality rate in children with Type 1.
Check my answer #26. Dr. Bernstein has been living for decades with juvenile diabetes. With his low-carb approach he is still going strong. His books are excellent.

author of the forthcoming At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View and the new DIABETES-Series Little Books
www.avoidiabetes.com

Re: # 14, Saleem, with great interest have I followed the exchange between you and the writer of this article (timely news here in Canada).

I certainly agree with your take on type 1 diabetics, who life-long may have to rely on prescription drugs... However, having worked in the field of diabetes avoidance for a long time, my clinical experience confirms that type 1 diabetics too may be able to better their results and largely reduce their need for insulin injections and other medications by eliminating their food-related blood sugar rollercoaster; i.e. grain carbohydrates, starches, sugars, soft drinks (diet or otherwise).

The initial recommendation of 30grams maximum(!) of daily carbohydrates with no more than 6grams for breakfast (stick to proteins and non-starchy vegetables instead), 12grams for lunch, and another 12grams for dinner was developed and promoted by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein. With a t1d youngster in the house I STRONGLY recommend you get his several books The Diabetes Diet, and Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, and others.

It works! And it will help postpone and avoid many of the otherwise nearly guaranteed complications. Just be advised to very precisely monitor BS levels and be in touch with your doctor as you adjust the diet. Otherwise you might end up overmedicating on the present prescription. -- Also, there are several traditional herbs and teas that can be used to mimic and replace insulin in a t1d. For starters, 1-2 cups of blueberry leaf tea per day has shown to bring similar results as insulin injections without the toxins.

Best wishes and thoughts!
author of forthcoming "At Risk? Avoid Diabetes by Recognizing Early Risk - A Natural Medicine View" and the DIABETES-Series Little Books

Urstruly, you will not consider this evidence, but there is a description of diabetes mellitus in Charak Samhita.
100% is the answer to your second question.

Thank you Mutaal, that was quite informative. I have a few questions:

1. Is Diabetes a recent phenomenon, I mean is there an evidence that people in the past several hundered years ago used to suffer from this disease. Any DNA evidence available?

2. If left undiagnosed what is the moratality rate in children with Type 1.

Re: # 20 nb
I am glad you have asked this question. I would like to write a bit in detail and it is already 1 a.m. and I am feeling goggly. I will write more later. Cheers.

Re: # 19 Truth 100: Allow me to respond to your post in reverse order as the last question you have asked is the most important from my perspective. Regarding the early symptoms of Diabetes, Dr. Roth, co-founder of Diabetes Avoidance Society has authored a book solely on this topic, titled “At Risk?�, Please see following links: www.avoidiabetes.com and http://www.diabetesavoidance.org/
The book is in print and will be available shortly. Focus of her work is education for early recognition of symptoms so the person at risk can take charge of his or her health. I got involved in this effort and co-founded the Society as this is the only way to stem the tide in my view. The big pharma and main stream medical practice will not support such efforts. It is a big challenge and we are fighting an uphill task.
Regardind, origin of term diabetes and history and other information, the following link provides good information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes
Just etymology is copied here.
The term diabetes (Greek: διαβήτης, diabētēs) was coined by Aretaeus of Cappadocia. It was derived from the Greek verb διαβαίνειν, diabaínein, itself formed from the prefix dia-, "across, apart," and the verb bainein, "to walk, stand." The verb diabeinein meant "to stride, walk, or stand with legs asunder"; hence, its derivative diabētēs meant "one that straddles," or specifically "a compass, siphon." The sense "siphon" gave rise to the use of diabētēs as the name for a disease involving the discharge of excessive amounts of urine. Diabetes is first recorded in English, in the form diabete, in a medical text written around 1425. In 1675, Thomas Willis added the word mellitus, from the Latin meaning "honey", a reference to the sweet taste of the urine. This sweet taste had been noticed in urine by the ancient Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, Indians, and Persians. In 1776, Matthew Dobson confirmed that the sweet taste was because of an excess of a kind of sugar in the urine and blood of people with diabetes.
Regarding belief and meditation, what you have said is at the core of every spiritual tradition – it is only that people forget the core and are mired in superficiality. They see not the spirit and are stuck with the literal. Every great spiritual tradition has been cognizant and respectful of every other spiritual stream. Those who wear belief on their sleeves, as you say, only are doing disservice to the true spirit of their tradition.
Lastly, the meaning in your post #15 was still clear despite the error. This is an excellent thought, in particular, to where it is leading.

Re: # 18 Charlie:
You have put finger at the right spot. This is a huge challenge we face in our fight. The big pharma and even main stream medical practice seems to just want every one falling and staying sick. Before founding the Diabetes Avoidance Society, I checked a few programs run by the big hospitals, supposedly for education about diabetes. I thought it would be for prevention. It was all about how to use medication and test your glucose levels – in short how to manage it – not to prevent or avoid. Even their advice about food was shocking. A big topic in itself. This state of affair and early recognition of the symptoms to avoid diabetes(way before it is diagnosed) is discussed in “At Risk?� book by co-founder of the Society. If interested, please see the following links: www.avoidiabetes.com and http://www.diabetesavoidance.org

Quin, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiments with natural health, because there is such little high level evidence. So please tell us more.

Thanks Quinn,

There was error. I meant:
When our mind is purified we can listen better to the body. It works otherway also. Your body will react violently to dangerous/bad thought. In fact when mind is purified the demarcation among body, mind and soul disappears. It's integrated healthy living. I would go further and say the demarcation between the individual and external universe will also disappear.

I am sure Namaz is meditation. For many walking is meditative to both mind and body. We all unique and we need to develop his/her own religion based on what works for us. we should run away from so called spiritual or religious people who wear their belief on their sleeves. Belief is constant looking outside, meditation is looking inside.

What are the etymological roots of Diebetes? What is the history? Where is it rampant? What are the very early symptoms, when you can prevent it?

While capitalism works well in most of the cases, there is an exception when it comes to discoveries and inventions in the field of medicine...

A good business model is the one where your customer have to buy a product from you on cyclic basis... If you invent a drug that finds cure for diabetes, your profits go down the drain... There will be no more patients and no injections everyday... So companies will invest in finding painless ways to take injections instead of finding real cure for diabetes.... Same goes for aids and other diseases...

Just a random thought....

Re: # 15
Thank you – truth100 - do I miss something here – your words sound more like truth101
Welcome to Chowk. Your comments are refreshing and touch a few deep thoughts - the “information overload� and “ego trips� – one is causing alienation of a new kind, the other has been our nemesis from time immemorial. The way out of both of these quandaries is MEDITATION.
Your 3-liner is like a Pythagorean Theorem.
Core of Islamic teaching (or should I say Quranic Teaching) is MEDITATION. Practicing meditation is recommended for 3 to 5 times a day (depending on how you interpret). In Urdu they call it ‘Namaz’; the original Arabic world is ‘Salat’. I call it ‘Yoga’ of Islam. (Ironically, Islam means ‘surrender’ viz., surrender of ego – and Quran itself, at its core and first and foremost, is a meditative discourse. But that is another topic) (Be assured – it will not take long before even by these a few honest comments many egos will be ruffled and I will be on the chopping block)
In our daily life, we receive bombardment of various kinds from all around us – information overload, concerns about trifles, emotional distress due to others etc. If we can cleanse ourselves from such disquiets, our system will try to tune itself to its natural BALANCED COURSE. That is the secret of secrets and it is an open one too, but only one with opens eyes will see it. A close mind will not even register what the heck I am talking about.

Re: # 14 Dear Mr. Saleem Ali,
Your point is most valid and I fully respect your opinion. I do acknowledge that the distinction between Type 1 and 2 is an important one, particularly, from the angle you have shown. Criticisms like yours is a blessing and most helpful. THANK YOU.
Regarding which area we choose for our struggles to make this world a wee bit better place is an individual choice. I focus on diabetes 2 which is spreading like a jungle fire and half of population will be at risk by the end of the next decade if nothing is done. You reaction highlights the need for being more sensitive towards sensitivities of Type 1. I will always keep that in mind.
And most definitely I will attend some JDRF events and will be in touch with them to bring synergy in our efforts.

Mutaal,

Very informative and he-artsy!

Could it be because of we are becoming less sensitive because of information overload? Are we more tuned to body-mind of Britney and Benezir? Are we more tuned to our ego trip?

When our mind is purified we can listen better to the mind. It works otherway also. Your body will react violently to dangerous/bad thought.

Yoga and meditation (includes hobby) is one of the methods to purify the mind. There might be equivalent methods in Islam.

Re: # 13 It is essential to make the distinction between Type 1 and Type 2 because we do not want Type 1 patients getting messages that somehow they are to blame for their disease because of lifestyle when they have no control over the disease. My eight year old son has to deal with this kind of innuendo all the time which is very hurtful. Someone will say to him "oh so you ate too many sweets," when he has always had a very healthy diet.

This is not a minor technical detail but an essential one which you should make as a writer (regardless of any axioms).

Thanks for your interest in the issue, however. You should attend some JDRF walks in your area. They are good events to get mobilized and help.

Re: # 12 saleemhali
Thanks for your important comment. It may appear that in my article no clear distinction is made between Type 1 and Type 2. However, thrust of my argument is that diabetes is a growing disorder and we must be proactive to counter it. No doubt, Type 1 is a genetic disorder and FDRF works for Type 1, yet the accident does draw attention towards the diabetes issue in general too. Moreover, spread of type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate in young people, which has clear correlation with lifestyle choices, is of great concern to me. In my article, I am not saying Type 1 and 2 are the same. I intentionally avoided going into technical details. There is an axiom of writing that more technical we get more we push the general reader away.
Besides avoiding technicalities, another cause of apparent confusion maybe the omission of a sentence in the published article that is clarified in my interact #6. After reading your comment, I realize that probably I should have included another sentence to make the distinction clear.
I do appreciate your comment and understand the pain as it is mutual – for me seeing a young daughter of my friend with Type 2 which clearly is because of her lifestyle choices. It is not a matter of blaming patients / victims. It is the pain and empathy which drive me to do something about it.

The author is confusing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

JDRF works for Type 1 diabetes which has nothing to do with diet -- this is a genetic autoimmune disorder. As the father of a young Type 1 child, I can certainly attest to the challenges of this misconception as well as the challenges of living with diabetes. It is important that we not blame the victims / patients in this regard.

You can read an article I wrote a couple of years ago for Pakistan's Daily Times on this topic at the following link

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C07%5C15%5Cstory_15- 7-2006_pg3_2

Re: # 5 NDocR: “… these (gluten-rich grain carbohydrates and casein-containing dairy products) contain opioid-like endorphins�.
This is very important point and I am grateful to you for bringing this up. Your detailed and enlightening commentary is much appreciated. Thanks for encouragement.
Humanity’s existence is under assault from so many fronts that despite my faith in human spirit to fight back and overcome the challenges (this thought always reminds me of Ulysses somehow – the ancient symbolic story of triumph of spirit against all odds) – however, I do go into bouts of despairs (and that reminds me of wailing and warning prophets of the old).
May God help us in finding the BALANCED COURSE.

Re: # 4 Delirium: I totally agree with your hunch. It only makes sense. Synthesized unnatural foods not only are deficient in essential nutrients but also often contain substances (for preservation or taste) which over time can be extremely harmful to our bodies. I don’t know all the technical details of metabolic mechanism, but by observation and by common sense – and besides how my own body reacts to these foods if perchance I even have to taste a morsel of it – I am certain that they disturb the fine balance on which this sophisticated machine we call our body runs.
I will try to find some study to corroborate this.

Re: # 3 akcheema: “surviving at the expense of anything else that ever lived�
Maybe “that else� is coming around – to get us.
“Perhaps we have stood in the way of Natural Selection for far too long�
So it is time --- to face the natural consequence. Seriously, there is no doubt in my mind about the perilous edge of cliff where humanity is right now. No doomsday soothsaying. It is scientific. Anyone who sees the ice sheets melting, or watch the acidity of oceans rising, or CO2 levels increasing and now less obvious but potentially most lethal trend logs of modern ailments – it is not huge stretch of imagination to see the writing on the wall – not to say all the economic and political mess.

Re: # 2 nb: I dare say that the biggest change that have taken place in last 20 years is in our dietary habits. The "larger waist circumferences" certainly are not an evolutionary growth - it cannot be in 20 years as you said - however, the co-relation with life style changes is hard to miss. It is true that there is and will never be an absolute and final answer to many questions and phenomena, but trends discernible in data are always revealing and often indisputable. To a non-professional but observant layman like me, the connection between what we eat and what we become is as an apparent one. In our schools, in our work place, in our homes, I see first hand examples of this co-relation every day. And above all, I know it from my own example. The dietary changes turned everything around for me.

Re: # 1 Nikhat: Very true that “Both these Monsters are preventable by minor alterations in our life style�. The big issue however is making those minor alterations. As NdocR in post #5 has pointed out, the metabolism disturbing foods also have opioid in them (or opioid like) – people become addicted to it. Changing eating habits is the biggest challenge. I know a relative, who despite knowing everything and having almost lost one eye due to diabetes, still cannot make the change. Having said that, it truly is so simple - B A L A N C E. Who gets it?
Regarding the matter of choice, the reason I made that statement is two fold. One is that though convenience and expediency has made us willing partner to our own helplessness, at the same time it is an arduous task for over-burdened families and individuals to figure out the right choices. When I start reading the labels on food items in superstores, it takes me forever to find the right stuff. Then misleading info of all sort. The second reason is that the way the society has developed into a monster itself, leaves us so alienated that we even find hard to figure out how and why of living. This alienation of authentic human existence is our Achilles heel. The “power to choose� is an area of constant struggle. The pendulum swings both ways. Presently, it is swinging the other way.
“Sanbhlnay de mujhay aei na umeedi kia quiamat hay ....
� - (Ghalib)

First I would like to point out that in second paragraph of the article, one sentence seems to got truncated. It should read as follows:
“This news is not just news of another accident: this news is also about juvenile diabetes. In the past, I have read with concern news about diabetes: “Half of world’s population at risk of diabetes by end of next decade.� But this news tore my heart for two reasons: ….�
Response to comments follows (with sincere thanks to all):

Viewed from a natural health professional’s perch it is hugely gratifying to see articles posted that touch on the heart of the matter when it comes to metabolic disease, such as heart disease or diabetes.

Your statement "The modern age that has given us million more choices also has taken from us the ability to make good choices," at first appears crass. However, there is eminent truth to it in that bad foods cause the kind of inflammations that lead to brain fog and clearly impair our ability to make wise decisions. When it comes to food choices, particularly gluten-rich grain carbohydrates and casein-containing dairy products are the culprits. Few people know that these contain opioid-like endorphins. No wonder that anyone who has the genetic make-up (43% in North-America, higher in Eastern cultures and Northern and Eastern Europe) gets “hooked� on them. Yes, carbohydrate addiction is real! There is a clear link to gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes.

On that same vein, I really liked your blunt call about mankind becoming an “endangered species.� When we consider that at present one in two individuals worldwide (that is over 3 billion people!) are at risk of developing diabetes during their lifetime, we truly can call diabetes a “monster!�

At present, worldwide, every 10 seconds someone dies from diabetes and diabetes-related complications and two individuals are newly diagnosed with diabetes. Are you aware that the WHO (World Health Organization) has calculated that the present deaths due to diabetes and diabetes-related complications cost us “25 million years of life lost EACH YEAR?� Add to that the 23 million years of life lost due to “disability and reduced quality of life caused by the preventable complications of diabetes� that the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) has postulated. Furthermore, due to sick days and untimely deaths over the next 10 years, the WHO estimates $555.7 billion in lost national revenue in China, $333.6 billion in India, $303.2 billion in the Russian Federation…

Pretty frightening! Yet, all you need to do is to look around you and see the growing “beer-bellies� and bigger “curves.� While all the environmental toxins appear to play an additional role (research does link PCBs, dioxin and many other toxins to an increased risk of diabetes and its underlying causes), body tissue-acidifying soft drinks and grain carbohydrates truly spell disaster.

Thank you for helping raise public awareness about the avoidable consequences leading to diabetes. Keep rattling the boat!

Is there any study or data that relates consumption of synthesized foods with the probability of developing the diabetes in an individual?

I have a strong hunch that straying away from the use of natural diets is one principal cause leading not just to diabetes but also hypertension and coronary diseases.

According to some medical circles, use of natural items such as honey and raw sugar (gur and shakar) greatly reduce the chances of developing diabetes as compared to the use of (white poison) sugar. Would some experts like to enlighten me on that please?

(As an “endangered species,� the quicker we realize this, the better our chances to slay this threatening monster)

Evolving from a wondering tribe of a few hundred (at most) members of the species homo erectus, more than 4 million years ago in modern day Africa, surviving at the expense of anything else that ever lived, at 6.6 billion we are hardly an endangered species.

Perhaps we have stood in the way of Natural Selection for far too long?!

Regards

There are many things no one seems to be able to understand with metabolism and weight. For instance, in the last five years, I have noticed many more people with large waist circumferences. 20 years ago, women had smaller waists and larger hips, which is better for you. For some reason, this has changed. It is too short a period of time to be evolutionary, so it must be environmentally driven.

Good article. Not only the 'Diabetes' but 'Hypertension' is also a very lethal disease, affecting every system of body. Both these Monsters are preventable by minor alterations in our life style; unless it is genetic type such as Juvenille diabetes or Primary/essential Hypertension.

"The modern age that has given us million more choices also has taken from us the ability to make good choices."
Well I don't agree with the above statement. Man is a supreme being. Man carries enormous poetential to excercise his power, The Power to choose. we just need to manifest this potential.

Nikhat Riaz