Traditional Diabetes Managing Foods

[dalsingh101]

A neighbour has recently got this condition (type 2 I think). His family was asking for traditional aids. I told them about karelay, but personally I can't see goray ever eating them more than once though....

Also you can have a teaspoon of cinnamon powder straight after meals (with water) to lower blood sugar levels. Vinegar is also meant to work.

Please share any knowledge of tried and tested illajs, apparently this condition is very common in the Panjabi community.

[Kaljug]

A neighbour has recently got this condition (type 2 I think). His family was asking for traditional aids. I told them about karelay, but personally I can't see goray ever eating them more than once though....

Also you can have a teaspoon of cinnamon powder straight after meals (with water) to lower blood sugar levels. Vinegar is also meant to work.

Please share any knowledge of tried and tested illajs, apparently this condition is very common in the Panjabi community.

Cinnamon is good, as is haldi.

How advanced is his diabetes? Sometimes, if it's caught early, it can be treated through diet, but he'd need to see a good nutritionist. Even in advanced cases, diet will help a lot. From an ayurvedic point of view, the goal is to pacify the kapha dosha (complex carbs in place of simple, protein that's easily digestible so little red meat, not too much dairy, very little fat).

Here's a general guide that he might find useful:

http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Diabetes/diabetes_ayurveda.htm

If he doesn't like karelay, he can experiment with adding the herbs mentioned on that page in his usual cuisine.

By the way, Vasant Kusumakar Ras which is mentioned on that page is prescribed by ayurvedic doctors, but it's made with gold and pearl ash, so if you buy it, you have to make sure that you get it from someone you trust.

K.

Edited April 26, 2010 by Kaljug

[dalsingh101]

I think he has just been diagnosed. I saw him a couple of months ago and he looked like he normally did, a little meat on the bone but not majorly overweight. When I saw him yesterday and he has lost a lot of weight.

The haldi ilaaj, seeing as milk is a no no, I imagine it would have to be taken with water instead?

Edited April 26, 2010 by dalsingh101

[jaikaara]

methi or fenugreek is the also a good for diabetes. fenugreek seeds be soaked overnight and taken first thing in the morning.

Here is something more i found on wiki

" Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the antidiabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models by reducing serum glucose and improving glucose tolerance. "

but before advicing anything the person should first consult the doctor preferably in india, since these 'nuske' are better known here.

[jaikaara]

http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/15diab.htm

This is the concluding part of a two-part series on diet tips for the diabetics, by dietitians Priya Khanna and Seema Tarneja:

Part I: Diabetics, heed these diet tips!

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the body fails to convert sugars, starches and other foods into energy.

Many of the foods you eat are normally converted into a type of sugar called glucose during digestion. The bloodstream then carries glucose through the body. The hormone, insulin, then turns glucose into quick energy or is stored for futher use.

In diabetic people, the body either does not make enough insulin or it cannot use the insulin correctly. This is why too much glucose builds in the bloodstream.

There are two major types of diabetes:

1. Type 1

This is popularly known as Juvenile Onset Diabetes.

Here, the body produces little or no insulin. It occurs most often in childhood or in the teens and could be inherited.

People with this type of diabetes need daily injections of insulin. They must balance their daily intake of food and activites carefully with their insulin shots to stay alive.

2. Type 2

Also known as Adult Onset Diabetes, this occurs around 35 to 40 years. The more common of the two types, it accounts for about 80 per cent of the diabetics.

Here, though the pancreas produce adequate insulin, body cells show reduced sensitivity towards it.

Type 2 diabetes is usually triggered by obesity. The best way to fight it is by weight loss, exercise and dietary control.

Sometimes, oral medication or insulin injections are also needed.

~ Symptoms of diabetes

Here are a few:

Extreme thirst and hunger

Frequent urination

Sores or bruises that heal slowly

Dry, itchy skin

Unexplained weight loss

Unusual tiredness or drowsiness

Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet

Whether Type 1 or 2, diabetics need a balance of diet and exercise.

Here are some foods you can eat, and some foods you must avoid!

Foods you must avoid!

i. Salt

Salt is the greatest culprit for diabetics. You get enough salt from vegetables in inorganic form, so reduce the intake of inorganic salt.

ii. Sugar

Sucrose, a table sugar, provides nothing but calories and carbohydrates.

Also, you need calcium to digest sucrose. Insufficient sucrose intake might lead to calcium being leached off the bones.

Substitute sucrose with natural sugar, like honey, jaggery (gur), etc.

iii. Fat

Excessive fat intake is definitely not a good habit.

Try and exclude fried items from your diet totally.

But, remember, you must have a small quantity of oil to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin E.

iv. For non-vegetarians

Try and stop the intake of red meat completely.

Try to go in for a vegetarian diet. If you cannot, decrease the consumption of eggs and poultry.

You can, however, eat lean fish two to three times a week.

v. Whole milk and products

Try to switch to low fat milk and its products like yogurt (curd).

Replace high fat cheese with low fat cottage cheese.

vi. Tea and coffee

Do not have than two cups of the conventional tea or decaffeinated coffee every day.

Try to switch to herbal teas.

vii. White flour and its products

Replace these with whole grains, wholewheat or soya breads and unpolished rice.

viii. Foods with a high glycemic index

Avoid white rice, potatoes, carrots, breads and banana -- they increase the blood-sugar levels.

Special food for diabetics

i. Bitter gourd (karela)

This vegetable contains a high dosage of 'plant insulin'. It lowers the blood-sugar levels effectively.

Have the juice of three to four karelas early morning on an empty stomach.

As a vegetable, too, it can be taken on a regular basis.

Powder the seeds of karela (measuring 1 teaspoon), mix with water and drink it.

ii. Fenugreek (methi)

It is the most common food used to control diabetes.

Gulp a teaspoonful of these seeds with a glass of water daily.

Soak the seeds overnight. Have the water in which the seeds were soaked.

You can make a chutney with methi seeds. You can also eat them sprouted, dried and powdered, or mix them in wheat flour to make chapattis.

iii. Indian blackberry (jamun)

This fruit is very effective in preventing and controlling diabetes.

Powder the stone of the fruit and eat it -- it contains glucoside, which prevents the conversion of starch into sugars.

iv. Garlic

This is used to lower blood-sugar levels.

Garlic is rich in potassium and replaces the potassium which gets lost in urine.

It also contains zinc and sulphur, which are components of insulin.

Take about three to four flakes of freshly crushed garlic daily.

v. Onion

Because of its diuretic and digestive properties, onion works against diabetes.

Raw onion is more useful.

vi. Flaxseed

This is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids.

It helps control diabetes because it maintains the sensitivity of the cell membrane, facilitates insulin, and thereby the uptake of glucose by the cells.

vii. Fibre

Soluble fibre, found in apples, kidney beans, oatmeal, soyabean, etc, help control diabetes.

These aid slow digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in a slow and steady release of glucose.

They soak up excess bile acids found in the intestinal tract, the same acids that are converted to blood cholesterol.

They also help empty the stomach and trigger satiety that can help Type 2 diabetics to achieve weight loss goals.

viii. Cinnamon solution

Water extracts of cinnamon have been found to promote glucose metabolism and reduce cholesterol.

You can boil cinnamon sticks in water and drink this water.

ix. Antioxidants

Diabetes is often associated with conditions like heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, immune deficiency and kidney disease.

Many are caused by free radical damage. Therefore, make sure you include antioxidants, especially vitamin C (lemons), E, selenium, zinc and chromium (Brewer's yeast), in your diet, as they have been shown to control blood sugar levels.

DON'T MISS!

Part I: Diabetics, heed these diet tips!

Priya Khanna, Seema Tarneja

[bhooliya]

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

http://www.rawfor30days.com/index4.html

http://books.google.com/books?q=reversing+diabetes&oq=reversing+

Ayurvedic Remedy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ2wikbo084

Edited April 27, 2010 by bhooliya

[dalsingh101]

Nice one bros!

Wouldn't it be fascinating to know how exactly these remedies interacted with the bodies biology to produce their effects? Well at least for those of us with a little interest in matters biological.

It's also interesting to see how western medicine seems to largely ignore these traditional remedies? I would have thought they might have tried to isolate the active part of the karela (for instance) to develop a cure or at least a natural treatment?

Then again, a mate once said that the whole pharma industry is disinclined to create cures but prefer 'treatments' which keep patients 'locked in' and profits healthy....hmmm

[Xylitol]

http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diabetes-dr-fuhrman-low-carb-vs-eat-to-live-in-diabetes-reversal.html