The Five Niyamas of Yoga
The second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga system contains the five internal practices of Niyama (observance). These practices extend the ethical codes of conduct provided in his first limb, the yamas, to the practicing yogi’s internal environment of body, mind and spirit. The practice of Niyama helps us maintain a positive environment in which to grow, and gives us the self-discipline and inner-strength necessary to progress along the path of yoga. Shaucha (purification) is a central aim of many yogic techniques, and is the first principle of Patanjali's five Niyamas. The yogis discovered that impurities in both our external environment and our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation. The practices of asana, pranayama and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being. We must also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.
Samtosha (contentment) is not craving for what we do not have as well as not coveting the possessions of others. The yogis tell us that when we are perfectly content with all that life gives us, then we attain true joy and happiness. It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods, but both our personal experience and the teachings of the sages prove that the happiness gained through materialism is only temporary. Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different, and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of life’s blessings.
Tapas (asceticism) is a yogic practice of intense self-discipline and attainment of will power. Basically, Tapas is doing something you do not want to do that will have a positive effect on your life. When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal “fire” is created which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities. This inner fire can also be used as a source of spiritual energy; the yogis say the sole practice of Tapas can lead to the release of kundalini and attainment of enlightenment. Tapas transforms and purifies us as well as enables the conscious awareness and control over our unconscious impulses and poor behavior. Tapas builds the will power and personal strength to help us become more dedicated to our practice of yoga .
Svadhyaya (self-study) is the ability to see our true divine nature through the contemplation of our life’s lessons and through the meditation on the truths revealed by seers and sages. Life presents an endless opportunity to learn about ourselves; our flaws and weaknesses give us the opportunity to grow and our mistakes allow us to learn. Examining our actions becomes a mirror to see our conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and desires more clearly. The yogic practice of Svadhyaya also involves the study of sacred and spiritual texts as a guide to our interior world where our true self resides. Self-study requires both seeing who we are in the moment and seeing beyond our current state to realize our connection with the divine.
Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion) is the dedication, devotion, and surrender of the fruits of one’s practice to a higher power. This Niyama fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than the self and the selfless action of karma yoga. Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves. To do this, our yoga practice and all of the benefits we may receive from our practice must be seen as an offering to something greater than ourselves. Through this simple act of dedication we become reminded of our connection to our higher power, and our yoga practice becomes sacred and filled with grace, inner peace, and abounding love.
The foundation limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga, yama and niyama, create a solid foundation and strong container for the yogini to move into the deeper stages of yoga with focus, inner-strength, and success. Practicing the Yamas and Niyamas is a journey and process. Take one step, one Yama or Niyama at a time and proceed with compassion and without worry of perfection. As Swami Sri Kripalvanandaji said, " When you pick one petal from the garland of yamas and niyamas, the entire garland will follow
Saturday, August 30, 2008
article49
Yoga for Anxiety
While anxiety (feelings of worry, fear and tension) is a normal reaction to stress, a constant state of anxiety or excessive levels of anxiety is a primary symptom of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are quite common, affecting about 18 percent of American adults, and are complex in nature, most likely occurring as a result from a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. While the traditional treatment of anxiety disorders with medication and Psychotherapy is effective, the stress reducing effects of yoga and meditation can reduce excessive levels of stress and anxiety, and can greatly enhance the effects of traditional therapies. Recent medical studies have shown that a regular practice of yoga and meditation is effective at lowering levels of anxiety. Excessive anxiety can be alleviated through a slow, gentle yoga practice focusing on postures that calm the heart and the mind, balance the emotions, and release body tension. Pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation will also be helpful to calm the mind and body, and to reduce stress and negative thinking.
Besides the calming effects of a general yoga practice, restorative poses, inversions and forward bends are especially calming to the body and mind, helping to reduce and prevent excessive anxiety. The following poses are known to be especially calming: child, shavasana, crocodile, supine bound angle pose, seated forward bend, and seated head to knee. Simple inversions such as downward dog, standing forward fold, standing yoga mudra, shoulderstand, plow and supine staff pose create a temporary rise in blood pressure in the head which triggers the body’s natural calming mechanisms, dilating the blood vessels and lowering heart and breathing rates. If symptoms of fatigue, depression and heart palpitations are present, the qi or energy of the heart center may be weak, and heart opening poses such as Cobra, Pigeon, Fish, Boat, Bow and Bridge would both strengthen and calm the heart chakra.
Emotions play a large role in anxiety disorders. Excessive feeling of fear, worry, irritability, anger and depression can all add and exasperate our level of anxiety. Twists, hip opening poses and sidebends will all help to balance the emotions, and thus help reduce feelings of anxiety. Twisting and hip opening poses harmonize the nervous and endocrine systems, the two primary systems that regulate our emotional health, and side bending poses activate the Liver meridian, the energy channel known in Chinese medicine to regulate the emotions. The following poses will be especially helpful to regulate the emotions: prayer squat, standing angle, supine bound angle, half circle, revolved head to knee, seated angle, seated twist, knee down twist, and prayer twist.
The breath plays a major role in many cases of excess anxiety. During feelings of anxiety, the breath becomes shallow, rapid and constricted, which in turn reinforces our nervous system’s state of anxiety. When practicing pranayama, yogic breathing exercises, the nervous system is naturally calmed and soothed. With a regular practice we can learn how to consciously maintain a slow deep breath at all times to prevent and minimize excess states of anxiety. The practice of Dirga and Nadi Sodhana Pranayamas will be the most strongly calming to the body. If there is excess heat in the body, with symptoms of agitation, restlessness, impatience, craving, compulsions and poor sleep, then Sit Cari and Shitali pranayamas will be helpful as well.
The mind also plays a major role in most states of long-term anxiety. Continual focus and obsession with thoughts of fear and worry will only create additional levels of anxiety. Yoga and meditation allow us to have control over our thoughts through mental detachment and the ability to focus the mind on the present experience. The benefits of a regular meditation practice are known to include the reduction of stress, tension, anxiety and frustration.
Yoga, pranayama and meditation are all powerful tools in the reduction and prevention of excess states of anxiety. All of these practices cultivate the mental faculties of faith, self-control, concentration, determination, and patience. And when practiced together will create an even stronger effect on calming the mind and emotions.
When using the above yogic practices, it is important to avoid any of these yogic practices scare you or make you feel unsafe, as this may trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which in turn will increase feelings of anxiety. And while yoga is effective at treating excess levels of anxiety, yoga is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment; please consult your medical professional if you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of anxiety disorders
While anxiety (feelings of worry, fear and tension) is a normal reaction to stress, a constant state of anxiety or excessive levels of anxiety is a primary symptom of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are quite common, affecting about 18 percent of American adults, and are complex in nature, most likely occurring as a result from a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. While the traditional treatment of anxiety disorders with medication and Psychotherapy is effective, the stress reducing effects of yoga and meditation can reduce excessive levels of stress and anxiety, and can greatly enhance the effects of traditional therapies. Recent medical studies have shown that a regular practice of yoga and meditation is effective at lowering levels of anxiety. Excessive anxiety can be alleviated through a slow, gentle yoga practice focusing on postures that calm the heart and the mind, balance the emotions, and release body tension. Pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation will also be helpful to calm the mind and body, and to reduce stress and negative thinking.
Besides the calming effects of a general yoga practice, restorative poses, inversions and forward bends are especially calming to the body and mind, helping to reduce and prevent excessive anxiety. The following poses are known to be especially calming: child, shavasana, crocodile, supine bound angle pose, seated forward bend, and seated head to knee. Simple inversions such as downward dog, standing forward fold, standing yoga mudra, shoulderstand, plow and supine staff pose create a temporary rise in blood pressure in the head which triggers the body’s natural calming mechanisms, dilating the blood vessels and lowering heart and breathing rates. If symptoms of fatigue, depression and heart palpitations are present, the qi or energy of the heart center may be weak, and heart opening poses such as Cobra, Pigeon, Fish, Boat, Bow and Bridge would both strengthen and calm the heart chakra.
Emotions play a large role in anxiety disorders. Excessive feeling of fear, worry, irritability, anger and depression can all add and exasperate our level of anxiety. Twists, hip opening poses and sidebends will all help to balance the emotions, and thus help reduce feelings of anxiety. Twisting and hip opening poses harmonize the nervous and endocrine systems, the two primary systems that regulate our emotional health, and side bending poses activate the Liver meridian, the energy channel known in Chinese medicine to regulate the emotions. The following poses will be especially helpful to regulate the emotions: prayer squat, standing angle, supine bound angle, half circle, revolved head to knee, seated angle, seated twist, knee down twist, and prayer twist.
The breath plays a major role in many cases of excess anxiety. During feelings of anxiety, the breath becomes shallow, rapid and constricted, which in turn reinforces our nervous system’s state of anxiety. When practicing pranayama, yogic breathing exercises, the nervous system is naturally calmed and soothed. With a regular practice we can learn how to consciously maintain a slow deep breath at all times to prevent and minimize excess states of anxiety. The practice of Dirga and Nadi Sodhana Pranayamas will be the most strongly calming to the body. If there is excess heat in the body, with symptoms of agitation, restlessness, impatience, craving, compulsions and poor sleep, then Sit Cari and Shitali pranayamas will be helpful as well.
The mind also plays a major role in most states of long-term anxiety. Continual focus and obsession with thoughts of fear and worry will only create additional levels of anxiety. Yoga and meditation allow us to have control over our thoughts through mental detachment and the ability to focus the mind on the present experience. The benefits of a regular meditation practice are known to include the reduction of stress, tension, anxiety and frustration.
Yoga, pranayama and meditation are all powerful tools in the reduction and prevention of excess states of anxiety. All of these practices cultivate the mental faculties of faith, self-control, concentration, determination, and patience. And when practiced together will create an even stronger effect on calming the mind and emotions.
When using the above yogic practices, it is important to avoid any of these yogic practices scare you or make you feel unsafe, as this may trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which in turn will increase feelings of anxiety. And while yoga is effective at treating excess levels of anxiety, yoga is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment; please consult your medical professional if you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of anxiety disorders
article48
Yoga for Anxiety
While anxiety (feelings of worry, fear and tension) is a normal reaction to stress, a constant state of anxiety or excessive levels of anxiety is a primary symptom of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are quite common, affecting about 18 percent of American adults, and are complex in nature, most likely occurring as a result from a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. While the traditional treatment of anxiety disorders with medication and Psychotherapy is effective, the stress reducing effects of yoga and meditation can reduce excessive levels of stress and anxiety, and can greatly enhance the effects of traditional therapies. Recent medical studies have shown that a regular practice of yoga and meditation is effective at lowering levels of anxiety. Excessive anxiety can be alleviated through a slow, gentle yoga practice focusing on postures that calm the heart and the mind, balance the emotions, and release body tension. Pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation will also be helpful to calm the mind and body, and to reduce stress and negative thinking.
Besides the calming effects of a general yoga practice, restorative poses, inversions and forward bends are especially calming to the body and mind, helping to reduce and prevent excessive anxiety. The following poses are known to be especially calming: child, shavasana, crocodile, supine bound angle pose, seated forward bend, and seated head to knee. Simple inversions such as downward dog, standing forward fold, standing yoga mudra, shoulderstand, plow and supine staff pose create a temporary rise in blood pressure in the head which triggers the body’s natural calming mechanisms, dilating the blood vessels and lowering heart and breathing rates. If symptoms of fatigue, depression and heart palpitations are present, the qi or energy of the heart center may be weak, and heart opening poses such as Cobra, Pigeon, Fish, Boat, Bow and Bridge would both strengthen and calm the heart chakra.
Emotions play a large role in anxiety disorders. Excessive feeling of fear, worry, irritability, anger and depression can all add and exasperate our level of anxiety. Twists, hip opening poses and sidebends will all help to balance the emotions, and thus help reduce feelings of anxiety. Twisting and hip opening poses harmonize the nervous and endocrine systems, the two primary systems that regulate our emotional health, and side bending poses activate the Liver meridian, the energy channel known in Chinese medicine to regulate the emotions. The following poses will be especially helpful to regulate the emotions: prayer squat, standing angle, supine bound angle, half circle, revolved head to knee, seated angle, seated twist, knee down twist, and prayer twist.
The breath plays a major role in many cases of excess anxiety. During feelings of anxiety, the breath becomes shallow, rapid and constricted, which in turn reinforces our nervous system’s state of anxiety. When practicing pranayama, yogic breathing exercises, the nervous system is naturally calmed and soothed. With a regular practice we can learn how to consciously maintain a slow deep breath at all times to prevent and minimize excess states of anxiety. The practice of Dirga and Nadi Sodhana Pranayamas will be the most strongly calming to the body. If there is excess heat in the body, with symptoms of agitation, restlessness, impatience, craving, compulsions and poor sleep, then Sit Cari and Shitali pranayamas will be helpful as well.
The mind also plays a major role in most states of long-term anxiety. Continual focus and obsession with thoughts of fear and worry will only create additional levels of anxiety. Yoga and meditation allow us to have control over our thoughts through mental detachment and the ability to focus the mind on the present experience. The benefits of a regular meditation practice are known to include the reduction of stress, tension, anxiety and frustration.
Yoga, pranayama and meditation are all powerful tools in the reduction and prevention of excess states of anxiety. All of these practices cultivate the mental faculties of faith, self-control, concentration, determination, and patience. And when practiced together will create an even stronger effect on calming the mind and emotions.
When using the above yogic practices, it is important to avoid any of these yogic practices scare you or make you feel unsafe, as this may trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which in turn will increase feelings of anxiety. And while yoga is effective at treating excess levels of anxiety, yoga is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment; please consult your medical professional if you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of anxiety disorders
While anxiety (feelings of worry, fear and tension) is a normal reaction to stress, a constant state of anxiety or excessive levels of anxiety is a primary symptom of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are quite common, affecting about 18 percent of American adults, and are complex in nature, most likely occurring as a result from a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. While the traditional treatment of anxiety disorders with medication and Psychotherapy is effective, the stress reducing effects of yoga and meditation can reduce excessive levels of stress and anxiety, and can greatly enhance the effects of traditional therapies. Recent medical studies have shown that a regular practice of yoga and meditation is effective at lowering levels of anxiety. Excessive anxiety can be alleviated through a slow, gentle yoga practice focusing on postures that calm the heart and the mind, balance the emotions, and release body tension. Pranayama (yogic breathing) and meditation will also be helpful to calm the mind and body, and to reduce stress and negative thinking.
Besides the calming effects of a general yoga practice, restorative poses, inversions and forward bends are especially calming to the body and mind, helping to reduce and prevent excessive anxiety. The following poses are known to be especially calming: child, shavasana, crocodile, supine bound angle pose, seated forward bend, and seated head to knee. Simple inversions such as downward dog, standing forward fold, standing yoga mudra, shoulderstand, plow and supine staff pose create a temporary rise in blood pressure in the head which triggers the body’s natural calming mechanisms, dilating the blood vessels and lowering heart and breathing rates. If symptoms of fatigue, depression and heart palpitations are present, the qi or energy of the heart center may be weak, and heart opening poses such as Cobra, Pigeon, Fish, Boat, Bow and Bridge would both strengthen and calm the heart chakra.
Emotions play a large role in anxiety disorders. Excessive feeling of fear, worry, irritability, anger and depression can all add and exasperate our level of anxiety. Twists, hip opening poses and sidebends will all help to balance the emotions, and thus help reduce feelings of anxiety. Twisting and hip opening poses harmonize the nervous and endocrine systems, the two primary systems that regulate our emotional health, and side bending poses activate the Liver meridian, the energy channel known in Chinese medicine to regulate the emotions. The following poses will be especially helpful to regulate the emotions: prayer squat, standing angle, supine bound angle, half circle, revolved head to knee, seated angle, seated twist, knee down twist, and prayer twist.
The breath plays a major role in many cases of excess anxiety. During feelings of anxiety, the breath becomes shallow, rapid and constricted, which in turn reinforces our nervous system’s state of anxiety. When practicing pranayama, yogic breathing exercises, the nervous system is naturally calmed and soothed. With a regular practice we can learn how to consciously maintain a slow deep breath at all times to prevent and minimize excess states of anxiety. The practice of Dirga and Nadi Sodhana Pranayamas will be the most strongly calming to the body. If there is excess heat in the body, with symptoms of agitation, restlessness, impatience, craving, compulsions and poor sleep, then Sit Cari and Shitali pranayamas will be helpful as well.
The mind also plays a major role in most states of long-term anxiety. Continual focus and obsession with thoughts of fear and worry will only create additional levels of anxiety. Yoga and meditation allow us to have control over our thoughts through mental detachment and the ability to focus the mind on the present experience. The benefits of a regular meditation practice are known to include the reduction of stress, tension, anxiety and frustration.
Yoga, pranayama and meditation are all powerful tools in the reduction and prevention of excess states of anxiety. All of these practices cultivate the mental faculties of faith, self-control, concentration, determination, and patience. And when practiced together will create an even stronger effect on calming the mind and emotions.
When using the above yogic practices, it is important to avoid any of these yogic practices scare you or make you feel unsafe, as this may trigger the body's fight-or-flight response, which in turn will increase feelings of anxiety. And while yoga is effective at treating excess levels of anxiety, yoga is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment; please consult your medical professional if you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of anxiety disorders
article47
The Upanishads
While the Vedas are considered the most sacred and treasured texts of India, it is the Upanishads that transferred the wisdom of the Vedas into practical and personal teachings. The word Upanishad literally means "sitting down beside” and the collection of Sanskrit texts known as the Upanishads are thought to be the direct teachings received at the foot of the ancient Indian sages. In these sacred texts we see an internalization of the sacrifice and worship extolled in the Vedas and a deeper understanding and exploration of the internal world of mind and spirit. Composed over several centuries and in many volumes, the Upanishads reflect a strong need to express and communicate the deep mystical states and spiritual contemplations that the ancient yogis experienced. According to tradition, there were over two hundred Upanishads, but there are only eleven "principal" Upanishads, as commented on by the ancient sage Shankara. The texts are written in a passionate poetic verse describing mystical states and spiritual concepts or in descriptive short stories and dialogues between historical figures.
The teachings of the Upanishads revolve around four primary spiritual themes. The first and most important is the realization that the ultimate, formless, and inconceivable Brahman (Godhead) is the same as Atman, as our internal soul. Brahman represents the entire universe, and the Atman is a little piece of that divine oneness that we contain inside us. This philosophical idea is summed up in the mantra Tat Tvam Asi (That Art Thou). The idea that the Atman is eternal, and becomes reborn over and over again is central to the concept of reincarnation that is taught in the Upanishads. This concept of rebirth is highly tied to the teachings of Karma: the future consequences of one's current intentions, thoughts, behaviors and actions. It is the accumulation of Karma that binds us to Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth. To escape the endless cycle of Samsara requires one to attain enlightenment through the realization of Atman/Brahman. It is this state of Self realization that the majority of the Upanishads attempt to describe and encourage us to achieve through the yoga practices of meditation, mental discrimination and mantra recitation.
These spiritual concepts have exerted a profound influence on the development of Yoga, Hindu and Indian philosophy. While the yogic practices taught in the Upanishads were primarily mediation based, these philosophical teachings will remain the core beliefs for all of the future developments in the many paths and practices of yoga.
Reccomended reading: The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
While the Vedas are considered the most sacred and treasured texts of India, it is the Upanishads that transferred the wisdom of the Vedas into practical and personal teachings. The word Upanishad literally means "sitting down beside” and the collection of Sanskrit texts known as the Upanishads are thought to be the direct teachings received at the foot of the ancient Indian sages. In these sacred texts we see an internalization of the sacrifice and worship extolled in the Vedas and a deeper understanding and exploration of the internal world of mind and spirit. Composed over several centuries and in many volumes, the Upanishads reflect a strong need to express and communicate the deep mystical states and spiritual contemplations that the ancient yogis experienced. According to tradition, there were over two hundred Upanishads, but there are only eleven "principal" Upanishads, as commented on by the ancient sage Shankara. The texts are written in a passionate poetic verse describing mystical states and spiritual concepts or in descriptive short stories and dialogues between historical figures.
The teachings of the Upanishads revolve around four primary spiritual themes. The first and most important is the realization that the ultimate, formless, and inconceivable Brahman (Godhead) is the same as Atman, as our internal soul. Brahman represents the entire universe, and the Atman is a little piece of that divine oneness that we contain inside us. This philosophical idea is summed up in the mantra Tat Tvam Asi (That Art Thou). The idea that the Atman is eternal, and becomes reborn over and over again is central to the concept of reincarnation that is taught in the Upanishads. This concept of rebirth is highly tied to the teachings of Karma: the future consequences of one's current intentions, thoughts, behaviors and actions. It is the accumulation of Karma that binds us to Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth. To escape the endless cycle of Samsara requires one to attain enlightenment through the realization of Atman/Brahman. It is this state of Self realization that the majority of the Upanishads attempt to describe and encourage us to achieve through the yoga practices of meditation, mental discrimination and mantra recitation.
These spiritual concepts have exerted a profound influence on the development of Yoga, Hindu and Indian philosophy. While the yogic practices taught in the Upanishads were primarily mediation based, these philosophical teachings will remain the core beliefs for all of the future developments in the many paths and practices of yoga.
Reccomended reading: The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
article46
Yoga for Fatigue
We all have experienced common bouts of fatigue as a normal response to over-exertion, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep.This common experience of low energy and/or motivation can usually be alleviated through proper rest, exercise, stress reduction and nutrition. Yoga is an especially effective treatment for fatigue as it combines movement, rest and stress reduction with the cultivation of prana (life force energy) and the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and renew response). The remedy for some cases of fatigue can be quite obvious, while other types of fatigue will require much more self-observation and self-inquiry to find the proper mode of treatment. Yoga is an optimal healing modality for fatigue not only because it addresses the physical, emotional and energetic causes of fatigue, but also because it fosters and facilitates the self-observation and self-inquiry required to understand the roots of this disharmony.
Physical Causes
While the physical causes of fatigue are the most obvious, they are also the least common. A lack of sleep will certainly cause fatigue, and while getting more sleep is the obvious solution, yoga can also help. Yoga is not a substitute for sleep, but yoga’s calming and regulating effects can help you get a longer and deeper night’s rest. A deep sense of rest can also be experienced from extended holdings of restorative poses, such as child, supine bound angle, knee down twist, and shavasana. Physical over-exertion can deplete the body’s energy and cause muscle fatigue. Gentle yoga poses will help to regulate, nourish and replenish the energy and muscles of the body. The restorative poses mentioned above will also provide rest and renewal to these centers. The poor circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients can also create fatigue. Yoga’s whole body movements and stretches increase the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients through the body, helping the cells of the body to access the proper materials for producing energy. Flowing movements and sequences, such as the sun salutations, as well as inversions will be the most effective in improving circulation. A nutritionally poor diet can also be the blame of physical fatigue. A yogic diet of simple, fresh, and organic foods will allow the body to easily digest and assimilate all of the proper nutrients that the body needs to produce energy. Overeating should be avoided as this can overtax the digestive system, reducing its ability to assimilate nutrients, making one feel heavy and sluggish.
Emotional and Energetic Causes
While yoga has a strong effect on the physical body, it has an even stronger effect at regulating the emotions and subtle energies of the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) excessive emotions are seen to adversely affect the organ systems responsible for the creation and regulation of prana or qi. In TCM, the Kidneys are seen as the foundation of all of the energy of the body and act like batteries to store prana for future use. Fear is said to constrain the energy of the Kidneys, causing them to dysfunction and for their energy reserves to become drained. The Chinese believe the Spleen is responsible for converting the food we eat into energy for the body to use. Excessive worry and over thinking weaken the Spleen’s ability to transform nutrients to produce abundant prana, resulting in fatigue. The Lungs also play a role in producing prana in the body. The Lungs transform the air we breathe into prana and also help circulate this prana in the chest. When excessive sadness or melancholy is present, this function of the Lungs is depressed and this may manifest as fatigue in the body. The Liver in TCM is responsible for the free flow of energy through the entire body. Excessive anger, frustration and irritation all cause the Liver to constrict and stagnate the flow of prana, which in turn can lead to fatigue.
The meditative and mindfulness practices of yoga are excellent tools to bring awareness to our emotional states and to experience and process them completely. Yoga poses can be used to target the Kidney, Spleen and Lung areas to encourage the release of held emotions and to tonify and regulate these organ energy centers. As the Kidneys are located in the low back, back bending poses are the best to activate the Kidneys and to tonify their prana. Low back bending poses such as Bridge, Cobra, Boat and Bow will be the best targeted for this area. As the Liver and Spleen are located on the sides of the abdomen, side bends and twists will activate these energy centers. Both the meridians of the Liver and Spleen travel down the insides of the legs, so hip opening poses like Pigeon, Bound Angle and Seated Angle will also activate these organ systems. Physical movement helps the Liver in moving the energy through the body, so vinyasa based sequences like the sun salutations will be beneficial as well. To activate and tonify the Lungs, use chest opening upper back bending poses such as fish, camel, sphinx and crab.
When working with the emotional and subtle bodies, it is important to keep the focus rooted inside the body on the sensations that arise while holding these poses. If sensations arise that have an emotional component to them, it is important to fully express and release the emotion, and to not repress any feelings if they arise.
Pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) are a very direct method to cultivate prana and energize the body. With a multitude of these techniques, there is a coresponding range of energetic effects for these practices: Dirga pranayama is a very gentle and easy pranayama to learn and use, while Kapalabhati and Bastrika are much more powerful and intense. Pranayama is considered a powerful yogic practice, so be cautious in your exploration and move carefully through the exercises, noting their effects on your energy levels. While Pranayama may be used with any of the physical or emotional causes of fatigue, it will not be very effective unless the root causes of fatigue are reduced or eliminated.
All regular exercise will reduce fatigue, but yoga has the unique ability to provide exercise that is multi-dimensional in nature: effecting the body, mind, energy and emotions. Yoga also allows the practitioner to moderate the level of activity based on his/her current state of energy to avoid further exhausting or depleting one’s energy. While fatigue is often a normal response to daily life stressors, it can also be a nonspecific sign of a more serious psychological or physical disorder. If your fatigue is not relieved by the above methods please seek a further evaluation from a qualified medical professional.
A complete lists of Yoga Poses for Fatigue is available in our Premium Membership website's Yoga Therapy section.
We all have experienced common bouts of fatigue as a normal response to over-exertion, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep.This common experience of low energy and/or motivation can usually be alleviated through proper rest, exercise, stress reduction and nutrition. Yoga is an especially effective treatment for fatigue as it combines movement, rest and stress reduction with the cultivation of prana (life force energy) and the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and renew response). The remedy for some cases of fatigue can be quite obvious, while other types of fatigue will require much more self-observation and self-inquiry to find the proper mode of treatment. Yoga is an optimal healing modality for fatigue not only because it addresses the physical, emotional and energetic causes of fatigue, but also because it fosters and facilitates the self-observation and self-inquiry required to understand the roots of this disharmony.
Physical Causes
While the physical causes of fatigue are the most obvious, they are also the least common. A lack of sleep will certainly cause fatigue, and while getting more sleep is the obvious solution, yoga can also help. Yoga is not a substitute for sleep, but yoga’s calming and regulating effects can help you get a longer and deeper night’s rest. A deep sense of rest can also be experienced from extended holdings of restorative poses, such as child, supine bound angle, knee down twist, and shavasana. Physical over-exertion can deplete the body’s energy and cause muscle fatigue. Gentle yoga poses will help to regulate, nourish and replenish the energy and muscles of the body. The restorative poses mentioned above will also provide rest and renewal to these centers. The poor circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients can also create fatigue. Yoga’s whole body movements and stretches increase the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients through the body, helping the cells of the body to access the proper materials for producing energy. Flowing movements and sequences, such as the sun salutations, as well as inversions will be the most effective in improving circulation. A nutritionally poor diet can also be the blame of physical fatigue. A yogic diet of simple, fresh, and organic foods will allow the body to easily digest and assimilate all of the proper nutrients that the body needs to produce energy. Overeating should be avoided as this can overtax the digestive system, reducing its ability to assimilate nutrients, making one feel heavy and sluggish.
Emotional and Energetic Causes
While yoga has a strong effect on the physical body, it has an even stronger effect at regulating the emotions and subtle energies of the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) excessive emotions are seen to adversely affect the organ systems responsible for the creation and regulation of prana or qi. In TCM, the Kidneys are seen as the foundation of all of the energy of the body and act like batteries to store prana for future use. Fear is said to constrain the energy of the Kidneys, causing them to dysfunction and for their energy reserves to become drained. The Chinese believe the Spleen is responsible for converting the food we eat into energy for the body to use. Excessive worry and over thinking weaken the Spleen’s ability to transform nutrients to produce abundant prana, resulting in fatigue. The Lungs also play a role in producing prana in the body. The Lungs transform the air we breathe into prana and also help circulate this prana in the chest. When excessive sadness or melancholy is present, this function of the Lungs is depressed and this may manifest as fatigue in the body. The Liver in TCM is responsible for the free flow of energy through the entire body. Excessive anger, frustration and irritation all cause the Liver to constrict and stagnate the flow of prana, which in turn can lead to fatigue.
The meditative and mindfulness practices of yoga are excellent tools to bring awareness to our emotional states and to experience and process them completely. Yoga poses can be used to target the Kidney, Spleen and Lung areas to encourage the release of held emotions and to tonify and regulate these organ energy centers. As the Kidneys are located in the low back, back bending poses are the best to activate the Kidneys and to tonify their prana. Low back bending poses such as Bridge, Cobra, Boat and Bow will be the best targeted for this area. As the Liver and Spleen are located on the sides of the abdomen, side bends and twists will activate these energy centers. Both the meridians of the Liver and Spleen travel down the insides of the legs, so hip opening poses like Pigeon, Bound Angle and Seated Angle will also activate these organ systems. Physical movement helps the Liver in moving the energy through the body, so vinyasa based sequences like the sun salutations will be beneficial as well. To activate and tonify the Lungs, use chest opening upper back bending poses such as fish, camel, sphinx and crab.
When working with the emotional and subtle bodies, it is important to keep the focus rooted inside the body on the sensations that arise while holding these poses. If sensations arise that have an emotional component to them, it is important to fully express and release the emotion, and to not repress any feelings if they arise.
Pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) are a very direct method to cultivate prana and energize the body. With a multitude of these techniques, there is a coresponding range of energetic effects for these practices: Dirga pranayama is a very gentle and easy pranayama to learn and use, while Kapalabhati and Bastrika are much more powerful and intense. Pranayama is considered a powerful yogic practice, so be cautious in your exploration and move carefully through the exercises, noting their effects on your energy levels. While Pranayama may be used with any of the physical or emotional causes of fatigue, it will not be very effective unless the root causes of fatigue are reduced or eliminated.
All regular exercise will reduce fatigue, but yoga has the unique ability to provide exercise that is multi-dimensional in nature: effecting the body, mind, energy and emotions. Yoga also allows the practitioner to moderate the level of activity based on his/her current state of energy to avoid further exhausting or depleting one’s energy. While fatigue is often a normal response to daily life stressors, it can also be a nonspecific sign of a more serious psychological or physical disorder. If your fatigue is not relieved by the above methods please seek a further evaluation from a qualified medical professional.
A complete lists of Yoga Poses for Fatigue is available in our Premium Membership website's Yoga Therapy section.
article45
Challenge Yourself
To go deeper into your practice of yoga, it is necessary to challenge your body-mind-spirit on occasion. Use these four powerful techniques in combination or by themselves to challenge yourself further.
Go to the Edge
When holding a yoga posture you want to go to your edge. The edge is the place where you feel a deep stretch in your body or you feel the body working hard, but not going past that to where you hurt yourself or over work the body.
The edge is a magical place, but a scary place too. Getting to know your edges is getting to know your body. Its a body thing, not a mind thing, so let go of any thoughts or distractions. Slow down and listen to the body, easing your way closer and closer. Find the place between pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, creation and destruction, openness and protection. Balance there, feeling both worlds, feeling everything, and breathe.
Incorporate Challenge Postures
Start off your practice with postures that make you feel strong and confident in your self, getting your whole body warmed and energized. Then add one or two postures to your flow that bring you to your edge, postures you feel you “can’t” do, postures you normally avoid. Move slowly into these challenge postures, focusing the mind on the breath and the body. Feel what is happening in the body without the temptation to react, judge, or criticize. Breathe, breathe, breathe, and let go of the “I can’t”. Take yourself right to your edge, breathe some more, and see if you can go just a tiny bit more. Give yourself permission to bail out at any time if the body (not the mind) is saying a big “no”. Challenge postures can bring up strong emotions, and it is important to be in a safe environment so these emotions can be fully expressed and released from the body.
The Power of Visualization
When approaching a challenging / difficult / strenuous yoga posture, you can harness the power of the mind to move the body into the pose. If you can see yourself in the yoga posture, you can do it.
Close your eyes, deepen the breath and see your body doing the yoga posture in your mind’s eye. See every detail, seeing your body’s alignment and how you are breathing. See yourself in the posture strong, confident, and graceful. See yourself holding the posture with ease. See a simile on your face! Keep this image clearly in your mind as you move your body into the posture. Simply allow your body to fill up this mental picture, without excess pushing, straining or effort. When your body is fully in the posture, keep your focus on the mental picture, and begin to feel your body inside this image, filling it up with your awareness.
Create Inner Focus with Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the pivotal point in the practice of yoga where the path leads from the exterior to the interior landscape of the body. Pratyahara translates directly as “sense withdrawal” and is the fifth limb or branch of an eight-staged yogic approach to the unification of body-mind-spirit. By withdrawing our attention from the external environment and by focusing inwards on the breath and sensations, we still the mind and increase our awareness of the body. With this awareness and focus we can move deeper into the practice of yoga, learning to move through our limitations, fears and expectations. The key to practicing pratyahara is observing the body, breath and sensations as a detached witness, as if you were watching and feeling someone else’s body. Used with compassion and discipline, pratyahara enriches the practice of yoga and leads to deeper stages of concentration and meditation.
To go deeper into your practice of yoga, it is necessary to challenge your body-mind-spirit on occasion. Use these four powerful techniques in combination or by themselves to challenge yourself further.
Go to the Edge
When holding a yoga posture you want to go to your edge. The edge is the place where you feel a deep stretch in your body or you feel the body working hard, but not going past that to where you hurt yourself or over work the body.
The edge is a magical place, but a scary place too. Getting to know your edges is getting to know your body. Its a body thing, not a mind thing, so let go of any thoughts or distractions. Slow down and listen to the body, easing your way closer and closer. Find the place between pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, creation and destruction, openness and protection. Balance there, feeling both worlds, feeling everything, and breathe.
Incorporate Challenge Postures
Start off your practice with postures that make you feel strong and confident in your self, getting your whole body warmed and energized. Then add one or two postures to your flow that bring you to your edge, postures you feel you “can’t” do, postures you normally avoid. Move slowly into these challenge postures, focusing the mind on the breath and the body. Feel what is happening in the body without the temptation to react, judge, or criticize. Breathe, breathe, breathe, and let go of the “I can’t”. Take yourself right to your edge, breathe some more, and see if you can go just a tiny bit more. Give yourself permission to bail out at any time if the body (not the mind) is saying a big “no”. Challenge postures can bring up strong emotions, and it is important to be in a safe environment so these emotions can be fully expressed and released from the body.
The Power of Visualization
When approaching a challenging / difficult / strenuous yoga posture, you can harness the power of the mind to move the body into the pose. If you can see yourself in the yoga posture, you can do it.
Close your eyes, deepen the breath and see your body doing the yoga posture in your mind’s eye. See every detail, seeing your body’s alignment and how you are breathing. See yourself in the posture strong, confident, and graceful. See yourself holding the posture with ease. See a simile on your face! Keep this image clearly in your mind as you move your body into the posture. Simply allow your body to fill up this mental picture, without excess pushing, straining or effort. When your body is fully in the posture, keep your focus on the mental picture, and begin to feel your body inside this image, filling it up with your awareness.
Create Inner Focus with Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the pivotal point in the practice of yoga where the path leads from the exterior to the interior landscape of the body. Pratyahara translates directly as “sense withdrawal” and is the fifth limb or branch of an eight-staged yogic approach to the unification of body-mind-spirit. By withdrawing our attention from the external environment and by focusing inwards on the breath and sensations, we still the mind and increase our awareness of the body. With this awareness and focus we can move deeper into the practice of yoga, learning to move through our limitations, fears and expectations. The key to practicing pratyahara is observing the body, breath and sensations as a detached witness, as if you were watching and feeling someone else’s body. Used with compassion and discipline, pratyahara enriches the practice of yoga and leads to deeper stages of concentration and meditation.
article44
History of Yoga
Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga's long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas, beliefs and techniques that often conflicted and contradicted each other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjali's Yoga-Sûtras, the first systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence most styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yoga masters began to travel to the West, attracting attention and followers. This began at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, when Swami Vivekananda wowed the attendees with his lectures on yoga and the universality of the world’s religions. In the 1920s and 30s, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga. Krishnamacharya opened the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924 and in 1936 Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of the holy Ganges River. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois. Sivananda was a prolific author, writing over 200 books on yoga, and established nine ashrams and numerous yoga centers located around the world.
The importation of yoga to the West still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
Yoga's history has many places of obscurity and uncertainty due to its oral transmission of sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on yoga were transcribed on fragile palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga's long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice and development.
Pre-Classical Yoga
The beginnings of Yoga were developed by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. The word yoga was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, the Rig Veda. The Vedas were a collection of texts containing songs, mantras and rituals to be used by Brahmans, the Vedic priests. Yoga was slowly refined and developed by the Brahmans and Rishis (mystic seers) who documented their practices and beliefs in the Upanishads, a huge work containing over 200 scriptures. The most renowned of the Yogic scriptures is the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, composed around 500 B.C.E. The Upanishads took the idea of ritual sacrifice from the Vedas and internalized it, teaching the sacrifice of the ego through self-knowledge, action (karma yoga) and wisdom (jnana yoga).
Classical Yoga
In the pre-classical stage, yoga was a mishmash of various ideas, beliefs and techniques that often conflicted and contradicted each other. The Classical period is defined by Patanjali's Yoga-Sûtras, the first systematic presentation of yoga. Written some time in the second century, this text describes the path of Raja Yoga, often called "classical yoga". Patanjali organized the practice of yoga into an "eight limbed path" containing the steps and stages towards obtaining Samadhi or enlightenment. Patanjali is often considered the father of yoga and his Yoga-Sûtras still strongly influence most styles of modern yoga.
Post-Classical Yoga
A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment. They developed Tantra Yoga, with radical techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence. This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.
Modern Period
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, yoga masters began to travel to the West, attracting attention and followers. This began at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, when Swami Vivekananda wowed the attendees with his lectures on yoga and the universality of the world’s religions. In the 1920s and 30s, Hatha Yoga was strongly promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya, Swami Sivananda and other yogis practicing Hatha Yoga. Krishnamacharya opened the first Hatha Yoga school in Mysore in 1924 and in 1936 Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society on the banks of the holy Ganges River. Krishnamacharya produced three students that would continue his legacy and increase the popularity of Hatha Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar, T.K.V. Desikachar and Pattabhi Jois. Sivananda was a prolific author, writing over 200 books on yoga, and established nine ashrams and numerous yoga centers located around the world.
The importation of yoga to the West still continued at a trickle until Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice.
article43
Hatha Yoga: The Physical Path
What we commonly call yoga in the West is technically Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga (ha="sun" tha="moon") attains the union of mind-body-spirit though a practice of asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansing). These body centered practices are used to purify the body and cultivate prana and activate kundalini, the subtle energies of the body. Modern Hatha Yoga does not emphasize many of these esoteric practices and focuses primarily on the physical yoga postures.
In the history of yoga, hatha yoga is fairly recent technique that was developed from Tantra Yoga. The tantrics embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment and developed the physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices that lead to Hatha Yoga. But Hatha Yoga is uniquely focused on transforming the physical body through purification and the cultivation of the life force energy of prana. And all of the techniques of Hatha Yoga are seen as preliminary steps to achieving the deeper states of meditation and enlightenment found in the path of Raja Yoga (meditation).
The oldest and most widely used ancient text on the physical practices of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book was composed in 15th century CE by Swami Swatamarama and is derived from older Sanskrit texts, the teachings from well-known teachers, and from Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. The main goal of this text is to illuminate the physical disciplines and practices of Hatha Yoga and integrate these with the higher spiritual goals of Raja Yoga. Swatamarama begins with explaining the relationship between Hatha Yoga and Raja yoga, informing us that Hatha is a preliminary practice for Raja Yoga. He tells us that obtaining self-control and self-discipline is much easier when we start with the physical and energetic body, verses trying to directly control the mind as in Raja Yoga. Through the mastery of the prana, or energy of the body, we can then easily master the control of the mind and obtain success with Raja Yoga.
It was not until the 1920s when Hatha Yoga became popularized and promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya and a few other brave and determined yogis. Krishnamacharya traveled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and with other pioneering yogis promoted hatha yoga through its strong healing and other positive benefits. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice
What we commonly call yoga in the West is technically Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga (ha="sun" tha="moon") attains the union of mind-body-spirit though a practice of asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (yoga breathing), mudra (body gestures) and shatkarma (internal cleansing). These body centered practices are used to purify the body and cultivate prana and activate kundalini, the subtle energies of the body. Modern Hatha Yoga does not emphasize many of these esoteric practices and focuses primarily on the physical yoga postures.
In the history of yoga, hatha yoga is fairly recent technique that was developed from Tantra Yoga. The tantrics embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment and developed the physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices that lead to Hatha Yoga. But Hatha Yoga is uniquely focused on transforming the physical body through purification and the cultivation of the life force energy of prana. And all of the techniques of Hatha Yoga are seen as preliminary steps to achieving the deeper states of meditation and enlightenment found in the path of Raja Yoga (meditation).
The oldest and most widely used ancient text on the physical practices of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book was composed in 15th century CE by Swami Swatamarama and is derived from older Sanskrit texts, the teachings from well-known teachers, and from Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. The main goal of this text is to illuminate the physical disciplines and practices of Hatha Yoga and integrate these with the higher spiritual goals of Raja Yoga. Swatamarama begins with explaining the relationship between Hatha Yoga and Raja yoga, informing us that Hatha is a preliminary practice for Raja Yoga. He tells us that obtaining self-control and self-discipline is much easier when we start with the physical and energetic body, verses trying to directly control the mind as in Raja Yoga. Through the mastery of the prana, or energy of the body, we can then easily master the control of the mind and obtain success with Raja Yoga.
It was not until the 1920s when Hatha Yoga became popularized and promoted in India with the work of T. Krishnamacharya and a few other brave and determined yogis. Krishnamacharya traveled through India giving demonstrations of yoga poses and with other pioneering yogis promoted hatha yoga through its strong healing and other positive benefits. Since then, many more western and Indian teachers have become pioneers, popularizing hatha yoga and gaining millions of followers. Hatha Yoga now has many different schools or styles, all emphasizing the many different aspects of the practice
article42
The Truth About Diabetes - Diet, Nutrition and Treatment
Reversing diabetes naturally is not only possible but a preferable solution to the drugs modern day medicine provides, which serve to treat only the symptoms of diabetes without addressing the root cause.
Treating diabetes naturally is not something pharmaceutical companies want shouted out, despite the fact that countless people are successfully doing so, as diabetic drugs are a lucrative business. Sadly, diabetic drugs are also not without their dangers. Many of the side effects however are justified as the disease symptoms are considered worse. You can live without either.
Reversing diabetes naturally is not about a specific home remedy or natural treatment per se as the solution involves addressing diet and nutrition on a broader scale. Key diet and nutrition factors need to be properly understood, and when appropriately balanced and adjusted, can serve to reverse diabetes successfully and naturally and increase the bodys insulin production. In particular, a re-education in how the human body deals with dietary sugars and refined carbohydrates is fundamental, as is an understanding of the effects of acidity and the importance of an alkaline diet. Regular exercise is also important.
Eliminating foods that promote diabetes is paramount. These include sugar and high-glycemic foods such as refined carbohydrates (white flour/rice/bread/pasta), sucrose, corn syrup and dextrose and commercial, processed oils (virgin coconut oil is a diabetic-friendly alternative).
Dr. Mercola in his new book The No-Grain Diet points out how a high-carbohydrate diet can lead to diabetes over time. He writes, "If you regularly consume grains, sweets, and starches, and avoid exercise, your weight will escalate while your insulin levels rise. As your tissues become progressively more tolerant to higher levels of insulin, you may develop what is termed "insulin resistance", a condition where your tissues have absorbed all the insulin they can retain. This entire syndrome can frequently lead to diabetes, and it's no surprise that 17 million Americans, nearly 7.3 percent of our population, are diabetic with an astounding 33 percent rise in the prevalence of the disease between 1990 and 1999."
As well as eliminating foods it is also important to ensure the bodys internal environment is primed for optimum health and resistance to disease. An alkaline diet is imperative here as pH balance is pivotal for the appropriate functioning of body fluids which in turn affect the healthy functioning of all cells within the body. As pH specialist Dr. Robert Young writes, "A cell is only as healthy as the fluids it is bathed in." He further states that diabetes "is not a disease of the pancreas or the insulin producing beta cells or an autoimmune response, it is from the fluids which the pancreas cells are floating in."
An acidic system (acidosis) is associated with a wide range of health problems including diabetes, obesity, arthritis, stomach ulcers, bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer. Foods that acidify the body include sugar, meat, dairy products, eggs, junk/processed foods, fats and most grains (except millet, quinoa and amaranth). Some of the best acid foods include nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, brown rice, oats and fish.
Alkaline foods are largely raw fruits, vegetables and herbs, particularly green veggies, algae (spirulina or chlorella) and grasses such as barley grass or wheat grass.
The diabetic condition leads to a great loss of nutrients from the body in its attempts to eliminate sugar, which in turn leads to the deterioration of eyes and kidneys and damage to nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes also promotes abnormal triglyceride levels which dramatically increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. This is why cardiovascular disease accounts for 80 percent of all diabetic deaths, with diabetics having more than 400 per cent greater risk of heart attack than non-diabetics.
Are diabetic drugs a solution? Sadly, diabetics taking drugs are 2.5 times more likely to die from heart disease than those treated by diet alone. And then there are the side effects of medication. These include liver problems (jaundice), anemia, skin rashes and in some rare cases, death. There is also the Catch 22 of insulin resistance. Most anti-diabetic drugs stimulate your already drained pancreas to produce even more insulin which results in a loss of insulin-secreting beta cells making you more diabetic. Diabetic drugs increase fat storage and weight gain, leading to greater insulin resistance and an even worse diabetic condition.
Both oral anti-diabetes drugs and insulin can are not health-friendly options. They hasten the onset of aging, and damage your liver, heart and other organs among other complications.
There is a solution. Diabetes is not cured by treating symptoms with drugs that only perpetuate the condition. You need to address the root cause of diabetes to reverse it and increase your bodys insulin production naturally, with out the complications or side-effects of drugs and medications.
Why dont we hear about this infomation from the American Diabetes Association? The truth is, the American Diabetes Association are benefiting hugely from the current trend in diabetes. They are funded by pharmaceutical companies who would lose out if people reversed there diabetic conditions.
Reversing diabetes naturally is not only possible but a preferable solution to the drugs modern day medicine provides, which serve to treat only the symptoms of diabetes without addressing the root cause.
Treating diabetes naturally is not something pharmaceutical companies want shouted out, despite the fact that countless people are successfully doing so, as diabetic drugs are a lucrative business. Sadly, diabetic drugs are also not without their dangers. Many of the side effects however are justified as the disease symptoms are considered worse. You can live without either.
Reversing diabetes naturally is not about a specific home remedy or natural treatment per se as the solution involves addressing diet and nutrition on a broader scale. Key diet and nutrition factors need to be properly understood, and when appropriately balanced and adjusted, can serve to reverse diabetes successfully and naturally and increase the bodys insulin production. In particular, a re-education in how the human body deals with dietary sugars and refined carbohydrates is fundamental, as is an understanding of the effects of acidity and the importance of an alkaline diet. Regular exercise is also important.
Eliminating foods that promote diabetes is paramount. These include sugar and high-glycemic foods such as refined carbohydrates (white flour/rice/bread/pasta), sucrose, corn syrup and dextrose and commercial, processed oils (virgin coconut oil is a diabetic-friendly alternative).
Dr. Mercola in his new book The No-Grain Diet points out how a high-carbohydrate diet can lead to diabetes over time. He writes, "If you regularly consume grains, sweets, and starches, and avoid exercise, your weight will escalate while your insulin levels rise. As your tissues become progressively more tolerant to higher levels of insulin, you may develop what is termed "insulin resistance", a condition where your tissues have absorbed all the insulin they can retain. This entire syndrome can frequently lead to diabetes, and it's no surprise that 17 million Americans, nearly 7.3 percent of our population, are diabetic with an astounding 33 percent rise in the prevalence of the disease between 1990 and 1999."
As well as eliminating foods it is also important to ensure the bodys internal environment is primed for optimum health and resistance to disease. An alkaline diet is imperative here as pH balance is pivotal for the appropriate functioning of body fluids which in turn affect the healthy functioning of all cells within the body. As pH specialist Dr. Robert Young writes, "A cell is only as healthy as the fluids it is bathed in." He further states that diabetes "is not a disease of the pancreas or the insulin producing beta cells or an autoimmune response, it is from the fluids which the pancreas cells are floating in."
An acidic system (acidosis) is associated with a wide range of health problems including diabetes, obesity, arthritis, stomach ulcers, bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer. Foods that acidify the body include sugar, meat, dairy products, eggs, junk/processed foods, fats and most grains (except millet, quinoa and amaranth). Some of the best acid foods include nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, brown rice, oats and fish.
Alkaline foods are largely raw fruits, vegetables and herbs, particularly green veggies, algae (spirulina or chlorella) and grasses such as barley grass or wheat grass.
The diabetic condition leads to a great loss of nutrients from the body in its attempts to eliminate sugar, which in turn leads to the deterioration of eyes and kidneys and damage to nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes also promotes abnormal triglyceride levels which dramatically increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. This is why cardiovascular disease accounts for 80 percent of all diabetic deaths, with diabetics having more than 400 per cent greater risk of heart attack than non-diabetics.
Are diabetic drugs a solution? Sadly, diabetics taking drugs are 2.5 times more likely to die from heart disease than those treated by diet alone. And then there are the side effects of medication. These include liver problems (jaundice), anemia, skin rashes and in some rare cases, death. There is also the Catch 22 of insulin resistance. Most anti-diabetic drugs stimulate your already drained pancreas to produce even more insulin which results in a loss of insulin-secreting beta cells making you more diabetic. Diabetic drugs increase fat storage and weight gain, leading to greater insulin resistance and an even worse diabetic condition.
Both oral anti-diabetes drugs and insulin can are not health-friendly options. They hasten the onset of aging, and damage your liver, heart and other organs among other complications.
There is a solution. Diabetes is not cured by treating symptoms with drugs that only perpetuate the condition. You need to address the root cause of diabetes to reverse it and increase your bodys insulin production naturally, with out the complications or side-effects of drugs and medications.
Why dont we hear about this infomation from the American Diabetes Association? The truth is, the American Diabetes Association are benefiting hugely from the current trend in diabetes. They are funded by pharmaceutical companies who would lose out if people reversed there diabetic conditions.
article40
How Does Exercise Help Type 2 Diabetes?
Exercise plays a crucial role in helping Type 2 Diabetics to better manage their blood sugar levels.
According to a recent study, Diabetics who engaged in physical activity showed numerous benefits (1). Firstly, there was a decrease in their Hemoglobin A1C levels - a measurement of how your blood sugar levels are managed over a 3-month period.
The study also showed a reduction in visceral adipose tissue (fat tissue around the abdomen), a decrease in triglyceride levels (lipid levels in your blood) and an increase in insulin response.
All these positive results show how important exercise is in improving the health of Diabetics. Better management of blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Since exercise improves insulin response, it will also help those with Insulin Resistance, an imbalance in blood glucose and insulin levels which often underlies Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Pre-Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X).
It's a great idea to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. If you haven't done so before, here are some exercise tips to get you started. Get a walking partner and take a stroll around the park for 30 minutes
Make sure to schedule a time to exercise because this helps to keep you on track
Mix in a combination of resistance training, such as stretch bands, along with aerobic exercise
Go for a swim in your local pool
Join a dance class and experience the fun of socializing while you exercise
Take a weekend hike in the country
Exercise plays a crucial role in helping Type 2 Diabetics to better manage their blood sugar levels.
According to a recent study, Diabetics who engaged in physical activity showed numerous benefits (1). Firstly, there was a decrease in their Hemoglobin A1C levels - a measurement of how your blood sugar levels are managed over a 3-month period.
The study also showed a reduction in visceral adipose tissue (fat tissue around the abdomen), a decrease in triglyceride levels (lipid levels in your blood) and an increase in insulin response.
All these positive results show how important exercise is in improving the health of Diabetics. Better management of blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Since exercise improves insulin response, it will also help those with Insulin Resistance, an imbalance in blood glucose and insulin levels which often underlies Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Pre-Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X).
It's a great idea to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. If you haven't done so before, here are some exercise tips to get you started. Get a walking partner and take a stroll around the park for 30 minutes
Make sure to schedule a time to exercise because this helps to keep you on track
Mix in a combination of resistance training, such as stretch bands, along with aerobic exercise
Go for a swim in your local pool
Join a dance class and experience the fun of socializing while you exercise
Take a weekend hike in the country
article39
Make Lifestyle Changes Now Or Suffer From The Complications Of Diabetes
If you have just been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus then you will very quickly be made aware that some strict lifestyle changes will need to be implemented to help prevent or reduce the problems associated with the disease. These problems can be acute or chronic both of which can become very serious.
The complications associated with acute effects of diabetes can be very severe, resulting in the patient going into coma or even dieing if they are not immediately seen to. One of these acute complications is Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) the onset of which results from a lack of stored energy due to insufficient insulin.
Another acute complication is Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS). This condition is usually brought on by another illness or infection and results in blood sugar levels rising and consequent dehydration as the body tries to pass out the excess sugar in the urine. Seizures, coma and death are all possible consequences of HHNS.
The long term or chronic complications that can arise from diabetes include changes in the organs, tissues and blood vessels. This can result in other diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease. Other problems which can arise are kidney failure, erectile dysfunction and Diabetic Neuropath which is when the nerves are damaged resulting in losing feeling or constant pain.
So, taking all of these potential problems into account you can see why lifestyle changes are advised. The first and most important step is to keep a close eye on your diet. If you eat too much or are obese then you need to cut your food intake. You will also have to become more educated on the nutritional composition of all foods you buy. Counting fats and carbohydrates should be a daily activity and your doctor can advise how to do this effectively. Avoiding foods high in simple sugars is also very important.
Being a diabetic involves spending a lot more time looking after yourself and monitoring such things as blood sugar levels. The level of sugar in your blood is particularly important before and after a meal and before and after exercise. This is to help the doctor learn more about how your body reacts to food and exercise so they can treat you better.
Finally, as well as educating and monitoring yourself you should also educate all the people around you about your condition. This means that should you experience any of the aforementioned acute complications associated with diabetes the people around you will know how best to react to possibly save your life.
If you have just been diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus then you will very quickly be made aware that some strict lifestyle changes will need to be implemented to help prevent or reduce the problems associated with the disease. These problems can be acute or chronic both of which can become very serious.
The complications associated with acute effects of diabetes can be very severe, resulting in the patient going into coma or even dieing if they are not immediately seen to. One of these acute complications is Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) the onset of which results from a lack of stored energy due to insufficient insulin.
Another acute complication is Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS). This condition is usually brought on by another illness or infection and results in blood sugar levels rising and consequent dehydration as the body tries to pass out the excess sugar in the urine. Seizures, coma and death are all possible consequences of HHNS.
The long term or chronic complications that can arise from diabetes include changes in the organs, tissues and blood vessels. This can result in other diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease. Other problems which can arise are kidney failure, erectile dysfunction and Diabetic Neuropath which is when the nerves are damaged resulting in losing feeling or constant pain.
So, taking all of these potential problems into account you can see why lifestyle changes are advised. The first and most important step is to keep a close eye on your diet. If you eat too much or are obese then you need to cut your food intake. You will also have to become more educated on the nutritional composition of all foods you buy. Counting fats and carbohydrates should be a daily activity and your doctor can advise how to do this effectively. Avoiding foods high in simple sugars is also very important.
Being a diabetic involves spending a lot more time looking after yourself and monitoring such things as blood sugar levels. The level of sugar in your blood is particularly important before and after a meal and before and after exercise. This is to help the doctor learn more about how your body reacts to food and exercise so they can treat you better.
Finally, as well as educating and monitoring yourself you should also educate all the people around you about your condition. This means that should you experience any of the aforementioned acute complications associated with diabetes the people around you will know how best to react to possibly save your life.
article38
Diabetes and Your Childs School
If your child has diabetes, it is probably type 1 diabetes, which means that your child is insulin-dependent. Even if your child has type 2 diabetes, you will want to tell the school so that your child is supported during their learning process. You want your child to get the most of their education, and that means helping to make sure that your child gets the proper care at school.
1. Meet with the School
You will want to have a meeting with your childs teacher, every year. This will probably take about 30 minutes to an hour to discuss the teachers questions and your childs needs. Bring along information about diabetes. There are even pamphlets on diabetes aimed at teachers that you can bring with you.
Your childs teacher is going to wonder, Do I have to give insulin treatments? The answer is that no, teachers are not responsible for giving injections. Many children manage their diabetes without ever getting insulin injections at school. Others get their injections at school, and are supervised by the teacher while they do this.
Help the teacher understand the blood glucose monitoring system that your child uses. It might be helpful to create a chart that explains what the different levels of blood glucose are, and what action should be taken for each one.
It is important to determine what policies the school has in place for diabetics. If there are no pre-existing policies, you can help your childs school create thoughtful and inclusive policies.
2. Ally yourself with the Teacher
Especially with younger school-aged children, they might not understand the importance of eating their regular snacks. Ask the teacher to help remind your child to eat these snacks.
Your childs teacher is the best person to observe your child during the day. A common occurrence for children with diabetes is that they develop low blood sugar before lunch. Have the teacher monitor your child to see if there are patterns of lethargy that should be noted and altered (possibly with an extra snack). The teacher can help remind the child to do blood testing as well.
3. Prepare your child
Before your child goes to school, be sure that they understand diabetes. You will want them to know what their responsibilities are.
Remember that as your child grows up, you are transferring the responsibility of monitoring and regulating their own blood sugar from your hands to their hands. During this transition period, you might find that your child makes a mistake, and occasionally misses snacks. This is a normal part of the growing up experience. Help your child overcome these mistakes, but allow your child to make these mistakes in the first place.
Consider getting a medic alert bracelet for your child, or similar piece of identification that explains that they have diabetes so that emergencies can be averted or cared for properly.
4. Help pack the lunch.
When your child is young, you will probably be the one packing their lunch to take to school. Be sure to pack extra snacks in case your child gets low blood sugar at school. Or leave some extra snacks with the teacher if you are worried that your child would eat them all at once. Pack some snacks that are quick to eat, such as carrot sticks instead of an apple, so that your child wont have to
5. Know your rights.
Even though your child is diabetic, your child has a right to participate in every athletic event, field trip, and class outing that is planned. Your child has a right to monitor their blood sugar when necessary, and to eat snacks when they are needed. Your child also has a right to free access to water and to the bathroom. Your child will also be allowed to take as much time as necessary to eat the needed snacks. These rights are mandated by federal law in Canada, and by state law in the United States. If you feel these rights are being violated, begin by contacting your teacher to discuss how you can solve the situation. If this does not work, speak to your school principal, and take it further if necessary. Most times diabetes education will help the school meet your and your childs needs.
The teachers, facilitators, and administration all want your child to succeed in school. Help them by giving them the salient information about diabetes. This can be an experience in ongoing education for you, your child, and the school staff. Let your child help in this education. If your child wants to do a presentation or project on diabetes, encourage them to share their knowledge. If your child prefers to keep quiet about diabetes, respect that right as well
If your child has diabetes, it is probably type 1 diabetes, which means that your child is insulin-dependent. Even if your child has type 2 diabetes, you will want to tell the school so that your child is supported during their learning process. You want your child to get the most of their education, and that means helping to make sure that your child gets the proper care at school.
1. Meet with the School
You will want to have a meeting with your childs teacher, every year. This will probably take about 30 minutes to an hour to discuss the teachers questions and your childs needs. Bring along information about diabetes. There are even pamphlets on diabetes aimed at teachers that you can bring with you.
Your childs teacher is going to wonder, Do I have to give insulin treatments? The answer is that no, teachers are not responsible for giving injections. Many children manage their diabetes without ever getting insulin injections at school. Others get their injections at school, and are supervised by the teacher while they do this.
Help the teacher understand the blood glucose monitoring system that your child uses. It might be helpful to create a chart that explains what the different levels of blood glucose are, and what action should be taken for each one.
It is important to determine what policies the school has in place for diabetics. If there are no pre-existing policies, you can help your childs school create thoughtful and inclusive policies.
2. Ally yourself with the Teacher
Especially with younger school-aged children, they might not understand the importance of eating their regular snacks. Ask the teacher to help remind your child to eat these snacks.
Your childs teacher is the best person to observe your child during the day. A common occurrence for children with diabetes is that they develop low blood sugar before lunch. Have the teacher monitor your child to see if there are patterns of lethargy that should be noted and altered (possibly with an extra snack). The teacher can help remind the child to do blood testing as well.
3. Prepare your child
Before your child goes to school, be sure that they understand diabetes. You will want them to know what their responsibilities are.
Remember that as your child grows up, you are transferring the responsibility of monitoring and regulating their own blood sugar from your hands to their hands. During this transition period, you might find that your child makes a mistake, and occasionally misses snacks. This is a normal part of the growing up experience. Help your child overcome these mistakes, but allow your child to make these mistakes in the first place.
Consider getting a medic alert bracelet for your child, or similar piece of identification that explains that they have diabetes so that emergencies can be averted or cared for properly.
4. Help pack the lunch.
When your child is young, you will probably be the one packing their lunch to take to school. Be sure to pack extra snacks in case your child gets low blood sugar at school. Or leave some extra snacks with the teacher if you are worried that your child would eat them all at once. Pack some snacks that are quick to eat, such as carrot sticks instead of an apple, so that your child wont have to
5. Know your rights.
Even though your child is diabetic, your child has a right to participate in every athletic event, field trip, and class outing that is planned. Your child has a right to monitor their blood sugar when necessary, and to eat snacks when they are needed. Your child also has a right to free access to water and to the bathroom. Your child will also be allowed to take as much time as necessary to eat the needed snacks. These rights are mandated by federal law in Canada, and by state law in the United States. If you feel these rights are being violated, begin by contacting your teacher to discuss how you can solve the situation. If this does not work, speak to your school principal, and take it further if necessary. Most times diabetes education will help the school meet your and your childs needs.
The teachers, facilitators, and administration all want your child to succeed in school. Help them by giving them the salient information about diabetes. This can be an experience in ongoing education for you, your child, and the school staff. Let your child help in this education. If your child wants to do a presentation or project on diabetes, encourage them to share their knowledge. If your child prefers to keep quiet about diabetes, respect that right as well
article37
Pre-Diabetes; Are You At Risk?
When your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes, you have a condition known as impaired glucose tolerance, or pre diabetes. Pre diabetes is usually accompanied by insulin resistance, and most people that are diagnosed with it go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a 10 year period.
Are You At Risk?
If you are over 45 years of age, are overweight, have a history of diabetes or gestational diabetes, have high blood pressure or are from a minority group with a higher risk of diabetes (Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Asian American/Pacific Islanders), you are at a higher risk of having pre diabetes and developing diabetes.
Detecting Pre Diabetes
Two tests are mainly used in detecting the presence of pre-diabetes:
In a fasting plasma glucose test, fasting glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.
In an oral glucose tolerance test, blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.
Pre diabetes symptoms are gradual and often go unnoticed. Many people have pre diabetes and diabetes without even knowing it. If any of the risks factor described above apply to you, talk to your doctor about getting tested. Other symptoms that you may notice include increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Pre Diabetes Treatment The Good News!
Detecting pre diabetes early and following the needed treatment can actually reverse the condition and possibly bring blood glucose levels back to normal. Lifestyle changes are the effective way of treating pre diabetes and delaying or even preventing the development of type 2 diabetes. The health choices that you make on a daily basis can make a huge difference on your diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. If you make the needed lifestyle changes and follow your doctors advice, your will dramatically lower your risks.
The needed lifestyle changes include:
A healthy, low carb diet
Staying physically active.
Loosing weight
Talk to your doctor and come up with a plan that will fit you and your lifestyle best in order to keep pre diabetes under control.
Conclusion
Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous condition that is many times preceded by pre diabetes. Remember that you have the power to do something about it! If you act early and follow the needed lifestyle changes, educate yourself and work with your health care team, you can definitely slow down or even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and the complications associated with it.
When your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes, you have a condition known as impaired glucose tolerance, or pre diabetes. Pre diabetes is usually accompanied by insulin resistance, and most people that are diagnosed with it go on to develop type 2 diabetes within a 10 year period.
Are You At Risk?
If you are over 45 years of age, are overweight, have a history of diabetes or gestational diabetes, have high blood pressure or are from a minority group with a higher risk of diabetes (Hispanic, African American, American Indian, Asian American/Pacific Islanders), you are at a higher risk of having pre diabetes and developing diabetes.
Detecting Pre Diabetes
Two tests are mainly used in detecting the presence of pre-diabetes:
In a fasting plasma glucose test, fasting glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.
In an oral glucose tolerance test, blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dl are considered pre diabetes; higher levels will indicate the presence of diabetes.
Pre diabetes symptoms are gradual and often go unnoticed. Many people have pre diabetes and diabetes without even knowing it. If any of the risks factor described above apply to you, talk to your doctor about getting tested. Other symptoms that you may notice include increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Pre Diabetes Treatment The Good News!
Detecting pre diabetes early and following the needed treatment can actually reverse the condition and possibly bring blood glucose levels back to normal. Lifestyle changes are the effective way of treating pre diabetes and delaying or even preventing the development of type 2 diabetes. The health choices that you make on a daily basis can make a huge difference on your diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. If you make the needed lifestyle changes and follow your doctors advice, your will dramatically lower your risks.
The needed lifestyle changes include:
A healthy, low carb diet
Staying physically active.
Loosing weight
Talk to your doctor and come up with a plan that will fit you and your lifestyle best in order to keep pre diabetes under control.
Conclusion
Type 2 diabetes is a dangerous condition that is many times preceded by pre diabetes. Remember that you have the power to do something about it! If you act early and follow the needed lifestyle changes, educate yourself and work with your health care team, you can definitely slow down or even prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and the complications associated with it.
article36
Diabetes Supply
Diabetes Supply has often been an issue of where is the best place to get your supplies and what's the best place as far as cost. Obviously you have seen the television advertising for Liberty Medical Diabetes Supply.
When it comes to advertising for Diabetes Supply, no one comes close to Liberty Medical. There are other outlets where you can obtain your diabetic supplies and at reasonable rates. Not everyone qualifies for Liberty's Diabetes Supply. They basically work directly with Medicare, so based on your Medicare qualifications you could be turned down.
Diabetic Express com is an online diabetes supplier that may be a good alternative for your insulin, lancet, test strips, and pump supplies. They offer discount prices on over 1,000 items and accept Medicare and private insurance. They supply only the brands and products you want. They have pharmacists on staff to interact with you for fast accurate service. And they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Diabetic Supplies.com is another diabetes supply online that specializes primarily in lancets, test strips, and test meters.
After you complete the online diabetes supply enrollment form, or call, the online diabetes supply companies listed above can verify your diabetes supply benefits with your insurance and obtain an authorization from your doctor. Every three months, with your authorization, they will mail your diabetes supply order, including blood glucose meter strips, directly to your door, free of charge. They will explain your diabetes supply benefits prior to shipping your first order.
Diabetes supply is a necessary function that thousands of people need and require in order to live a healthy life. If you have diabetes and require diabetes supplies, be sure to check your blood count often and find a diabetes supply company that fits your needs for accuracy, timeliness, and price.
It's possible you can qualify for a free diabetes supply today. Just apply and see for yourself how easy it can be to live life the way you want it to be.
Diabetes Supply has often been an issue of where is the best place to get your supplies and what's the best place as far as cost. Obviously you have seen the television advertising for Liberty Medical Diabetes Supply.
When it comes to advertising for Diabetes Supply, no one comes close to Liberty Medical. There are other outlets where you can obtain your diabetic supplies and at reasonable rates. Not everyone qualifies for Liberty's Diabetes Supply. They basically work directly with Medicare, so based on your Medicare qualifications you could be turned down.
Diabetic Express com is an online diabetes supplier that may be a good alternative for your insulin, lancet, test strips, and pump supplies. They offer discount prices on over 1,000 items and accept Medicare and private insurance. They supply only the brands and products you want. They have pharmacists on staff to interact with you for fast accurate service. And they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Diabetic Supplies.com is another diabetes supply online that specializes primarily in lancets, test strips, and test meters.
After you complete the online diabetes supply enrollment form, or call, the online diabetes supply companies listed above can verify your diabetes supply benefits with your insurance and obtain an authorization from your doctor. Every three months, with your authorization, they will mail your diabetes supply order, including blood glucose meter strips, directly to your door, free of charge. They will explain your diabetes supply benefits prior to shipping your first order.
Diabetes supply is a necessary function that thousands of people need and require in order to live a healthy life. If you have diabetes and require diabetes supplies, be sure to check your blood count often and find a diabetes supply company that fits your needs for accuracy, timeliness, and price.
It's possible you can qualify for a free diabetes supply today. Just apply and see for yourself how easy it can be to live life the way you want it to be.
article35
Diabetes and Kidney Diseases: A Harmful Combination
Diseases are among the most unfortunate realities in human life. Illnesses are dreaded as they can cause not only inconveniences but even impairments in a persons lifestyle. The pain and suffering one has to endure because of some ailment is hardly describable, add to this the distress and misery experienced by ones family, friends, and loved ones. What could be more devastating than a dreaded disease other than the combination of two or more diseases? And this was just what some Australian doctors have discovered - the combination of diabetes and kidney diseases.
August 6, 2006, Google News - a recent research in Australia has just discovered that one out of two patients diagnosed with Type II Diabetes also suffer a type of chronic diseases in the kidneys, and the figures may be even higher than what has been observed, doctors feared. Blood samples from four thousand diabetic patients were tested by the Baker Heart Research Institute and the results showed that though the patients were seemingly fine except for their diabetes, they had underlying kidney conditions that remained undetected for years. This has pushed Australian doctors and health institutes to perform mandatory tests to screen kidney diseases among Type II Diabetes patients, according to a following report by Yahoo! News. The tests recommended include not only simple urine tests, but more extensive blood tests.
Type II Diabetes is a disorder in a persons metabolic function that manifests in the resistance to and the deficiency in insulin, it is also characterized by hyperglycemia. Currently, the disease has no cure. It has been observed to be increasing greatly in the developed countries, the rest of the world is also following suit in the coming years that its rapid growth has already been considered as a form of epidemic. Unlike in Type I diabetes, there is not much inclination to develop ketoacidosis (the accumulation of acid in the blood due to the breaking down of fat) in Type II diabetes. But the two types of diabetes could cause disability in several vital organs, particularly in the cardiovascular system due to the multifaceted changes in metabolism occurring.
The kidneys are the organs that are responsible for filtering wastes in the blood. The bean-shaped organs come in pairs and perform the vital function of removing wastes from the body in the form of urine. Kidneys also keep the balance in many of the bodys conditions including the concentration of acids and bases, the volume of blood plasma, blood pressure. Kidneys also secrete certain important hormones for normal function. Great dangers arise when the kidneys grow awry. Without the kidney functioning well, body wastes may reach toxic levels, causing poisoning and great impairments and the bodys many functions. Advanced onsets of kidney diseases may create the need for dialysis filtering blood painstakingly outside the body, or the need for the kidney transplants.
Clearly, both conditions of diabetes and kidney disease are dangerous, if not fatal to ones health. The combination of these two illnesses could be even more hazardous considering the grave symptoms they cause. Curing both diseases is still rather difficult nowadays if not unfeasible. Such is why prevention is always seen as the best cure. But for those who already have one of the two conditions, early detection for the other is the next best thing. Perhaps developments for cures and treatments may be available in the near future, but for now, patients would have to deal with the diseases according to current accessible therapies.
Diseases are among the most unfortunate realities in human life. Illnesses are dreaded as they can cause not only inconveniences but even impairments in a persons lifestyle. The pain and suffering one has to endure because of some ailment is hardly describable, add to this the distress and misery experienced by ones family, friends, and loved ones. What could be more devastating than a dreaded disease other than the combination of two or more diseases? And this was just what some Australian doctors have discovered - the combination of diabetes and kidney diseases.
August 6, 2006, Google News - a recent research in Australia has just discovered that one out of two patients diagnosed with Type II Diabetes also suffer a type of chronic diseases in the kidneys, and the figures may be even higher than what has been observed, doctors feared. Blood samples from four thousand diabetic patients were tested by the Baker Heart Research Institute and the results showed that though the patients were seemingly fine except for their diabetes, they had underlying kidney conditions that remained undetected for years. This has pushed Australian doctors and health institutes to perform mandatory tests to screen kidney diseases among Type II Diabetes patients, according to a following report by Yahoo! News. The tests recommended include not only simple urine tests, but more extensive blood tests.
Type II Diabetes is a disorder in a persons metabolic function that manifests in the resistance to and the deficiency in insulin, it is also characterized by hyperglycemia. Currently, the disease has no cure. It has been observed to be increasing greatly in the developed countries, the rest of the world is also following suit in the coming years that its rapid growth has already been considered as a form of epidemic. Unlike in Type I diabetes, there is not much inclination to develop ketoacidosis (the accumulation of acid in the blood due to the breaking down of fat) in Type II diabetes. But the two types of diabetes could cause disability in several vital organs, particularly in the cardiovascular system due to the multifaceted changes in metabolism occurring.
The kidneys are the organs that are responsible for filtering wastes in the blood. The bean-shaped organs come in pairs and perform the vital function of removing wastes from the body in the form of urine. Kidneys also keep the balance in many of the bodys conditions including the concentration of acids and bases, the volume of blood plasma, blood pressure. Kidneys also secrete certain important hormones for normal function. Great dangers arise when the kidneys grow awry. Without the kidney functioning well, body wastes may reach toxic levels, causing poisoning and great impairments and the bodys many functions. Advanced onsets of kidney diseases may create the need for dialysis filtering blood painstakingly outside the body, or the need for the kidney transplants.
Clearly, both conditions of diabetes and kidney disease are dangerous, if not fatal to ones health. The combination of these two illnesses could be even more hazardous considering the grave symptoms they cause. Curing both diseases is still rather difficult nowadays if not unfeasible. Such is why prevention is always seen as the best cure. But for those who already have one of the two conditions, early detection for the other is the next best thing. Perhaps developments for cures and treatments may be available in the near future, but for now, patients would have to deal with the diseases according to current accessible therapies.
article34
The Magic of Diabetes Shopping Tours
A diabetic shopping tour is one of the best ways to educate people suffering from diabetes on how to properly shop for their food. This knowledge is integral to being able to sort through the mess of too many consumer goods that seem to be healthy but are actually hazardous to those suffering from the condition.
For those suffering from diabetes, being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle is surely a very big challenge. While diabetes does not really limit person's abilities and functions, it does percent a great hazard to health if not taken care of. If one is not able to maintain a proper diet, take medications on time, and keep vigil on one's insulin levels, this person could look healthy one minute, and turn deadly sick the next.
Diabetes doesn't sound like a gruesome illness; however, it has been the cause of many deaths and disabilities. Those suffering from diabetes have also been known to suffer from loss of appendages due to gangrene and the inability to heal quickly from cuts and scrapes.
This makes watching out for hazards to injury and one a very big part of a diabetic person's life. Aside from this, one other very important item for a diabetic person to look out for is his or her diet. Unfortunately, in this mass consumer world, finding food that is healthy and suitable for diabetic people is doubly hard.
Since there are too many hidden ingredients, and too many refined products out on the market, most of the things sold at supermarkets pose a hazard for people suffering from this condition. That is why it becomes very important to be able not to just know the proper diet of a diabetic person, but to be able to learn how to shop for these things in a real world supermarket environment.
Knowing your diet is not enough
It isn't enough just to know what the recommended foods for you to eat as a diabetic are. More importantly, knowing how to shop at supermarkets for these kinds of foods is tantamount to your health.
How can a diabetic shopping tour help you?
1. They teach you to look beyond the package. The problem with most goods available at supermarkets today is that they sometimes make false claims about their ingredients. They will also advertise the health benefits of their products but if you read their disclaimers hard enough you'll find out that they are not actually healthy at all.
One technique they will teach you is to look for those tiny asterisks that follow most health claims. If they see a health claim with an asterisk go directly to the fine print and read a hard for any qualifiers to the claim.
2. Shopping tours also teach you how to shop smartly. A good diabetic shopping tour will teach you how to avoid foodstuffs that can injure your health and how to find those other foodstuffs that will help you maintain a healthy diet. Most shopping tours will also recommend meals that can be made out of these foodstuffs.
They also have your budget in mind; they would educate you on how to budget your groceries so that you get the most out of your money for each trip to make the grocers.
Conclusion
In the end, the shopping tour against diabetes is probably one of the most important seminars a diabetic person can attend. Not only would it teach them how to stay healthy with a healthy diet, it will also teach them how to discern which products are actually bad for their health.
A diabetic shopping tour is one of the best ways to educate people suffering from diabetes on how to properly shop for their food. This knowledge is integral to being able to sort through the mess of too many consumer goods that seem to be healthy but are actually hazardous to those suffering from the condition.
For those suffering from diabetes, being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle is surely a very big challenge. While diabetes does not really limit person's abilities and functions, it does percent a great hazard to health if not taken care of. If one is not able to maintain a proper diet, take medications on time, and keep vigil on one's insulin levels, this person could look healthy one minute, and turn deadly sick the next.
Diabetes doesn't sound like a gruesome illness; however, it has been the cause of many deaths and disabilities. Those suffering from diabetes have also been known to suffer from loss of appendages due to gangrene and the inability to heal quickly from cuts and scrapes.
This makes watching out for hazards to injury and one a very big part of a diabetic person's life. Aside from this, one other very important item for a diabetic person to look out for is his or her diet. Unfortunately, in this mass consumer world, finding food that is healthy and suitable for diabetic people is doubly hard.
Since there are too many hidden ingredients, and too many refined products out on the market, most of the things sold at supermarkets pose a hazard for people suffering from this condition. That is why it becomes very important to be able not to just know the proper diet of a diabetic person, but to be able to learn how to shop for these things in a real world supermarket environment.
Knowing your diet is not enough
It isn't enough just to know what the recommended foods for you to eat as a diabetic are. More importantly, knowing how to shop at supermarkets for these kinds of foods is tantamount to your health.
How can a diabetic shopping tour help you?
1. They teach you to look beyond the package. The problem with most goods available at supermarkets today is that they sometimes make false claims about their ingredients. They will also advertise the health benefits of their products but if you read their disclaimers hard enough you'll find out that they are not actually healthy at all.
One technique they will teach you is to look for those tiny asterisks that follow most health claims. If they see a health claim with an asterisk go directly to the fine print and read a hard for any qualifiers to the claim.
2. Shopping tours also teach you how to shop smartly. A good diabetic shopping tour will teach you how to avoid foodstuffs that can injure your health and how to find those other foodstuffs that will help you maintain a healthy diet. Most shopping tours will also recommend meals that can be made out of these foodstuffs.
They also have your budget in mind; they would educate you on how to budget your groceries so that you get the most out of your money for each trip to make the grocers.
Conclusion
In the end, the shopping tour against diabetes is probably one of the most important seminars a diabetic person can attend. Not only would it teach them how to stay healthy with a healthy diet, it will also teach them how to discern which products are actually bad for their health.
article33
Importance of Body Care and Diet in Ayurveda
Ayurvedic contains the detail instructions about body care and personal hygiene. Chewing of various spices and nuts is recommended for the clarity of voices, a pleasing taste, and fresh smells in the mouth, gargling with sesame oil be said to enhance the strength of the jaws. Sesames oil also gives depth to the voice and even results in the face becoming plump. Regularly oiling of the hair and the ears, and the periodic oil massages are a part of the normal recommended body care. Massage makes the physique smooth, strong, and charming, and prevents the onslaught of age. Scents and garlands of flowers are said to spread fragrance in the body, and enhance longevity and charm.
An India psychiatrist was surprised to find the following description of a tongue scraper, the like of which he had not seen in use in any other country.
Tongue scrapers which, should be curved and sharp edge, are to be made of metals like gold, silver, copper, tin and brass. The dirt deposited at the root of the tongue obstructs expiration and give rise to a foul smell: so the tongue should be scraped regularly.
Where as the diet is concerned, ayurveda provides the general description of food that promotes health and other, which should be avoided. It say that the food that should be allowed to the patients accordingly to the nature of the malady, and those which should be banned. Some medicines are to be taken with certain specific foods such as buttermilk. Certain drugs and formulations are administered to the patient in conjunction with certain food, falling which; the drugs do not have any curative effect.
Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is discussed in ayurveda. Non-vegetarian diets are particularly recommended in
Ayurvedic contains the detail instructions about body care and personal hygiene. Chewing of various spices and nuts is recommended for the clarity of voices, a pleasing taste, and fresh smells in the mouth, gargling with sesame oil be said to enhance the strength of the jaws. Sesames oil also gives depth to the voice and even results in the face becoming plump. Regularly oiling of the hair and the ears, and the periodic oil massages are a part of the normal recommended body care. Massage makes the physique smooth, strong, and charming, and prevents the onslaught of age. Scents and garlands of flowers are said to spread fragrance in the body, and enhance longevity and charm.
An India psychiatrist was surprised to find the following description of a tongue scraper, the like of which he had not seen in use in any other country.
Tongue scrapers which, should be curved and sharp edge, are to be made of metals like gold, silver, copper, tin and brass. The dirt deposited at the root of the tongue obstructs expiration and give rise to a foul smell: so the tongue should be scraped regularly.
Where as the diet is concerned, ayurveda provides the general description of food that promotes health and other, which should be avoided. It say that the food that should be allowed to the patients accordingly to the nature of the malady, and those which should be banned. Some medicines are to be taken with certain specific foods such as buttermilk. Certain drugs and formulations are administered to the patient in conjunction with certain food, falling which; the drugs do not have any curative effect.
Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is discussed in ayurveda. Non-vegetarian diets are particularly recommended in
article32
Chronic Gum Disease and Diabetes
Most individuals are already aware that diabetes can lead to chronic gum or periodontal disease. Recent studies however have revealed that the relationship between the two is like a double-edged sword, since it goes both ways; apparently, diabetes can also be born from chronic gum disease.
Basic Facts about Chronic Gum Disease
When an individual has been diagnosed of having chronic gum disease, this means that his gums and the bones that bind his teeth to its proper position are infected. If left untreated, chronic gum disease will make chewing extremely difficult or worse, lead to loss or removal of teeth.
Basic Facts about Diabetes
Is it true that diabetes is primarily caused by eating too much of sweet foods? No! There's still no known and accurate cause for diabetes so everyone is at risk. Substantially proven generalizations however have been made regarding diabetic individuals. People who are overweight, for instance, are more prone to having diabetes.
Who's at Risk?
Diabetics who smoke and diabetics who love sweets are the most at risk of having chronic gum disease as well.
The Process of Chronic Gum Disease: From A to Z
If oral hygiene is neglected, that's the first step to having chronic gum disease. Germs that accrue over the time will cause our gums to redden, swell, and even bleed when you start brushing your teeth once more. When this happens, you're suffering from gingivitis - a precursor of chronic gum disease.
Gingivitis however will disappear eventually if you don't shirk up your duties to your mouth and teeth. If you don't, things become more complicated and you get nearer to having chronic gum disease.
Accrued dirt becomes plaque; when plaque becomes hard, your teeth and gums get infected until there's not enough bones to hold your teeth in place. The result: an emergency trip to the dentist and several of your teeth pulled out.
The Bad Thing about Chronic Gum Disease
There are no warning signs. When you start feeling hurt and uncomfortable about it, it's usually too late because no amount of brushing of teeth or flossing will be able to rescue your teeth. Only the scary dentist has the power to salvage what's left of your teeth.
Possible Treatments for Chronic Gum Disease
Teeth Cleaning - If the damage isn't too serious, your dentist might be able to repair damaged roots and allow you to retain your teeth. Teeth cleaning will also help in removing accrued germs stuck within and in between your teeth. Your dentist may also request you to take an antibiotic or use a suggested brand of mouthwash to give your teeth added protection.
Surgery - If the wounds are fatal, gum surgery may be the only option. Worse, even if damaged teeth have been successfully removed, your gums may have been too infected to allow you to use dentals or fake teeth.
Other Possible Dental Diseases Related to Diabetes
Chronic gum disease is not the only thing that diabetics have to worry about. If they don't brush and floss their teeth regularly, they risk suffering from any of the following conditions:
Cavities - Choosing the right food can significantly reduce the risk of teeth developing cavities.
Thrush - Diabetics are especially prone to having this condition because the fungus that causes this affection flourishes in glucose-rich parts.
Dry Mouth - People who are unaware they have diabetes usually have dry mouths, which can consequently lead to other dental diseases.
You can save yourself from chronic gum disease and diabetes simply by eating well and eating right then brushing your teeth right after
Most individuals are already aware that diabetes can lead to chronic gum or periodontal disease. Recent studies however have revealed that the relationship between the two is like a double-edged sword, since it goes both ways; apparently, diabetes can also be born from chronic gum disease.
Basic Facts about Chronic Gum Disease
When an individual has been diagnosed of having chronic gum disease, this means that his gums and the bones that bind his teeth to its proper position are infected. If left untreated, chronic gum disease will make chewing extremely difficult or worse, lead to loss or removal of teeth.
Basic Facts about Diabetes
Is it true that diabetes is primarily caused by eating too much of sweet foods? No! There's still no known and accurate cause for diabetes so everyone is at risk. Substantially proven generalizations however have been made regarding diabetic individuals. People who are overweight, for instance, are more prone to having diabetes.
Who's at Risk?
Diabetics who smoke and diabetics who love sweets are the most at risk of having chronic gum disease as well.
The Process of Chronic Gum Disease: From A to Z
If oral hygiene is neglected, that's the first step to having chronic gum disease. Germs that accrue over the time will cause our gums to redden, swell, and even bleed when you start brushing your teeth once more. When this happens, you're suffering from gingivitis - a precursor of chronic gum disease.
Gingivitis however will disappear eventually if you don't shirk up your duties to your mouth and teeth. If you don't, things become more complicated and you get nearer to having chronic gum disease.
Accrued dirt becomes plaque; when plaque becomes hard, your teeth and gums get infected until there's not enough bones to hold your teeth in place. The result: an emergency trip to the dentist and several of your teeth pulled out.
The Bad Thing about Chronic Gum Disease
There are no warning signs. When you start feeling hurt and uncomfortable about it, it's usually too late because no amount of brushing of teeth or flossing will be able to rescue your teeth. Only the scary dentist has the power to salvage what's left of your teeth.
Possible Treatments for Chronic Gum Disease
Teeth Cleaning - If the damage isn't too serious, your dentist might be able to repair damaged roots and allow you to retain your teeth. Teeth cleaning will also help in removing accrued germs stuck within and in between your teeth. Your dentist may also request you to take an antibiotic or use a suggested brand of mouthwash to give your teeth added protection.
Surgery - If the wounds are fatal, gum surgery may be the only option. Worse, even if damaged teeth have been successfully removed, your gums may have been too infected to allow you to use dentals or fake teeth.
Other Possible Dental Diseases Related to Diabetes
Chronic gum disease is not the only thing that diabetics have to worry about. If they don't brush and floss their teeth regularly, they risk suffering from any of the following conditions:
Cavities - Choosing the right food can significantly reduce the risk of teeth developing cavities.
Thrush - Diabetics are especially prone to having this condition because the fungus that causes this affection flourishes in glucose-rich parts.
Dry Mouth - People who are unaware they have diabetes usually have dry mouths, which can consequently lead to other dental diseases.
You can save yourself from chronic gum disease and diabetes simply by eating well and eating right then brushing your teeth right after
article31
Obesity and Diabetes Have Vaccines
As much as possible, when a child is still young or in his toddler age, which is eighteen months to four, parents try their best to not spoil them or give in to their demands. These demands are usually sweets and snacks in between meals. That is because if they continue to give in, then when the child goes to school, or worse, attends middle school, he may be overweight.
Losing weight is a hard thing to do. Obesity is a common problem among Americans. When one is obese, he has less self-confidence and self-esteem than the average weighed Joe and Jane. A research study done by "The Insider" correspondent Vanessa Minnillo shows that obese people receive condescending and disgusted looks from pedestrians. Imagine the effect this has on them.
When one is determined to lose weight, he does his best to eat less and to work out more. But there are those who are unfortunate because it is in their genes, thus making it harder for them to shed the excess pounds. Some engage in diet such as Watsons and South Beach. Now this is a huge step for them. If some people love playing video games, there are people who love to eat.
Just as there are people who have diabetes. They cannot avoid not having it - it's in their genes. It's how they were built. Children with diabetes are the more unfortunate because normally, you'd want to give them candies and chocolates. Because they're diabetic, they cannot have, or at least have as much, as they'd want to - compared to other kids.
Nowadays, there could be a possible solution for yo-yo diet or what is known to be the loss and gain of weight. This new vaccine aids in regulating the energy balance within the body. It has been tested on mature male rats. They ate normally but they gain less weight. When these findings turn out to be successful, then there is a possible confirmation of its effect. A vaccine that helps obese people to regulate their weight can come into conception.
What the vaccine does is that it slows down the weight gain. Because of the ghrelin that is found in the substance, the bloodstream in the brain is stimulated and retains the stored energy as fat.
Reason why doctors are looking for something to regulate the increasing number of obese people is that a person who is obese has more chances of getting other diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems. Not to mention depression that could be resulted from low self-esteem, low self-confidence and self-disgust.
As for diabetes, in 2001, scientists have already developed a drug that would stop the destruction of the pancreas in the immune system. In layman's terms, this drug lessens the fast pace of the type I diabetes. The good thing about this is that it gives them a longer time to live. The drug is injected within six months. There are no side effects even tot his date.
With the type II diabetes, there is less luck to coming up with a vaccine. Research is still ongoing to come up with a vaccine that could lessen the risk of diabetic people. Diabetes attacks slowly but surely.
However, young children who have received the vaccine, those aged seven to sixteen showed progress. From there, the research goes on.
Right now, scientists are working on mice. They inject an antigen that would combat the protein HSP60 which attributes to the degradation of a person's health when he or she has diabetes.
In due time, who knows? Maybe there will be a cure.
As much as possible, when a child is still young or in his toddler age, which is eighteen months to four, parents try their best to not spoil them or give in to their demands. These demands are usually sweets and snacks in between meals. That is because if they continue to give in, then when the child goes to school, or worse, attends middle school, he may be overweight.
Losing weight is a hard thing to do. Obesity is a common problem among Americans. When one is obese, he has less self-confidence and self-esteem than the average weighed Joe and Jane. A research study done by "The Insider" correspondent Vanessa Minnillo shows that obese people receive condescending and disgusted looks from pedestrians. Imagine the effect this has on them.
When one is determined to lose weight, he does his best to eat less and to work out more. But there are those who are unfortunate because it is in their genes, thus making it harder for them to shed the excess pounds. Some engage in diet such as Watsons and South Beach. Now this is a huge step for them. If some people love playing video games, there are people who love to eat.
Just as there are people who have diabetes. They cannot avoid not having it - it's in their genes. It's how they were built. Children with diabetes are the more unfortunate because normally, you'd want to give them candies and chocolates. Because they're diabetic, they cannot have, or at least have as much, as they'd want to - compared to other kids.
Nowadays, there could be a possible solution for yo-yo diet or what is known to be the loss and gain of weight. This new vaccine aids in regulating the energy balance within the body. It has been tested on mature male rats. They ate normally but they gain less weight. When these findings turn out to be successful, then there is a possible confirmation of its effect. A vaccine that helps obese people to regulate their weight can come into conception.
What the vaccine does is that it slows down the weight gain. Because of the ghrelin that is found in the substance, the bloodstream in the brain is stimulated and retains the stored energy as fat.
Reason why doctors are looking for something to regulate the increasing number of obese people is that a person who is obese has more chances of getting other diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems. Not to mention depression that could be resulted from low self-esteem, low self-confidence and self-disgust.
As for diabetes, in 2001, scientists have already developed a drug that would stop the destruction of the pancreas in the immune system. In layman's terms, this drug lessens the fast pace of the type I diabetes. The good thing about this is that it gives them a longer time to live. The drug is injected within six months. There are no side effects even tot his date.
With the type II diabetes, there is less luck to coming up with a vaccine. Research is still ongoing to come up with a vaccine that could lessen the risk of diabetic people. Diabetes attacks slowly but surely.
However, young children who have received the vaccine, those aged seven to sixteen showed progress. From there, the research goes on.
Right now, scientists are working on mice. They inject an antigen that would combat the protein HSP60 which attributes to the degradation of a person's health when he or she has diabetes.
In due time, who knows? Maybe there will be a cure.
article30
Use Berberine and Get Rid of Diabetes
The quest for an effective and lifelong cure for diabetes is still ongoing. Although there has been significant advancement and improvement in providing a medicinal solution for the disease, such treatments are still unable to stop diabetes from taking one life after the other every year.
At the present, the best hope people has is the detection of signs and symptoms of the disease as early as possible in order to thoroughly manage diabetes while it still hasn't affected much of an individual's health. One such way is by using berberine.
What is Berberine?
With a bright yellow color, berberine can be easily found unlike other herbs. Mostly, it can be obtained through Chinese herbs such as phellodendron and coptis. Originally used as a dye, berberine has been discovered to have certain ingredients that may be effective in treating diabetes. Berberine can be also found in the Japanese plant barberry. Nowadays, berberine is a common ingredient in herbal medicine used for treating intestinal disorders.
In 1995, a study in China was conducted in order to discover if berberine had curative benefits for diabetes. It was only by fortuitous circumstances that the researchers have found out that berberine can also cause blood glucose levels to decrease when used to treat diabetic individuals with diarrhea.
Berberine has also been found by other studies able to help individuals lose weight. Another possible benefit of berberine is the lack of side effects, although this claim requires further proof. Individuals with Type II Diabetes should be glad to hear this as many of them are unable to tolerate present treatments for their condition.
One particular kind of berberine, or alkaloid berberine to be specific, is being presently investigated regarding its therapeutic components. Recent studies have found proof of alkaloid berberine being able to successfully treat hypoglycemia. An abnormally low level of blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a somewhat common side-effect of several diabetic medications.
What You Should Know about Diabetes
If you already know you've diabetes, the news about berberine has surely made your day. On the other hand, if you aren't sure if you have diabetes or not, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your physician. Diabetes is the type of disease that grows uglier the longer it's ignored.
The first thing you should be aware about is its symptoms:
Liquid In, Liquid Out - Do you notice that you're urinating more often than usual? Are you feeling more thirty than usual? If so, you should know that such feelings are considered indications of diabetes.
Weight - Do you feel hungry all the time? Do you seem to be losing weight for no reason at all? Such occurrences are also considered as warning signs of diabetes.
Bad Mood - Do you feel easily tired? Were you once good-natured but became easily irritated all of the sudden? If you're not suffering from PMS or heartbreak, it's possible that you already have diabetes.
Causes of Diabetes
Lots of people believe that eating too much sweets or sugary foods is the main cause of diabetes. This claim however has been proven false. Sweets can lead to obesity, however, and obesity can lead to Type II diabetes.
No one really knows for sure why some people become diabetic while some do not. That's why all of us are at risk and it's in our interests to have a general check-up regularly. Forearmed, after all, is forewarned.
The quest for an effective and lifelong cure for diabetes is still ongoing. Although there has been significant advancement and improvement in providing a medicinal solution for the disease, such treatments are still unable to stop diabetes from taking one life after the other every year.
At the present, the best hope people has is the detection of signs and symptoms of the disease as early as possible in order to thoroughly manage diabetes while it still hasn't affected much of an individual's health. One such way is by using berberine.
What is Berberine?
With a bright yellow color, berberine can be easily found unlike other herbs. Mostly, it can be obtained through Chinese herbs such as phellodendron and coptis. Originally used as a dye, berberine has been discovered to have certain ingredients that may be effective in treating diabetes. Berberine can be also found in the Japanese plant barberry. Nowadays, berberine is a common ingredient in herbal medicine used for treating intestinal disorders.
In 1995, a study in China was conducted in order to discover if berberine had curative benefits for diabetes. It was only by fortuitous circumstances that the researchers have found out that berberine can also cause blood glucose levels to decrease when used to treat diabetic individuals with diarrhea.
Berberine has also been found by other studies able to help individuals lose weight. Another possible benefit of berberine is the lack of side effects, although this claim requires further proof. Individuals with Type II Diabetes should be glad to hear this as many of them are unable to tolerate present treatments for their condition.
One particular kind of berberine, or alkaloid berberine to be specific, is being presently investigated regarding its therapeutic components. Recent studies have found proof of alkaloid berberine being able to successfully treat hypoglycemia. An abnormally low level of blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a somewhat common side-effect of several diabetic medications.
What You Should Know about Diabetes
If you already know you've diabetes, the news about berberine has surely made your day. On the other hand, if you aren't sure if you have diabetes or not, you should schedule an appointment as soon as possible with your physician. Diabetes is the type of disease that grows uglier the longer it's ignored.
The first thing you should be aware about is its symptoms:
Liquid In, Liquid Out - Do you notice that you're urinating more often than usual? Are you feeling more thirty than usual? If so, you should know that such feelings are considered indications of diabetes.
Weight - Do you feel hungry all the time? Do you seem to be losing weight for no reason at all? Such occurrences are also considered as warning signs of diabetes.
Bad Mood - Do you feel easily tired? Were you once good-natured but became easily irritated all of the sudden? If you're not suffering from PMS or heartbreak, it's possible that you already have diabetes.
Causes of Diabetes
Lots of people believe that eating too much sweets or sugary foods is the main cause of diabetes. This claim however has been proven false. Sweets can lead to obesity, however, and obesity can lead to Type II diabetes.
No one really knows for sure why some people become diabetic while some do not. That's why all of us are at risk and it's in our interests to have a general check-up regularly. Forearmed, after all, is forewarned.
article29
Breastfeeding Mommies Equals No Diabetes
"Breast milk is still best for babies under two years," the pediatrician says. And a mother must believe it because not only is it advisable for her child's health, it also lessens the chance of her getting diabetes.
Women who breastfeed have less chances of suffering from diabetes. A study conducted by the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.5 million babies die because they are not breast-fed. These are babies from third world countries. Their mothers' health are also in jeopardy that they don't have enough nutrition or milk in their bodies to save neither themselves nor their babies.
These social workers who educate mothers often travel to the developing countries such as Nigeria and teach them the proper way to care for themselves and their infants. Good parenting at a young age would also result to the proper mental development of their baby.
That's why people must be educated when it comes to how important breastfeeding is for the infant and the mother. Not only is this beneficial for the baby's health, it will also have a good effect on the emotional aspect of the mother-child relationship. Breastfeeding is an early form of mother-child bonding that could occur at this young stage of the baby's life.
Some mothers prefer pumping their milk to a machine because it hurts them when the child bites into their nipples. That must not be the case. It takes some getting use to. Breastfeeding will give the child the nurture, the love and the care that she deserves to have. Activists on the situation are suggesting a movement to a decree that announces neglect on mothers who stop breastfeeding their children who are less than two years old.
There are some mothers who rush on to their daily activities that they prefer the bottle-feeding than breast-feeding. This often applies to a high-powered career woman. As much as possible, she must also fit into her schedule the time for her child.
Some mothers believe that the good thing about bottled milk is that it has water and breast milk has less. However, breast milk also has water. The water contained in breast milk is in fact healthier for the infant than water that us adults drink. Notice also that babies sleep better after they are breast-fed than after they are bottle-fed.
Breast milk prevents diarrhea. Diarrhea is a disease that often attacks babies. Developing countries lose a lot of their newly-borns to this disease.
Breast milk also helps the child grow properly making him less prone to infections. The child will also be more intelligent because his being breast-fed allowed his brain to develop better.
As for the women, there is a link to diabetes and breast-feedings. Women who engage in breast-feeding their child will not have diabetes. While they're feeding their babies, they are lactating. Therefore, the hormones they release in this process protects her against anemia and cancer.
To sum it up, breast-feed your child. Not only will you and your child be healthier, you will also have bonding time together. It helps to start training your child now at a young age because there's a lot of room for improvement and development. Also, the mother has something to benefit from this practice. She wouldn't have diabetes.
If scheduling is the problem, it's all about time management. When your child is about to go to college and off to an Ivy League school, you know your hard work paid off.
"Breast milk is still best for babies under two years," the pediatrician says. And a mother must believe it because not only is it advisable for her child's health, it also lessens the chance of her getting diabetes.
Women who breastfeed have less chances of suffering from diabetes. A study conducted by the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.5 million babies die because they are not breast-fed. These are babies from third world countries. Their mothers' health are also in jeopardy that they don't have enough nutrition or milk in their bodies to save neither themselves nor their babies.
These social workers who educate mothers often travel to the developing countries such as Nigeria and teach them the proper way to care for themselves and their infants. Good parenting at a young age would also result to the proper mental development of their baby.
That's why people must be educated when it comes to how important breastfeeding is for the infant and the mother. Not only is this beneficial for the baby's health, it will also have a good effect on the emotional aspect of the mother-child relationship. Breastfeeding is an early form of mother-child bonding that could occur at this young stage of the baby's life.
Some mothers prefer pumping their milk to a machine because it hurts them when the child bites into their nipples. That must not be the case. It takes some getting use to. Breastfeeding will give the child the nurture, the love and the care that she deserves to have. Activists on the situation are suggesting a movement to a decree that announces neglect on mothers who stop breastfeeding their children who are less than two years old.
There are some mothers who rush on to their daily activities that they prefer the bottle-feeding than breast-feeding. This often applies to a high-powered career woman. As much as possible, she must also fit into her schedule the time for her child.
Some mothers believe that the good thing about bottled milk is that it has water and breast milk has less. However, breast milk also has water. The water contained in breast milk is in fact healthier for the infant than water that us adults drink. Notice also that babies sleep better after they are breast-fed than after they are bottle-fed.
Breast milk prevents diarrhea. Diarrhea is a disease that often attacks babies. Developing countries lose a lot of their newly-borns to this disease.
Breast milk also helps the child grow properly making him less prone to infections. The child will also be more intelligent because his being breast-fed allowed his brain to develop better.
As for the women, there is a link to diabetes and breast-feedings. Women who engage in breast-feeding their child will not have diabetes. While they're feeding their babies, they are lactating. Therefore, the hormones they release in this process protects her against anemia and cancer.
To sum it up, breast-feed your child. Not only will you and your child be healthier, you will also have bonding time together. It helps to start training your child now at a young age because there's a lot of room for improvement and development. Also, the mother has something to benefit from this practice. She wouldn't have diabetes.
If scheduling is the problem, it's all about time management. When your child is about to go to college and off to an Ivy League school, you know your hard work paid off.
article28
Give Some Time To The American Diabetes Association
At a certain point in time, people come to realize that their lives can only gain meaning when they discover their true calling, through which they are able to help others. Life can not be solely defined by accumulation of wealth or achievement of self-motivated objectives. The full and true meaning of life can only be experienced by individuals when they finally realize that selflessness is the only thing that can make them happy.
Why Become a Volunteer for the American Diabetes Association?
We're not saying that being a volunteer for the American Diabetes Association will be more fulfilling than being a volunteer for another non-profit foundation. We're merely suggesting that you join the American Diabetes Association if you've had loved ones suffering from diabetes, and you had felt helpless because you're unable to make them feel better.
Also, if you have no preferences when it comes to what field or for what purpose would you like to be a volunteer in, you should then consider seriously joining the American Diabetes Association. Being a part of this organization will not only improve the quality of lives around you but yours as well.
A Brief History of the American Diabetes Association
The association's mission-vision is simple: cure, care, and commitment. The ADA made a lifelong commitment to providing care to diabetic individuals and finding an effective and permanent cure for the disease. The ADA extends its assistance not only to people diagnosed with diabetes but also to the generous and caring individuals who have freely given their time and love to attend to people with diabetes.
Founded n 1940, the American Diabetes Association is the organization with the most significant contribution in diabetic research next to the U.S. government, having donated over $200M already throughout the years. Its presence has been widely established across the United States with over 800 communities.
Why Is It Important to Help People with Diabetes
Shocking as this may be, diabetes actually kills more people every year than the mortality rate of AIDS and breast cancer combined. If early warnings and symptoms are not given the necessary attention and care, diabetes can lead to various medical complications, some of which are life-threatening. It has been estimated that approximately seven percent of the U.S. population are diabetic. Unfortunately, about one-third of this or around 6.2 million of these individuals continue with their lives without being aware of the dangerous state of their health.
The Responsibilities of Volunteers for the American Diabetes Association
An ADA volunteer has three primary responsibilities:
Extending Care - It's every volunteer's goal to provide as much care as possible, and of the best quality, to people diagnosed with diabetes
Eliminate Discrimination - Volunteers of the ADA strive to improve the outlook of society towards individuals with diabetes by getting rid of prejudices and misassumptions about the disease.
Social Involvement - Volunteers are not afraid to take a stand against any law-giving body or authority if the rights of diabetic patient are violated or if funding for diabetic research becomes insufficient
How to Become a Volunteer for the American Diabetes Association
The first thing you must do is register to become a Diabetes Advocate. You may do this online or better yet, find the nearest American Diabetes Association branch near your home and register there. Also, you can help the ADA simply by increasing people's awareness of the symptoms and risks of diabetes. Warning one person about diabetes is already one life saved.
At a certain point in time, people come to realize that their lives can only gain meaning when they discover their true calling, through which they are able to help others. Life can not be solely defined by accumulation of wealth or achievement of self-motivated objectives. The full and true meaning of life can only be experienced by individuals when they finally realize that selflessness is the only thing that can make them happy.
Why Become a Volunteer for the American Diabetes Association?
We're not saying that being a volunteer for the American Diabetes Association will be more fulfilling than being a volunteer for another non-profit foundation. We're merely suggesting that you join the American Diabetes Association if you've had loved ones suffering from diabetes, and you had felt helpless because you're unable to make them feel better.
Also, if you have no preferences when it comes to what field or for what purpose would you like to be a volunteer in, you should then consider seriously joining the American Diabetes Association. Being a part of this organization will not only improve the quality of lives around you but yours as well.
A Brief History of the American Diabetes Association
The association's mission-vision is simple: cure, care, and commitment. The ADA made a lifelong commitment to providing care to diabetic individuals and finding an effective and permanent cure for the disease. The ADA extends its assistance not only to people diagnosed with diabetes but also to the generous and caring individuals who have freely given their time and love to attend to people with diabetes.
Founded n 1940, the American Diabetes Association is the organization with the most significant contribution in diabetic research next to the U.S. government, having donated over $200M already throughout the years. Its presence has been widely established across the United States with over 800 communities.
Why Is It Important to Help People with Diabetes
Shocking as this may be, diabetes actually kills more people every year than the mortality rate of AIDS and breast cancer combined. If early warnings and symptoms are not given the necessary attention and care, diabetes can lead to various medical complications, some of which are life-threatening. It has been estimated that approximately seven percent of the U.S. population are diabetic. Unfortunately, about one-third of this or around 6.2 million of these individuals continue with their lives without being aware of the dangerous state of their health.
The Responsibilities of Volunteers for the American Diabetes Association
An ADA volunteer has three primary responsibilities:
Extending Care - It's every volunteer's goal to provide as much care as possible, and of the best quality, to people diagnosed with diabetes
Eliminate Discrimination - Volunteers of the ADA strive to improve the outlook of society towards individuals with diabetes by getting rid of prejudices and misassumptions about the disease.
Social Involvement - Volunteers are not afraid to take a stand against any law-giving body or authority if the rights of diabetic patient are violated or if funding for diabetic research becomes insufficient
How to Become a Volunteer for the American Diabetes Association
The first thing you must do is register to become a Diabetes Advocate. You may do this online or better yet, find the nearest American Diabetes Association branch near your home and register there. Also, you can help the ADA simply by increasing people's awareness of the symptoms and risks of diabetes. Warning one person about diabetes is already one life saved.
article27
Denial at Diabetes: Long-term Health Effects
Most people, when diagnosed with diabetes, go through at least one period of denial. Denial is a time when you do not believe that your diabetes will truly affect you. It is a time when you feel exempt from reality: surely, not me! Denial at a diabetes diagnosis is fairly common, and a normal part of dealing with the news. It is longstanding denial that can be dangerous to your health.
People choose denial for a variety of reasons. In some cases, it might seem easiest to ignore the problem so it will go away. In other cases, a person will be scared of the responsibility that diabetes brings. This might even occur later in their life when they get diabetes fatigue or burnout from caring for a condition day in and day out.
You might be in denial about your diabetes if you find yourself rationalizing things. When you rationalize, you try to make something seem like it is okay or fine. You might say to yourself, one bite wont hurt, or I can miss one day of exercise. The reality is that these are just the things that can hurt you when you have diabetes, and they can lead to more fluctuations in your blood sugar, which in turn can lead to complications from your diabetes.
There are a few areas that diabetics are most likely to rationalize about. The two major points are diet and exercise. Without maintaining a healthy diet and exercise schedule, diabetics can put themselves at severe risk. Diabetics in denial can also avoid proper self-monitoring for blood glucose levels. You might feel that you no longer need to test your blood sugar because you will just know what your level is at by how you feel. Although you will get more adept at gauging your blood sugar independently, you can never stop testing, because many other factors influence the way you feel. You wouldnt want your blood glucose to spike because you confused the beginnings of a cold with low blood sugar.
People with diabetes might also smoke and think that it will not affect their lives. The truth of the matter is that smoking will kill you if you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, it will increase your chance of complications. Just one puff is too much.
If you are in denial, you might think that your type 2 diabetes is not serious. If you feel that taking pills is less serious than injecting insulin, you might be right. This, however, is not a reason to neglect yourself, because not properly managing your type 2 diabetes can lead to insulin dependence.
Managing diabetes is a time consuming process. You need to check your feet for complications, as well as go to the doctors office more often. You might be jealous of your friends and family because they have much less responsibility for their health. This is not productive for you. Remember that taking care of your diabetes is actually time that you spend taking care of you. You can even reward yourself for positive diabetes management habits. Perhaps if you are diligent with your diet, exercise, and self-monitoring of blood glucose for a month, you will reward yourself with a massage, or a new shirt, or a new book.
There will be periods when you feel that managing your diabetes is out of your reach and not possible. This is not the case. You can manage your diabetes, and you can cope with it.
Write down your diabetes-related goals in a workbook. Having your goals written down will help you to achieve them. Chart your progress towards these goals. Often, the simple fact of knowing that you will write down your food at the end of the day makes you eat healthier so that you feel good about yourself when you write it down.
Tell your friends and family about your diabetes. Explain to them that encouraging you to go off your diet and exercise is not helpful, and help them understand the consequences that can occur. If your friends and family know about your diabetes, they will be able to help you stick to your healthy habits.
You can get over periods of denial about diabetes. Your diabetes management will help prevent complications and will allow you to lead a long and fulfilling life.
Most people, when diagnosed with diabetes, go through at least one period of denial. Denial is a time when you do not believe that your diabetes will truly affect you. It is a time when you feel exempt from reality: surely, not me! Denial at a diabetes diagnosis is fairly common, and a normal part of dealing with the news. It is longstanding denial that can be dangerous to your health.
People choose denial for a variety of reasons. In some cases, it might seem easiest to ignore the problem so it will go away. In other cases, a person will be scared of the responsibility that diabetes brings. This might even occur later in their life when they get diabetes fatigue or burnout from caring for a condition day in and day out.
You might be in denial about your diabetes if you find yourself rationalizing things. When you rationalize, you try to make something seem like it is okay or fine. You might say to yourself, one bite wont hurt, or I can miss one day of exercise. The reality is that these are just the things that can hurt you when you have diabetes, and they can lead to more fluctuations in your blood sugar, which in turn can lead to complications from your diabetes.
There are a few areas that diabetics are most likely to rationalize about. The two major points are diet and exercise. Without maintaining a healthy diet and exercise schedule, diabetics can put themselves at severe risk. Diabetics in denial can also avoid proper self-monitoring for blood glucose levels. You might feel that you no longer need to test your blood sugar because you will just know what your level is at by how you feel. Although you will get more adept at gauging your blood sugar independently, you can never stop testing, because many other factors influence the way you feel. You wouldnt want your blood glucose to spike because you confused the beginnings of a cold with low blood sugar.
People with diabetes might also smoke and think that it will not affect their lives. The truth of the matter is that smoking will kill you if you have diabetes or not. If you have diabetes, it will increase your chance of complications. Just one puff is too much.
If you are in denial, you might think that your type 2 diabetes is not serious. If you feel that taking pills is less serious than injecting insulin, you might be right. This, however, is not a reason to neglect yourself, because not properly managing your type 2 diabetes can lead to insulin dependence.
Managing diabetes is a time consuming process. You need to check your feet for complications, as well as go to the doctors office more often. You might be jealous of your friends and family because they have much less responsibility for their health. This is not productive for you. Remember that taking care of your diabetes is actually time that you spend taking care of you. You can even reward yourself for positive diabetes management habits. Perhaps if you are diligent with your diet, exercise, and self-monitoring of blood glucose for a month, you will reward yourself with a massage, or a new shirt, or a new book.
There will be periods when you feel that managing your diabetes is out of your reach and not possible. This is not the case. You can manage your diabetes, and you can cope with it.
Write down your diabetes-related goals in a workbook. Having your goals written down will help you to achieve them. Chart your progress towards these goals. Often, the simple fact of knowing that you will write down your food at the end of the day makes you eat healthier so that you feel good about yourself when you write it down.
Tell your friends and family about your diabetes. Explain to them that encouraging you to go off your diet and exercise is not helpful, and help them understand the consequences that can occur. If your friends and family know about your diabetes, they will be able to help you stick to your healthy habits.
You can get over periods of denial about diabetes. Your diabetes management will help prevent complications and will allow you to lead a long and fulfilling life.
article26
Can Diabetes and Eating Fruit Go Together?
Diabetes is one of the most dreaded diseases of the current generation. While for some, diabetes may not be as frightening as cancer or brain damage, it can indeed be a grave condition that could affect one's life entirely. Such is why those who have diabetes cannot be too careful to adjust their lifestyles to keep the symptoms of the disease manageable. Some people even go too careful that they believe that they have to leave out so much of the things they enjoy in life such as eating sweet food. However, such is not entirely the case. Diabetic people can still take pleasure in certain foods to keep their sweet cravings at bay. One way of doing this is by eating fruits Mother Nature's sweet gift to people.
In general, eating fruits can be good for people because fruits are great sources of many essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that provide a lot of benefits to one's health. However, diabetics might be concerned whether fruits can increase their blood sugar levels or not. The quick answer to that is a simple yes. Fruit, like any other food that contains sugar does increase one's blood sugar. Moreover, fruit can increase blood sugar as fast and as high as other types of food with the same amount of sugar. But does this mean that a diabetic patient has to avoid eating fruits in the same manner as avoiding candy? Not entirely.
Missing out on fruits is not a good idea for diabetics, or any other person. The many benefits that fruits give are very important. Compared to cakes, candy, and other sugar-rich foods, the calories provided by fruits are not empty. Add to this the fact that the concentration of sugar in most fruits is not as high as those in sugar-laded food items, thus eating a piece of apple would not increase blood sugar as much as eating a slice of chocolate cake. The key here is moderation. Of course one would expect to have a great rise in blood sugar after eating a basketful of grapes, but who can eat that big amount of fruits in one sitting? The truth is, one can only eat so much amount of fruits because they can provide satisfaction quicker than sugary snacks.
People are also not created equal. One's reaction to a certain type of food might be different from another's response. Thus, it might take two bananas to increase the blood sugar significantly for one person, but for another guy, the same increase might happen after just eating one banana. The responsibility of the diabetic patient therefore is to find out how his or her body responds to the fruits being eaten. This can be done by monitoring one's blood sugar levels.
When monitoring one's sugar levels, it is important to be honest regarding the serving sizes one consumes. A very large apple may not count as just one serving, thus it is important to honestly judge whatever amount is taken in. One can then have a blood sugar level test an hour or two after eating fruit to see how high or low the fruit has increased the glucose in the blood. Monitoring is very important for one to know how the body gets fruits in. Once a good understanding regarding the relationship of fruits with one's glucose levels, one can then have pretty much a good knowledge of how little or how big fruit servings should be.
Diabetics can indeed eat fruit, and eating fruits may be a great way for them not only to meet the body's nutritive requirements, but also to manage those sweet cravings. By knowing how the body reacts to the fruits one consumes, one would certainly know how
Diabetes is one of the most dreaded diseases of the current generation. While for some, diabetes may not be as frightening as cancer or brain damage, it can indeed be a grave condition that could affect one's life entirely. Such is why those who have diabetes cannot be too careful to adjust their lifestyles to keep the symptoms of the disease manageable. Some people even go too careful that they believe that they have to leave out so much of the things they enjoy in life such as eating sweet food. However, such is not entirely the case. Diabetic people can still take pleasure in certain foods to keep their sweet cravings at bay. One way of doing this is by eating fruits Mother Nature's sweet gift to people.
In general, eating fruits can be good for people because fruits are great sources of many essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that provide a lot of benefits to one's health. However, diabetics might be concerned whether fruits can increase their blood sugar levels or not. The quick answer to that is a simple yes. Fruit, like any other food that contains sugar does increase one's blood sugar. Moreover, fruit can increase blood sugar as fast and as high as other types of food with the same amount of sugar. But does this mean that a diabetic patient has to avoid eating fruits in the same manner as avoiding candy? Not entirely.
Missing out on fruits is not a good idea for diabetics, or any other person. The many benefits that fruits give are very important. Compared to cakes, candy, and other sugar-rich foods, the calories provided by fruits are not empty. Add to this the fact that the concentration of sugar in most fruits is not as high as those in sugar-laded food items, thus eating a piece of apple would not increase blood sugar as much as eating a slice of chocolate cake. The key here is moderation. Of course one would expect to have a great rise in blood sugar after eating a basketful of grapes, but who can eat that big amount of fruits in one sitting? The truth is, one can only eat so much amount of fruits because they can provide satisfaction quicker than sugary snacks.
People are also not created equal. One's reaction to a certain type of food might be different from another's response. Thus, it might take two bananas to increase the blood sugar significantly for one person, but for another guy, the same increase might happen after just eating one banana. The responsibility of the diabetic patient therefore is to find out how his or her body responds to the fruits being eaten. This can be done by monitoring one's blood sugar levels.
When monitoring one's sugar levels, it is important to be honest regarding the serving sizes one consumes. A very large apple may not count as just one serving, thus it is important to honestly judge whatever amount is taken in. One can then have a blood sugar level test an hour or two after eating fruit to see how high or low the fruit has increased the glucose in the blood. Monitoring is very important for one to know how the body gets fruits in. Once a good understanding regarding the relationship of fruits with one's glucose levels, one can then have pretty much a good knowledge of how little or how big fruit servings should be.
Diabetics can indeed eat fruit, and eating fruits may be a great way for them not only to meet the body's nutritive requirements, but also to manage those sweet cravings. By knowing how the body reacts to the fruits one consumes, one would certainly know how
article25
Type 2 Diabetes: Does Popping Pills Really Control It?
Discovering you have type 2 diabetes is a life-changing experience. It can be a life-change that is good or it can be disastrous. And popping pills to control your diabetes may not be the answer, but, it's up to you. Let me explain...
The majority of newly diagnosed people have type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle is believed to contribute hugely to the development of this type of diabetes; the wrong lifestyle for your body. Eating the wrong foods - and often too much; a sedentary lifestyle - too much sitting around at a desk, watching TV or sitting at a computer or just general inactivity all contributes. Your body loses the battle to keep your blood-sugars at a safe level for you and you develop insulin resistance; type 2 diabetes.
Drastic life-saving changes are needed. So what do we do? 'Pop a pill' and carry on (almost) as before. Sure you might make some token changes, like not eating so many cakes, sweets and biscuits. Or you might cut down on the sugary drinks.
But, for the vast majority of us, that's about as far as it goes.
And that's not good news for our health.
How do I know this?
Because I have type 2 diabetes - diagnosed in 1982.
But I wasn't particularly overweight and I did have a reasonable amount of physical activity in my daily life. So I followed the (then) current expert thinking on the 'ideal diabetic diet', which included a high proportion of high-complex-carbohydrate foods, such as potato, bread and pasta. I didn't make the connection between this type of diet and my constant high blood-sugars.
So I popped the pills prescribed and avoided the obvious sugar-laden enemies; cakes, sweets and sugary treats.
So where's the problem?
The problem is the constant underlying, grinding effect of continuing the wrong lifestyle and eating habits and the consequences it generates. My condition very gradually, almost insidiously, got worse. Yet I was following the eating guidelines I'd been given.
You see, taking drugs to control your diabetes, instead of changing your eating pattern and lifestyle can create an extreme yo-yo effect on your blood-sugars. It did for me. I ranged from a high of 17.6 mmol/l to 2.8 mmol/l (the safe range is between 4mmol/l and 7mmol/l).
And I had no idea of what was happening between my own blood testing sessions - but the overall effect on my HbA1C was not good. Keeping within the 'safe range', for me, was a nigh-on impossibility.
But that was OK, as my overall condition got worse I was prescribed more medication to try to keep my HbA1c levels in control - more pills! Until I reached the stage where the only way forward, if I was to continue using medication to control my sugar-levels, was to go onto insulin injections.
That's when I decided to take proper control of my type 2 diabetes and find out more about it and what it was doing to me.
THAT WAS SCARY I can tell you!! I found out about all the other health risks my diabetes was opening me up to. Serious risks I didn't know about, because I hadn't taken much interest other than 'I need to pop a pill to control it'. Risks such as heart disease; kidney failure; neuropathy (nerve-end damage); retinopathy (eye-damage) and more made me realise how important it is to understand as much as possible about diabetes. (That's why I set up my website; www.your-diabetes.com)
What to do? Well I decided it was safer, healthier and more sensible to change my lifestyle and eating pattern and reduce my reliance on pills. Instead of using drugs to control my type 2 diabetes I decided to do it in a natural and healthy way.
I've changed my meal contents - I now follow a low-carbohydrate diet. Yes, it took a bit of getting used to at first, until I'd got it sorted in my head what I could eat safely - after all you don't break the eating habits of a lifetime overnight. But it's not a difficult eating style to follow and there's plenty of help and advice available (you can read more about exactly how I did it in the complimentary 86-page PDF guide on my website - see below).
My medication? I've gone from popping 5 pills a day to just 2. And I'm working on reducing that even further. More importantly, my blood-sugars are now consistently within the safe range - my current average test reading is 5.9mmol/l. I'm just waiting to see what my HbA1C levels are at my next check-up.
My advice to you? If you have type 2 diabetes decide NOW - would you rather pop pills and have your health gradually degraded? Or would you rather take control of your diabetes and live a longer, fuller, healthier life?*
I know which I chose.
*PLEASE NOTE, this is reporting my own personal experience. You should not drastically change your eating pattern or your medication without consulting your diabetic medical team.
Discovering you have type 2 diabetes is a life-changing experience. It can be a life-change that is good or it can be disastrous. And popping pills to control your diabetes may not be the answer, but, it's up to you. Let me explain...
The majority of newly diagnosed people have type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle is believed to contribute hugely to the development of this type of diabetes; the wrong lifestyle for your body. Eating the wrong foods - and often too much; a sedentary lifestyle - too much sitting around at a desk, watching TV or sitting at a computer or just general inactivity all contributes. Your body loses the battle to keep your blood-sugars at a safe level for you and you develop insulin resistance; type 2 diabetes.
Drastic life-saving changes are needed. So what do we do? 'Pop a pill' and carry on (almost) as before. Sure you might make some token changes, like not eating so many cakes, sweets and biscuits. Or you might cut down on the sugary drinks.
But, for the vast majority of us, that's about as far as it goes.
And that's not good news for our health.
How do I know this?
Because I have type 2 diabetes - diagnosed in 1982.
But I wasn't particularly overweight and I did have a reasonable amount of physical activity in my daily life. So I followed the (then) current expert thinking on the 'ideal diabetic diet', which included a high proportion of high-complex-carbohydrate foods, such as potato, bread and pasta. I didn't make the connection between this type of diet and my constant high blood-sugars.
So I popped the pills prescribed and avoided the obvious sugar-laden enemies; cakes, sweets and sugary treats.
So where's the problem?
The problem is the constant underlying, grinding effect of continuing the wrong lifestyle and eating habits and the consequences it generates. My condition very gradually, almost insidiously, got worse. Yet I was following the eating guidelines I'd been given.
You see, taking drugs to control your diabetes, instead of changing your eating pattern and lifestyle can create an extreme yo-yo effect on your blood-sugars. It did for me. I ranged from a high of 17.6 mmol/l to 2.8 mmol/l (the safe range is between 4mmol/l and 7mmol/l).
And I had no idea of what was happening between my own blood testing sessions - but the overall effect on my HbA1C was not good. Keeping within the 'safe range', for me, was a nigh-on impossibility.
But that was OK, as my overall condition got worse I was prescribed more medication to try to keep my HbA1c levels in control - more pills! Until I reached the stage where the only way forward, if I was to continue using medication to control my sugar-levels, was to go onto insulin injections.
That's when I decided to take proper control of my type 2 diabetes and find out more about it and what it was doing to me.
THAT WAS SCARY I can tell you!! I found out about all the other health risks my diabetes was opening me up to. Serious risks I didn't know about, because I hadn't taken much interest other than 'I need to pop a pill to control it'. Risks such as heart disease; kidney failure; neuropathy (nerve-end damage); retinopathy (eye-damage) and more made me realise how important it is to understand as much as possible about diabetes. (That's why I set up my website; www.your-diabetes.com)
What to do? Well I decided it was safer, healthier and more sensible to change my lifestyle and eating pattern and reduce my reliance on pills. Instead of using drugs to control my type 2 diabetes I decided to do it in a natural and healthy way.
I've changed my meal contents - I now follow a low-carbohydrate diet. Yes, it took a bit of getting used to at first, until I'd got it sorted in my head what I could eat safely - after all you don't break the eating habits of a lifetime overnight. But it's not a difficult eating style to follow and there's plenty of help and advice available (you can read more about exactly how I did it in the complimentary 86-page PDF guide on my website - see below).
My medication? I've gone from popping 5 pills a day to just 2. And I'm working on reducing that even further. More importantly, my blood-sugars are now consistently within the safe range - my current average test reading is 5.9mmol/l. I'm just waiting to see what my HbA1C levels are at my next check-up.
My advice to you? If you have type 2 diabetes decide NOW - would you rather pop pills and have your health gradually degraded? Or would you rather take control of your diabetes and live a longer, fuller, healthier life?*
I know which I chose.
*PLEASE NOTE, this is reporting my own personal experience. You should not drastically change your eating pattern or your medication without consulting your diabetic medical team.
article24
What Causes Diabetes: Genes or Environment?
Is diabetes more likely to be caused by your genes or your environment? A study from the University of Wisconsin shows that Pima Indians in America are more than five times more likely to develop diabetes than their relatives in Mexico (Diabetes Care, August 2006). Pima Indians in Arizona have been shown by DNA typing to be very closely related to Pima Indians in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico. However, only 8.9 percent of Mexican Pimas developed diabetes, compared to 38 percent of those in the United States.
Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, but both populations were similarly obese. About eight percent of the Pima men and 20 percent the Pima women suffered from obesity. However, the Mexican Pimas were far more active than the American ones and ate far fewer refined carbohydrates. This study show that diabetes is more an environmental disease than just a genetic one. Your genes determine how you respond to the environment. Since this study agrees with hundreds of others, everyone should exercise and limit refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar, whether or not there is a family history of diabetes.
Another recent study shows that the best predictor of diabetes is a test called Hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C), which measures the amount of sugar stuck on cell membranes. At the American Diabetes Association meeting in June 2006, Dr. Peter Baginsky of Santa Rosa, California showed that HBA1C can be used not only to identify people who already have diabetes, but also as a screening test to predict which people are likely to develop diabetes in the future. This allows doctors to treat pre-diabetes before people suffer their heart attacks, strokes and other side effects that can be the first sign that the person has diabetes.
He also showed that people who have HBA1Cs above 5.8 have a 92 percent chance of being diabetic as determined by a fasting glucose tolerance test. The HBA1C test does not require fasting and can be done with only one draw of blood, while the glucose tolerance test takes seven. It is less expensive and has the potential to save a lot of lives by getting diabetics into treatment earlier.
Is diabetes more likely to be caused by your genes or your environment? A study from the University of Wisconsin shows that Pima Indians in America are more than five times more likely to develop diabetes than their relatives in Mexico (Diabetes Care, August 2006). Pima Indians in Arizona have been shown by DNA typing to be very closely related to Pima Indians in the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico. However, only 8.9 percent of Mexican Pimas developed diabetes, compared to 38 percent of those in the United States.
Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, but both populations were similarly obese. About eight percent of the Pima men and 20 percent the Pima women suffered from obesity. However, the Mexican Pimas were far more active than the American ones and ate far fewer refined carbohydrates. This study show that diabetes is more an environmental disease than just a genetic one. Your genes determine how you respond to the environment. Since this study agrees with hundreds of others, everyone should exercise and limit refined carbohydrates such as flour and sugar, whether or not there is a family history of diabetes.
Another recent study shows that the best predictor of diabetes is a test called Hemoglobin A1C (HBA1C), which measures the amount of sugar stuck on cell membranes. At the American Diabetes Association meeting in June 2006, Dr. Peter Baginsky of Santa Rosa, California showed that HBA1C can be used not only to identify people who already have diabetes, but also as a screening test to predict which people are likely to develop diabetes in the future. This allows doctors to treat pre-diabetes before people suffer their heart attacks, strokes and other side effects that can be the first sign that the person has diabetes.
He also showed that people who have HBA1Cs above 5.8 have a 92 percent chance of being diabetic as determined by a fasting glucose tolerance test. The HBA1C test does not require fasting and can be done with only one draw of blood, while the glucose tolerance test takes seven. It is less expensive and has the potential to save a lot of lives by getting diabetics into treatment earlier.
article23
Ayurveda - Weight Loss Product
Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words, Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.
Ayurveda aims at making a happy, healthy and peaceful society. The two most important aims of Ayurveda are:
+ To maintain the health of an healthy people
+ To cure the diseases of sick people
Ayurveda is a medical science practiced in India since time immemorial and is generally known today as the Indian System of Medicine. The way Allopathic or Western medicine is practiced all over the world today. Similarly Ayurveda was practiced and recognized not only in India, but also in other Eastern countries. Ayurveda is a well - developed and completely refined medical science of antiquity and it will not be an exaggeration to call it the 'Science of Life'.
Ayurveda deals with subjects like treatment of diseases (Roga - chikitsa), diet & behavioral regimen (Ahara - vihara), daily regimen (Dinacharya). Seasonal regimen (Ritucharya) and such. In a nut shell, it contains the complete knowledge of physical as well as mental diseases, methods of treatment and prevention of diseases, and equally important, methods of protection and preservation of general health.
'Swasthasya swasthya rakshanam aturasya vikara prashamanam'
This concept of giving as much importance to 'maintenance' of health than treatment has earned a place even in WHO (World Health Organization) as the 'only' appropriate definition of health amongst all medical sciences.
Health is the supreme foundation of virtue, wealth, enjoyment and salvation. So when fighting against diseases and premature death, man has drug as weapon. In the search of these drugs and preparing them in a variety way to suit the varied needs and tasted of man under varied circumstances there grew up the science of pharmacy and chemistry. It is firm belief of scholars of Ayurveda that human being is a part parcel of nature. Whatever material which constitutes the physical nature also contributes to the composition of human being.
Dravya Guna is a special and independent branch of Ayurveda which keeps its importance and existence separately. It deals with numerous drugs along with their wide range of therapeutic uses. The importance of this branch in today's globalising world is existing due to endurable effect and relatively safety.
Why Ayurveda?
For centuries together, Ayurveda has served a million of people by offering the complete medical therapy for a vast amount of acute as well as chronic diseases. Ayurveda, though neglected in the present scenario, has served as the origin of many minor alternative-healing therapies such as massage, Marma therapy, naturotherapy and many others.
Also, Ayurveda is the pioneer of the art of surgery, which has advanced at present as the curative therapy by using the most complex techniques. More than treating the diseases, Ayurveda firmly puts forward the theory to maintain health. For this purpose, Ayurveda has described in detail the daily regimen as well as seasonal regimen and ethical regimen.
For curing the diseases, Ayurveda insists on trapping the further development of disease right at its base, treating and eradicating the root cause of the ailment instead of satisfying the patient with symptomatic relief.
The thousands of simple prescriptions hidden and scattered throughout the ancient Ayurvedic Scriptures, still serve as home remedies for most of the common health problems even in the present times, irrespective of the vast change and increasing complexity in the life style of the people.
Ayurveda offers some excellent para surgical therapies, which serve the dual purpose of eradicating the chronic disease as well as avoiding the complex surgical procedures, such as KsharaKarma (Alkali Therapy), Agni Karma (Cauterization) and the procedures included in the Panchakarma therapy.
In contrary to the popular misbelief, Ayurveda is not a mere alternative therapy but a way of life, which, if followed religiously, can help one to attain a better physical, emotional, social and Spiritual life through which one can attain:
+ Dharma (One's duty towards one's own self and society)
+ Artha (Knowledge of all things and earning the required money)
+ Kama (Fulfilment of all the worldly desires)
Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words, Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life. Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of some diseases but is a complete way of life.
Ayurveda aims at making a happy, healthy and peaceful society. The two most important aims of Ayurveda are:
+ To maintain the health of an healthy people
+ To cure the diseases of sick people
Ayurveda is a medical science practiced in India since time immemorial and is generally known today as the Indian System of Medicine. The way Allopathic or Western medicine is practiced all over the world today. Similarly Ayurveda was practiced and recognized not only in India, but also in other Eastern countries. Ayurveda is a well - developed and completely refined medical science of antiquity and it will not be an exaggeration to call it the 'Science of Life'.
Ayurveda deals with subjects like treatment of diseases (Roga - chikitsa), diet & behavioral regimen (Ahara - vihara), daily regimen (Dinacharya). Seasonal regimen (Ritucharya) and such. In a nut shell, it contains the complete knowledge of physical as well as mental diseases, methods of treatment and prevention of diseases, and equally important, methods of protection and preservation of general health.
'Swasthasya swasthya rakshanam aturasya vikara prashamanam'
This concept of giving as much importance to 'maintenance' of health than treatment has earned a place even in WHO (World Health Organization) as the 'only' appropriate definition of health amongst all medical sciences.
Health is the supreme foundation of virtue, wealth, enjoyment and salvation. So when fighting against diseases and premature death, man has drug as weapon. In the search of these drugs and preparing them in a variety way to suit the varied needs and tasted of man under varied circumstances there grew up the science of pharmacy and chemistry. It is firm belief of scholars of Ayurveda that human being is a part parcel of nature. Whatever material which constitutes the physical nature also contributes to the composition of human being.
Dravya Guna is a special and independent branch of Ayurveda which keeps its importance and existence separately. It deals with numerous drugs along with their wide range of therapeutic uses. The importance of this branch in today's globalising world is existing due to endurable effect and relatively safety.
Why Ayurveda?
For centuries together, Ayurveda has served a million of people by offering the complete medical therapy for a vast amount of acute as well as chronic diseases. Ayurveda, though neglected in the present scenario, has served as the origin of many minor alternative-healing therapies such as massage, Marma therapy, naturotherapy and many others.
Also, Ayurveda is the pioneer of the art of surgery, which has advanced at present as the curative therapy by using the most complex techniques. More than treating the diseases, Ayurveda firmly puts forward the theory to maintain health. For this purpose, Ayurveda has described in detail the daily regimen as well as seasonal regimen and ethical regimen.
For curing the diseases, Ayurveda insists on trapping the further development of disease right at its base, treating and eradicating the root cause of the ailment instead of satisfying the patient with symptomatic relief.
The thousands of simple prescriptions hidden and scattered throughout the ancient Ayurvedic Scriptures, still serve as home remedies for most of the common health problems even in the present times, irrespective of the vast change and increasing complexity in the life style of the people.
Ayurveda offers some excellent para surgical therapies, which serve the dual purpose of eradicating the chronic disease as well as avoiding the complex surgical procedures, such as KsharaKarma (Alkali Therapy), Agni Karma (Cauterization) and the procedures included in the Panchakarma therapy.
In contrary to the popular misbelief, Ayurveda is not a mere alternative therapy but a way of life, which, if followed religiously, can help one to attain a better physical, emotional, social and Spiritual life through which one can attain:
+ Dharma (One's duty towards one's own self and society)
+ Artha (Knowledge of all things and earning the required money)
+ Kama (Fulfilment of all the worldly desires)
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