Maybe your doctor recently broke the news that you have diabetes. Or you have learnt that you are at risk of getting diabetes. And so now you are worried ? scared of what diabetes will do to you. Worried about the drugs you have to take and their side effects. Its not just you who alone is worrying. There are about 21 million American adults and children who suffer from some form of diabetes. Though insulin and other anti diabetic drugs are available, many are now resorting to alternative medicine.
What exactly is diabetes? Diabetes is condition in which the glucose in your blood is higher than normal either because the hormone insulin is not secreted at all or whatever insulin is secreted does not work properly. This increased blood glucose affects almost all the important organs in our body including the heart and kidney. It is said that diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death. Insulin and oral anti diabetic drugs are routinely prescribed to treat diabetes.
Alternative medicine ? the new trend The faith in alternative medicine is rising very steeply and it is estimated that as much as 50% of the American people are using some form of alternative treatment. One of the surveys conducted on alternative medicine concluded that people felt there were added benefits from alternative medicine use, lower cost, and perceived fewer side effects. The alternative medicine for treating diabetes is basically divided in to two categories: *Those that can control the blood sugar levels *Those that help in weight loss and thus indirectly control diabetes.
To control blood sugar levels Vitamin and mineral supplements help the body to secrete insulin well that helps in controlling diabetes. It is said that minerals like chromium, magnesium, vanadium and zinc help control the blood sugar levels. Many plant foods decrease the blood sugar levels by virtue of their fiber content among other mechanisms. Some of the popular plant foods that are used to control blood sugar are fenugreek seeds, peas, brewer's yeast, buckwheat, broccoli, garlic, ginger, ginseng, hawthorn, nettle and okra.
To control weight Type II diabetes is associated with obesity. It is said that maintaining optimum weight is the single most important factor in controlling blood sugar in Type II diabetes. People use many substances as part of alternative treatment to bring down their weight and thus indirectly control diabetes. Some of the popular substances used to control weight are extract of Hoodia gordonii, chitosan, camsogia garcinia, pyruvate, germander, Momordica charanta, Sauropus androgynus and aristolochic acid. The other alternative therapies being used to treat diabetes are - faith healing, reflexology, macrobiosis, astrotherapy (tying pieces of coral around the arms), pearl therapy (oyster pearls boiled in milk and then drinking the liquid), meditation, ayurveda and homeopathy.
suffer as much as we do in the modern world from the infrequent or difficult passing of hard, dry faeces known as
constipation. Their diets would have been without the availability of such refined and rich foods that we today can find in
our superstore shops.
Constipation can be very unpleasant particularly after straining or pushing a bowel movement or not having a bowel movement
for more than 3 days. Constipation is common among children, the aged and pregnant women.
It is very important that we establish regular elimination habits, because straining bowel movements can cause blemishes
which if not healed can become infected and cause other problems. There are a rang of related conditions to constipation
such as hemorrhoids, bowel obstruction, chronic constipation, spastic colitis, hernia, depression, diabetes, diverticulosis,
Parkinson's disease and lead poisoning; it is important that if your condition is considered much serious than constipation
then you must consult a health profession for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Another consideration in helping prevent constipation is to make sure that you are getting enough exercise, physical exercise
together with drinking plenty of water and having the correct amount of fibre-rich foods in a regular diet such as beans,
bran cereals, fruits, raw vegetables, rice, and whole-grain breads will help to keep your body healthy and strong and free of
?struggling? with bowel movements.
There are many and natural remedies available on this
subject, including aromatherapy, reflexology, acupuncture, homeopathy etc., but often all will suggest an increase of fibre
to the diet and intake of water, together with making sure that you are getting enough exercise each day; there is also a
variety of herbs that have often been used successfully including Aloe, Dandelion, Ginger, Burdock root. When using natural
herbs, it is important that you see a qualified specialist, proficient in understanding and administrating alternative
medicine and/or natural remedies so that you can receive the best and safest treatment available.
The major causes of constipation are usually due to having a low fibre diet or dehydration. It is worth noting that every
person both old and young have different bowel patterns, some of the symptoms associated with constipation are bloating,
uncomfortable and sluggishness; these in general are not a serious problem although occasionally they may be a symptom of an
underlying disorder, especially if they recently occur with an adult over the age of forty.
Many people simply do not drink enough water - that is unadulterated water; tea, coffee and fruit juice do not count.
Drinking two or three pints of clear (preferably filtered) water every day will strengthen your general health and reduce
your problems with constipation.
such as taking a tablespoon of cider vinegar sweetened with a
teaspoon of honey or black strap molasses dissolved in a hot mug of water or two or three teaspoons of violet syrup on a
bowel of strawberries a few times a week will certainly help to lubricate the system and help you keep free of constipation.
Both Markus Wahlgren & Steve Presbury are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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