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| Posted by: Dr. Chris Meletis, ND |
5/13/2010 4:11 PM |
 Without proper care and control, diabetes accelerates premature aging and increases countless health conditions ranging from cardiac, eye related disease, kidney and nerve issues and decreased circulatory health throughout your body.
Simply put, diabetes is a state of drowning under a surge of blood sugar (glucose) and an overt drought at the same time. How can that be, drowning during a drought? To understand this riddle is to be one step closer to victory.
First, it is important to know that Type II Diabetes, also known as adult onset, is the most common type of diabetes. In the United States it affects approximately 30 million individuals both diagnosed and un-diagnosed. With another 60 million individuals walking around with pre-diabetes (metabolic syndrome) according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). An important note is that even our youth are now getting this form of diabetes too, due to obesity, diet and genetic susceptibility.
How does 'drowning' during a 'drought' occur? Well, we all know what drowning is. That is when a person takes on too much water and can't sustain sufficient oxygen to live. In the case of diabetes, the drowning is not from water, it is from sugar. I have had dozens of patients that have come to my practice with blood sugar levels well above 400. Remember, a healthy blood sugar is ideally in the neighborhood of 80-95 generally. So 200+ is a drowning state, where there is so much sugar floating around in the blood stream, it is literally dangerous to all cells of your body.
This danger takes on the form of a destructive process called glycation. We will talk more about that in another blog. So, why is there this flood of sugar that slowly but surely chokes out the vitality and well-being of a person? Well, in order for blood sugar to enter the cells and be used or stored, you have to have sufficient insulin. Yet, for the Type II diabetic that has had higher blood sugars for a period of time, the cells of the body eventually become used to (habituated or resistant to) the daily barrage of poisonous sugar.
It is kind of like having a really loud and annoying next door neighbor; eventually (hopefully) you learn to ignore them. That is kind of what happens in the case of excess blood sugar (glucose) that drowns the cells. Yet, ignoring the sugar, merely causes it to build up in the blood stream, ultimately leading to the classic signs of diabetes:
- Polyuria (increased urination)
- Polydypsia (increased thirst)
- Polyphagia (increased hunger/cravings)
So, that is the drowning part of the story. Now the rest of the story! What is a drought? Well, when there is insufficient water for a farmer to grow their crop, that is called drought conditions. Likewise, for your body, insufficient "intra-cellular" (in your cells) sugar is a drought. The drought arises from the lack of the ability of sufficient blood sugar to enter the cells to nourish them.
This is kind of like the story of Peter and the Wolf. Just like the loud neighbor, if there is lots of excess blood sugar, then more often than not, you learn to tune out all the background noise. Thus, when the neighbor starts hollering, let me in, let me in, you figure they are just being extra loud again. Same thing happens with excess blood sugar; it is banging on the walls of your cells, saying "let me in". It does this via increased insulin, yet the cell is so use to all the insulin (noise) that is does not respond, thus sugar levels are too low (drought) conditions can eventually occur within the cell.
The Bottom Line: If your cells are under-fueled, then you are too. You are your cells and your cells are you! Starting a mild and health appropriate exercise routine is prudent with your doctors okay, eating more fiber, lowering sugar intake, getting your sleep and lessening your stress and weight will generally pay off with BIG HEALTH DIVIDENDS. Also, some simple supplements like Chromium, B Complex, Vitamin C and Lipoic Acid are considerations to start to discuss with your doctor. When blood sugars are high and have been diagnosed, diabetic medications are routinely prescribed. For individuals on medication, working closely with your doctor to monitor your blood sugars as you introduce natural supplements is important so blood sugar levels do not drop excessively, before your prescription can be lowered, if this indeed happens in your case.
Remember diabetes erodes away your health, so if you know you have high blood sugars, then take charge. If you are not sure, get tested. Also, when there is a family history there is increased risk. |
| Copyright ©2010 Dr. Chris Meletis, ND |
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