There are two major types of Diabetes:. Type 1 Diabetes, (aka juvenile Diabetes or insulin-dependent Diabetes), is a disorder of the body’s immune system where there is no production of insulin, and Type 2 is where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
The practice of yoga is effective as a preventive measure and also to treat Type 2 Diabetes, where the causes are attributed to life style and stress.
Type 2 Diabetes is rapidly becoming one of the most common, debilitating, diseases in the United States. Type 2 accounts for 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of Diabetes.
Diabetes is now responsible for the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans every year, and it slowly destroys the bodies of those who survive. For 90 percent of the roughly 14 million people who are develop Type II diabetes, the onset will have begun in the prime of their lives. Diabetes is known to cause complications such as blindness, kidney failure, stroke, heart disease, hypertension and circulatory disorders (often leading to amputation of toes, feet and legs) and ultimately may cause premature death.
As the development of this chronic disease becomes more common, more and more Diabetics are turning to complementary and/or alternative therapies, such as yoga practice, to treat the disorder. And for those who have developed Diabetes (especially type 2), yoga is definitely worth trying. Although there isn’t one particular asana (pose) that will work as a magical cure, there are quite a few that will stabilize digestion, assimilation and absorption of foods, and assist in the proper elimination of wastes and toxins from the body.
Caution, before embarking on a mission to begin a regular Yoga practice it’s always best to find a certified yoga instructor and have an initial consultation with them regarding your condition, because there are some asanas that can be counterproductive (even harmful) for people with diabetes – e.g.; poses that involve crossing the legs may constrict blood flow to the lower legs, ankles and feet. For someone with diabetes a personalized protocol is often necessary since each Diabetic is unique and their physical requirements must be treated on an individual basis.
The doctors in the US are among the best in the world when it comes to treating trauma, and curing and preventing various infectious diseases. But, ironically, chronic diseases like Diabetes have them stumped. They try their best, although they are able to keep Diabetics alive with insulin and/or other prescription anti-diabetic medications. Unfortunately, long-term use of these medicines will create complications of their own. Maybe it’s time to consider a natural, non-drug way to not only to reverse diabetes, but also to prevent its future occurrence.
Diabetics all know (or at least they should) that daily exercise helps control blood sugar and improves circulation (poor circulation is a major complication of diabetes). Although the how this actually works is not completely clear, but nonetheless, exercise does reduce the amount of insulin required to maintain normal blood sugar levels. For some of the most fortunate adult onset diabetics, proper diet and exercise may be all that’s required to regulate and maintain normal blood sugar, but for the vast majority, either oral medication or insulin injection is necessary to keep them alive. Then there are those who are able to control blood sugar with diet and exercise but as they age, they also begin to require prescription meds.
The practice of therapeutic yoga asana is effective not only as a preventive measure but can also be used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, where it has been shown that the primary causes are attributed to life style, eating habits and stress. There are certain asanas that have a remedial effect upon various organs and glands throughout the body. Those particular poses that benefit the pancreas and its functional components are of the utmost interest to diabetics (and pre-diabetics). By learning the correct application of these asanas one can reverse diabetes.
Most suitable are the backward bending postures such as…
- *Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon pose).
- *Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Salabhasana (Locust Pose).
- *Poorna Salabhasana (Full Locust Pose).
- *Dhanurasana (Bow Pose).
- *Ustrasana (Camel Pose).
These postures stimulate the pancreas, as they exercise the erector spinae (deep muscle in the back), latissimus dorsi (broadest muscle in the back), obliques (side abdominals), deep intertransversarii (pairs of small muscles on each side f the spine and the posterior abdominal wall. Also, most of these postures cause the internal viscera (organs) to stretch, which brings stimulation to the pancreas and other glands and organs that otherwise receive no tend to lay dormant.
Other postures to consider are…
- *Dandayamana-Bibbaktapada Pashimotthanasana (Standing Separate Leg stretching Pose).
- *Ardha Kurmasana (Half Tortoise Pose).
- *Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose).
- *Janushirasana with Pashimotthanasana (Head-to-Knee with Stretching Pose).
These will provide stimulation and rejuvenation to the cells of the pancreas and other endocrine glands via compression. Compression of these glands, followed by release and relaxation, causes an increased volume of highly oxygenated blood to reach them, down to a cellular level, bringing nourishment that rejuvenates any and all atrophied cells.
By using therapeutic yoga asana as a treatment the normal functioning of the pancreas and other glands of the endocrinal system are restored. When these glands begin to function properly, the individual is on their way to being cured of the diabetic disorders and their health is gradually restored to an optimal level. Perhaps a natural cure for Diabetes isn’t too much to hope for! After all, Diabetes is an age-old disease that has been treated successfully in the Eastern part of the world by methods we here in the West are just beginning to try, let alone understand. It may seem amazing to Diabetic sufferers, but therapeutic yoga asana has been shown to control diabetes for Type 1 Diabetics when insulin levels have been reduced significantly, to control diabetes for Type 2 Diabetics even after any external medication has been eliminated, and to prevent and heal the damage from the complications caused by diabetes, utilizing the body’s own healing power.
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When we look at the basic diets of people from around the world we find certain populations tend to be slim and have very little diabetes. Good examples are Japan and China, whose traditional diets were based primarily on rice and other carbohydrate-rich foods. But now, with the introduction of a “Western” diet, which includes an overabundance of animal products (meat, dairy, etc.) everything changed and obesity and diabetes (along with heart disease and other ailments) came roaring in. A strong plant-based diet reverses this scenario. People lose weight, cholesterol drops dramatically, and diabetes improves – and in many cases is reversed. Physiologically, if you could follow a glucose molecule in your bloodstream, you’d quickly see that it and all the other glucose molecules are headed for the muscle cells. Glucose is what powers your muscles, along with most of the rest of your body. Now, if you could inspect your muscles’ tissues closely, you’d observe that globules of fat have taken up residence there. In medical terms those tiny droplets of fat are referred to as intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs), and they interfere with insulin’s ability to carry glucose into the cells. Once you begin to make the change to a plant-based diet, eliminating animal products and other fatty foods from your diet, those IMCLs begin to dissipate and health is generally restored. A vegan or plant-based diet has many other advantages too. Most importantly perhaps is how good it for the heart, and how it lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) more than any other dietary approach. Many of the complications of diabetes relate directly to the heart and blood vessels, so there is much to be said for eliminating animal products and cholesterol producing fats from of your diet. A strong plant-based diet also helps bring down high blood pressure. And your kidneys will function much easier because avoiding animal proteins help maintain proper kidney function. Many studies have shown that the overall nutritional response of the body is greatly improved on a vegan/plant-based diet compared to a meat/dairy-based diet. Fiber and vitamin intake increase, while fat and bad cholesterol go down. No need to worry about protein, you’ll get all you need from vegetables, beans and grains, plus you’ll find plenty of calcium and iron in green leafy vegetables and beans. And now, a few words about Dr. Gabriel Cousens… Gabriel Cousens runs the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona, USA, where he has been treating type 2 diabetes for several decades now. In order to spread the word, his center created a documentary called Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days (92 minutes, 2009). Six patients with diabetes were tracked for 30 days as they lived at the Tree of Life Center. They followed Dr. Cousens’ diet guidelines and daily exercise routines. Within days, all patients improved dramatically. All of them continued with their lifestyle changes beyond these 30 days. The documentary is uplifting because each patient showed remarkable improvement in health and spirit. Gabriel Cousens stands out from other doctors who advocate plant based diets in two respects: he is highly spiritual and he advocates far more raw food than others. His writings tend to emphasize his personal experiences with treating patients instead of medical studies. He has written articles like Peace through a Sattvik Diet and Perspectives on Dairy where he explains why he advocates avoidance of dairy in the modern world even though it is advocated by ancient sattvik food guidelines. His response to Dr Mercola is a lengthy article showcasing his personal life journey and his personal experiences in treating patients for over 30 years. In addition, his spiritual leanings and writing style greatly appeal to like minded individuals. *A few notes of caution for diabetics changing over to a plant-based diet. Beginning this kind of diet, some people find that their blood sugars go up for the first few days. If you are very insulin resistant, it will take a little time for that to improve as those fat droplets gradually disappear from your muscle cells. Your blood sugars should soon start to improve noticeably. Be sure to let your health-care provider know about your diet change. If you are on insulin or a sulfonylurea, you may well end up with symptoms of hypoglycemia, which is a sign that you have improved to the point that your drugs are now too strong for you. Work with your health-care provider to reduce (or eliminate) your medications when the time is right. For people with type 1 diabetes, I would recommend the same diet changes. A plant-based menu will minimize the likelihood of cardiovascular and renal complications and may help you reduce your medications. It will not, however, eliminate the need for insulin for people with type 1 diabetes.
How Diabetics Respond to a Vegan/Plant-based Diet