Diabetes and me. A personal story
My name is Colin and I am a real person (I have changed my name for some privacy). This year I turned 60 years of age.
I am a winemaker and live with my wife on our vineyard in New Zealand.
On the last visit to my doctor I talked to him about a letter I received from the health nurse about my overall state of health.
In the letter the nurse told me my blood pressure was to high 150/100, I’m taking blood pressure medication.
Total Cholesterol is high 5.3 mmol/L ideal is less than 4 mmol/L
98kg/216lb, I am 5’6’’ 1.68m and used to be 75kg/168lb.
That’s 23kg/48lb overweight
And most scary my sugar level (3 month test the HbA1C test see below) was 48. The level when treatment is needed is 50. Borderline Diabetes is where I was. On my last test it had come back to 43, (relief)
The аmоunt оf sugar оn thе red cell іѕ proportionate to thе blood sugar lеvеl at the mоmеnt the rеd cell gоеѕ іntо сіrсulаtіоn, and rеmаіnѕ at thаt level fоr thе lіfе of thе rеd cell. So if thеrе hаѕ been a lоt of еxtrа gluсоѕе іn your blood, there wіll be a lоt of gluсоѕе ѕtuсk all over уоur hеmоglоbіn. Since thе аvеrаgе lіfеѕраn of thе hemoglobin іn уоur blооd is 90-100 days, a HbA1C test ѕhоwѕ a doctor hоw well уоu have been соntrоllіng your blood ѕugаr over thе lаѕt 3 months. Thіѕ test іѕ a сhесk оn thе overall ѕugаr control, nоt juѕt the fasting blood sugar. Sо it іѕ іmроrtаnt tо соntrоl уоur blood sugar at аll tіmеѕ, аnd nоt just before vіѕіtіng the dосtоr. Thе mоѕt important rеаѕоn to соntrоl уоur blооd ѕugаr іѕ ѕо thаt you can lіvе a lоngеr, healthier lіfе without соmрlісаtіоnѕ that саn bе саuѕеd bу nоt соntrоllіng уоur diabetes. Click here for in depth explanation of HbA1c test
To say the least this all came to me not as a shock but a pretty big wakeup call and time I did something about it!
This is my story about Diabetes and me. It may also be Diabetes and YOU.
There have been a few things in your life that stick in your memory. Sometimes it is the insignificant remarks that stay with you a long time.
In the early days selling my wine involved travelling to other towns and visiting with wine sellers at their cellars. On one visit to Wellington I met up with a partner in a wine cellar I had not seen for about 10 years. (due to my calling times and his shifts). He said “you aren’t the same guy that used to call on us are you?, he was a skinny guy”
I remember this was a bit of a shock at the time and I thought he was being smart. But there is the old saying “Many a word spoken in jest is the truth” I just had not realised how much I had changed over the years.
We all get old and our bodies change, some quicker than others. Since an attack of peritonitis that nearly killed me, on my 50th birthday I have developed the classic Diabetes body shape, the Apple Shape, or lots of extra weight around the middle section on the belly and it has been pretty much impossible to get rid of. Looking like an apple on legs, you know what I mean!
A spell on the Atkins diet in 2011 and 2012 helped loose weight but there were certain foods I missed and so I slipped back into my old ways.
This last week I have been sick in bed with the flu, something I get hammered with every 2 or 3 years. You know bed rest is pretty boring for an active person used to being outside in the vines most of the time.
I thought I would do some research into Diabetes.
Here are some of the key facts about world diabetes cases
What is Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that acts like a key to let glucose from the food we eat pass from the blood stream into the cells in the body to produce energy. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose in the blood. Insulin helps glucose get into the cells.
Not being able to produce insulin or use it effectively leads to raised glucose levels in the blood (known as hyperglycaemia). Over the long-term high glucose levels are associated with damage to the body and failure of various organs and tissues.
In the world there are 382 million people living with Diabetes
Risk factors
Several risk factors have been associated with type 2 diabetes and include:
- Family history of diabetes
- Overweight
- Unhealthy diet
- Physical inactivity
- Increasing age
- High blood pressure
- Ethnicity
- Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)*
- History of gestational diabetes
- Poor nutrition during pregnancy
How to recognise it’s symptoms
Individuals can experience different signs and symptoms of diabetes, and sometimes there may be no signs. Some of the signs commonly experienced include:
- Frequent urination
- Excessive thirst
- Increased hunger
- Weight loss
- Tiredness
- Lack of interest and concentration
- A tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet
- Blurred vision
- Frequent infections
- Slow-healing wounds
- Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)
Bad effects of Diabetes
People with diabetes have an increased risk of developing a number of serious health problems. Consistently high blood glucose levels can lead to serious diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth. In addition, people with diabetes also have a higher risk of developing infections. In almost all high-income countries, diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation, lack of sex drive in both sexes, erection problems in men and lubrication problems in women.
Diabetic Medications and Treatments
The social paradigm of inherently trusting everything a doctor has to say while being wary of natural medicine has significantly boosted the global medical industry. Approximately one third of all money spent throughout the industrialized world goes to medication. The money is not well-spent, either; most medications involve a cornucopia of immediate and long-term side effects, some of which are mild, and some of which are simply ironic (such as the infamous example of many depression medications causing suicidal thoughts). In short, disease is a market, and pharmaceutical companies are well-rooted in the business.
Diabetics are no exception to this rule. Medication for those afflicted with type-2 diabetes has long been under fire in particular. There is no doubt that these prescriptions are effective, as has been proven time and time again; they are simply not efficient, nor are their ultimate outcomes anywhere close to being ideal. One should not cease their medication in favor of a natural cure without first speaking extensively with their doctor. Some systems may come to rely on a particular medication and the level of assistance it provides, and this level must be matched by its natural equivalent. Never make significant changes to your medication or diet without consulting with a doctor first.
Treating, not curing – a look at Metformin
Many patients do not initially understand the difference between a cure and a treatment. There are certainly a plethora of treatments available for type-2 diabetes, for example, which doctors may prescribe with ease. There is, however, no cure. Treatments provide temporary relief, either by lessening symptoms or simply masking them so that patients do not notice them. They may also negate one problem by causing another. Metformin, amaryl, tradjenta, humulin – these are all perfect examples of prescription drugs that fit this description.
Metformin, for example, is given to overweight or obese diabetics as the first of many “attempts” to slow the disease or make it manageable. To name a few of its possible (and likely) side effects:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- General upset stomach
- Taste of iron in the mouth
- Diarrhea
- Weakness of limbs/body
- Hypoglycemia (only when combined with certain other substances)
- Lactic acidosis
- Other possible effects not listed on the label
After reading through this book, one of these in particular should stand out: hypoglycemia. When one considers the effect of this drug, it is an understandable concern – metformin functions by ceasing the liver’s production of glucose. The intention of this drug is to lower the overall glucose content of the blood while improving the effects of insulin, resulting in a lower chance for neuropathy or kidney failure. However, any drug, diet, or condition that results in a decently large decrease or increase of glucose, or alters the body’s insulin sensitivity in any way, could turn this drug into an immediate threat to one’s life. Even something as simple as exercise, which naturally depletes glucose levels, could cause hypoglycemia far more quickly.
Wow!!! After looking at all these facts, and there are plenty more. Diabetes should be avoided at all costs. Prevention has got to be the major goal looking from all aspects of the situation.
What have YOU and I got to loose. Nothing, and gain a chance to make OUR lives BETTER!
What exactly is diabetes?
Complications associated with diabetes
Malnutrition
Cardiovascular diseases
Eye disease
Retinopathy – Eye disease
Nephropathy – Kidney disease
Neuropathy – Nerve disease
Who is at risk for diabetes?
Diabetes today
What is brown fat?
Beige fat: the slower, well-meaning cousin
Brown fat and diabetes
Actively using brown fat cells to your advantage
Method 1: exercise
Method 2: cold showers
Method 3: temperature shock
Method 4: adjust your thermostat
Method 5: sleeping better
Method 6: melatonin
Method 7: intermittent fasting
BAT-oriented diets
Diet 1: Lyons’ Revolution Diet
Diet 2: The 5:2 Method
Diet 3: Smoothies and sleep
A true miracle in the making, Cautions about brown fat
Natural Remedies
Brown Fat
Bitter Melon
Rosemary and Oregano
Evening Primrose Oil
Fenugreek
Exercise
Peanut Butter Quick-Fix
Sunflower Oil
Acupuncture
Chromium and Niacin
Ginseng
Guduchi
Holy Basil
Cinnamon
Indian Gooseberry
Fenugreek
Black Plum
Mango Leaves
Aloe Vera
Curry Leaves