Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a nutritional disorders, characterized by an abnormally elevated level of
blood glucose and by the excretion of the excess glucose in the urine. It results from an absolute
or relative lack of insulin which leads to abnormalities in carbohydrate metabolism as well as in
the metabolism of protein and fat.
Diabetes is a disease known to the medical world since time immemorial. Its incidence is ,
however, much higher at present than ever in the past. This is especially true in case of more
advanced countries of the world due to widespread affluence and more generous food supply.
The most commonly-used screening tests are the determination of the fasting blood glucose
level and the two-hour postprandial, that is after a meal. The normal fasting blood sugar content
is 80 to 120 mg. per 100 ml. of blood and this can go up to a level of 180 mg. per 100 ml. of
blood two hours after meals. Anything above these norms can be termed diabetic levels.
Diabetes occurs in all age groups, from young infants to the elderly. The greatest incidence
occurs in middle or older aged persons. It is estimated that 80 to 85 per cent of all individuals
with diabetes mellitus are 45 years of age or older.
Symptoms
The word diabetes is derived from the Greek word meaning "to siphon to pass through", and
mellitus comes from the Latin word "honey". Thus two characteristic symptoms, namely, copious urination and glucose in the urine give the name to the disease. The normal volume of urine passed daily is about one and a half litres. The urine is of a pale colour, has an acidic reaction and sweetish odour. The quantity of sugar present in it varies from one-and-quarter decigram to two and-a-half grams the total per day in many cases reaching as much as one kg in 15 litres of urine.
A diabetic feels hungry and thirsty most of the time, does not put on weight, though he eats
every now and then, and gets tired easily, both physically and mentally. He looks pale, may
suffer from anaemia, constipation, intense itching around the genital organs, palpitations and
general weakness. He feels drowsy and has a lower sex urge than a normal person.
Causes
Diabetes has been described by most biological doctors as a "prosperity" disease, primarily
caused by systematic overeating and consequent obesity. Not only the overeating of sugar and
refined carbohydrate but also of proteins and fats, which are transformed into sugar if taken in
excess, is harmful and may result in diabetes. Too much food taxes the pancreas and eventually
paralyses its normal activity. It has been estimated that the incidence of diabetes is four times
higher in persons of moderate obesity and 30 times higher in persons of severe obesity.
Grief, worry and anxiety also have a deep influence on the metabolism and may cause sugar to
appear in the urine. The disease may be associated with some other grave organic disorders
like cancer, tuberculosis and cerebral disease. Heredity is also a major factor in the development
of the disease. It has been rightly said, " Heredity is like a cannon and obesity pulls the trigger."
Treatment
Any successful method of diabetes treatment should aim at removal of the actual cause of the
disease and building up of the whole health-level of the patient. Diet plays a vital role in such a
treatment. The primary dietary consideration for a diabetic patient is that he should be a strict
lacto-vegetarian and take a low-calorie, low-fat, alkaline diet of high quality natural foods. Fruits,
nuts and vegetables, whole meal bread and dairy products form a good diet for the diabetic.
These foods are best eaten in as dry a condition as possible to ensure thorough salivation
during the first part of the process of digestion.
Cooked starchy foods should be avoided as in the process of cooking the cellulose envelops of
the starch granules burst and consequently, the starch is far too easily absorbed in the system.
The excess absorbed has to be got rid of by the kidneys and appears as sugar in the urine. With
raw starchy foods, however, the saliva and digestive juices in the small intestine regulate the
quantities required to be changed into sugar for the body’s needs. The unused and undigested
portion of raw starchy foods does not become injurious to the system, as it does not readily
ferment.
The diabetic should not be afraid to eat fresh fruits and vegetables which contain sugar and
starch. Fresh fruits contain sugar fructose, which does not need insulin for its metabolism and is
well tolerated by diabetics. Fats and oils should be taken sparingly, for they are apt to lower the
tolerance for proteins and starches. Emphasis should be on raw foods as they stimulate and
increase insulin production. For protein, home- made cottage cheese, various forms of soured
milks and nuts are best. The patient should avoid overeating and take four or five small meals a
day rather than three large ones.
The following diet should serve as a guideline.
Upon arising : A glass of lukewarm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Breakfast : Any fresh fruit with the exception of bananas, soaked prunes, a small quantity of
whole meal bread with butter and fresh milk.
Lunch : Steamed or lightly cooked green vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes,
spinach, turnip, asparagus and mushrooms, two or three whole wheat chapatis according to
appetite and a glass of butter-milk or curd.
Mid-afternoon : A glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice.
Dinner : A large bowl of salad made up of all the raw vegetables in season. The salad may be
followed by a hot course, if desired, and fresh home-made cottage cheese.
Bedtime Snack : A glass of fresh milk.
Flesh foods find no place in this regimen, for they increase the toxaemic condition underlying the
diabetic state and reduce the sugar tolerance. On the other hand, a non-stimulating vegetarian
diet, especially one made up of raw foods, promotes and increases sugar tolerance.
Celery, cucumbers, string beans, onion and garlic are especiallybeneficial. String bean pod tea
is an excellent natural substitute for insulin and highly beneficial in diabetes. The skin of the
pods of green beans are extremely rich in silica and certain hormone substances which are
closely related to insulin. One cup of string bean tea is equal to one unit of insulin. Cucumbers
contain a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin. Onion and garlic
have proved beneficial in reducing blood sugar in diabetes.
Recent scientific investigations have established that bitter gourd (karela) is highly beneficial in
the treatment of diabetes. It contains an insulin-like principle, known as plant-insulin which has
been found effective in lowering the blood and urine sugar levels. It should, therefore, be
included liberally in the diet of the diabetic. For better results, the diabetic should take the juice
of about 4 or 5 fruits every morning on an empty stomach. The seeds of bitter gourd can be
added to food in a powdered form. Diabetics can also use bitter gourd in the form of decoction
by boiling the pieces in water or in the form of dry powder.
Another effective home remedy is jambul fruit known as jamun in the vernacular. It is regarded in traditional medicine as a specific against diabetes because of its effect on the pancreas. The
fruits as such, the seeds and fruit juice are all useful in the treatment of this disease. The seeds
contain a glucoside ‘jamboline’ which is believed to have power to check the pathological
conversion of starch into sugar in cases of increased production of glucose. They should be
dried and powdered. This powder should be taken mixed in milk , curd or water.
The patient should avoid tea, coffee and cocoa because of their adverse influence on the
digestive tract. Other foods which should be avoided are white bread, white flour products, sugar
tinned fruits, sweets, chocolates, pastries, pies, puddings, refined cereals and alcoholic drinks.
The most important nutrient in the treatment of diabetes is manganese which is vital in the
production of natural insulin. It is found in citrus fruits, in the outer covering of nuts, grains and in Diabetes the green leaves of edible plants. Other nutrients of special value are zinc, B complex vitamins and poly-unsaturated fatty acids.
Exercise is also an important factor in the treatment of diabetes. Light games, jogging and
swimming are recommended. Yogic asanas such as bhujangasana, shalabhasana,
dhanurasana, paschimottanasana, sarvangasna, halasana, ardha-matsyendrasana and
shavasana, yogic krisyas like jalneti and kunajl and pranayamas such as kapalbhati,
anuloma-viloma and ujjai are highly beneficial.
Hydrotherapy and colonic irrigations form a very important part of treatment. The colon should
be thoroughly cleansed every second day or so, until the bowel discharge assumes normal
characteristics. Bathing in cold water greatly increases the circulation and enhances the capacity
of the muscles to utilise sugar.
The diabetic patient should eliminate minor worries from his daily life. He must endeavor to be
more easy-going and should not get unduly worked up by the stress and strain of life.

Fasting - The Master Remedy

Fasting refers to complete abstinence from food for a short or long period for a specific purpose.
The word is derived from the old English, ‘feastan’ which means to fast, observe, be strict.
Fasting is nature’s oldest, most effective and yet least expensive method of treating disease. It is
recognised as the cornerstone of natural healing.
The practice of fasting is one of the most ancient customs. It is followed in almost every religion.
The Mohammedan, the Buddhists, the Hindus and many others have their periods of strict
fasting. The saints of medieval times laid great stress on this method.
Throughout medical history, it has been regarded as one of the most
dependable curative methods. Hippocrates, Galen, Paracelsus and many other great authorities
on medicine prescribed it. Many noted modern physicians have successfully employed this
system of healing in the treatment of numerous diseases.
The common cause of all diseases is the accumulation of waste and poisonous matter in the
body which results from overeating. The majority of persons eat too much and follow sedentary
occupations which do not permit sufficient and proper exercise for utilisation of this large quantity of food. This surplus overburdens the digestive and assimulative organs and clogs up the system with impurities or poisons. Digestion and elimination become slow and the functional
activity of the whole system gets deranged.
The onset of disease is merely the process of ridding the system of these impurities. Every
disease can be healed by only one remedy - by doing just the opposite of what causes it, that is,
by reducing the food intake or fasting.
By depriving the body of food for a time , the organs of elimination such as the bowels, kidneys,
skin and lungs are given opportunity to expel, unhampered, the overload of accumulated waste
from the system. Thus, fasting is merely the process of purification and an effective and quick
method of cure. It assists nature in her continuous effort to expel foreign matter and disease
producing waste from the body, thereby correcting the faults of improper diet and wrong living. It also leads to regeneration of the blood as well as the repair and regeneration of the various
tissues of the body.
Duration
The duration of the fast depends upon the age of the patient, the nature of the disease and the
amount and type of drugs previously used. The duration is important, because long periods of
fasting can be dangerous if undertaken without competent professional guidance. It is, therefore,
advisable to undertake a series of short fasts of two to three days and gradually increase the
duration of each succeeding fast by a day or so. The period, however, should not exceed a week
of total fasting at a time. This will enable the chronically sick body to gradually and slowly
eliminate toxic waste matter without seriously affecting the natural functioning of the body. A
correct mode of living and a balanced diet after the fast will restore vigour and vitality to the
individual.
Fasting is highly beneficial in practically all kinds of stomach and intestinal disorders and in
serious conditions of the kidneys and liver. It is a miracle cure for eczema and other skin
diseases and offers the only hope of permanent cure in many cases. The various nervous
disorders also respond favourably to this mode of treatment.
Fasting should, however, not be restored to in every illness. In cases of diabetes, advanced
stages of tuberculosis, and extreme cases of neurasthenia, long fasts will be harmful. IN most
cases, however , no harm will accrue to fasting patients, provided they take rest, and are under
proper professional care.
Methods
The best, safest and most effective method of fasting is juice fasting. Although the old classic
form of fasting was a pure water fast, most ofthe leading authorities on fasting today agree that
juice fasting is far superior to a water fast. According to Dr. Rangar Berg, the world -famous
authority on nutrition, "During fasting the body burns up and excretes huge amounts of
accumulated wastes. We can help this cleansing process by drinking alkaline juice instead of
water while fasting ... Elimina tion of uric acid and other inorganic acids will be accelerated. And
sugars in juices will strengthen the heart ... juice fasting is, therefore, the best form of fasting. "
Vitamins, minerals, enzymes and trace elements in fresh, raw vegetable and fruit juices are
extremely beneficial in normalising all the body processes. They supply essential elements for
the body’s own healing activity and cell renegeration and thus speeding the recovery. All juices
should be prepared from fresh fruit immediately before drinking. Canned or frozen juices should
not be used.
A precautionary measure which must be observed in all cases of fasting is the complete
emptying of the bowels at the beginning of the fast by enema so that the patient is not bothered
by gas or decomposing matter formed from the excrements remaining in the body. Enemas
should be administered at least every alternate day during the fasting period. The patient should
get as much fresh air as possible and should drink plain lukewarm water when thirsty. Fresh
juices may be diluted with pure water. The total liquid intake should be approximately six to eight glasses.
A lot of energy is spent during the fast in the process of eliminating accumulated poisons and
toxic waste materials. It is, therfore, of utmost importance that the patients gets as much
physical rest and mental relaxation as possible during the fast. IN cases of fasts in which fruit
juices are taken, especially when fresh grapes, oranges or grapefruit are used exclusively, the
toxic wastes enter the blood -stream rapidly, resulting in an overload of toxic matter, which
affects normal bodily functions. This often results in dizzy spells, followed by diarrhoea and
vomiting. If this physical reaction persists, it is advisable to discontinue the fast and take cooked
vegetables containing adequate roughage such as spinach and beets until the body functioning
returns to normal.
The overweight person finds it much easier to go without food. Loss of weight causes no fear
and the patient’s attitude makes fasting almost a pleasure. The first day’s hunger pangs are
perhaps the most difficult to bear. The craving for food will, however, gradually decrease as the
fast progresses. Seriously sick persons have no desire for food and fasting comes naturally to
them. The simples rule is to stop eating until the appetite returns or until one feels completely
well.
Only very simple exercises like short walks may be undertaken during the fast. A warm water or neutral bath may be taken during the period. Cold baths are not advisable. Sun and air baths
should be taken daily. Fasting sometimes produces a state of sleeplessness which can be
overcome by a warm tub bath, hot water bottles at the feet and by drinking one or two glasses of
hot water.
Benefits
There are several benefit of fasting. During a long fast, the body feeds upon its reserves. Being
deprived of needed nutrients, particularly of protein and fats, it will burn and digest its own
tissues by the process of autolysis or self-digestion. But it will not do so indistriminately. The
body will first decompose and burn those cells and tissues which are diseased, damaged, aged
or dead. The essential tissues and vital organs, the glands, the nervous system and the brain
are not damaged or digested in fasting. Here lies the secret of the effectiveness of fasting as a
curative and rejuvenative method. During fasting, the building of new and healthy cells are
speeded up by the amino acids released from the diseased cells. The capacity of the eliminative
organs, that is, lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin is greatly increased as they are relieved of the
usual burden of digesting food and eliminating the resultant wastes. They are, therefore, able to
quickly expel old accumulated wastes and toxins.
Fasting affords a physiological rest to the digestive, assimilative and protective organs. As a
result, the digestion of food and the utilisation of nutrients is greatly improved after fasting. The
fast also exerts a normalising, stablising and rejuvenating effect on all the vital physiological,
nervous and mental functions.

Breaking of Fast
The success of the fast depends largely on when it is broken. This is the most significant phase.
The main rules for breaking the fast are : do not overeat, eat slowly and chew your food
thoroughly ; and take several days for the gradual change to the normal diet. If the transition to
eating solid foods is carefully planned, there will be no discomfort or damage. The patient should
also continue to take rest during the transition period. The right food after a fast is as important
and decisive for proper results as the fast itself.