Natural Way to Cure Diabetes

Diabetes can be cured with out any medication including insulin. The strategy involves micronutrient-rich diet, exercise & herbal food supplements, all of which stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, block the liver to release sugar in the blood stream and make cells more sensitive to insulin.
By Dr. Harmohan Dhawan

Diabetes is one of the chronic lifestyle diseases characterized by elevated blood glucose (blood sugar) which can lead to serious health complications. Diabetes and obesity are twins and spreading like an epidemic the world over.
According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF),India has the second largest diabetes population of about 6.5 crores people and at this rate India will become the diabetes world capital by 2030. Every 10 seconds a person dies of diabetes related complication & every 10 seconds 2 people are diagnosed of diabetes. According to American Diabetes Association, if you check your blood glucose level in the morning before breakfastand if it is between 70-110 mg/dl it is normal. If the reading is between 110-125 mg/dl, you are pre diabetic and the reading above126 mg/dl you are diagnosed of diabetes.
The pharmaceutical lobby in the world is so powerful that the industrially produced synthetic drugs have become a major tool in the treatment of various diseases. All these allopathic medication are chemicals which have many side effects too.
There is a need to educate and help people to get rid of these harmful drugs. In this regard, a three-pronged strategy of micronutrients-rich diet, exercise and herbal food supplement can help us win the battle against various lifestyle diseases.

WHAT IS DIABETES?
Most foods we eat are converted into sugar which enters the blood stream. Sugar is very important because the body needs it for energy. There is an organ behind the stomach called pancreas which produces a hormone called insulin. The insulin carries the sugar into the cells where it is used for energy. When the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin cannot perform its functions properly, the sugar accumulates in the blood & the blood sugar level rises. A prolonged high level of blood sugar is a serious health hazard.

DIABETES SYMPTOMS
Unfortunately except for extreme thirst, urination, hunger, fatigue & numbness in the fingers, there are no other visible symptoms of diabetes. In the initial stage since it doesn’t cause any physical discomfort, people with diabetes become complacent. Even those who are on medication develop a feeling of false sense of security that perhaps the medication is taking care of their diabetes & it has given them a license to eat whatever they like but this is a misconception and may lead to serious complications.

TYPES OF DIABETES
There are three types of diabetes:-

Type 1 diabetes: It manifest in childhood or young adults. It is also called insulin dependent diabetes.The white blood cells (WBCs) in the blood are called the ‘army’ which protects you & fight against various bacteria & viruses. Sometimes mistakenly the WBCs attack the beta cells of the pancreas & destroys them as a result there is no production of insulin and one has to depend upon insulin injections from external sources.
Type 2 diabetes: It is called adult onset ornon-insulin dependent diabetes. About 90% of the patients have type 2 diabetes. Most patients with type 2 diabetes still produce insulin but either it is not enough or the insulin can’t perform its function properly which is called insulin resistance as a result there is build-up of glucose in the blood.
Gestational diabetes: It is similar to type 2 diabetes except it occurs during pregnancy. Normally it disappears after child birth. It indicates a sign of insulin resistance and a warning signal that type 2 diabetes may be around the corner.

CAUSES OF DIABETES
The scientific evidence clearly shows that the excess weight and a diet rich in refined & processed foods, animal & dairy products, excess sugar, oil & sedentary lifestyle are the root cause of not only obesity &diabetes but most of the lifestyle diseases as well.
Our body is made of trillion of cells which make up our tissues. Our muscle cells store a very little amount of fat in the cells, in medical language is called intramyocellular lipids (intra means inside myo is muscle cells and lipid is fat inside the muscle cells) There are little furnaces in the cells called mitochondria which burns the fat into energy to power your muscle cells. Somehow if the influx of fat is more, the furnaces cannot cope with the extra fat coming into the cells and as a result fat goes on accumulating inside the cells. Normally the insulin attaches to the receptors on the surface of the cell and signals the cell membranes to allow the sugar to enter. However excess of fat clog the cells,&interfere with the insulin intracellular signaling process. Now when insulin cannot perform its function of getting the glucose inside the cell, it is called insulin resistance. The problem starts here. Since the fat inside the cell does not allow sugar to get in, the built up of sugar starts in the blood stream. This is the onset of diabetes and this dreaded disease if not controlled can play havoc within your body organs which can lead to serious medical conditions.

DIABETES COMPLICATIONS

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
Stroke
Heart attack
Kidney diseases leading to dialysis
Weakened immune system
Vision loss leading to blindness
Nerve damage called neuropathy leading to tingling, pain, and loss of sensation in the feet, legs & fingers.
Erectile dysfunction leading to impotence in men
Slow wound healing leading to amputation.

TREATMENT OF DIABETES
When you are diagnosed of diabetes, the conventional method of treatment is medication. Your doctor will prescribe oral medication and if it is not managed he will put you on to insulin therapy. We have observed that invariably with every visit to your doctor the dose of insulin goes on increasing. There are serious side-effects of high dosage of insulin, which leads to increase in weight and the excess of weight requires more insulin. This means excess weight more insulin & more insulin excess weight. The patient is trapped in a vicious circle.It has been observed that the insulin hardens the arteries. About 80% of the diabetics who are on insulin therapy die of heart attacks.Insulin combined with oral medication is playing havoc with human lives. Just imagine the mental, physical pain and agony besides financial burden the patient has to live all through his life. Can we put an end to these human sufferings & save the precious lives?
Certainly, yes. Just get closer to Nature and enjoy a disease free, happy & healthy long life.

PREVENTION OF DIABETES
We can naturally eradicate diabetes without any medications. The nutritional approaches to prevent & reverse diabetes is the only solution and not the drugs.First of all we will remove the causes which lead to the manifestation of diabetes. As you know the fat build up clogs the cells which results in insulin resistance. Now to increase the cell sensitivity to insulin, we shall resort to dietary intervention to declog the cells so that the insulin can carry the sugar into the cells. To achieve it:-

Eliminate animal products from your diet.
Avoid dairy products like milk, butter, ghee and paneer.
Eliminate refined, processed, fried & spicy foods.
Minimizethe use of cooking oil.

By eliminating these foods and eating a micronutrient rich diet will bring down your blood sugar level dramatically. At Imperial College School of Medicine in London, the researcher studied two groups of volunteers who were of similar age, height & weight. The one group was on vegetarian diet & the other on animal & dairy products. When they measured the intramyocellur lipid, (fat) in the calf muscles, it was 31% less invegans as compared to those who were omnivores. It is now clear that the micronutrient rich diet definitely helps prevent fat build up in cells.
We at Dhawans Nature Cure have successfully treated hundreds of diabetic patients. Those who were on insulin therapy, we took them off insulin within about 20 days. Those who were on oral medication, all of them stopped it within two to eight months. A micronutrient rich diet, exercise & herbal food supplements was the tool we applied and achieved dramatic result in reversing diabetes.Since the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin never gets destroyed completely this three pronged strategy of diet, exercise & herbal food supplements combined together does miracle. It stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin, blocks the liver to release sugar in the blood stream and make cells more sensitive to insulin to get sugar into the cells. By this regimen we have been successful in bringing the blood sugar level within the normal ranges. Side by side we go on reducing the medication to avoid hypoglycemia (drop in glucose level)and finally take the patient off all the medications.

MAINTENANCE DIET
Nutrition is such a potent & powerful weapon with which you can win major battles against various diseases and lead an optimal healthy life.
After falling back to Nature, our cells are cleansed of extra fat. The insulin now carries the sugar into the cells where it’s used as a fuel for energy. By declogging the cells, thenormal functions have been restored. As a result the blood sugar level comes within normal ranges.
Now the stage has come where we will structure a diet which has the maximum therapeutic effects. The foods we eat contain 3 macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates & fat) which have calories & the body uses them for energy. Along with these three nutrients there are two micronutrients, vitamins & minerals in the food which do wonders. These micronutrients have no calories &are important for the normal body functions, repair, maintenance & elimination of the waste from the body. These vitamins & essential minerals are vital to our health and were discovered in the 1940s. Phytochemicals are the third type of micronutrients which have been discovered in the last one and a half decade. The nutritional scientists have shown that these phytochemicals play a much bigger role than the vitamins in human health. They are found in natural whole plant foods like vegetables, legumes, nuts & seeds. These are life-saving & life protecting nutrients, which play a major role in optimal health, diseases reversal & protectiontoo.
By now you must have understood that both the macro and micro nutrients are vital for a robust and optimal health. Our body needs all these nutrients and if there is any excess or deficiency of these nutrients, there could be some serious medical complications. Keeping into consideration the various recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO); Nutrient requirements and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Indians released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),and our own experience of 7 years of extensive research and trials at Dhawans Nature Cure, we have designed the “Dhawan’s food pyramid”which meets all the nutritional requirements of an individual. Besides macro nutrient, (protein, carbohydrate and fat) this eating plan is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals for your diseases free optimal health.

MAINTENANCE DIET PYRAMID
The major emphasis in this pyramid is the maximum consumption of green vegetables which are very low in calories and rich in antioxidant, phytochemicals, fibre, folate, minerals and vitamin A, E and C. you must eat minimum of 500 grams of vegetables in the form of salads, cooked vegetables and soups. It helps maintain a healthy blood sugar level and protects you and reduces the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart diseases and cancer.
Next in the leader are fruits. The diabetic should eat two fruits as snack at the mid-morning and in the evening. Fruits are good source of potassium, vitamins A & C, folate, minerals and fibre. They are the only food which is digested in the mouth and travels straight to the small intestine & its nutrients enter the blood stream. All the health benefits are yours within half an hour of eating it.
The next food group is beans and pulses which are high in soluble fibre, which slow down the absorption of glucose in the blood stream. Another fibre in it is called insoluble fibre which provides bulk to our stool, helping the bowel movement. Nutritionists have discovered a third type of fibre which is called resistant starch and have no calories & the most of which do not raise blood sugar level. Legumes (dals) are richer in protein & fibre and contain sufficient amount of resistant starch which have a favorable impact on blood sugar level & weight loss. These are perfect source of complex carbohydrates particularly for diabetics.The scientific literature shows dals provide a great deal of protection against diabetes, cancer, stroke & heart diseases. Sprouts are another excellent source of nutrients which should be liberally included in your diet.
Next group is grains –various grains provide carbs, protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals which are essential for good health. However, when these grains are refined they are denuded of the vital fibre & various vitamins& minerals. White basmati rice & maida are processed & refined grains which should be avoided & brown rice & whole wheat flour instead should be preferred.
The next food group is soya milk – it is naturally high in protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals particularly calcium & iron. These nutrients are essential for the functioning of the body at optimal level. Regular intake of soya milk reduces the triglycerides & LDL and improves the good cholesterol (HDL).
As compared to dairy milk which is loaded with saturated fat & cholesterol, soya milk has most of unsaturated fat & zero cholesterol. It also promotes weight loss and osteoporosis. It is an ideal drink and a good substitute of dairy milk; we have substituted with a healthy soya milk, tofu, fat free yogurt and butter milk (lassi).
Animal and processed meat products are eliminated because of saturated fat & cholesterol. Those who are meat addict may eat 1 portion of meat, chicken and egg white in a week.
Next are Nuts and Seeds, storehouse of nutrients and rich in energy, protein, vitamin, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats particularly omega 3 and fiber. Consumption of nuts and seeds has a lower risk of weight gain, diabetes, heart problems and stroke. Nuts and seeds provide us healthy diet because they give us essential nutrients and play a role in disease prevention and keep you healthy. Almonds, walnuts, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds are the most nutritive and should be eaten to maintain the optimal health.
The next is oil. The use of oil in cooking should be minimal. We should remember that oils is 100% fat and each gram of it carries 9 calories which is fattening. Refined vegetables oil during processing are heated and chemical solvent are used which can be a serious health hazards. Cold pressed olive oil could be a healthy option. Last but not the least we cannot ignore the health benefits of exercise which stimulate the circulatory & respiratory system & enable the oxygenated blood to reach the remotest part of the body and make cells to work more efficiently. There are many physical activities to choose from brisk walking, jogging, biking, swimming, hiking, stair climbing, tennis etc. Our heart beats 72 times/min but after doing regular exercise, the heart beat will beat less. That means the lessening of burden on the heart resulting in longevity.

(The author is well-known Naturopathist and Ex Union Civil Aviation Minister, Govt of India)