Estimated reading time: 0 minutes
Taking delight in the sweetness of life is an essential component of fully appreciating our human experience. The paradox of life is that, despite having greater access to the wide variety of sweet delights accessible around the world than ever before, the number of people who have difficulty metabolising sugar in their bloodstream is increasing. Diabetes, as it is more often known, has become an epidemic in many countries.
Despite substantial advances in the treatment of acute illnesses such as infectious infections, traumas, and other potentially fatal conditions, chronic diseases such as diabetes remain on the rise. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease, stroke, kidney illness, lower limb amputation, blindness, and is India’s sixth leading cause of death.
Fortunately, while there is no cure for diabetes, there are interventions and lifestyle modifications we can make to impact the disease’s course and avert complications. The Ayurvedic treatment system gives vital knowledge and guidance that can help us learn to pay attention to our bodies’ signals, identify early warning signs of imbalance, and make the necessary adjustments to restore balance.
Summary: By taking a fresh look at the vast and age-old body of knowledge known as Ayurveda, you can effectively treat and manage this difficult disease. Diabetes Reversal Clinics has always devised treatment programmes that combine conventional wisdom with modern medicine and are personalised and specific to each client.
Ayurvedic Perspective
One of the first allusions to diabetes can be found in the Atharvaveda, one of the four ancient Vedas that arose in India between 1,500 and 1,000 B.C. These ancient teachings laid the groundwork for the traditional Ayurvedic holistic healing practise.
Diabetes is known as madhumeha in Ayurveda, which is a Sanskrit term that translates to “sweet urine” ailment in English. When our blood sugar levels rise above a specific threshold, it escapes into the urine and can be detected. The first reports of this condition acknowledge the significance that metabolic disorders play in tissue dysregulation. In Sanskrit, this is known as dhatupaka janya vikruti.
Diabetes’s causes, symptoms, prognosis, and treatment were all thoroughly discussed in thousands of years of Vedic literature. Ayurveda recognises the multidimensional nature of diabetes, mentioning both genetic inclinations and accumulated imbalances of potentially all three doshas, or mind-body constitutions (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha).
Apathyanimittaja, defined by excessive drowsiness, overindulgence in food and sweets, and a lack of physical exercise, is one of the diabetes types acknowledged by Ayurveda. This depiction is consistent with what we now know about type 2 diabetes in medicine. A high-fat diet, heavy alcohol use, being overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle are all risk factors for this kind of diabetes, according to scientific research.
A Closer Look at Type 2 Diabetes, which is frequently linked to a Kapha Dosha Imbalance
Type 2 diabetes used to largely afflict the elderly, but it is now becoming increasingly common among children and adolescents, who are also substantially more sedentary and overweight than previous generations. Obesity raises the likelihood of acquiring type 2 diabetes and makes it more difficult to manage.
The fundamental cause of type 2 diabetes, according to Ayurveda, is an excess or imbalance of the Kapha dosha, which is composed of the earth and water elements. Kapha maintains our bodies’ physical composition and a variety of metabolic functions, but too much of it can induce weight gain, weariness, allergies, and resistance to change. Type 2 diabetes, according to Ayurveda, is mostly induced by an insatiable appetite, particularly for sweet meals. Overeating can, however, be caused by an imbalance in the Vata dosha, which is readily irritated. When people with Vata imbalances overeat to calm themselves, their Kapha can become out of balance, leading to type 2 diabetes. (While this essay will focus on this type of diabetes, it is important to know that Ayurveda considers type 1 diabetes to be primarily a Vata dosha imbalance.)
The Ayurvedic Diet
Ayurveda recommends a Kapha-pacifying diet to maintain diabetic control because the ailment is primarily caused by an excess of the Kapha dosha. The suggestions suggest eating fewer sweet, sour, and salty foods while eating more bitter, astringent, and pungent foods.
Here are some more suggestions for balancing the Kapha. Remember that an Ayurvedic diet prescription takes a variety of factors into account, including age, physical constitution, season, and other environmental and societal factors. As a result, in order to provide personalised recommendations, a consultation with a certified practitioner is required.
Consume meals that will either balance the dominant dosha or calm down (balance) a dosha that has become overly powerful or agitated. Because the Kapha dosha is heavy, oily, and cold, choose foods that are light, dry, or warm.
Limit your dairy consumption because it tends to increase Kapha. In moderation, low-fat milk, yoghurt, and ghee can all be consumed.
Sipping hot ginger tea with meals can help digestion.
With the exception of soybeans and tofu, which should be ingested in moderation, all beans are beneficial to Kapha individuals.
Instead, opt for lighter fruits like apricots, apples, pears, pomegranates, and cranberries. Heavy fruits should be replaced with bananas, pineapples, and figs.
When it comes to cereals, choose barley, corn, millet, buckwheat and rye. Reduce your intake of wheat, rice, and oats.
The only spice that does not calm Kapha is salt. Don’t be hesitant to incorporate spicy foods like pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard seed, and ginger in your diet.
Summary: The current Western medical community’s view of the ideal diabetes diet recommends restricting simple carbohydrates, fats, and other heavy meals while boosting “lighter” foods such as beans (as the primary protein source), whole grains, and lighter fruits and vegetables. This notion is supported by the Ayurvedic perspective on Kapha balance.
Get Moving – Diabetic Yoga!
According to both Ayurveda and modern medicine, one of the lifestyle variables that contribute to the onset and progression of diabetes is a lack of physical exercise. Obesity affects blood sugar control in diabetics and increases the risk of developing the condition. Because of these factors, keeping an active lifestyle and a healthy weight is critical to diabetes management and prevention.
Any physical activity that lowers blood sugar levels is helpful, and aerobic exercise improves insulin function, allowing glucose to enter cells where it is needed and keeping blood sugar levels normal.
Excess Kapha dosha is balanced by increasing physical exercise. However, violent exercise is not always advisable, especially in diabetics who are feeble or slim (where fat does not play as large a role), or who have other medical concerns. In these cases, seeking expert advice on a proper training plan is recommended.
Yoga for Body-Centered Awareness and Balance
According to Ayurveda, certain yoga poses deliver the highest benefits with the least amount of stress. These are some examples of stances:
Forward bend while sitting (paschimottanasana)
Tree posture (vrksasana)
Soldiers 1 and 2 (virabhadrasana I and II)
Extended side angle (utthita parsvakonasana)
Setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge posture)
The gator’s twist (jathara parivartasana) is a yoga posture.
Pose of relaxation (savasana)
For the majority of people, it is best to aim for thirty minutes of moderate activity each day, at least five days per week. If you want to reduce weight, you should exercise for more than 30 minutes per day. Following a sluggish start, exercise intensity should be gradually raised.
Diabetes Spices & Herbs
According to Ayurveda, many plants and spices can help manage diabetes. From a scientific standpoint, we are beginning to identify some of the therapeutic benefits of these natural medications. Currently, around 1,200 plant species have been identified as having blood sugar reducing properties. Here are a few examples:
Sylvestre Fitnessnema
This herb was used to treat diabetes over 2,000 years ago. It is a woody and climbing vine that is common in central and southern India. Ayurvedic practitioners referred to this herb as gurmar, which means “sugar destroyer.”
Gymnema sylvestre has been demonstrated in animal studies to increase insulin secretion, improve the effects of circulating insulin, and lower blood glucose levels. The pancreas, the organ responsible for insulin production and secretion, has also been proven to benefit from its protective characteristics. Gymnema sylvestre appears to enhance tissue sensitivity to insulin, assisting the body in using glucose as fuel.
Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek)
This herb, sometimes known as fenugreek, is farmed all over the world as a spice. It is also known as methi in Sanskrit. In Ayurveda, the seed is used to cure diabetes by preparing a drink out of it or incorporating the powder or seed into recipes such as bread or curries. Fenugreek seeds are high in fibre, and several of the seed’s compounds have been shown to reduce blood sugar levels directly. Fenugreek seeds have been shown to lower insulin resistance and improve blood sugar management when consumed on a daily basis.
Cinnamon
This tasty spice has recently gained popularity as a sugar-lowering agent. Cinnamon has been shown to improve insulin utilisation in a variety of ways. It activates insulin receptors on the cells in addition to acting directly on our DNA to “switch off” genes that are in charge of deactivating insulin receptors on our cells. These processes lower blood sugar levels by promoting glucose uptake by cells. Additionally, cinnamon slows the rise of blood sugar after a high-carbohydrate meal. For example, one teaspoon of cinnamon could be added to a cup of rice pudding. Cinnamon has a strong taste and is recommended as part of an Ayurvedic diet to balance the Kapha dosha.
Turmeric
Because of the link between inflammation and diabetes, this well-known Indian spice is currently being studied for its potential use in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Turmeric lowers blood sugar levels while increasing insulin sensitivity. When turmeric was eaten, body weight and fat content reduced considerably.
Other Nutritious Foods
Several foods that have been shown to reduce blood glucose levels have also been traditionally used to treat diabetes. Bitter goard, also known as karela, is commonly used to treat diabetes in many traditional medicinal systems. It is thought to work by decreasing gastrointestinal glucose absorption, increasing insulin synthesis, and increasing glucose uptake into muscle cells. There has been no evidence of toxicity when used as food in Indian cuisine.
Ivy gourd, commonly known as kanduri, has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels. The juice of this food contains a sugar-degrading enzyme that humans naturally produce. Extracts of the root and leaf have been shown in animal experiments to lower blood sugar levels.
Numerous studies have found that eating almonds with a carbohydrate, similar to adding cinnamon to food, significantly reduces blood sugar release. Try a few almonds in a salad, oatmeal, or cereal.
Summary: When patients make these dietary changes, their blood sugar levels drop considerably, according to our clinic. We aim not to restrict an individual’s typical diet because restricting diet is not a feasible strategy for long-term diabetes management. As a result, we understand our patients’ routines and dietary habits, and we recommend a vedic diet while also working with them to gradually establish a healthy and sustainable dietary lifestyle shift.
Deep Sleep Has Many Advantages
Numerous studies have also demonstrated that meditation improves sleep, including the reduction of insomnia. This is especially important for diabetics because lack of sleep can make blood sugar control difficult. Chronic hormonal imbalances caused by a lack of sleep can impair blood sugar management.
People who meditate regularly often receive a good night’s sleep for the first time in years, allowing their hormones, particularly those that govern blood sugar, to reestablish their natural balance and function.
Overall, a balanced, holistic approach that considers our body, mind, heart, and spirit is essential for genuinely appreciating the “sweetness” of life. We can enjoy better happiness, fulfilment, and wellbeing by taking care of our whole health and wholeness, in addition to preventing or successfully managing diabetes.
Related-
Know more about Ayurveda Diabetes Reversal.
GET IN TOUCH
