Treating Diabetes: The Chinese Way!
Julia Hanf
Diabetes is one of the few diseases, the fallacies about which far outnumber the facts. The reasons behind this are many. For one, diabetes is still a disease which has still not been completely explored and with every development, there pops up a bundle of half-truths which can be as counter-effective as they are misinformed. Also, many not-so-scrupulous entrepreneurs, who are looking to make a quick buck, hop on to the diabetes bandwagon with their self-proclaimed infallible cures, which further add to all the erroneous beliefs about diabetes. On a secondary level, these misconceptions also lead the layman to distrust several other alternative ways of treating diabetes, some of which may even be more beneficial than the one he is accustomed to. A noteworthy example of such highly misunderstood forms of diabetes treatment is traditional Chinese medicine.
Contrary to the popular myth that diabetes is only a new-fangled disease that has found its way through lifestyle disorders, diabetes is probably one of the oldest diseases known to man a fact which is commendably captured by ancient Chinese documents which date as far as 2,000 years ago. The proof of how effective, and scientifically grounded Chinese medicine is, is palpable by the fact that the incidence of diabetes in China is a mere 0.67% as opposed to the American standard of 2.2%.
As in the modern ways of diabetes management, Chinese medicine also believes in treating diabetes, as per its stage of development, which is further diagnosed by the characteristics the disease manifests in its victim. The Chinese term for diabetes, namely deletion-thirst disease, is an apt representation of their accurate diagnosis of the excessively high amounts of urine a diabetic body produces as a result of the soaring glucose levels in the blood. Chinese medicine also holds the repute of being the only one of its kind to diagnose and treat the disease at the pre-diabetic phase, which modern medicine considers a relatively recent medical breakthrough.
The pre-diabetic phase is diagnosed as the period in which the individual develops a deficit of yin, causing excessive heat in the body. If detected at this stage, the individual is administered herbs like glehnia, adenophora and asparagus root, which nourish the yin and the fluid content in the body, thus preventing the heat from developing into what is termed as 'dry heat' and target on healing the lungs, heart and stomach.
If this yin deficiency is allowed to progress to the next level where dry heat is produced in the body, the qi and yan balances are disrupted, bringing about further yin and yang deficits. To restore the qi, the Chinese use herbs like ginseng, astragalus, and atractylodes, which also counter symptoms like fatigue and digestive imbalances like excessive appetite, bought about by hypoglycemia, or very low blood glucose. The third stage develops rapidly, once the second is attained, and includes further imbalances in the qi, yin and yang. Here, the individual is prescribed herbs like cinnamon, aconite and cornus which function as kidney and liver tonics while also enhancing the blood circulation.
Chinese dietary patterns play a crucial role in keeping the disease from growing into its more mature phases, while also safeguarding the vulnerable from developing this condition. Some of the more influential factors include the absence of saturates found in diary products, which the Chinese rarely consume and the inclusion of the Chinese yam, bitter melon and ginseng tea as a part of their daily nourishment. These three elements alone are powerful allies to diabetes control on account of their blood glucose reducing properties.
In view of the severe drawbacks the side effects of allopathic medications bring about, researchers have begun to study Chinese medicines with a newfound interest, lauding its scientific, structured approach and highly impressive results. A large number of therapies have already been approved for widespread use, while several others are still under study. Diabetic treatments are many and varied in their approach, each boasting of their own repertoire of advantages, while also their unique limitations. The moot point here is that help is always ready at hand provided you take the initiative and the first step. So if you are letting your one, tiny mental block stop you from exploring alternative avenues, rid yourself of that one roadblock right away you'll be delighted at the array of opportunities that accompany your disease-free way of life!
Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit
http://www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.
