Natural Health Society of Australia - Diabetes Type-2 Fact Sheet

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Diabetes Type-2 Fact Sheet

In 2004–05, close to 700,000 people, or 3.6% of the population, reported they had diabetes. (ABS Australian Health Trends 2007)

Type-2 diabetes accounts for 85 to 90 percent of diabetes cases and is a totally preventable ’lifestyle disease’.

While Type-2 used to be mainly a disease of elderly people and was referred to as ’adult-onset diabetes’, it is now being diagnosed in young adults, adolescents and even children.

Diabetes greatly increases the risks of blindness, kidney failure, limb amputation, impotence, gangrene, stroke and heart attack.

Causes

With type-2 diabetes the body tends to produce excessive quantities of insulin, at least in the early stage of the disease, but the insulin doesn’t work effectively.

Insulin resistance develops primarily because of high intakes of refined carbohydrate and fat, aided and abetted by insufficient physical activity.

Natural treatments

Diabetes sufferers need a diet which has an appropriate protein level, is low in fat (but high in essential fatty acids) and high in unrefined carbohydrates. Specifically:

A moderate intake (3 - 4 pieces a day) of whole fruit (not juice). Acid and sub-acid fruits, such as citrus fruits, berries, stone fruits and cherries, are best because they release their sugar into the bloodstream more slowly than sweet fruits such as mangoes, melons and dried fruits.
A large raw salad daily. The more food that is eaten raw the better!
Dark green leafy vegetables.
Whole grains - for example, brown rice, rolled oats, pearled barley, cracked wheat.
1 tablespoon of freshly-ground flax seeds or a handful of walnuts or pepitas each day for omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Legumes - eat around a cup a day of cooked legumes.

Other important measures are:

Minimising or avoiding metabolic toxins such as caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.
Undertaking moderate exercise - both aerobic and strength training. Good aerobic exercises are walking and swimming.

(From ‘An Avoidable Epidemic: Type-2 Diabetes’ by Robyn Chuter, BHSc, ND, GradDipCouns, published in Natural Health & Vegetarian Life, Summer 07/08.)