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Knock Down Ginger, the Key to Diabetes!

 

 

Today the World is approaching an epidemicWith the global number of diabetics at about 500 million, many western countries realize that in the future it will be too expensive to treat all diabetics. ! The worse news is that the number of people with diabetes in the UK, the western world & the emerging economies, doubles every 20 years.  Diabetes is not a trivial illness. 50% of diabetics die early with heart disease, over 50% of blindness, amputations, kidney failure and Impotence! are caused by diabetes!

There is, however, some good news:

“Diabetes Can be Prevented &

                              Reversed!”

 

In my years as a Lifestyle Doctor I’ve had the pleasure of reversing diabetes in many patients so that they have normal blood sugars without any medication. Once you know how diabetes works, it becomes clear how we should reverse it. This brings me on to the children’s game ‘knock down ginger’. This is the game where you knock on someone’s front door and run away, the person comes to the door but nobody is there. You repeat this a few times until the person stops coming to the door. This is similar to how diabetes works.

In order for our cells to take in glucose for energy, Insulin must first ‘knock on the cells doors’ to allow glucose in. so every time we consume something with lots of calories, the pancreas releases insulin to make our cells take up the glucose. If this is repeated over and over again (a Big Mac meal followed by an ice cream followed by a mars bar!), eventually the cells stop responding to the insulin, they become ‘Insulin-resistant’ and the glucose level in the blood rises as it can’t get into the cells. High levels of glucose in the blood damages the arteries, nerves, immune system etc. As the glucose levels rise, even more insulin is released to deal with it, therefore making the insulin-resistance worse. This becomes a vicious cycle.

So if this is how people become diabetics, the key to preventing & reversing this disease is to stop the insulin surges:

  • Cut out ALL added sugar & fat from your diet. The main part of your diet should be vegetables, beans, nuts & seeds. Try to avoid bread, rice, pasta & potatoes for the first 2 months, if you do have them, they must be wholegrain!
  • Avoid any meat or dairy products
  • Drink only water. No juice, fizzy drinks or alcohol.
  • After EVERY meal do a half an hour walk
  • Limit yourself to 2 meals per day.

Sometimes when faced with this diet people say “ I’d prefer the diabetes!” Actually it’s not that bad and there are great recipes for tasty meals out there. Every one of my patients who has been on my regime has come of their diabetic and blood pressure medication. Share this info with someone who needs it, make their year a Happy New Year!

man

The Importance of Impotence

After watching too many episodes of “Law & Order” one could be forgiven for thinking that there are only two forces that drive most men. The desire for Money and the desire for Sex. To lose a job or to lose the ability earn money is a serious thing. To lose the ability to make love is a Disaster!

Impotence or Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance. A penile erection is achieved by the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in the sponge-like bodies within the penis. This causes the penis to become hard and erect to aid sexual intercourse. In – The Massachusetts Male Ageing Study- it was shown that 52% of men (aged 40-70) had experienced ED (mild 17%; moderate 25%; severe 10%).

There can be many reasons for ED such as side-effects of medication,  MS, Depression & Stress. By far the biggest cause of ED (>50%) is Atherosclerosis, that’s where the arteries which supply the penis are narrowed due to deposits of cholesterol & fat in the vessel walls.

This is obviously serious because if the arteries supplying the penis are getting blocked, then so are the arteries supplying your Heart, Brain, Kidneys etc. this means that you are at high risk of heart disease, hypertension and stroke. In fact the research tells us that 25% of men diagnosed with ED will have a stroke within 5 years! Very serious indeed.

So, what do you do if you have ED? The first thing to do is see your GP immediately. Do not wait a few months or years like many men do due to embarrassment. Believe me, your doctor has seen it all before and should make you feel at ease. The good news is that just as heart disease (clogged arteries to the heart) is reversible, so is the clogged arteries to the penis reversible. By changing your diet to a low fat Plant-Based Diet, high in vegetables, beans & whole-grains & increasing your daily aerobic exercise to 30-45min per day, those arteries will quickly start to open up again. Just by increasing the radius of the artery by 7% can give an increase in blood volume of >200%. If you’re able to make these simple changes you may be able to avoid medication or at least reduce the dose and length of time on them. It will also help your heart and all of your organs to keep Pumping away!