Diabetes and Ayurveda

“I don’t feel stressed.” This phrase is hardly heard nowadays because stress is becoming an integral aspect of our life. A little stress is natural in life, but when it goes beyond its peak, it invites mental disorders as well as diseases like diabetes and heart problems. Thus, irregular eating and stressful routine is a big reasons behind the origin of physical disorders like diabetes in the world. Accordingly, the number of people with diabetes continues to rise. The Ayurveda lifestyle and its knowledge help to maintain a balanced life, avoiding diabetes

Ayurveda integrative Approach to Holistic Management for Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood sugar levels, affects millions of people worldwide. While modern medicine provides effective treatments for diabetes, Ayurveda offers a complementary and holistic approach to managing this condition. Ayurveda views diabetes as a disorder of the body’s internal balance and aims to restore harmony through personalized treatments, dietary modifications, herbal medicines, and lifestyle adjustments. This article explores the role of Ayurveda in the management of diabetes, highlighting its advantages and potential benefits for individuals seeking a holistic approach to their well-being.

Understanding Diabetes in Ayurveda

Ayurveda describes diabetes as “Madhumeha” or “Prameha,” a condition characterized by an imbalance in the doshas (bioenergies), particularly Kapha and Pitta, leading to impaired digestion, metabolism, and pancreatic dysfunction. Ayurvedic practitioners delve deeper into an individual’s constitution (prakriti), identifying the underlying imbalances and designing personalized treatment plans to address them. This holistic approach acknowledges that diabetes is not solely a result of high blood sugar but a manifestation of overall systemic imbalances.

Dietary Modifications and Herbal Remedies

Ayurveda emphasizes the role of diet in managing diabetes. It promotes a balanced and personalized approach to nutrition, taking into account an individual’s dosha constitution, digestive capacity, and lifestyle. Ayurvedic dietary recommendations focus on consuming whole foods, avoiding processed sugars, and incorporating ingredients that support healthy digestion and blood sugar regulation. Additionally, Ayurvedic herbal medicines, such as bitter melon (Momordica charantia), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), and Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis), have shown potential to support glycemic control and reduce insulin resistance.

Ayurveda Lifestyle Adjustments and Stress Management for Diabetes

Ayurveda recognizes the impact of lifestyle factors on diabetes management. Stress, sedentary behavior, and improper sleep patterns can contribute to insulin resistance and worsen symptoms. Ayurvedic practices emphasize the importance of regular physical activity, including yoga, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation, which have shown positive effects on insulin sensitivity, reduce stress, and overall well-being. By adding these practices into daily life, individuals with diabetes can improve their metabolic health and reduce the risk of complications.

Detoxification and Panchakarma

Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of detoxification to eliminate accumulated toxins (ama) that can hinder the body’s metabolic processes. Panchakarma, an Ayurvedic detoxification therapy, utilizes specialized procedures to eliminate toxins and rejuvenate the body. Specific therapies, such as Virechana (therapeutic purgation) and Basti (medicated enema), may be recommended for individuals with diabetes to support pancreas function, enhance digestion, and optimize metabolic processes.

Ayurveda Integrative Approach and Personalized Care for Diabetes

What sets Ayurveda apart is its integrative approach to diabetes management. It acknowledges the importance of modern medical interventions, like prescribed medications and insulin while integrating Ayurvedic principles for holistic care. Ayurvedic experts work in collaboration with medical professionals, tailoring their interventions to complement the conventional treatment plan. This integrative approach allows for personalized care, considering the unique needs and circumstances of each individual, and can potentially lead to improved glycemic control and better overall health outcomes.

Ayurveda offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to the management of diabetes. By addressing the root causes of the condition, Ayurvedic interventions aim to restore balance in the body, optimize digestion and metabolism, and promote overall well-being. While Ayurveda should not replace modern medical treatments, its personalized dietary recommendations, herbal remedies, lifestyle adjustments, detoxification practices, and integrative approach can serve as valuable adjuncts to conventional diabetes management. With its emphasis on individualized care and the promotion of overall health, Ayurveda provides a promising avenue for individuals finding a holistic approach to diabetes management and improved quality of life.

Diabetes types

Whatever we eat, our digestive system makes glucose and sends it to the blood. The hormone insulin transport it to the cells of our body. When our body is not able to produce insulin, then glucose builds up in the blood but cannot enter the cells. This is diabetes.

Type 1

In this case, the beta cells of the pancreas are completely destroyed and in this way it is not possible to make insulin in the body. Beta cells are completely destroyed in childhood itself due to genetic or autoimmunity reasons or some kind of viral infection. This disease is mainly found in the age of less than 12 to 25 years. In India, it is very rare that only 1% to 2% of cases are found in Type-1 patients. In Europe, especially in Sweden and Finland, type-1 diabetes is found in a lot of people. Insulin injections are compulsorily given to such patients.

Type 2

Type-2 diabetes is found in most of the 98% of diabetic patients in India. In such patients, beta cells make some insulin. But body cells are not able to use insulin in a normal way.

Possible reasons for Diabetes for Ayurveda

Today, a large population of the world is getting trapped in the clutches of diabetes. Diabetes is a condition in which there is a deficiency of insulin in the body or there is insulin in the body but it is not able to make sugar properly. This increases the amount of glucose in the blood due to lack of insulin.

Diabetes is more due to the following reasons.

1. If someone in your family has diabetes in the past, then your chances of getting this disease increase.
2. Obesity is a major cause of diabetes, obese people become victims of diabetes quickly.
3. Excess of cholesterol in the body or abnormal blood pressure also increases the risk of diabetes.
4. People become victims of diabetes due to excessive physical labor, fatigue, mental fatigue, stress, etc.
5. Eating a lot of sweets can also cause diabetes.
6. For a healthy body, drink water daily. Drinking less water also increases the chances of getting diabetes. Coffee or sweet drinks do not count as water.
7. Eating untimely (not regulary, late at night, sleeping immediately after eating ) or eating a lot of junk could lead to diabetes.
8. To keep your body healthy, it is necessary to walk or exercise regularly. Lack of exercise also increases the risk of diabetes.

Ayurveda Possibilities to reduce or control Diabetes

With diabetes, the body’s immunity and working capacity decrease. By following these Ayurvedic measures, you can control and reduce your sugar levels, helping to manage diabetes

1. Wheat plants have curative properties. Extracting juice from small wheat plants and consuming it daily keeps sugar under control.
2. Diabetes patients should eat less and light food. To reduce hunger, eat a cucumber after squeezing a lemon.
3. Turnip is also very important in the treatment of diabetes, reducing the amount of sugar in the blood. Diabetic patients should eat more watermelon, gourd, parwal, spinach, papaya, etc.
4. Ginger has proved to be very effective in diabetes. According to research done in Australia, ginger juice controls blood sugar levels completely. Ginger juice on an empty stomach daily is very beneficial even in chronic diabetes where the body parts are also affected.
5. Eat roti made mixing Soya flour with flour. Soybean has less Starch and carbohydrates, therefore, diabetes remains under control.
6. Diabetes victims should include Aloe Vera juice in their diet. Various types of vitamins, minerals, present in Aloe Vera work at the cell level of the body, which controls the amount of sugars and also keeps the person fit and healthy.
7. The consumption of linseed is suitable for diabetic people. Grind linseed in a grinder, mix it with flour, and eat its roti. Due to this, there is strength in the body for a long time.
8. Consume guava regularly for Diabetes. Cut it into fine pieces, sprinkle rock or black salt, and eat it.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Diabetes has been considered the father of a lot of diseases. After having diabetes, many diseases surround the body easily. In all ages sugar levels should be checked regularly. You never know when Diabetes starts slowly in your body. That could be in all ages. Very often in the first period, when Diabetes starts slowly it is not recognized or diagnosed. By the way, there are many such initial symptoms which indicate diabetes. Therefore, as soon as these symptoms appear on the body, you should be careful, take care of your food and drink, and consult a skilled doctor soon.

1. Frequent urination.
2. Excessive thirst.
3. Dry throat even after drinking a lot of water.
4. Feeling very hungry even after eating food.
5. Nausea and sometimes vomiting.
6. Stiffness in hands and feet and tingling in the body.
7. Dryness in the skin.
8. Irritability.
9. Headache.
10. Decreased body temperature.
11. Muscle pain.
12. Loss of weight.

If you take a little care, if you improve your lifestyle, eating habits, then you can definitely reach a healthy life.

Possible treatments of Diabetes with Ayurveda

Reduce your sugar consumption

Today we are going to tell you that sugar which has become our daily necessity, how harmful it can be for us. By the way, sugar is very important for our body and it has many benefits, like sugar is a boon for people with low blood pressure, it is very important to get rid of depression or to get rid of hunger. But we know that excessive use of anything is always harmful, same is with sugar.

Sugar contributes a lot in increasing diabetes. People who have a high blood sugar level should give up sugar nearly completely. In our daily work, whether it is working on the computer in the office, or any other work in the office, or any work, coffee or tea with sugar or sweet drinks are taking a huge place in our life, which is very harmful for us. Often the same behaviour by fatigue, depression, meetings which brings too much sugar in our body. You can reduce sugar by curbing some important things. Cold drinks contain a lot of sugar. Stop the sweets which contain sugar. You should start thinking, how you can life without sugar or how you can reduce your sugar consumtion in your daily life. Please control by your food and drinks the carbohydrate content per grams or milliliters.

Potatoes

(15 g per 100 g is a relatively high carbohydrate content for a type of vegetable)
If you are a patient of diabetes and want to reduce or completely control your sugar levels, then remove potatoes from your diet. Potato increases the sugar in our body very quickly. Potatoes contain carbohydrate which is essential for the body, even if you are normal then we should eat less potatoes. Potato contains vitamin C, B complex, iron, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus. Potato is also called the king of vegetables, be it any vegetable, mix potatoes and the meal is ready, this is the reason why potato is very useful in our life. But if you have diabetes avoid potatoes.

Rice

(28 g per 100 g is a relatively high carbohydrate content)
Rice is very harmful in diabetes, if you want to make sugar normal, then reduce rice and see how quickly it makes a difference on your sugar level. Despite being tasty, it is very harmful for diabetic patients. Rice or anything made of rice can harm you, so reduce rice and you will see its effect.

Ayurvedic Ways to avoid diabetes

Ayurvedic lifestyle and knowledge helps to avoid diabetes. To begin with, you should avoid Kapha-increasing food and routine (sleeping during the day).

Also, with regular exercise, you can stay reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, for this Yoga practice (Practice of Paschimottasana and Halasana) is an important means for Ayurveda.

Besides, prioritize a balanced diet, preferably a diet based on the knowledge of Ayurveda to avoid diabetes.

In addition, take a walk after every meal for a while.

It’s also important to avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and drugs.

Taking the powder of berries kernels, powder of neem leaves, powder of bael leaves, shilajit, gudmar, bitter gourd seeds and triphala powder in consultation with a ayurveda specialist will also be good for the patients of diabetes.

Finally, contact your Ayurveda specialist for expert treatment. Some Ayurvedic medicines like Vasant Kusumakar Ras, Trivang Bhasma, Shilajit, Chandraprabha Vati are the popular medicines administered to treat diabetes.