How Mrs. Vijaya treated her Type 2 diabetes with Naturopathy:
Mrs. Vijaya, aged 50, had been suffering from Type 2 Diabetes for the past 10 years. Furthermore, she also suffered from bronchial asthma and hypertension. She was tired of paying the frequent visits to doctors, which involves undergoing numerous tests, taking so many medicines, and managing the side effects. When her good friend suggested her to try naturopathy, having nothing to lose, she gave it a try.
As a successful homemaker and mother, she took care of her family to perfection. Her children’s successful career and life is a proof for this. However, her devotion to the wellness of her family came with a cost – her health. Years of neglect to her own body had taken a toll on her health. When the diseases got hold of her from all directions, she, along with the support of her husband and her children, decided to devote three weeks’ time just to herself. She went to a renowned naturopathy center in Pune. Her treatment involved yoga, meditation, massage, steam bath, mud pack for her body, Hepatic pack for reducing blood sugar, walking, and low fat, low salt, & anti-diabetic diet.
To her surprise, within 10 days of starting the treatment, her fasting blood sugar level dropped from 175 to 91, and her postprandial sugar level reduced from 275 to 175. Over the next 10 days, her conditions continued to improve steadily. Mrs. Vijaya started feeling more energetic and had gained a renewed confidence in herself. At the time of discharge from this naturopathy center, her blood pressure and blood sugar were in normal range. What’s more, she was even advised by the naturopathy physician to stop taking medications for the diabetes condition.
This is not just one story; every year Nature Cure Ashram, Urulikanchan, gets more than 800 cases of Type 2 Diabetes. Most of the patients leave the center with significant improvements in their conditions after the treatment.
The Nature Cure
According to naturopathy, a disease is a manifestation of the disturbance in the internal environment of the body. Obeying the laws of nature and elimination of accumulated toxins through therapies and lifestyle modification helps in restoring the balance. There are six pillars of naturopathic medicine:
- Believe in the healing power of nature.
- Look beyond just the symptoms to identify and treat the root cause of any disease.
- Adopt the least invasive and most natural ways to cure.
- Teach the patients to maintain health by adopting natural ways.
- View the body as an integration of physical and spiritual entities.
- Focus on the prevention and maintaining overall well-being.
A naturopathic physician identifies the root cause of the disease by a “Holistic Health Evaluation.” This mainly includes a form with questions designed to understand patient’s body, mind, and emotional state. This questionnaire allows the patients to share important details such as symptoms, the time diseases was first diagnosed, earlier diagnosed ailments, physical and emotional traumas, current medications and supplements, eating habits, and lifestyle. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, lab test results, interview with the patient, and physical examination, doctors identify the root causes of the disease and prepare a treatment protocol.
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in Naturopathy
Naturopathy treatment involves a multi-pronged approach for managing Type 2 diabetes. It involves a change in diet, the inclusion of herbal supplements, exercise, yoga, meditation, and various therapies such as massage, hydrotherapy, and body packs.
Education is the mainstay of Naturopathic medicine. It helps the patients to get connected with their body and mind. Some patients improve dramatically when they realize the root cause of their disease.
Diet and Supplements
Diabetic patients need to change their lifestyle, and naturopathy physicians are excellent at guiding them in this process. All the refined carbohydrates are removed from the diet. Instead, complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, fresh fruits, and vegetables are emphasized. Patients are recommended to use healthy oils, add high fiber diet in the form of raw salads and sprouts nuts and seeds. Low glycemic index fruits like papaya, apple, guava, and Indian blackberry (jamun) are recommended. The inclusion of Vitamin C in the form of dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, guava, Indian gooseberry, Vitamin E in the form of almond, avocado, sunflower seeds, spinach, and Vitamin B12 in milk and yogurt are suggested to help minimize the complications associated with diabetes.
Some of the herbal supplements advised for diabetes are Bilberry, Garlic, Ginseng, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Olive, etc. They work in synergy with the other aspects of the comprehensive protocol to replace deficient nutrients, reduce inflammation, decrease insulin resistance, and lower blood pressure. A daily dose of fenugreek seeds or amla juice in the morning also gives an antidiabetic effect. In addition to all these, patients may need to continue their standard prescriptions which may be tapered as and when required to avoid hypoglycemic attacks.
Hydrotherapy
The use of water for various treatments (hydrotherapy) is probably as old as mankind. Hydrotherapy is one of the basic methods of treatment widely used in the system of natural medicine, in the form of water therapy, aquatic therapy, pool therapy, and balneotherapy. Use of water in various forms and in various temperatures can produce different effects on the different system of the body.
Various hydrotherapeutic modalities like warm sitz bath, gastrohepatic pack, and kidney pack are used to bring in circulatory changes in the pancreas so as to regulate the insulin secretion.
The Diabetic Walk
Exercises of varying intensities are advised for an hour; at least five days a week works best for people with diabetes. Among all forms of exercises, walking is the best and easiest for a diabetic patient. It not only brings down the excess sugar in the blood, but also improves overall circulation, induces greater stamina, and vitality, which often goes lacking in diabetic patients.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga and meditation can be of great help in the management of diabetes as they help in managing stress. Reducing stress is of utmost importance in managing Type 2 Diabetes. Increase in stress levels leads to higher secretion of glucagon, a hormone responsible for secretion of glucose by the liver. While practicing Yoga and meditation, feel-good hormones like endorphin and encephalin are released, and one becomes calmer – thus leading to better sugar control. Yoga also helps in boosting the immune system and the glandular muscles that might get weak due to diabetes.
A recent study published in Journal of Diabetes Research showed that by following yogic practices, one can reap benefits like improving glycemic control and lipid levels. Many studies have shown that yoga helps in improving the quality of life by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing pulmonary and autonomic function. Yoga also contributes to bettering one’s mood, regulating one’s sleep pattern, and in reducing the medicine dosage. Asanas like Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Vakrasana, Ardhamatsyendrasana, and Yogamudrasana are found to be a boon in diabetes. Pranayams like Anulomviloma for balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and bhastrika and kapalbhati kriya to aid circulatory changes toward the pancreas are effective in controlling diabetes.
Allopathy vs. Naturopathy: Which Should You Pick?
Today, more often than not, a new diagnosed diabetic patient opts for the conventional medical care. Though the allopathic medications are successful in maintaining the blood glucose levels, they don’t address the root cause of the disease. Diabetes management in allopathy involves lifelong medication at the same time the risk of developing the diabetes-related complications such as diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy are not ruled out.
On the other hand, you can treat type 2 diabetes with Naturopathy in a holistic manner. It does not only treat the symptoms of a disease but also aims at healing the entire body and restoring its balance naturally to enable it to function optimally. This, in the process, leads to many positive effects, such as weight loss, increase in energy levels, and reduction in the blood glucose level, lipid values, and blood pressure. Many patients, who were treated with naturopathy, have observed positive changes in their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Some of the patients have even observed a considerable improvement in their damaged nerves and kidney. For other diabetic patients, who don’t have these complications, naturopathic treatments prevent such conditions from developing in future.
With increasing awareness about the alternative medicines, today more and more people are using them in managing chronic diseases. However, it is easier said than done. Allopathy medicines start showing the effect as soon as the patient starts the medication. There are fewer dietary restrictions involved. Naturopathic treatment, on the other hand, requires disciplined self-management and long-term care. The dietary restriction and need for regular exercise could be difficult to adhere to. This is one of the biggest hurdles for people opting to follow naturopathy treatments. When they get back to their home, they find it hard to maintain the same routine as in the naturopathy center. This is where an expert naturopathy physician comes into the picture. He guides the patients by following up with post-treatment procedures and hand hold them in implementing naturopathy in their daily life. In the long term, this leads to better quality of life and prevention of diabetes-related complications.
To know more about reversing type 2 diabetes, read our article on Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible? The Ultimate Guide
In case you are looking for Naturopathic and Ayurveda solutions for type 2 diabetes or any other chronic condition, do get in touch with us at contact us, we would help you to connect with the best doctor and alternative healing center.
