Glucose (CSF) Test

Glucose is the primary ingredient within the body which is turned into an energy source. This is what we use when we move, walk or make the slightest movements. To metabolize glucose into energy, your body needs insulin, which is a hormone produced within the pancreas. However, if the body doesn't react to the insulin or the pancreas is unable to produce enough, glucose cannot be converted into energy and thus results in type 2 diabetes.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes

1. Sudden or gradual weight loss despite increased hunger - Many people complain that they feel hungry and eat more, but despite this, tend to lose weight. This occurs as the body cannot metabolize glucose and uses energy reserves from fat or muscles leading to weight loss.
2. Frequent infections and slow healing - If you are afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, then it might affect your immune system and you may be prone to infections. Also, any cuts or bruises on your body will take much longer to heal than normal.
3. Irritability and fatigue - Another common symptom of type 2 diabetes along with the other symptoms mentioned here is quick irritability and fatigue. This is because most of the body is deprived of sugar and thus lacks the energy needed to function normally. 
4. Constant thirst and increased urination - If you feel constantly thirsty despite drinking ample water and urinating frequently, this may be a tell tale sign of type 2 diabetes.
5. Skin darkening in folds and creases of the body - Also known as acanthosis nigricans; this is a darkening of the skin where it also becomes velvety to the touch. It usually develops in the folds on skin in areas such as the neck and armpits and is a direct result of insulin resistance.

Causes of Type 2 diabetes

Some of the most common causes of Type 2 diabetes could be:

1. Being overweight
2. Lack of physical activity
3. Genetic predisposition or family history 
4. If you are more than 45 years of age
5. Hormonal problems such as Polycystic ovarian syndrome

Reverse Diabetes

There three major factors that can help you prevent and reverse pre- and type II diabetes: proper diet and appropriate nutritional and herbal supplementation, exercise, and weight management.

1. Diet: Proper diet is critical for both preventing and treating pre-and type II diabetes. One of the most important dietary precautions you can take is to eliminate all refined sugars and sugar products from your diet. Also reduce or eliminate your intake of alcohol and caffeine; avoid fast, processed "junk" foods and soda, altogether; and eat protein snacks between meals.
2. Eating According to the Glycemic Index: Another important dietary tip is eat meals that contains an abundance of low-glycemic (low-sugar) foods. By doing so you can significantly improve your body's ability to maintain low insulin and blood sugar levels. Low-glycemic foods include raw, organic leafy green vegetables, fruits that contain pits, sweet potatoes, yams, organic whole-grain breads and cereals, most legumes and nuts, skim and buttermilk, poultry, white fish, shellfish, and lean cuts of beef and veal.
3. Nutritional and Herbal Supplements: In addition to a healthy diet, many people at risk for or who already have pre- or type II diabetes will also benefit from various nutritional and herbal supplements.
4. Exercise: Regular exercise should be part of every diabetic's daily routine. Exercise in combination with a weight loss program has been proven to reduce the odds of developing diabetes by 58 percent among people who are at risk for the disease. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult with the doctor for diabetes ayurvedic treatment.

 1) Diabetes is curable :

Diabetes is  mainly due deficiency of Insulin (hormone produced by Beta cells of pancreas), plus resistance to action of insulin, overweightor obesity  and inactivity. Therefore, to treat diabetes we need drugs that initiate insulin secretion, reduce insulin resistance. In some cases  insulin itself. Plus dietary control and regular exercise to maintain normal weight or reduce excess weight. Hence it can only be effectively controlled. Cure is not possible.

2) Eating Sugar or Sweets causes Diabetes :

It is incorrect to say that eating sweets and / or sugar causes diabetes. Basically excess food intake will lead to excess production of glucose. That puts excess load on insulin producing cells in pancreas due glucotoxicity. Also due to central obesity  the fat around internal organs causes lipotoxicity affecting the beta cells. Therefore, excess food intake in general and weight gain  are the reasons for diabetes.

3) Jaggery is better or safe in diabetes :

Jaggery and sugar both are essentially same. Both contain sucrose, as they are prepared from sugar cane juice. Hence eating either of these will increase blood glucose considerably. In jaggery there are some vitamins and a few antioxidants. But both are bad for a diabetic person.

4) Rice should not be eaten in diabetes :

Not really true. Because in south India this is the major or at times only main food. Rice has a high glycemic index so gets converted to glucose rapidly. So polished rice is not good. Brown rice is better. Quantity should be regulated. All other cereals  also are converted  glucose after digestion. 

5)Allopathic Medications Damage Kidneys, so go for either Ayurvedic or Homeopathic Drugs :

In fact diabetes itself affects kidney, particularly the filtering membrane of glomerulurous  (a filtering unit in the kidney).   Even when diabetes fairly well controlled, kidney does get affected. The drugs used to treat diabetes  help in overcoming kidney damage. Therefore it is wrong to think that modern drugs cause kidney damage. In fact some of the other drugs contain heavy metals (Bhasmas), which can be harmful to the kidney.

6) Sugar intake is essential for body :

Some people keep asking that eating sugar is very necessary for getting energy for the body tissues. This is not at all true.  Because all the cereals like rice, jowar, wheat, ragi, bajra and other millets, contain starch as the main ingredient. Hence intake of each of these foods  provides glucose after digestion. So there is no separate need for taking sugar.

Few things to be remembered and practiced are :

• Always use whole grain flour, as it contains a good amount of biber content for making chapati or roti.
• Consume more of green leafy vegetables and salads with every meal.
• Consider fruits and green leafy vegetables as part of regular snacks
• Take small meals on more number of occasion to avoid glucose surge.
• Avoid Maida and foods made from it. It is probably worst kind of food that one can consume.
• Form healthy food habits.

All wine lovers, behold. A recent study has found that red wine contains a compound called resveratrol which has similar health benefits of exercising or gymming. However, before you give up gymming and turn to a wine cellar, let’s delve deeper into this.

The actual study involved a control group of rats which were supplemented with resveratrol. The rats were then forced to run on a treadmill for days. Results showed that rats who had consumed resveratrol ran faster and longer than rats who did not have resveratrol. The rats that were induced with resveratrol had greater energy and glucose levels.

The health benefits of red wine are well known to all in terms of slimming your waist line, protecting you against dementia and cancer, anti-aging, effective mouthwash and more. And, now adding to these benefits, red wine has also proven to boost heart rate, thereby, increasing your ability to physically exert more. Even though it is an alcoholic beverage, red wine indeed is an elixir when consumed in moderation.

But, before you jump on the bandwagon, below are some important conclusions of the recent study conducted:

1. The study was done on animals and it can be debatable, if it can apply to humans as well. It is not really sure, if animal studies can actually predict human reactions.
2. The rats were supplemented with high doses of resveratrol equivalent to one full bottle of red wine. Consuming a whole bottle of red wine will add to more sugar and calories and outweigh the weight loss benefits of red wine.
3. Resveratrol is also found in grapes. So, rather than gulping down a whole bottle of red wine, why not try a bowl of red grapes? This might be a more healthy way to consume resveratrol and enjoy its proven benefits.
4. Resveratrol can help patients who are physically incapable of doing exercises. This magical compound, if supplemented in the right way can mimic exercise for such people and provide benefits for them.
5. As the old saying goes, if something is too good to be true, then it probably is. The health benefits of red wine are abundant, but when it comes down to this study it is really not clear if does it really provide its proven benefits.

This study tends to focus more on people who are unable to get their workout done due to physical inabilities. If you are able to physically work out well, then go for it! There is nothing close to the real benefits of working out. If you wish to discuss any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

How to lose weight with fibrous foods?

Body composition is never the same for two individuals with the same body weight and of the same sex. It is vital to view your weight loss in light of your body composition. Since muscle occupies less space in your body than fat, leanness is determined by one's body composition and weight. The term body composition refers to the percentage of bone, fat, muscle and water content in your body.

Irrespective of the body composition you may have, if you're planning to lose weight naturally, having fibrous foods can help you to achieve that optimal body weight. The study suggests that people who have fiber in their diet tend to have healthy body weight. It provides your stomach with a full feeling and stimulates brain receptors to stop eating without adding any extra calories.

What is fiber?
Fiber is basically carbohydrate present in plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. In comparison to other forms of carbohydrates, fiber is not easily digested by the body. As a consequence, it passes quickly through your digestive tract without increasing your blood sugar levels. Additionally, it is the soluble fiber that absorbs water to form a type of gel inside your stomach, leading to a slowdown in the absorption of glucose. Lower levels of blood sugar indicate lower insulin levels, which significantly reduces the chances of your body storing fat.

•   split peas: contains 16.3 grams of fiber per cup
•   black beans: contains 15 grams of fiber per cup
•   lentils: contains 15.6 grams of fiber per cup
•   broccoli: contains 5.1 grams of fiber per cup
•   peas: contains 8.8 grams of fiber per cup
•   raspberries: contains 8 grams of fiber per cup
•   blackberries: contains 7.6 grams of fiber per cup

At times being able to conceive becomes a challenge due to certain biological reasons. Feeling positive and eating healthy naturally takes you a step nearer to getting pregnant. In case of no medical condition acting as an obstruction, consuming the right food can increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Here’s a list of supplements you can include in your diet to maximise your chances of getting pregnant.

1. Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates: Reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates (found in milk, potatoes, corn to name a few) can reduce inflammation of the genitals, which will help increase fertility. You can still continue to have your favourite foods, but ensure they are low GI (glycaemic index- a figure used to represent the ability of carbohydrate to increase glucose in blood) carbohydrates.

You can consume whole grains, which help in reducing insulin levels that in turn reduce the risk of heart diseases and diabetes and also help lower cholesterol levels. Try having whole grain bread instead of white bread and porridge instead of sugary processed cereals to reduce your GI ingestion.

2. Harness the power of Proteins: Proteins are an important part of your diet and the type of proteins you require careful consideration as they help make new hormones. Try having 25gms of vegetable protein like seeds, legumes and nuts instead of animal protein.

Add dairy foods to your diet as they are also a rich source of protein. They provide vital minerals and nutrients like magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12 to the body and at the same time are low in calories. Include milk, yoghurt and cottage cheese to your meals so that you have a minimum of three servings of dairy products a day, which is essential to meet your nutritional needs and increase your chances of having a baby.

3. Welcome Good Fats: Processed foods, fatty meats and takeaways are high in saturated fats including trans fats. These lead to inflammation and an increase of oxygen free radicals in the body, which decrease fertility. So, incorporate good fats in your diet in controlled quantities. Try having avocado and tomato on a whole grain toast, for instance.

4. Make folate an integral part of your diet: Folate is an essential nutrient that helps in decreasing the incidence of birth defects in babies, while ensuring a healthy conception. Along with the prescribed supplements, try to increase its intake in its natural form. The best way to do this is by having green leafy vegetables, which are a rich source of folate. You can also have veggie sticks and vegetable soup along or green vegetable dishes to increase your folate intake. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.