Diabetes

[orangeliz]

Hello all,

I wondered if there were anyone out there living with diabetes, type 1 or 2? I have had it for most of my life, however I find my recent interest in Buddhism has had a positive impact on my diabetes as well. There are various articles about mindfulness and diabetes during the past few years and I find it fascinating. Diabetes can be highly demanding as it needs to be considered daily and with everything that you do, there are also a long list of potential long term complications related with poor glucose control. Along with this there is the potential each day to have periods of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) both of which come with a variety of unpleasant symptoms such as weakness, confusion, irritability, heart pulpatations and so. It can difficult to maintain a good glucose sugar as so many things effect, I have type 1 therefore I need to have daily insulin injections to do the job my pancreas no longer does. I am suppose to inject insulin depending on how many carbohydrate I have but so many other things can influence glucose level. Exercise, stress and hormones are just to name a few.

I find, however, that in trying to be mindful and focusing on the here and and now I approach my diabetes care a lot more positively. Long term complications are something to consider but they often result from poor glucose control, therefore by taking each day and each blood glucose test at a time I hopefully will prevent them and by not thinking so much about the future I am more focused on my readings now. I also am able to forget those very difficult times I have had with my diabetes, since I have had a rather few years of poor health which did become a barrier. Once agian by focusing on now and not rethinkin the times I was in hospital I feel a lot better!

I wondered if anyone else had diabetes, or any other medical condition which they find their Buddhist lifestyles help with.

Thank for for taking the time to read,

With metta,

Orangeliz

[Hanzze]

_/\_

[PeterB]

I am sure that our member Annapurna will be able to suggest healthy ways of eating to you jonycarr.

[Jhana4]

PBS did a documentary about the program in this book developed by Dr. Neal Barnard and the National Institute Of Health ( U.S.A. ). It is a whole foods, high carbohydrate, high fiber, low fat diet that has been proven to reverse type II diabetes for many people and even reduce the need for insulin in type I diabetics.

Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes without Drugs