An Ayurveda approach to Diabetes

An Ayurveda approach to Diabetes 

The human body is a very regulated system, in which changes can lead to big disasters. This is how some diseases start, with small changes made day by day. And when we least expected our health has been compromised up to some extent which is hard to take it back. Humans have been looking for ways to stop diseases and cure the body for centuries. One particular method, used since 5,000 years ago, is ayurveda, the science of life or longevity (Tirtha et al., 2006). This holistic medicine was created in India and it is the oldest healing science. In ayurveda, diseases are caused by imbalance in the body cellular function due to a lack or excess in vata, pitta or kapha (Lad 2006). Each of these have a different purpose in our bodies, and there are different ways to enhance each energy. 

First, vata means movement like breathing, blinking and muscle and tissue movement. Having vata in balance brings creativity and flexibility. The guidelines to reach a balance vat includes getting plenty of rest, and as Thirtha mentioned ayurveda is not only the study of life, but also the science of the soul (Tirtha et al., 2006). Getting a good rest is good for the body, but also for the mind and spirit. We live in a society where the more you work the more you are rewarded, and we do not get to rest and “talk to ourselves”. Moreover, stress messes with our bodies and minds, and we can end up sick because of it and lack of rest. 

Next, pitta is the body’s metabolic system, and includes digestion, nutrition, metabolism and body temperature. Having it on balance leads to love, calm and forgiveness. This has to do with our diet and the guidelines are healthy eating habits. Diabetes is a great example of lack of balance in our metabolism. “Metabolism is the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life” (Oxford n.d). Further, the combination of bad habits and diet usually leads to Type 2 Diabetes. In this the pathway of glucose intake into the cells is disrupted and the body becomes insulin resistant . There can be other factors such as genetics and race that may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Kappa is lubrication, it is what forms the body: muscle, bones and tendons. And this one is about exercise and being active. Exercising is like a drug for the body, it makes us happy and confident in ourselves. As example one of the risk factors of type 2 diabetes is lack of exercise (March 2018), meaning that balance in our body’s activeness can improve our lifestyles and prevent diseases. Also, I have experienced that exercise makes us happy  myself, and it is a life changer. I was not secure about my body and health but exercising helped me to be confident and feel motivated for the day.

Moreover, one of the biggest diseases in The United States is diabetes. In my opinion, the most interesting type of diabetes is type 2, because we are responsible for its cause. Moreover, people need to mess up their diets and lifestyle for them to present diabetes. It is crazy to know that people are aware of the consequences but still keep making the same mistakes. While reading articles about diabetes I came across interesting cases about diabetes, and it was surprising that kids are starting to develop type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a nationwide problem and the USA is one of the leading countries with diabetics. Furthermore, reading about the cost of diabetes I did not think about the cost outside the medical bills. Diabetes expenses are expensive everywhere, because not only the medicine and hospital bills, but also the money lost for less working people. The USA loses 69 billion dollars to diagnosed diabetes patients, and it would keep losing if people do not change their lifestyles. The US is known to be the country of first places, and one not very wanted first place, is diabetes. The US is the leader in diabetes cases, therefore is very concerning the economic cost. Diabetes is a social concern, not only for the costs, but also the pain and suffering patients and family members and caregivers go through (American Diabetes Association 2013). Moreover, patients tend to have multiple complications all over their bodies. Which makes diabetes a deadly disease, because patients are at high risk for pandemics, surgeries, procedures, etc,; this disease changes someone's life and its family. Minimum changes in their metabolism can take them directly to the ER and worsen their condition. One shocking statement that a nurse once told me was that “anywhere you choose to work in you would deal with diabetes patients”. Diabetes is a game changer and one of the most interesting effects is gangrene to the extremities. My great-grandpa, who had diabetes, died without his legs; he developed gangrene. My grandma always talks about him and how awful it was for him to live with diabetes and the restrictions he had. 

Furthermore, Ayurveda is also about natural medicine, which is preferred than conventional medicine. I like the practice of balancing the body and using the guidelines as a co-treatment, but I am afraid that lots of people would prefer taking herbs than going to a doctor. In my culture, we believe in herbs and rituals that would help the body to dispose of bad energies. Which we believe makes people sick. A lot of times my grandma would perform those “rituals” on me, but I would not always get any better. Then, I think it is great to have balance with our bodies, spirit, mind and environment, because these practices help our wellbeing. And it is a great way to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes. If we care about the wellness of our bodies, and prevent all the junk that fills us up, our lives are going to improve.

References

American Diabetes Association. (2013). Economic costs of diabetes in the US in 2012. Diabetes care, 36(4), 1033-1046

Lad, V. (2006). Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and Guide. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.ayurveda.com/resources/articles/ayurveda-a-brief-introduction-and-guide

March, P. P., & Parks-Chapman, J. R. B. (2018). Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 in Adolescents: Risk Factors. CINAHL Nursing Guide.

Oxford. (n.d.). Oxford Languages and Google - English. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/

Tirtha, S. S., Uniyal, R. C., Sandhu. S., & Chandhok, J. K. (2006). The Ayurveda Encyclopedia : Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity: Vol. 2nd. ed., rev. Ayurveda Holistic Center Press.