Jessica Hertig

BIOL 4500

The consequence of imbalance

How does one live a balanced life and what are the consequences of imbalance? This is what the concept of Ayurveda encompasses- the balance of mind, body, and spirit. Ayurveda is a holistic medicine practice that has been used in India for thousands of years. It revolves around the concept that if one can keep the mind, body, and spirit balanced that it can help to “cure” or stave off disease. It takes health care to a more personal level as your balance will be different than others.  It is not formally recognized in the U.S. as a form of medicine (The Ayurvedic Institute, 2006). This has much to do with their practices and substance not being regulated. This could cause harm to an individual if they are not being given what they actually need. I am personally on the fence about this concept. I have to agree with the premise behind it that everything is connected. I feel that it is very true that the environment you are in, the way you eat, if you exercise, the stress in your life and more all have an effect on your body and that this should lead to more personal healthcare. Where I tend to disagree is with it being seen as a means of medicine or that it can stave off disease. Some things can very easily be treated by homeopathic means, but what would they do if they had cancer. I have a good friend that was recently diagnosed with cancer. She is only 30 years old and has a clean lifestyle, but that did not stop the imbalance within her body from taking place. Her cancer is also not going to be cured through homeopathic means.

Diabetes is the perfect example of what an imbalance with in the body can affect. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin for the body. Type II diabetes is when the insulin receptors on cells have been over used, so they become resistant to insulin. Insulin is what helps you to take glucose into your cells. So, now instead of feeding your cells the glucose they need it is flooding your blood which leads to high blood sugar. This is thus starving your cells of glucose which they need for energy and causes problems throughout the body (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Diabetes is the bodies reaction to an imbalance taking place within and all of the symptoms associated with it are trying to tell you to change something so it can become balanced again.

Diabetes is a disease that is an increasing problem within the United States. With the highest percentage of diabetes seen within the Native American, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Black communities. There is no tangible evidence that this is connected to a specific gene. It appears to have more of an attachment to their socioeconomic statis, ability to receive healthcare, their culture, and education level (Gaskin et al., 2014, American Diabetes Association, 2018). This is disquieting to see that these factors are having such an impact on a disease. So, much money is being thrown at trying to find new medications to try to fix a symptom of the disease which then in turn causes other problems. What would change if we instead were trying to help with a behavioral change or with the ability to have affordable healthy food options? By simply helping change the environment of those with Type II diabetes to be more balanced. This does not mean that you are trying to change who they are, but instead add in the understanding of good practices such as physical activity, a balanced diet, and rest. This will help to add balance to the body inside and outside.

This is not going to fix the problems that are present within Type 1 diabetes as they need to have insulin injected daily as they do not produce it themselves. This is an ever-present imbalance that is present and those that have it live a lifestyle that helps them to stay balanced. When they are not balanced it can be disastrous. This last year my friend found herself in the hospital pregnant and with a bad case of Ketoacidosis that nearly killed her. She had developed Type I diabetes and was unaware of that fact. The doctors believe that when she had a bad case of Mono earlier that year that her pancreas was damaged leaving her unable to produce insulin. This imbalance nearly cost her and her baby their life. She is now taking insulin and carefully watching her diet to make sure that the balance within her body is restored.  

The body is complicated and imbalance within it can happen before you know it. The body does have methods in place that help to quickly bring the system back into balance. When balance cannot be restored disease rears its head. Disease can throw the entire body off kilter giving a sign that something is wrong. As I discussed this is what happens with diabetes. The system becomes imbalanced and this leads to a plethora of problems. These problems can be fixed as they strive to bring balance back to the system whether that be by injecting insulin or by being physically active and eating correctly for you. We need to be aware of our bodies own balance and take care of it when imbalance happens.  

American Diabetes Association. (2018, March 22). Statistics About Diabetes | ADA. https://diabetes.org/resources/statistics/statistics-about-diabetes

The Ayurvedic Institute. (2006). Ayurveda: A Brief Introduction and Guide. https://www.ayurveda.com/resources/articles/ayurveda-a-brief-introduction-and-guide

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, March 11). What is Diabetes? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

Gaskin, D. J., Thorpe, R. J., Jr, McGinty, E. E., Bower, K., Rohde, C., Young, J. H., LaVeist, T. A., & Dubay, L. (2014). Disparities in diabetes: the nexus of race, poverty, and place. American journal of public health, 104(11), 2147–2155. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301420