Curated Paper (Ayurveda and Metabolism)

As I understand it, Ayurveda is an approach to maintaining health that is largely theoretical. This differs from modern medicine in that there is limited focus on the biochemical interactions between drugs and bodies, but rather they focus more on lifestyle and mindset to treat illness. This is not to say that Ayurveda does not involve intervention, Ayurvedic methods do involve change in diet and even surgical practice at times. The idea that what we think affects our well being is not a foreign idea to me. I remember reading a book a few years ago called “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen. In that book, he referred to the idea that the content with which you fill your mind can make you physically sick. He emphasizes the importance of thinking thoughts that are pure and uplifting. He does, however, clarify the point by stating that not all disease is the result of unworthy thoughts. I feel this relates to the idea of Ayurvedic treatment as well. Yoga is included in this and has most definitely been found to improve one’s mental and physical health. I believe that our minds are powerful. While we may not be able to simply overcome a bacterial or viral infection with our minds alone, I certainly find it believable that we could improve the function of our bodies with mind power. In what I have read about Ayurveda, they treat what we call “organ systems” as communication centers. Ayurveda emphasizes the balance between Vatta, Kapha, and Pita. The balance of these three aspects brings about ideal health. Vatta emphasizes the movement in body and in mind. This is where thoughts play a role. Kapha represents the digestive and metabolic functions of the body. And Pita refers to the physical movement of the body using muscles and bones. The idea of Ayurveda is fascinating to me and I look forward to learning more about its application in the future.

The idea that our bodies have the capability of mainting balance or ayurveda is implicit when we begin to mention how diabetes can disrupt the balance. Something as simple as chronically overeating can cause our cells to become overwhelmed and eventually immune to insulin. This marks the beginning of an understanding that our bodies really do need healthy maintenance in order to function properly. This involves physical and mental maintenance, as is emphasized with ayurveda. 

I found an article published by the American Diabetes Association that showed a study that examined different methods for promoting weight loss in patients with Type II Diabetes. The study indicated that any type of diet showed success in reducing the weight of participants. The study also indicates that behavior therapy significantly reduced the weight of participants as well. I wonder if cognitive based therapy would do the same. This would support the idea that our mentality has a significant effect on our bodies metabolism.

I read another article that actually frowned upon dieting. It was written by a nutrition professor in Australia. She claimed that diets might help acutely with weight, but often in the long run they actually increase weight gain. This is due to our minds feeling starved during diets. The diet mentality actually induces stress and fear which drives the body to store more fat in case it ever passes through that stage again. I am finding that the balance between mind and body is very complex. If we look at treating diabetes from different perspectives of science, we realize that we have not found the ideal treatment for this disease. Considering the previous article that I found about how diets can be helpful and then the next article that actually counters that assumption; there is no perfect way to maintain this necessary balance within our bodies. Or at least, we don’t fully understand it. If I do what is right for the physical part of my being, how is the emotional part of my being affected?

It is mindboggling to think about the costs of diabetes. I wonder if everyone knew that diabetes cost billions of dollars every year, would we do anything different? Would people more widely recognize it as a pandemic? It is interesting to note that many people do feel ashamed of their  diabetes diagnosis. But I believe that there are also a number of people who see nothing wrong with their diabetes problem. After all, it's a perfectly treatable disease and there are millions of patients with the same problem. Perhaps the mindset of conformity can be just as bad as a mindset of fear and anxiety. 

In the economics of diabetes study that was provided to us, I found it interesting to note that a large contributor to indirect costs was “presenteesm”. People who’s performance is hindered by disease, but they attend anyway. This supports my suspicion that many people likely see their diabetes issue as something that is perfectly reasonable. However, in the slides we find many examples of the fact that diabetes does take a toll on the person. This can tip the balance of thoughts and emotions for people with diabetes and eventually problems begin to compound. This could be why we see so many comorbidities of people with diabetes. Their bodies are weaker because of their physical state and because of their mindset. 

One of the important factors that leads to diabetes is the lack of self control. One person’s inability to control their eating impulses can lead to diabetes and eventually cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancer. “Low glucose relates to greater aggression in married couples'' was an interesting study. The use of voodoo dolls to measure the level of aggression felt towards a spouse was unconventional but efficient. I found that they employed a fairly causative relationship between blood glucose levels and intimate partner aggresssion, which I don’t believe to be a correct approach. I want to understand why low blood glucose would lead to greater aggression, because I thought I understood that elevated blood glucose is a result of diabetes and not low sugar levels. However, I like the mentality of the study in showing that the biology of the body and the psychology of the mind could be deeply intertwined.

Along with my last entry, I have found that diabetes can affect the psychology of an individual both internally and externally. Depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses are some of the most unfortunate ones out there. As it has been discussed, diabetes throws the metabolic pathways and balance of the body out of control. Oftentimes mental illnesses can be the cause of a lack or abundance of certain hormones. Hormones that are produced through the metabolic pathways of cells and organs in the body. Externally, diabetes and obesity can cause a person to feel shameful and outcast. This throws their thoughts out of balance and can compound by producing stress responses in their bodies that will only make matters worse.

This strengthens the argument that  a holistic approach is necessary when approaching a treatment for someone with diabetes. It is not simply a matter of controlling blood sugar levels. It is necessary to take into account the many factors that affect someone's well being in order for them to maintain balance within all of their systems.