Diabetic Diet - New Food Tools Series
Hi there!
I have been researching ways to help pre-diabetics and diabetics who want to use more natural based therapies as part of their care.
India is a country where the diabetic crisis is about to explode, just as it is in the United States of America. Millions of undiagnosed diabetics exist in both countries, and the numbers of those identified is steadily rising.
India has a long, independent medical tradition and that is what prompts me to look at the way that Indian culture is dealing with the crisis, which is largely caused by:
1) less traditional diet and food use
2) more sedentary occupations
3) more stress and
4) degraded environment.
The first human medical system, Ayurveda, was born in India more than 5,000 years ago. There’s a long list of alternative therapies in its practice.
In using any of the foods as diabetic therapy, please make sure that you consult your physician beforehand and get exact numbers of times to monitor your blood sugars more frequently.
Many of these foods will lower your blood sugar levels - thereby reducing your need for your diabetes medications, so you must monitor and consult for changes in your medication dosage.
Now, we begin an 9 part series in Special Foods for Diabetics.
In the spirit of Hippocrates, the Greek physician credited with beginning Western Medicine,"Let your food be your remedy and your remedies be your food."
I suggest incorporating these new foods into your diet one at a time, maybe try them for 2 weeks, before adding another of these therapeutic foods. Be sure to monitor your blood sugar levels more frequently in those first weeks. A great deal can happen in the first 1 - 2 months to change your diabetes positively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART ONE:
Bitter melon - bitter gourd - balsam pear, balsam apple, karela, ampelaya, papailla, melao de sao caetano, k'u kua kurela, kor-kuey, ku gua, pava-aki, salsamino, sorci, sorossi, sorossie, sorossies, pare, peria laut, peria
.....................................................................................................
Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia Linn.) is both a nutritious gourd-like, bumpy skinned vegetable and a trusted medicinal herb that grows abundant in many tropical regions. Unlike most herbs, bitter melon is commonly eaten, proof positive of its safety.
It is a member of the cucumber family, and the lighter green colored to slightly orange colored gourds are a little less bitter. Find them in Asian markets or the ethnic vegetable section of your market, especially from spring through summer. Some markets are beginning to carry them year round.
This vegetable is extremely bitter, and that component contains a very effective, high dosage of 'plant insulin'. It lowers human blood-sugar levels very effectively.
If you tend to also have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), you should not use bitter melon or use only half the recommended amount and monitor yourself. The bitterness is moderated or balanced out in traditional cooking recipes.
In the Philippines, ampalaya (bitter melon) has been included as part of the current national program against diabetes called Operation Diabetes. This makes it one of the few (maybe even the only) herbal products in the world endorsed by a national medical association of doctors (over 1,500 strong). This has been using the vegetable and as Charantea.
Bitter melon also requires monitoring of cholesterol lowering drugs, too, if you take them. It makes them more potent, so less may be needed.
If you consider taking bitter melon long-term, then also take a probiotic capsule of friendly flora everyday e.g. acidopholus capsules. Having yoghurt is not sufficient. Bitter melon effectively kills off many bacteria, including your friendly ones.
I have read to only use concentrated bitter melon preparations right AFTER a meal ... this would be a better way to start in my opinion, especially if you are not under the care of a physician who understands the action of this food therapy. Make sure you are monitoring your blood sugars more often so you see how this foods beneficially affects you. Hopefully you will be able to reduce your medications soon.
Traditional prescription: Have the juice of three to four karelas early morning on an empty stomach. OR Powder the seeds of karela (measuring 1 teaspoon), mix with water and drink it. (This second form may be practical in India, but we do not have a ready supply to just use powdered seeds.) OR A traditional South American prescription is: juice 1-2 fresh bitter melon fruits and drink twice daily
New traditional prescription: Westerners are also promoting bitter melon in other forms e.g. Charantea. This is likely to taste better to the Western palate and can be combined with citrus ... there is a recipe on their site www.charanteausa.com
Tea: Take 1 cup after every meal, 3 times a day
Capsules: Take 1-2 capsules after every meal 3 times a day.
"Charantea contains the herb's key compounds that help maintain normal blood sugar levels. These include a polypeptide-p (a plant insulin similar to animal insulin), charantin (a steroid mixture) and vicine (a pyrimidine nucleoside). Researchers are looking into possible modes of action caused by the interplay of these compounds."
As a vegetable, it can be taken on a regular basis by everyone in your family except for pregnant women, breast-feeding women and children below 7 years old. It has a natural birth-control aspect to it (don’t rely on that component completely, please!), but for those couples who are seeking to procreate children, do not use bitter melon while trying to conceive.
You will find many Asian and South American cuisines use bitter melon e.g. Phillipines, India, Okinawa, Thailand. Look for recipes online.
Best Regards,
Em
-----------------------------------------------------------
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/14diab.htm
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/15diab.htm
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA303253
www.charanteausa.com
http://www.rain-tree.com/bitmelon.htm
I have been researching ways to help pre-diabetics and diabetics who want to use more natural based therapies as part of their care.
India is a country where the diabetic crisis is about to explode, just as it is in the United States of America. Millions of undiagnosed diabetics exist in both countries, and the numbers of those identified is steadily rising.
India has a long, independent medical tradition and that is what prompts me to look at the way that Indian culture is dealing with the crisis, which is largely caused by:
1) less traditional diet and food use
2) more sedentary occupations
3) more stress and
4) degraded environment.
The first human medical system, Ayurveda, was born in India more than 5,000 years ago. There’s a long list of alternative therapies in its practice.
In using any of the foods as diabetic therapy, please make sure that you consult your physician beforehand and get exact numbers of times to monitor your blood sugars more frequently.
Many of these foods will lower your blood sugar levels - thereby reducing your need for your diabetes medications, so you must monitor and consult for changes in your medication dosage.
Now, we begin an 9 part series in Special Foods for Diabetics.
In the spirit of Hippocrates, the Greek physician credited with beginning Western Medicine,"Let your food be your remedy and your remedies be your food."
I suggest incorporating these new foods into your diet one at a time, maybe try them for 2 weeks, before adding another of these therapeutic foods. Be sure to monitor your blood sugar levels more frequently in those first weeks. A great deal can happen in the first 1 - 2 months to change your diabetes positively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART ONE:
Bitter melon - bitter gourd - balsam pear, balsam apple, karela, ampelaya, papailla, melao de sao caetano, k'u kua kurela, kor-kuey, ku gua, pava-aki, salsamino, sorci, sorossi, sorossie, sorossies, pare, peria laut, peria
.....................................................................................................
Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia Linn.) is both a nutritious gourd-like, bumpy skinned vegetable and a trusted medicinal herb that grows abundant in many tropical regions. Unlike most herbs, bitter melon is commonly eaten, proof positive of its safety.
It is a member of the cucumber family, and the lighter green colored to slightly orange colored gourds are a little less bitter. Find them in Asian markets or the ethnic vegetable section of your market, especially from spring through summer. Some markets are beginning to carry them year round.
This vegetable is extremely bitter, and that component contains a very effective, high dosage of 'plant insulin'. It lowers human blood-sugar levels very effectively.
If you tend to also have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), you should not use bitter melon or use only half the recommended amount and monitor yourself. The bitterness is moderated or balanced out in traditional cooking recipes.
In the Philippines, ampalaya (bitter melon) has been included as part of the current national program against diabetes called Operation Diabetes. This makes it one of the few (maybe even the only) herbal products in the world endorsed by a national medical association of doctors (over 1,500 strong). This has been using the vegetable and as Charantea.
Bitter melon also requires monitoring of cholesterol lowering drugs, too, if you take them. It makes them more potent, so less may be needed.
If you consider taking bitter melon long-term, then also take a probiotic capsule of friendly flora everyday e.g. acidopholus capsules. Having yoghurt is not sufficient. Bitter melon effectively kills off many bacteria, including your friendly ones.
I have read to only use concentrated bitter melon preparations right AFTER a meal ... this would be a better way to start in my opinion, especially if you are not under the care of a physician who understands the action of this food therapy. Make sure you are monitoring your blood sugars more often so you see how this foods beneficially affects you. Hopefully you will be able to reduce your medications soon.
Traditional prescription: Have the juice of three to four karelas early morning on an empty stomach. OR Powder the seeds of karela (measuring 1 teaspoon), mix with water and drink it. (This second form may be practical in India, but we do not have a ready supply to just use powdered seeds.) OR A traditional South American prescription is: juice 1-2 fresh bitter melon fruits and drink twice daily
New traditional prescription: Westerners are also promoting bitter melon in other forms e.g. Charantea. This is likely to taste better to the Western palate and can be combined with citrus ... there is a recipe on their site www.charanteausa.com
Tea: Take 1 cup after every meal, 3 times a day
Capsules: Take 1-2 capsules after every meal 3 times a day.
"Charantea contains the herb's key compounds that help maintain normal blood sugar levels. These include a polypeptide-p (a plant insulin similar to animal insulin), charantin (a steroid mixture) and vicine (a pyrimidine nucleoside). Researchers are looking into possible modes of action caused by the interplay of these compounds."
As a vegetable, it can be taken on a regular basis by everyone in your family except for pregnant women, breast-feeding women and children below 7 years old. It has a natural birth-control aspect to it (don’t rely on that component completely, please!), but for those couples who are seeking to procreate children, do not use bitter melon while trying to conceive.
You will find many Asian and South American cuisines use bitter melon e.g. Phillipines, India, Okinawa, Thailand. Look for recipes online.
Best Regards,
Em
-----------------------------------------------------------
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/14diab.htm
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/mar/15diab.htm
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA303253
www.charanteausa.com
http://www.rain-tree.com/bitmelon.htm
>posted by Em at 1:51 PM
1 Comments:
Somehow diabetics food is not overrated.
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