Diabetes is an epidemic. Soon more people on the planet will have diabetes than don’t have it. There is tons of misinformation out there. I suffer from diabetes and my doctor is concerned because my blood sugar was 16 when I recently had it tested. Ideal is 5.5. I’m really reading and researching a lot so I can get it under control naturally because I believe with my whole heart that there are natural remedies for most of the diseases which afflict us. And I am going to beat diabetes! I promise!
I’ve been reading The Blood Sugar Solution by Mark Hyman, and I highly recommend it. This blog will be about the seven myths that he says are rampant about diabetes.
Myth 1 is that diabetes is genetic. Dr. Hyman points out that if this disease were truly genetic, the numbers representing the spread of the disease would not be what they are. Between the years 1983 and 2008, the number of victims skyrocketed from 35 to 240 million.
Myth 2 is that diabetes is not reversible. Doctors benefit from selling such items as diabetes testers, and the strips that you use to self-monitor your blood sugar. It is easier to reverse it if you have not had it for more than 10 years, but it is still reversible even after that point. Most doctors mistakenly test blood sugar, but before blood sugar is affected, insulin levels should be checked. The earler it is discovered and treated, the more reversible the disease will be.
Myth 3: Pre-diabetes isn’t a problem. Before Type 2 diabetes has been discovered, a person can be in pre-diabetic mode. A lot of people think that this is not a risk, like diabetes is, but it actually represents a high level of risk for heart attacks and other equally potentially fatal conditions.
Myth 4: Once you start on insulin, there is no going back.
Going on insulin at all to treat diabetes is a major mistake. The side effects including higher bad cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and weight gain. Each of those alone increases the chances of having something like a heart attack, and that is exactly what the administration of insulin is ostensibly supposed to prevent.
Myth 5: Lowering blood sugar with medication prevents death and heart attacks in diabetics.
One of the best lines Dr. Hyman writes is on this topic. He says that chronic disease is not the result of a drug deficiency. This is simple, but I think it is very well put. Although the doctor does not mention it, at least not yet, I think one mistake that people make is they go on these pills, and think that therefore they can eat whatever they want. This is manifestly not the case. I know based on anecdotal evidence that many diabetics make this particular mistake, and it is very serious.
Myth 6: Heart surgery and angioplasty are good treatments for diabetics with heart disease.
Dr. Hyman states that the risk of these procedures is so high that they should be used as a last resort, if ever.
Myth 7: Weight loss is necessary for the reversal of diabetes.
Having a gastric bypass to reduce weight by shrinking the stomach is not effective for most people in the long run; it does not address the dangerous lifestyle choices that led to the obesity in the first place.
What does Dr. Hyman say to do? Up to this point in the book, I have already learned several natural vitamins and minerals that can help lower blood sugar. For example, magnesium, chromium, Vitamins B and D, are all essential in lowering blood sugar. I’m going to be writing a lot of articles on diabetes. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
