Yoga - Holistic Diabetes Treatment
A Health Care Article Contributed by Marina Phillips
Yoga - Holistic Diabetes Treatment
It is no secret that diabetes is running rampant in our society today. We who live in the Western world usually recognize only the physical dysfunctions of diabetes. We address how to correct the physical absence of insulin in the body of a diabetes patient. But could there be more to the condition of diabetes than meets the physical eye?
Medical research on diabetes in India sees the condition through different eyes. They see it as a psychosomatic condition caused by mental, physical and emotional stress and by sedentary lifestyles.
The Exercise - Diabetes Link
Several medical diabetes experiments show the benefits of light exercise for people with the condition. Muscular exercise that is not excessive helps the body process insulin more efficiently. It also helps to keep appetite and weight consistent.
Studies in have shown that a diabetes patient can actually recondition the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. The practice of Yoga has yielded some remarkable results, including several cases of juvenile diabetes that were completely controlled by performing yogic exercises faithfully, every day, for a six month period.
How to Think about Diabetes in a Holistic Way
Thinking holistically means that you address every part of your being, not only the physical. Human beings also have intellectual, spiritual, mental and emotional facets that make up who we are.
Addressing the intellectual might include learning everything possible about diabetes. The spiritual aspect might be to contemplate the severe complications that could occur at any time, and what could happen.
Maintaining healthy mental and emotional balance includes spending as much time as possible on activities that are important to you. It also means that you spend significant amounts of quality time with family and loved ones.
Controlling diabetes in this holistic way has been very beneficial for test patients in India.
Diabetes and the Practice of Yoga
A diabetes patient needs to consider the following before beginning a new exercise program:
- Make sure to consult your doctor. He will want to monitor your condition more closely for the first while to ensure you remain healthy. After several weeks, you may be able to lower the dosage of your medication - but do not do so without your doctor's knowledge.
- Yoga should be done twice daily, at the beginning and at the end of the day, for 40 to 60 minutes. Plan your schedule accordingly.
- Avoid heavy exertion. Movements should flow and stretch out the body. Concentrating on breathing usually ensures that you won't overdo it.
- Do some research of your own about which yoga postures benefit the pancreas in particular.
- Make sure to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet during your Yoga program. Avoid sugars as much as possible and eat complex carbs and plenty of protein.
While physical intervention with diabetes is an effective way to treat the condition, it is not the only way. Keep an open mind about treatments that may be beneficial even though they are not considered mainstream.
