KICK THE SUGAR HABIT
Updated: Jul 2, 2022
Rather than just say glibly "get serious about quitting sugar" - I want to define WHY we should kick the sugar habit. Not just for weight adjustment but also for our health.
I started researching the implications of our modern day, sugar laden lives. I didn't discover anything new but I was reminded of something that becomes more important with the increase in our sugar, meat, diary and chemical consumption - both obvious and hidden. Inaccurate advice, clever advertising/marketing and poor lifestyle choices all contribute to what is becoming a Western epidemic.
I read somewhere that type 2 Diabetes (we used to call it Adult Onset, I wonder if they changed it because it is now developing in kids) is often called The Black Death of the 21st century!
Diabetes UK estimate that over the next decade 5.5 million people will be Type 2. In the USA, numbers have more than tripled and one in four of the population live with Diabetes. It is predicted that within the decade one in three of the population will suffer. This is something that's not going away, in fact it's quite chilling.
It develops slowly and the symptoms are not always obvious, so the figures could end up higher. However, with proper self-care 3 out of 5 Type 2 cases can be prevented ..... it really is in your own hands.
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/preventing-type-2-diabetes is an interesting site to explore.
Suffice to say 90% of Type 2 Diabetics are overweight - so that has got to be your first port of call: release, say adios to the excess pounds. Following the recent Weight class that Kim and I did, my blogs for a while will have a definite bias towards 'weight adjustment'. So if you haven't already, join my website newsletter so you don't miss out.
Diabetes: the word is derived from Greek for 'to pass through/to siphon' and Melitus the Latin for honey/sweet.
So we have the Pancreas and it's secreted Insulin on one hand and sugar that needs to be processed on the other.
Two things can go wrong:
the Pancreas does not make enough Insulin - this is Type 1
the Pancreas makes enough but the body becomes resistant to Insulin's effects - Type 2
The body then tries to eliminate the excess sugar in the blood through the kidneys and urine (it will be 'sweet'). So immediately we can see that the symptoms of excessive urination and tiredness make sense. (compromised Kidney energy normally manifests in tiredness, if not exhaustion).
So in my mind: Insulin is the 'bridge' that Glucose can use to fuel a cell. If there is any problem with that 'bridge' then glucose can't get into the cells efficiently and builds up in the blood causing damage to the vessels themselves, eyes, kidneys, heart. It can hinder circulation and increase the risk of stroke.
I'm not a doctor, so this is a highly simplified version and of course there are myriad nuances. But it creates a vision for me, of why healthy Blood Sugar Level (BSL) is so crucial to maintain.
Another 'bridge blocker' is a direct result of 'obesity'/what you eat. If your diet and lifestyle choices are not good for you, fat can accumulate in the muscles and Liver (I think of it as a 'toxic plaque') and this in turn interferes with the action of insulin. Doesn't matter how much you produce, it just won't be efficiently utilised.
HOWEVER, the good news is that you cause it = you can prevent it and sometimes even cure it! Just start making the right diet and lifestyle choices, an overhaul of both can reap immediate rewards, it may literally change your life.
Your bridge may still be intact but perhaps, it needs a bit of attention and support to make it truly strong and functional again. It's in YOUR hands, are you ready to take responsibility? do it now while you still have a choice. You are investing in your future.
DIET WISE:
Lower your intake of 'bad' fat and you'll lower your insulin resistance = everything will function more efficiently.
Be sensible with the obvious sugars, refined foods, in fact anything white and chemically rich.
Foods and saturated fats such as meat and dairy (did you know that cheese actually is as addictive as heroin! well not quite but it can make you cheese-holic, so that's a tall order, but try, I am).
Mono-unsaturated fats like olives, flax seed oil (can help regulate insulin), nuts and avocados can be more easily processed by the body.
Emerging studies are suggesting that a PLANT BASED DIET can be of great use in clearing excess glucose in the blood. It can literally reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes by as much as 50%.
Start reading labels, you'll be amazed to see that sugar is often in the first three ingredients for foods you'd never dream contained sugar!
Start thinking about where your foods come from. Try and go for the best 'organic' quality you can afford or find.
Particularly polluted are chickens and some fish.
It's getting harder to eat healthily BUT if you get wise and creative, you find your way through the confusing labyrinth of research reports, marketing, PR and advertising.
You move from doubt to clarity.
I'm not here to make a judgement on the veggie/vegan question. We make our own choices, just make sure it's an informed choice. I do personally eat occasional meat when:
I go for a meal that someone has prepared for me, often with great attention and thought. If it's meat, I just bless it in my mind and eat it, confident that my body is strong enough to metabolise that meal with ease. I don't stress about it. If you do stress, you immediately activate the Triple Warmer meridian which in turn decreases the Spleen's ability to process the food. So eat with a smile.
When I know the source, it's local, healthy and organic and I feel my body needs it.
Here is a sensible site for nutritional advice. https://nutritionfacts.org/
Do it in your own time and in your own way.
It HAS to suit you and your lifestyle.
MOVE YOUR BODY: inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle will contribute to a blocked bridge. The very best is a 20 minute brisk walk daily. I'll be posting a number of blogs throughout the year on different ways to move the body.
RELEASE ANY EXCESS POUNDS: it's not just about aesthetics anymore, it's about health and enjoyment in your life, whatever your age. Those bloated fat cells are full of toxins and will clog up your bridge. Pay particular attention to this if you are an 'apple' shape - we need to reduce belly fat.
I read somewhere that your waist measurement should be half or less of your height. If it's more, start paying attention.
STRESS: we'll look at this in another blog but obviously stress/adrenals /cortisol etc., play a part in this.
ENERGETICALLY: Obviously we would work Spleen and Pancreas by tracing/flushing the meridian (I like flushing because of the blocked bridge visual in my head) -
Source Points (work Liver 3 Source Point too on the top of the foot) - hold and then massage on both feet (at the same time). About a minute each.
