Management of Diabetes Through Yoga and Naturopathy

Diabetes (Madhumeha)

Introduction:
Diabetes is considered as a life long disorder by modern medical science but according to Naturopathy it is a disorder of digestive system which can be controlled by changes in life style, regular practice of Yoga and diet regulations.

What is Diabetes:
Diabetes is considered to be a disease of people of sedentary habits in whose life there is no place for physical exercise or physical labour. In this disease the amount of insulin produced by pancreas is reduced quantitatively, which results in the increase of sugar in blood and excess sugar eliminates outside through urine.

Causes of Diabetes:
Lack of physical labour, severe pressure of mental work and stress, unnatural ways of living and irregular and faulty diet patterns are among the root causes of this disease. Heavy and regular use of fat and sugar products makes the digestive glands weak and disturbs the process of metabolism in the body.
Diabetes is also believed as heredity disease. In old days people get suffered with diabetes in old age but now young persons are also seen suffering from diabetes in growing numbers. A major factor responsible for this increase is change in our life style.

Symptoms of Diabetes:
The main symptoms of Diabetes are as under:

• Sugar in urine
• Sticky and concentrated urine
• Frequent urination
• Frequent hunger
• Frequent thirst
• Dryness in the skin
• weakness of eyesight
• Feeling of tiredness and weakness
• Delayed healing of wound
• Itching in body

Diabetic Complications:
Diabetes is having a lot of complications which are as under:

• Kidney and liver complications
• Neuropathy
• Retinopathy
• Diabetic Coma, etc.

Classification of Diabetes:Diabetes may be classified into following three groups:-

• Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)
• Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM)
• Juvenile Diabetes

Control of Diabetes:Yoga and Naturopathy systems are specially effective in controlling the Diabetes.
Research studies have proved that these systems are quite effective in controlling this disease.
While treating Diabetes it should be kept in mind that the patient is made to do adequate physical labour, his diet is controlled, he is kept free from stress, his digestive system is tackled to work properly and the diabetic complications are also controlled. Based on the above said principles the treatment of a diabetic patient should be planned. Following practices of Yoga are beneficial in this but correct package suiting to individual patient is required to be prepared according to the age and condition patient:

• Shatkarmas: Kunjal, Nauli, Shankha Prakshalana
• Bandha: Uddiyan Bandha
• Asana: Katichakrasana, Ardhamats, Vajrasana, Bhujangasana, Paschimottanasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Mandukasana, Konasana and Padahastasana.
• Pranayama: Bhastrika, Ujjayi, Nadishuddhi and Bhramari
• Surya Namaskara Meditation: Similarly following treatments of Naturopathy may be helpful in the effective control and management of Diabetes:
• Mud therapy: Mud pack over abdomen
• Hydrotherapy: Hot and cold fomentation Over abdomen, Cold hip bath, Hot and Cold hip bath, Wet abdomen pack, Spinal bath
• Massage: Whole body massage
• Therapy: Sun bath, water kept in brown bottle and exposed to sun rays for atleast 8 hours in half cup dose twice a day after meals is also found beneficial
• Exercise: Morning walk
• Diet Therapy:  The diet of a diabetic patient is of utmost importance. For diet prescription the age of patient as well as weight, occupation and type of diabetes must be kept in mind. For this the diabetics can be categorized into following three groups:

1. The patient whose weight is below normal
2. The patient whose weight is normal
3. The patient whose weight is above normal

A normal weight person of sedentary habits who is not doing any physical labour requires food of approx. 2000 calories, medium worker approx. 2500 and heavy worker approx. 3000 or even more calories. The diabetic patient whose weight is reduced, requires some more calories than other diabetic patient and the patients having weight above normal should take food of less than 2000 calorie so that their fat could be reduced.
For diet regulation the best method is that the patient examine his urine daily to access that how much cereals intake maintains his urine free of sugar. As the health improves and capacity of patient to tolerate the cereals enhances, the quantity of cereals may be increased. The diabetic patients may maintain their strength by taking curd etc. as a part of their food.

Daily diet schedule of a Diabetic patient:

• Morning: Bitter guard juice one ounce to two ounce.
• Breakfast: Skimmed milk 250-400ml. OR Butter milk OR Amritahar-sprouted gram, moong, methi approx. 50gm OR fresh Amla juice 50ml. 
• Lunch: Roti (mixed with wheat and gram flour) 25gm to 50 gm, green vegetables 250gm, salad 25 to 50gm, pulse of moong 25 gm, Curd 150gm, Butter milk one glass.
• Evening: Roasted grams 30gm, Vegetable soup OR Butter milk one glass.
• Dinner: As in lunch but use of curd is not advisable in night.

Foods beneficial in Diabetes:Soyabean, Bean, Turnip, Cucumber, Garlic, Lauki, Bitter guard, Spinach, Fenugreek, Bathua, Chaulie, Amla, Jamun, Bel etc.

Some important things for a Diabetic patient:

• The use of methi in food is specially beneficial for diabetic patients. Sprouted methi or one tea spoon of its powder may be taken daily.
• The diabetic patients may take the roti made up of wheat flour mixed with gram, soyabean and methi. In 10Kg flour a ratio of 7.500 Kg. wheat, 1.500 Kg. gram, 900 gm soyabean and 100 gm methi may be kept.
• All the sweet products, ghee, vanaspati, too sweet fruits, fine flour and its products, preserved and packed food products, smoking, chewing of jarda, gutka and consumption of alcohol is completely prohibited for Diabetic patients.
• Bitter guard, Neem leaves, Bel, Gudmar, Black Berry etc. may also be helpful in the control of Diabetes.
• A diabetic patient should examine his blood sugar at a regular interval to ensure that it is in control and the patient could save himself from any complication. The normal range of blood sugar in empty stomach may be between 70-110mg/dl. and post prandial between 110-150mg/dl
• Regular long walks are beneficial for diabetic patients.

Diabetes is believed as a difficult disorder the of Yoga, regulated diet it may be controlled effectively in comparatively less time. 

The object of this article is to make the patients of Diabetes aware about utility of Yoga and Naturopathy systems and its simple techniques used in treatment.
The Diabetic patients are advised to follow a suitable diet and treatment schedule under guidance of qualified and experienced Naturopathy and Yoga Therapist.

Related Articles:

• What is Naturopathy? Definition, principle, treatment and different types of methods of Naturopathy
• Management of Menopause through Naturopathy
• Management of Thyroid through Naturopathy
• Manage Maternal and Child health through Naturopathy
• Naturopathy Through Walking Bare Feet
• Naturopathy Through Water (Water Therapy)
• Naturopathy Through Potato
• Management of Diabetes through Yoga and Naturopathy
• Prevention of Heart Diseases in Ayurveda
• Home remedies for Various Diseases
• Management of Skin Diseases through Naturopathy
• Mud Therapy for Epilepsy
• Management of Stress through Music Therapy
• Treatment of Diseases through Unani Medicines