Here are some disturbing statistics related to diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of all diabetes cases.

“The number of people diagnosed with and dying from diabetes continues on a relentlessly upward trajectory, with no signs of abating”. This statement was made by officials at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 47th Annual Meeting (Sept 2011).

Ann Keeling, CEO of the International Diabetes Federation, describes diabetes as a global catastrophe!!

So, what are the latest stats for diabetes?

In 2003 there were 150 million people worldwide with diabetes and it was predicted that by 2025 there would be 300 million. Well guess what, as alarming as that prediction was at the time, it was nothing compared to the reality. In 2011 there are already 366 million people worldwide with diabetes. This is a 30% increase on the 2010 figure of 285 million. This year 4.6 million deaths will be attributed to diabetes.  This means one person will die from diabetes every 7 seconds!

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is largely a lifestyle disease. The current statistics for diabetes are very alarming and personally I find them very disturbing because I know that in the majority of cases type 2 diabetes can be prevented with the correct lifestyle and diet. I also believe that it can be reversed if appropriate changes are made.

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. It is no wonder we are seeing such an astronomical increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes when we consider the explosion in the number of people who are overweight or obese.

Genetics play a role but only a small one. The condition will not develop without the adverse impact of environmental factors such as diet and lifestyle.

What can be done for type 2 diabetes?

Nutrients and herbs

There are many nutrients that are essential for the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels and normal glucose metabolism. These include chromium, magnesium, many of the B Complex vitamins and others. A diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can deplete the body of these essential nutrients. Alcohol, caffeine and excessive fluid loss will also cause significant losses of these nutrients.

Many herbs can be very beneficial for reducing sugar and carbohydrate cravings, improving the way the body metabolises sugar, improving fat loss and improving blood sugar levels. Many are also beneficial for reducing the unhealthy factors associated with diabetes including high cholesterol and triglycerides, high blood pressure and circulatory problems.

These nutrients and herbs are often prescribed to kick start the process of weight loss and make it easier for you to embark on a healthy eating regime without having to battle cravings for fat producing foods. The actual prescription for each individual may be slightly different because individual metabolism, health needs and preferences are taken into account.

The use of natural medicines is not a substitute for a healthy life style

You can take control of the situation easily and quickly. If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, which often precedes type 2 diabetes, you can improve your health significantly by making the appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes.

• Fat loss is of major importance. Even if you are slim, you could be carrying a little extra weight around the middle. This can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. As little as 5 to 10% weight loss can make a big difference.
• Exercise not only helps with fat loss it also helps transport glucose into the cells. Regular moderate exercise is fundamental to good health. It should always be something you enjoy and should suit your age, statue and capabilities. A combination of cardio and resistance is best.
• The food you eat has a huge impact on your health. It will improve or damage your health depending on what you eat and how it is prepared.
• Eat lots of fresh vegetables, avoiding too much of the high starch vegetables such as potatoes and corn. In summer salads are great, or you can steam, stir fry or bake your vegetables. Aim at 3 cups per day and if you eat more that’s great.
• Fruit is good but should be eaten in moderation (2 to 3 pieces per day) because it is high in natural sugars.It is a good idea to combine a piece of fresh fruit with a few nuts eg almonds (only a 3 or 4). This slows down the absorption of the sugars in the fruit and gives you a more even blood glucose and energy curve. Minimise the very sweet, starchy fruits such as bananas.
• Protein is important for improving muscle mass, particularly in conjunction with moderate exercise. Fish, lean meat, free range chicken and eggs and low fat dairy products are good sources of animal protein. The main vegetable sources of protein are the legumes such as chick peas (in homus), lentils, red kidney beans, adzuki beans, soy beans and related products such as tofu and tempah. Nuts, seeds and grains also provide some protein. Non-animal sources of protein do not contain all the essential amino acids, so vegetarians need to have a wide variety of these foods every day in order to obtain enough complete protein.
• Avoid processed foods. These are often loaded with sugar and/or fat and are a source of empty kilojoules that do nothing to improve your health. They encourage overeating, make you feel sluggish and are a major cause of excessive weight gain.
• Foods that have a low Glycaemic Index (GI) are beneficial providing they are healthy! Many foods that are marketed as low GI are not healthy and will not help you lose weight eg ice cream, chocolate spreads.
• Glycaemic Load (GL) is also a consideration. It is determined not only by the GI of the food but the size of the total meal. The higher the glycaemic load the higher your blood sugar will be.

Simply by eating correctly and partaking in regular moderate exercise you stand a good chance of preventing type 2 diabetes, or reversing it if it already exists.

As a male, why do you need testosterone?
Testosterone is vital reproduction, sexual desire and performance. It is also important for the growth of bone and muscle. To keep up a healthy, active physical and sexual life, testosterone must be kept at a healthy level.

How can you tell if your levels are healthy or not?
Low levels of testosterone can cause low libido, affect your moods, cause low energy and in some aspects affect your mental abilities. Heard of ‘Male Menopause’? Yes, men can go through a type of menopause also. Medically it is often called Androgen Deficiency in Ageing Males (ADAM). This is where libido is low but irritability and fatigue are high. Memory problems increase along with depressive thoughts, disturbed sleep and an inability to cope.

Major causes of lower testosterone levels, resulting in ADAM are:
Stress: – which causes energy reserves to be diverted away from the sex and reproductive system, leading to detrimental consequences on sexual and reproductive outcomes.
Obesity: – causing the body to increase the conversion of testosterone to oestrogen (female hormone), resulting in a hormonal imbalance which overproduces body fat and reduces muscle bulk. Bringing the hormones into balance, allows body fat to be reduced and muscle to be built.
Alcohol: – is a big contributor to a loss in healthy testosterone levels also. Testing has shown that of men male alcoholics often have low levels of testosterone and an over production of oestrogen. You do not have to actually be an alcoholic for alcohol to have a detrimental impact.

So, what can you do to increase your testosterone to a healthy level, and bring back a renewed vitality for life?
Four tips to start you on your way are:
1. A good healthy eating plan. Maintain a diet high in fresh vegetables with some fresh fruit. Eat small amounts of saturated fats and increased omega-3 fats from cold water fish. Make sure your diet is not too high in carbohydrates. Carbs are addictive and easily lead to weight gain. Minimise processed foods, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
2. Moderate exercise on a regular basis. This can be any type of exercise that you enjoy. The important thing is consistency.
3. Reduce excessive stress in your life. Take time out for YOU. Remember how you felt when you were not so stressed. What works well to de-stress you? Whatever it is start doing it! eg walks on the beach, a game of golf, read a good book etc.
If you can adhere to these key lifestyle recommendations and you will age healthily and the benefits of testosterone will be yours!

When we women hear the word ‘menopause’, we generally run and hide or simply sigh with acceptance. Most of us have heard so many terrible stories about menopause or perhaps we have observed family members going through ‘the change’ when we were younger.

Should the thought of Menopause strike fear into our hearts? Are the stories of hot flushes and out of control hormones true?

The good news is not all women experience menopausal symptoms. Those who do have symptoms will experience some or all of the following: night sweats, hot flushes, fatigue, irregular periods, emotional turmoil and insomnia. For these women the most common menopausal symptom, reported by approximately 70%, is hot flushes. Emotional changes are also very common with approximately 40% suffering  from depression.

The average age for women to reach menopause is 50-51yrs with most Australian women being between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Some women are diagnosed with menopause much earlier, perhaps in their 30’s or 40’s. From a holistic viewpoint, and certainly from my own clinical experience, such early menopause is often caused by adrenal fatigue contributing to premature ovarian failure. I have had a great deal of success in treating these women with herbs and nutrients that support the nervous system and the adrenals. In most cases normal menstruation can be re-established and all signs of menopause disappear.

Optimal adrenal health is fundamental for a smooth transition through menopause. In the years leading up to menopause the ovaries gradually reduce their production of female hormones until they stop completely. It is the adrenal glands that take over the role of hormone production at this time. So, the healthier your adrenals are going into menopause the easier it will be for you. One of the most significant factors that deplete adrenal functioning is stress, something that most of us have had a lot of by the time we get to our late 40s!

If you are trying to gauge when your own transition into menopause will end a long-term study called “The Melbourne Women’s Midlife Health Study” could help.  More than 400 Australian women were involved in this research which followed them over 10-15 years. One finding from the study was:  if you have had at least three months without a period, then your last period is likely to come within the following year.

Come out of hiding, there are ways to alleviate or potentially eliminate transitional menopausal symptoms. Say good bye to fatigue, insomnia, hot flushes and emotional ups and downs with the holistic approach offered by natural medicine, which has a very high success rate. Natural medicines can be used in conjunction with conventional medication or on their own.

Brown rice reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes whilst white rice increases the risk.
A number of studies looking at the effect of rice on type 2 diabetes risk have found the following:
• White rice – people who had at least 5 servings per week had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who had less than 1 serve per month
• Brown rice – people who had at least 2 servings per week had a lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less than 1 serve per month
You can see from this data that 2 servings of brown rice per week can help to prevent type 2 diabetes. Whereas on the other hand the more white rice that is consumed the greater the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This information is particularly beneficial for those people who already have type 2 diabetes or who are at risk of developing it.

Brown rice helps improve digestive health
Rice bran is a soluable fibre and is high in brown rice but not white. It is a valuable source of food for the ‘good’ intestinal bacteria and can help to relieve a number of digestive complaints. It can help where there is excessive bloating and flatulence and is particularly beneficial after antibiotic possibly in conjunction with a good probiotic supplement.

Feeding beneficial intestinal bacteria is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve digestive health. There is only space in the gut for a finite number of organisms. It stands to reason, the higher the population of ‘good’ bacteria the lower the population of ‘bad’ bacteria.

Other sources of soluable fibre include oats (oat bran), psyllium husks, slippery elm powder. Fruit and vegetables also contain soluable fibre.

One of the best ways to lose weight is to eat less and the easiest way to eat less is to reduce feelings of hunger.
A study published in 2009 in the journal Appetite showed that eating a whole apple with skin reduced hunger and had a longer lasting effect than apple in other forms eg apple juice, apple juice with added fibre, apple sauce, apple without skin. In other words, eating a whole unpeeled apple made people feel full for longer.
For me there are no surprises in this research and you can actually improve on this result by having a few nuts such as almonds with the whole fruit. The addition of the nuts slows down the absorption of sugar from the fruit and gives a feeling of fullness for even longer and lowers the glycaemic index (GI). This means you have lower insulin secretion and a longer, more sustainable energy release.
Although the occasional unsweetened fruit juice will not do you a lot of harm it is important to ensure that the majority of your fruit intake is from whole fruit.

PubMed link

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=416%5Bpage%5D+AND+Flood-Obbagy+JE%5Bauthor%5D&cmd=detailssearch

A study published in 2009 in the journal Appetite showed that eating a whole apple with skin reduced hunger and had a longer lasting effect than apple in other forms eg apple juice, apple juice with added fibre, apple sauce, apple without skin. In other words, eating a whole unpeeled apple made people feel full for longer.

For me there are no surprises in this research and you can actually improve on this result by having a few nuts such as almonds with the whole fruit. The addition of the nuts slows down the absorption of sugar from the fruit and gives a feeling of fullness for even longer and lowers the glycaemic index (GI). This means you have lower insulin secretion and a longer, more sustainable energy release.

Although the occasional unsweetened fruit juice will not do you a lot of harm it is important to ensure that the majority of your fruit intake is from whole fruit.

 PubMed link

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=416%5Bpage%5D+AND+Flood-Obbagy+JE%5Bauthor%5D&cmd=detailssearch

There is much that can be done
Migraine is a complex condition and the mechanisms involved are not fully understood however there is much that can be done to prevent the occurrence of migraines or at the very lease reduce their frequency and severity.

Menstrual Cycle – Many women will experience migraines at specific times during their menstrual cycle. Most commonly the migraines will occur in the premenstrual phase however they can also occur at other times during the cycle. When headaches are associated with the menstrual cycle part of the treatment must include herbs can correct hormonal irregularities and/or the woman’s sensitivity to changing hormonal levels that occur naturally throughout the cycle.

Diet – Diet can definitely be a trigger for migraine in many sufferers. The offending foods vary greatly between individuals however the most common foods associated with the onset of a migraine include cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits and alcohol, especially red wine.

Sluggish liver function – The liver is responsible for many functions in the body however one of its major functions is the elimination of toxins. If there is reduced ability for the liver to perform this important task, toxins can build up and cause or contribute to the onset of migraine headaches.
Decreased liver function can also lead to food intolerances and sluggish bowel function, which further contributes to migraines.

Other triggers include too little or too much sleep, tiredness/fatigue, bright lights, noise, excessive heat or exposure to chemicals.

There has been several clinical trials that show the effectiveness of long-term use of Feverfew for management of migraines. These trials demonstrate that it can take several months to have a significant reduction in the frequency of migraines. The length of time taken to achieve results may be dose related.

In a recent clinical trial researchers used much higher doses of Feverfew and combined it with Willow Bark. The trial went for 12 weeks in total and achieved the following results:

• a 57% reduction in the frequency of migraines within a 6-week period and a 61.7% reduction after 12 weeks of the herbal therapy
• a 38.7% reduction in migraine severity after 6 weeks and a 62.6% reduction after 12 weeks of treatment
• a 27.2% reduction in migraine duration at 6 weeks and a 76.2% reduction after 12 weeks

These results are very interesting and suggest that the combination of the correct dose of Feverfew and Willow Bark is well worth trying for the treatment/management of recurrent migraines.

If you have tried Feverfew previously and found it ineffective this new treatment regime may give better results.