Diabetes
In these sections, I hope to go a bit deeper than the information I post on our social media and newsletters. It’s a good place to come to get a deeper understanding of a condition that you may have, may be in your family, or you may wish to prevent.
This month, I’m covering a modern lifestyle disease: Diabetes Mellitus (Type II diabetes).
This disease is the result of either a deficiency of, or reduced effectiveness of insulin. It affects the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, fat, water and electrolytes.
The disease is associated with functional and structural changes in the cells of the body, particularly of the vascular system, which leads to the more commonly known complications of this disease, predominantly on the kidneys, eyes and nervous system.
The hyperglycemia of diabetes results from a decreased rate of removal of glucose from the blood by peripheral tissues, and an increased rate of release of glucose from the liver into circulation.
When the resulting glucose level in the blood is higher than the capacity of the kidneys to reabsorb it, a symptom called “Glycosuria” occurs, which can present as increased urine volume (sometimes at night), with associated loss of minerals and increased thirst.
Fatigue is a feature of this condition, due to the dysfunctional metabolism of carbohydrates. A state called “Ketoacidosis” can also occur, which stimulates loss of water from cells and decreased pH of blood.
Diabetes leads to atherosclerosis (damage to the blood vessels), which affects the eyes, kidneys, cardiovascular system and brain.
Common symptoms of adult-onset, Type II diabetes:
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Night time urination
Fatigue
Weight loss (or gain around the waist)
Vision changes
Pins and needs in the limbs
Dehydration
Fungal infections
Low blood pressure
Sweet, sickly breath
Confusion
If you’ve had diabetes for some time, these symptoms will all look very familiar to you. What may also be familiar is the confusion around your diet (what you can and can’t eat, and when), and managing your blood sugars through diet.
You may also be injecting insulin or taking a medication called “Metformin” (1,1-Dimethylbiguanide hydrochloride, which lowers your blood sugar levels by improving the way your body handles insulin.
Metformin reduces the amount of sugar produced in the liver and released into your bloodstream
It also improves muscle insulin sensitivity
And decreases intestinal absorption of glucose
It's usually prescribed for diabetes when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood sugar levels.
Dietary recommendations while taking this medication are:
Avoid saturated fats, excess alcohol, too much sodium, refined carbohyrates, processed and added sugars.
That’s quite a list, and for most people, may be hard to define in their daily lives and manage. It also comes with some side effects, which can be difficult for some people.
This article is not about a) coming off Metformin if you’re already on it, or b) warning you not to take it in the first place. It is to assist with learning more about Diabetes, and pointing to some other things you can consider doing to support yourself with this condition. Here is a summary of the approach I take as a Naturopath to either pre-diabetes (elevated HbA1C), or diagnosed Type II diabetes.
[Please note: this is not a prescription, and I recommend full testing and monitoring of your condition if you make any changes, and to do so under the care of a health professional. Having said this, I am happy to work with you toward a healthier experience with diabetes].
My approach:
Diet. Of course. I have a food-first approach to my practice, so understanding your nutrition, pain-points, cravings, restrictions, intolerances, family and social pressures is an important part of a consult with me.
Nutrient assessment: understanding your nutrient status is critical to healthy management of Diabetes. I assess for many things, here are just a few: HbA1C, Insulin, B-Vitamins, Zinc, food intolerances and gut function.
Nutritional supplementation: as a follow up to the above results. There are also a couple of key nutritional supplements I work with that have strong evidence for diabetes.
Herbal medicine: See below for one of my go-to herbs for this condition. There are several others (fenugreek, barberry, silymarin, ashwaganda and more). Herbal medicine is an individualised prescription, based on symptoms and severity. Please do ask if you wish to know more about this.
Lifestyle: working with you on stress, sleep, and other lifestyle influences completes the picture of holistic care for this condition.
If you or someone close to you is dealing with blood sugar issues or diabetes, please get in touch. I’m happy to have an initial 15-minute conversation free of charge to see if I can be of assistance.
Addiction
This can be a scary topic for people to bring to a session with any health professional, but such an important one. I am finding a lot more of my patients are discussing issues of addiction with me now than ever before, and I am so grateful for their courage, as it is often the first time they have been brave enough to share it with anyone. Addiction comes in many forms, and you may think that natural medicine couldn’t offer much in this space, but it certainly can. Addiction is related to changes in the brain, often brought about by trauma. It’s no surprise then that addictive behaviour has risen so sharply in the last few years, and it’s manifesting in many different ways.
Just this week I have already worked with patients struggling with addiction to devices, alcohol, drugs and food. What starts as an often pacifying activity for the brain can so easily result in behaviour that becomes harmful.
So what can we do? The first step of course is to identify the addiction, and then put in place a plan to follow for regulation. I will refer to the appropriate therapist if I think further support is required, but as a first port of call, working on brain biochemistry, stress and sleep are great places to start.
Three areas of the brain are affected in addiction: the brain stem, the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. The main neurotransmitter affected is dopamine. There are many signs of addiction, and not all are covered here, as I’m not going into the space of serious drug addiction, which absolutely requires specialist medical attention. The three main addictions I see are: alcohol, devices and food.
How do you know if your brain is exhibiting addictive behaviour? Here are some of the typical observations:
- Increased feelings of anxiety or depression
- Memory problems
- Mood swings
- Increased irritability
- Losing track of time
- Having set times of day when you engage in the behaviour (e.g. drinking when making dinner, using social media when you should be doing other things, over-eating at certain times of day)
- Defensiveness when someone else suggests that the behaviour may be a problem
- Knowing that it’s an issue for you but ignoring it, as the high outweighs the effort involved in getting help, or you find yourself procrastinating.
- There is shame associated with the behaviour
- Nothing feeling as satisfying as the behaviour
What can you do? This may be something that you are dealing with for yourself, or it may be something that you are concerned about in a loved one. Either way, the first step can be the hardest.
How can natural medicine support you?
Natural support for neurotransmitters: We have much in our repertoire to support healthy neurotransmitter behaviour
Natural support for anxiety: we have some great herbal tools to help with the feelings behind the pacifying addiction. Calming the anxiety can be a great first step toward making better choices.
Nutrient support: The brain requires many nutrients every day to function in a healthy way. We can test and ensure that you are getting plenty of good healthy nutrients to support healthy cognitive function and therefore healthy choices.
Note: In choosing support for addiction, we recommend working with a trained addiction counsellor also.