With over 18 million Americans suffering from diabetes, chances are you or somebody you know has been faced with the challenge of managing this unfortunate disease. Though prevention is always the best medicine, diabetes is a lifelong condition that no pills, treatments, or regimens can cure. Western medicine has devoted a vast amount of research to diabetes management, but many people throughout the world rely also on natural medicine to reduce their dependency on harsh pharmaceuticals and improve their overall quality of life. Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are two of the most powerful ways to manage the symptoms of diabetes and regain physical, mental, and emotional balance in life.
Understanding Diabetes
There are three different types of diabetes, which are all linked through an imbalance in blood sugar levels:
Gestational diabetes occurs when the glucose levels of pregnant women rise to an unhealthy percentage. Oftentimes, the condition will recede once the baby has been born.
Type 1 diabetes means that the pancreas produces no insulin due to an autoimmune reaction. This necessitates a daily insulin shot to regulate blood glucose levels.
Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common type of the disease. It manifests due to any number of largely preventable factors, such as an unhealthy diet or inactive lifestyle.
Insulin is a vital hormone that helps the body regulate the level of glucose in the bloodstream, allowing the body to manage all ingested sugars and fats. When insulin levels are low or nonexistent, the body doesn’t have a method for handling excess glucose. The result?
Symptoms ranging from mild (hunger, fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination) to severe (pain, numbness, slow healing from wounds, or even blindness).
Diabetes Management Options
For those living with diabetes, treatment options range from lifestyle changes to medication to organ transplants, or a combination thereof. Of course, you should always consult with your medical practitioners before deciding on a health management strategy. Here at Advanced Healthcare Solutions, we believe that a combination of healthy eating, exercise, herbs, and acupuncture can make a huge difference in quality of life for diabetes patients.
A Healthy Diet You Can Live With
Junk food simply isn’t an option for people living with diabetes. Fortunately, there are tons of delicious options that will feed your body and soul without putting your health at risk. Stick to natural, fresh, and whole-grain options without added sodium or sugar. It may take a few weeks to get used to a new set of flavors, but you’ll soon come to love your healthier options–promise!
Move Your Body, Change Your Life
When in use, muscles have the important ability to use up blood glucose without extra insulin, which makes it an amazing, natural way to achieve physical balance. And that’s just scratching the surface–exercise has a host of other benefits for the body and the mind. Plus, it’s fun!
Tasty Herbs You’ll Love
The simple addition of delicious–and potent–Chinese herbs to your diet can add a big dose of health and taste. To start, try adding garlic or cinnamon to your healthy meals and polishing them off with a cup of ginseng tea.
Healing Diabetes Symptoms with Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat diabetes, with the first books about diabetes treatment having been written all the way back in 220 CE. Chinese experts state that diabetes is due to an imbalance in yin, or “female” energy. Acupuncture is able to harmonize the way the body’s energy, or qi, flows, allowing patients to live in better overall health. Many studies have shown that acupuncture is a major benefit to people living with type 2 diabetes, allowing the body to heal naturally and restore itself to balance.
If you or somebody you love is living with diabetes, create an action plan you can stick with to keep you healthy and feeling great. For more information on how acupuncture can help you manage diabetes, just give us a call! We’d love to discuss treatment options with you.