MARCH 13, 2012 PREVENTION

" The purpose of our lives is to BE Happy." Dalai Lama

Happiness ! What is happiness? Are you happy? Is it the first morning rain in spring ? Is it the first flower budding after Spring ( today, flowers are budding in March !) or is happiness a feeling which you never experienced. You should make it your priority to be happy every single day. You can start the day over again if you are not happy. Happiness comes from within. No one person can make you happy.

You can put on a Happy Face as Mrs. Hastings states in " Strickly Ballroom" - ' I am putting on my happy face today."

Or " Get Happy" with Judy Garland.

Just get it... Happiness.

Over the last ten years, federal agencies have spent more than 90 billion / year on diabetes. In 2005 alone, 79 billion was spent of diabetes. This sounds like a lot of money . It is ! But less than 8 billion / year has been spent on PREVENTION. This is not the only disease we need more spent on. There needs to be prevention dollars on heart disease, cancer and HIV. However the #1 killer in the United States is Cardiovascular Disease. To prevent cardiovascular disease, we must control the two epidemics that plague the United States - Obesity and Diabetes. Both will cause cardiovascular disease.

One of the first drugs that has been used more than 50 years for diabetes is glucophage (also known as metformin) Most of you do not know this - but metformin or glucophage is derived from a plant. Yes it is true. When a conventional doctor doesn't understand why you might use herbs/plants for treatment of disease - ask him/her this ? Do you use metformin or glucophage in your practice? There answer will be yes. Then you can say, well doctor, glucophage is derived from Goat's Rue ( Galega officinalis). This plant was found to be rick in the alkaloid compound called guanidine. In the early 1920's scientists began to study a similar compound of goat's rue, called galegine ( which is less toxic than the alkaloid, guanidine) This is how the world got Glucophage or Metformin.

So let me list some treatment strategies or prevention for diabetes.

1. Dietary lifestyle change - individuals dietary plans to lose weight and have better food choices. Shop the perimeter of the store for fruits, vegetables, fish etc and avoid the center of the store where all processed foods are on the shelves.

2. Regain better glycemnic control through foods. Eat foods that have a low glycemic index. These foods will have a higher antioxidant level.

3. Attend to dental hygiene. Use a water pik rather than flossing

4. Establish a better sleep pattern. Less than 6.5 hours / night increases risk of insulin resistance ( per diabetes) by 48 %.

5. Look closely at some of your addictions. These addictions are called energy thieves. These are not only foods like chocolate, diet soda, but can be your television, your iphone, i Pad, family drama, relationship drama or lack of relationship drama.

6. Replace the addiction with a timed hobby - 1-2 times/week for 60 minutes

7. Incorporate the minimum exercise 3 times/week for 30' reduce cardiovascular disease by 38%.

8. Alter your perception of food

9. Drink more water

Until tomorrow...