Diabetes Care Centre

With sedentary lifestyle, refined and processed food habits, obesity and diabetesis the new age epidemic. India, in fact, is being termed as the diabetes capital of the world given the huge rise in the number of cases over the last couple of decades.

There are well established risk factors for diabetes and if these can be managed, then the chance of delaying onset, controlling progress and containing complications are highly possible. Read on to know how simple things can be effective in preventing and managing diabetes.

1. Weight control: Obesity is the most important risk factor for developing diabetes. A person with normal BMI is 20 to 40 times less likely to develop diabetes than an overweight person. Losing about 10% of the excess weight can help prevent diabetes by more than 50%. Check with your doctor what should be the ideal recommended weight for you and draw up a routine (diet, exercise, etc.) that will help you achieve and stay around that weight range.

2. Exercise: All methods of exercise help in moving the muscles, which is drastically reduced given our sedentary lifestyle. Moving the muscle (as much and as often as possible) ensures they absorb more glucose and reduce the stress on insulin production. Something as simple as brisk walking for 30 minutes is good enough to reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 50%.

3. Don’t be a couch potato: If watching television is your favourite pastime, it is time to change it. This puts people at risk of developing obesity, heart diseaseand diabetes. Also, watching television is usually associated with overeating, further adding to the risk of diabetes.

4. Fibrous foods: Eating fibrous fruits and vegetables as compared to refined and fried foods helps prevent diabetes.

5. Whole grains vs processed foods: When you have to choose between a pizza and a bowl of brown rice, go for the latter.

6. Good fats vs bad fats: Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds and help control diabetes. Trans fats present in margarine and baked foods are best avoided.

7. Non-vegetarian foods: If you have a choice, pick fish and poultry versus red meat (processed or otherwise). The fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and helps control inflammation.

8. Leave the whites: Get off white rice, white refined sugar and white flours. Include brown rice, brown or demerara sugar and wheat flour instead.

9. Smoking: Quit smoking and you will note how beneficial it is in preventing diabetes.

10. Alcohol: Moderate amount helps in effective functioning of the insulin.

If you have a family history or have risk factors, follow the above to prevent diabetes.

Fertility is a potential for reproduction. In other words, fertility is an ability to have babies or to reproduce. When fertility rate in a community, increases more babies are born. To produce an offspring it depends on age, health and other factors of the woman. When we talk about fertility rates it means the number of births that happen during a certain time period in a specific location. On the other end, lack of ability to reproduce is termed as infertility. There are various treatments to deal with fertility issues and one of the ancient and natural as well as a trusted treatment is Ayurveda.

Causes
Female infertility is caused due to structural problems like blocked fallopian tubes, a defect in cervical canal, uterine fibroids or polyps. Hormonal imbalance leading to ovulation problems too can cause infertility. In males. infertility may have anatomical, psychological, hormonal or lifestyle related causes. The cause of infertility in approximately 20% of couples can't be determined using the currently available methods of investigation. From Ayurvedic perspectives, shukra dhatu can get affected by various physical, mental causes and even by serious diseases. Poor quality shukra dhatu can cause infertility in males & females.

Symptoms

Failure to reproduce

Ayurveda For Infertility

Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest holistic healing systems. It is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body and Spirit. The primary focus of Ayurvedic medicine is to promote good health, rather than fight disease. Fertility problems are increasing these days for many young couples. There are many factors which account for this like Lifestyle, delayed marriages, diet, etc. But Ayurveda not only does explain how to increase fertility with herbal supplements, but it also focuses on how to have healthy children.

For a pregnancy to be healthy and successful, a couple needs to take care of the following four essential factors:

1. Sperm/Ovum (Seeds)
2. Uterus (Soil)
3. Nourishment (Water)
4. Time for Conception (Timing of Sowing)

Reproductive health, in both men and women, depends on the health of the reproductive tissue or shukra dhatu. In women, shukra creates the ovum as part of the monthly cycle, and in men, the semen is formed due to sexual stimulation. The shukra is created as part of a long chain of metabolic transformations. It starts with the digestion of food, then goes on to the transformation of food to nutrient fluid, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, and finally, to shukra tissue. Healthy shukra tissue, then, according to Ayurveda, depends on the health of all the other tissues in the body.

Foods to Nourish All Seven Dhatus (Bringhana)

1. Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables
2. Dairy proteins, including milk, lassi, and panir (a fresh cheese made of milk)
3. Whole grains
4. Mung dhal
5. Soaked almonds or soaked walnuts
6. Dried fruits such as dates, figs, and raisins
7. Sweet, juicy fruits such as mangoes, peaches, plums, and pears
8. If your digestion is strong, eat urad dhal (available at Indian grocery stores) cooked with equal parts turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel.
9. A banana cooked in ghee, cinnamon and cardamom is a tasty and wholesome dessert for people with strong digestion.

Foods to Enhance the Reproductive Tissue (Vrishya)

1. Asparagus
2. Broccoli
3. Milk
4. Date-milk shake
5. Mango milkshake
6. Rice pudding

Spices such as ajwain powder, cumin (which purifies the uterus in women and the genitourinary tract in men), turmeric (to improve the interaction between hormones and targeted tissues), and black cumin.
In general, it's important to eat a wide variety of foods in order to receive all the essential nutrients. Keep trying new vegetables and fruits, and rotate your menus to make sure you're not eating the same thing day after day. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an ayurveda and ask a free question.