Natural Approaches to Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

February 1, 2015

Natural Approaches to Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Diabetes

Diabetes is a medical condition that continues to affect a number of people in the world. It claims millions of lives around the globe and costs countries billions in treatments. Studies show that one in every four Americans today aged above 65 suffers from diabetes. It affects the quality of your life as well as that of people around you.

So what exactly is diabetes? The condition also referred to as diabetes mellitus is a health conditions that arises when the body’s blood sugar levels are too high. The food we eat contributes to the glucose we need. Insulin is a hormone that is used in the body to assist the glucose into getting into our cells. Cells require this energy to perform different body functions.

Diabetes arises when something goes wrong with either the production or utilization of insulin in the body. For one, the body may be producing inadequate levels of insulin, which means that glucose absorption is inefficient. This leaves too much glucose in the blood resulting in diabetes.

On the other hand, the cells in the body may not be responding as they should to the insulin produced. This condition is known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance results in the body not making use of the insulin produced. No matter how much is produced by the pancreas, it is not able to perform its functions because the body is sort of rejecting it. This results in accumulation of glucose as we continue eating resulting in high glucose levels or simply diabetes.

metabolic_syndrome

This leaves us with different forms of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce insulin which means that glucose is not absorbed into the cells. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes affecting a majority of people today. In this case the pancreas is able to produce insulin but the body does not make use of it. This results in more insulin production and less utilization leading to increases glucose levels. Prediabetes is a health condition where your blood glucose level seems higher than usual but it is not high enough to be termed as diabetes. Normally, prediabetes is a risk factor of type 2 diabetes. The most common symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst and hunger as well as frequent urination.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome can be said to be a combination of diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. It is a common condition that continues to affect many people today. It comes by due to insulin resistance by the body. Naturally diabetes is caused by either insulin resistance or the body not being able to utilize the insulin produced. On the other side, studies show that insulin resistance is a risk factor for obesity while blood pressure may arise for high levels of glucose.

Metabolic syndrome puts you at risk of diseases like heart attack, diabetes, several types of cancers and excess fat in the liver. The disease has been connected to low grade inflammation a kind of inflammation that results in loss of bones.

Metabolic syndrome can be caused by either inheritance of a gene responsible for insulin resistance or excess weight gain and failure to exercise. Some of the symptoms that are exhibited by people suffering from metabolic syndrome include hypertension, abnormal obesity, hyperglycemia, reduced lipoprotein, shortness of breath, and chest pains among others.

Obesity

Most people believe that obesity means being overweight. On the contrary obesity is a condition that arises from having excessive fat in the body. Over weight on the other hand is simply weighing too much. Obesity is a real menace that knows no age limit. It affects both the young to the old.

The condition may build up over time depending on your calories intake. There should be a balance between the calories you consume and those you lose. When the amount of calories you consume is higher than what you lose, then obesity is likely to arise.

Insulin resistance is major concern for a number of people and one stands a chance of being obese. Naturally the pancreas is supposed to produce insulin which is then used by the body to enhance absorption of sugars in the body. Insulin resistance occurs when the body does not utilize the insulin produced. When this happens it means than glucose is not absorbed into the cell to be used for various functions like energy production.

This leaves an excess of glucose in the blood. Because the glucose is not being used as it should, it is converted into fat which is stored in the tissue. More insulin resistance means more fat deposits which translate into obesity. The same scenario happens when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.

Natural Approaches to Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

Usually most dieses are caused by the kind of lifestyle we chose to lead. Maintaining a healthy diet is one way of preventing such diseases. Most of the foods we eat contain chemical compounds that may inhibit the production or utilization of insulin leading to obesity and diabetes. Also a reduction of polished grains prevents the three diseases by regulating the blood sugars.

metabolic_syndrome

Exercise is an essential part and parcel of healthy living. Without exercise we are prone to disease like obesity. Taking regular exercise is one of the ways of ensuring your boy remains healthy and strong. Also avoiding smoking can prove to be real helpful. Smoking messes up with your body system making it prone to such things as insulin resistance or blood glucose increase.

Grape seed extract has also been shown to reduce blood pressure in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome. Kudzu is also a herb that is used by patients with metabolic syndrome or obesity to help in weight loss. The herb facilitates shedding off of weight which leads to a healthy you.

To find out more about diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity visit AwareMed. The expert advice of Dr. Dalal Akoury has helped many patients. She will treat insulin resistance and utilization in order to correct obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Join this network of healing at www.awaremednetwork.com today.

Natural Approaches to Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Vitamin D combined with exercise is crucial for reversing insulin resistance in type 2 diabetics, study shows
Healthy fat tissue aids reversing type 2 diabetes – Studies
Type 2 Diabetes Cure: Natural Treatments that will Prevent and Reverse Diabetes (Natural Health Books) (Volume 2)
New Study Identifies Fructose Contributing To An Incurable Disease
Vinegar the Blood Glucose Controller
Gut Inflammation Causing Your Mood Disorders?
Body inflammation causes obesity
Leptin and adinopectin roles in obesity and weight loss
Why Sedentary Lifestyle Is A Health Enemy

Chronic Fatigue and Mitochondrial Imbalances

January 29, 2015

Chronic Fatigue and Mitochondrial Imbalances

Chronic fatigue is a condition that affects 2.6% of the American population. It involves fatigue that tends to affect more than one part in the body and is worsened by mental or physical activity. Many people believe that chronic fatigue can be treated by bed rest but this is not the case. As you put yourself through physical and mental stress, fatigue becomes more severe leading to a condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

There has not been an official explanation as to what causes the disease. However several theories revolve around it which tends to explain its causes. Such include toxics, mitochondrial dysfunction, stress, hormonal imbalances, pathogens, allergens and many more.

Chronic fatigue not only affects your health but also the quality of your life. It can be a real issue to deal with when you find out that you are unable to carry out your duties because you feel tired all the time. Chronic fatigue can thereby be a risk factor for obesity. Since fatigue comes about because your body does not produce the necessary energy for normal body functions like breathing and blood circulation, you are unable to exercise.

Now we all understand that exercise is necessary for normal body functioning and general wellness. When we do not exercise, we are likely to start gaining weight a risk factor of obesity and other chronic illnesses. This is what chronic fatigue does. It renders you inactive and most of your time is spent in bed rest because you don’t have any energy to do anything not to talk about the muscle pains experienced.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue include depression, muscle aches and tenderness, anxiety, impaired mental ability, insomnia and general body weakness. Mitochondrial imbalances are among the factors that can cause chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic Fatigue

What are mitochondria?

To understand how chronic fatigue comes about, there is need to understand mitochondria and the role they play in the production of energy. Each and every cell in our body has mitochondria components that play the role of converting nutrients into energy. The foods we take consist of different nutrients which must be broken down to produce energy.

The mitochondria are present in each cell and they are responsible for giving cells the energy they require to carry out their functions. They supply the cells with energy in form of ATP. When the mitochondria are not functioning, this means that the cells are deprived of energy. Due to lack of ATP the cells are not able to function with the same speed they are used to. This translates then to slowing down of normal body functions.

Mitochondrial Imbalances

Since cells require ATP to function normally any factor that interferes with this process leads to fatigue of the body organs and muscle pains. When the mitochondria are not functioning properly the body ends up relying on anaerobic respiration in order to produce energy. This kind of respiration mostly causes fatigue, decline in concentration ability, muscle pains, gastrointestinal dysfunction, headaches and inability to recover energy lost during exercises.

Studies show that mitochondrial dysfunction is responsible for chronic fatigue syndrome as well as fibromyalgia. Studies have shown that this dysfunction is present in the leukocytes of patients suffering from chronic fatigue which explains the muscle aches experienced by such patients. The damage of the mitochondria can either be genetic or as a result of environmental changes. Studies show that mitochondrial dysfunction can be as a result of medications which inhibit the normal functioning of mitochondria, oxidation stress, toxic compounds, lack of enough nutrients and inheritance of genes that interfere with mitochondrial functioning.

Chronic_fatigue

Al these factors affect the ability of the mitochondria to produce ATP required by the cells. This then leads to a number of health problems such as chronic fatigue. Mitochondrial dysfunction not only leads to chronic fatigue but can cause tissue damage. A tissue is a mass of cell. When cells do not get the energy they require to function, the whole tissue can end up being destroyed and finally leading to organ dysfunction. This results in health disorders such as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurologic and immunologic problems.

The mitochondria are necessary for normal cellular activities. Basically our health depends highly on our diet and lifestyle. Adjusting these may prove a helpful way of treating mitochondrial dysfunction. This information can be found freely at www.awaremednetwork.com. Dr. Dalal Akoury restores the mitochondria to cure chronic fatigue. Many people who have been her patients bear witness to her good works. You too can be part of this by visiting AwareMed today.

Chronic Fatigue and Mitochondrial Imbalances

Weight Gain From Poor Digestion And Mal-absorption

January 7, 2015

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

When you start adding extra pounds, there are several things that come to your mind. Besides thinking about what could be causing the sudden weight gain, you will also be wondering about ways to facilitate weight loss. The first thing that comes to our mind when faced with this situation is that our diet is the source of the extra ponds.

We therefore cut out foods we suspect could be causing the weight gain. Most of the time these foods include; sugars, carbohydrates and fats. To most of us these are the main causatives of weight gain.

In cutting out these foods, we deprive our body of essential nutrients that can only come from such foods.

However there are other factors that cause weight gain. Lack of exercise is one of them. When you eat without exercising, then you will certainly add weight.

Some health conditions such as allergies, bacteria over growth, yeast infections, thyroid disease and insulin resistance among others can also cause weight gain. Mal-absorption and poor digestion can as well contribute to weight gain.

fat-malabsorption

Absorption disorders

They are also referred to as mal-absorption syndromes. It occurs when food is not properly digested and nutrients from the diet are not absorbed into the blood stream as they should. These nutrients include among others, minerals, proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates in form of starch and sugars.

Mal-absorption syndrome is not in particular a disease but it results from other health conditions. Digestion involves the breakdown of food so that it can be in a form that can easily be absorbed into the blood for the overall wellness of the body. It takes place in the gastrointestinal tract.

During the break down of food, the nutrients are absorbed in the small bowel. The mucosa, which is the small intestine lining, facilitates absorption of nutrients due to the villi and micro villi that provide a large surface area for this absorption. There are also specialized cells that are used to enhance this absorption of nutrients.

Mal-Absorption and Digestive Disorders and Weight Gain

It is common knowledge that if you want to lose weight, then you have to burn more calories than what you take in your diet. One of the main reasons why weight gain is common among a number of folks is the fact that people eat a lot and refuse to exercise. Your diet contributes to most of the weight you add. Following that up with exercises will ensure that the more calories you eat the more are lost. Due to this, adding weight will not be a part of you.

As seen however, conditions such as poor digestion and mal-absorption can lead to weight gain. How does this happen?

Poor digestion means that food is not being digested properly. This is followed by poor absorption of nutrients from the food into the blood.

Body wellness depends on the general condition of the body. Nutrients are essential for the health of a person. You have heard that lack of nutrients can lead to weight gain. What most people believe is that lack of nutrients will make you thin. This is not the case.

Nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins are necessary in the body. If there is poor absorption of these nutrients, they end up accumulating in the body and this causes you to gain weight.

Carbohydrates in particular are converted into fats which are deposited in the tissues. When combined with fats in the body, they end up causing immense weight gain. So as you see, mal-absorption will not necessarily make you lose weight.

weight gain

Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption Natural Treatment for Weight Loss

When food is not properly being digested, it means that it will not be broken down into essential nutrients. This means that the body will not get the necessary nutrients form the diet. This results in weight gain.

In the same way mal-absorption disorders results in malnutrition and the result is weight gain. So how do you manage this?

The best way to induce weight loss is to do lots and lots of exercise. Don’t just eat. Eat and engage in plenty of exercises.

Also reduce your intake of carbohydrates and fats. Normally carbohydrates are broken down into sugars. When there is poor digestion and absorption, carbohydrates are converted into fats and these are deposited in the body. This leads to weight gain. So therefore why don’t you reduce the amount of carbs and fats you take into the diet?

This information can be found at www.awaremednetwork.com for free. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide more information about absorption and digestive disorders and how they contribute to weight gain. She has for many years provided wise counsel to patients who bear testimony to her amazing works. Just visit AwareMed for more wellness and awareness tips.

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

Stem Cell for ADHD Treatment

January 4, 2015

Stem Cell Transplant May Help Patients with ADHD

ADHD New medical advances have made it possible to offer treatments for various diseases in myriad ways. Everyday researchers come up with discoveries that are making treatment easier, safer, convenient and even whole. Treating the symptoms of a disease while leaving its roots to sprout again is not very appropriate in this century. One of the treatment methods that have been found to be very effective in tackling the diseases at cell level is the stem cell therapy or other stem cell transplant.

As I have already stated in previous articles stem cells are very important in our body’s defense against infections as they are the precursors of all cells in the human body. They are more special than other cells since they are regenerative and malleable. They have the ability to replicate themselves and to repair and replace other tissues in the human body. The stem cells are needed in the body to ensure constant renewal of some tissues such as the skin. They are also very important in repairing damaged tissues in the body. In spite of their ability to repair damaged tissues, it is also important that the stem cells be in good health. When the stem cells are damaged they can lead to myriads of complications. Studies have shown that among diseases that can be healed by stem cell transplant is ADHD.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is an abbreviation that stands for Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a mental health condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. ADHD symptoms can lead to a number of problems, including unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, and low self-esteem. Typically, ADHD always starts in early childhood, however in rare cases it’s not diagnosed until later in life. It was once thought that ADHD was limited to childhood. However this perception of the disorder is passed with time as it has been found that these symptoms can persist into adulthood. When these symptoms are found in an adult, the disease is often referred to as adult ADHD. This disease causes many problems to both children and adults but it is treatable.

This disease may be referred to by different names depending on the age of the patient i.e. childhood ADHD and adult ADHD. However the treatment for ADHD is the same be it for adults or for children. Traditionally the treatment involved stimulant drugs or other medications, psychological counseling and treatment for any mental health conditions that occur along with adult ADHD.

Symptoms of ADHD

Procrastination
Disorganized work habits
Forgetfulness in daily activities. Such as forgetting to carry office keys, to meet appointments and daily schedules.
Failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
Frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one’s mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations
Difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or at work.
Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
Inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
Difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
Frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
Hot temper
Restlessness
Impulsivity
Unstable relationships

Causes of ADHD

ADHD is still a mysterious disorder. Its exact cause isn’t known yet. However medical experts have proposed structural changes in the brain to be a main cause of the disorder. Some of the factors that have been proposed by the medical experts to be linked to ADHD include the following;

Altered brain function and anatomy- Brain scans have revealed important differences in the structure and brain activity of people with ADHD. It has been found that people with ADHD apparently have less activity in the area of the brain that controls attention than people who don’t have ADHD.

Inherited from parents– ADHD can run in families.

Smoking and drug use by mother during pregnancy– Children whose parents smoked and used other drugs of abuse are at a higher risk of being ADHD positive as they grow up. Some industrial toxins may also lead to the same if a pregnant woman is exposed to them.

Early age exposure to toxins– Babies who are exposed to environmental toxins are at high risk of suffering from the symptoms of ADHD. Such toxins include lead which is a component of many paints. When a child is exposed to lead it will disrupt his attention and behavior.

Stem cell transplant for ADHD treatment

ADHD Stem cell transplant is a new intervention in the medical field. It works by replacing the damaged stem cells with healthy ones. The ability of the stem cells to multiply rapidly and give rise to millions of other healthy cells is an interesting phenomenon that the medical experts are taking full advantage of in treating diseases that have caused suffering to humans. In treating ADHD having the damaged stem cells replaced by healthy ones through stem cell transplant, the implanted stem cells with capability of giving rise to many other stem cells with higher degrees of differentiation helps in treating this disease.

Embryonic stem cells transplant have been found to be effective in treating cancer, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Celiac Disease, cardiac failure, muscle damage and ADHD is no exception. It is a treatment that tackles diseases at their roots and it also has no side effects. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center is an experienced doctor in the use of integrative medicine in healing diseases. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Stem Cell Transplant May Help Patients with ADHD

Pain Management with Injections

December 27, 2014

Injections for Pain Management

Injections for Pain Management Pain management is crucial especially in treatment of such diseases that are characterized by chronic pain such as cancer and arthritis. Pain management is also important part of treatment especially in situations where the patient is to go through intense like during chemotherapy for cancer patients or after going through surgery. Nobody will like to have intense pain maim him for even the least amount of time. People like to be happy and avoid anything that may bring them pain. However in some instances there has to be pain for a much serious health problem to be solved. To manage pain certain drugs are used that helps you to endure the pain, unfortunately most of these are addictive and so as you are using them to manage pain you are at risk of addiction. Opiates are the mostly used drugs in pain management and they work well in ensuring that your pain is moderated if not done away with completely. The nature of these drugs however requires that they be administered by a professional since they are very rewarding and before long the patient may become addicted to them or even dependent on them. There is however one disadvantage of using opiates in pain management; Due to their rewarding nature they can be easily abused and a treatment that once began on the right foot may end up being another nightmare in a person’s life hence there is need for actions to be taken to help patients not to be addicted to this pain drugs.

The medical researchers however did not stop at opiates but went step further to come up with other treatment methods that can be employed to help in treating pain patients and these involves the use of injections . In most cases whenever a person has pain in any part of the body, he may be encouraged to try physical therapy or to go for a cortisone injection which normally helps but if all these failed then you need a different approach to tackling the pain. Proliferative therapies like the prolotherapy, Prolozone and the platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP) are a good way to deal with pain but are little known.

Prolozone

Prolozone is a form of proliferative therapy. Proliferative therapy generally involves the injection of natural substances into the affected area. When done properly, these injections stimulate the release of growth factors and formation of new collagen in the affected area. The prefix “prolo” refers to this stage of new tissue growth or “proliferation.” As the body forms new collagen, the treated ligaments and tendons become thicker and stronger and more capable of doing their work. Proper alignment, stability, and function are restored, and typically the pain subsides.

Prolozone therapy uses ozone which is a form of oxygen but with three oxygen atoms. The ozone has a very powerful regenerative ability that helps in treating the damaged connective tissues. When the ozone is injected, it improves the oxygen circulation and delivery to the damaged cells. Prolozone therapy also helps not only by strengthening the tendons and the ligaments but also by rebuilding cartilage in the treated joints. Prolozone therapy was by pioneered Dr. Frank Shallenberger.

Patients enjoy Prolozone therapy as compared to other proliferative therapies like prolotherapy since with Prolozone the number of individual injections is less based on the area treated as compared to the number of injections in prolotherapy. The solution is dispersed over a larger area compared to prolotherapy, due to the injection of ozone gas. This has made Prolozone more preferred by people who do not want many injections

Platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP)

This is a safe non-surgical procedure that helps those with injuries in the tendons or suffering from osteoporosis. This treatment utilizes platelets from the patient’s own blood to rebuild a damaged tendon or cartilage. It has been successful in not only relieving the pain, but also in jumpstarting the healing process.

Platelet rich plasma therapy (PRP)

During this therapy the patients’ blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge for 15 minutes to separate out the platelets. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the damaged portion of the tendon or cartilage with the guidance of an ultrasound machine. This treatment is one of the best non-surgical procedures that can be used against pain plus it takes short time for the patient to heal completely. Averagely patients take three months to be able to return to the activities they were performing before the injury that resulted in the pain.

IV therapy for chronic pain

IV nutritional therapies might have been used in chronic pain management for quite a time and have showed impressive results. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) treats patients with chronic pain on a daily basis and has found that some people who suffer from extensive inflammation or degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia or other auto-immune problems may just be lacking some of the vital minerals and vitamins in the body and therefore an IV vitamin and mineral therapy might just work well for them.

IV therapy involves administering the minerals, vitamins that the body lacks through and IV drip. The same might be used to administer some medicine that may help to heal the injured tissues and facilitate formation of new tissues.

Finally

With the injections for pan management you will not only experience liberating relief for weeks with but also are helpful in finding the long-term pain solution. Injections are so simple and low risk they should be in the pain-management discussion for everyone. To discuss how therapeutic injections can free you of pain and improve your long-term outlook, please call (843) 213-1480 or contact Dr. Akoury Dalal

Injections for Pain Management

Tag Archives: Physical exercise