Diet and faith advocated to beat diabetes
Diet and faith advocated to beat diabetes
Claudine Frederik, Contributor, Jakarta
"Gurning" was resigned to a life sentence of insulin injections and drug therapy to treat his diabetes.
Today, his blood-sugar level is normal, but he said the turnaround in his health had nothing to do with conventional therapy.
Speaking at a recent seminar, Gurning told how he canceled surgery at the last minute in Singapore, where he was being treated for lung problems after 14 years of taking medication.
"I was at death's door when I canceled the operation several years ago. Antibiotics didn't help anymore, nor did insulin shots to lower my blood-sugar level. At the time my blood sugar measured well over 500."
He said his only thought at the time was to reach out to God for help, but he also came upon an alternative treatment for his condition.
He embarked on a total overhaul of his lifestyle and diet, with the latter consisting of a rigid regimen of fruit and vegetables.
"To my amazement, in about four to six weeks my blood-sugar level had returned to normal. I am now convinced that we can find a cure for all health problems in our food, through certain vegetables and fruits," Gurning said.
Tresiaty Pohe of the Life Care Ministry claims many such success stories through a holistic approach of diet, exercise and faith.
She is a medical practitioner, but Tresiaty shies away from the standard medication meted out to diabetics.
"Patients are usually given tablets if they have become full- blown diabetics. These pills will cause other health problems when consumed over a long period," she said.
Mentioning several side effects from popular prescribed medications for diabetics, she said patients could end up with gastrointestinal problems and a host of other ailments through prolonged use.
Tresiaty also does not recommend the use of artificial sweeteners in place of sugar for diabetics, stating her belief that they may contribute to multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, depression or brain tumors in children.
"Diabetes can be totally cured," Tresiaty said.
"Patients just have to change their lifestyle. There is a cure, even with a long history of diabetes in the family. Diabetes is primarily caused by today's modern lifestyle."
In addition to a genetic predisposition, excessive consumption of high-fat and sugary foods (with attendant obesity) and stress are considered contributors to the onset of diabetes.
A change in lifestyle also means a change in life perspective, from one focused on the material to a more spiritual or holistic approach, Tresiaty said.
For some people, the problem will be more mundane in complying with the dietary restrictions.
To avoid boredom because of the blandness of the diet, she suggested liquidizing vegetables with a small piece of pineapple.
"The vegetables and fruit will be more palatable," she said.
The diet means sacrifice: Diabetics are advised to give up both refined sugar and meat.
"Meat is known to raise cortisone levels and this could trigger cancer and diabetes. High cortisone levels cause depression and irritation."
Juvenile diabetes is traditionally rare in Indonesian society, but may be increasing due to the switch to modern diets of high- processed, sugary foods. Adult-onset diabetes, due to more sedentary lifestyles and poor diet, is also increasing: The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts diabetes in Indonesia will increase by 250 percent by 2025, from the five million diabetics recorded by health services in 1995.
Some of the complications related to diabetes are inflammation, heart disease, high blood pressure, blood circulation problems in the feet (numbness, chronic sores) depression, kidney problems, blindness, dental problems, frequent bouts of flu and pneumonia. In severe cases, diabetics may have to undergo amputation of limbs.
Still, many people tend to ignore the dangers of what is, essentially, a condition triggered by a poor lifestyle.
"Here our people tend to take diabetes lightly," Tresiaty said. "They tend to shrug it off as if it is just a bout of flu, while it is a killer disease. In Indonesia the disease takes up 25 percent of a patient's income, while in the U.S. a diabetic will have to sacrifice about 10 percent of his income.
"This will only show that it is lopping off a good deal of diabetics' income here. If patients were of a more disciplined disposition, many of the disease's complications could be forestalled.
"But many people do not want to sacrifice their lifestyle and eating habits. Their palate comes before anything else, even if it means a road of pain and unbelievable discomfort."