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."