Did you know that diabetes is a degenerative disease?
What do I mean by this? Can it be prevented? Can it be helped? What are the signs of impending diabetes? What seldom-talked about thing is associated with diabetes? (and I bet you haven’t heard about this unless you read a lot!)
I think we all know that diabetes is on the rise, and that high sugar consumption is creating this epidemic. But let’s talk a little bit more here so that we can do more about it.
First of all, our bodies are meant to heal themselves. Just like a cut finger will heal, your pancreas is also meant to heal. However, if you keep touching the hot stove that burned you, you will never heal. That “hot stove” to the pancreas is sugar and high-glycemic foods. These are foods that quickly break down into sugar and have a tendency to spike our blood glucose levels. If you look up “white foods”, you will get a list of things to avoid, like sugar, white flour, white potatoes, etc.
So, what do these things do to you exactly, as far as blood sugar and diabetes are concerned? These high-glycemic foods rapidly raise your blood sugar level….alarmingly fast and at a rate that is not natural.
Here’s what happens: As a result of the spiked blood glucose level, your pancreas releases too much insulin. This is because the rate of blood sugar increase is not known in a natural state; the body doesn’t know that its sugar won’t keep rising; hence, too much insulin ends up being released. With too much insulin released, what happens to your blood sugar? It goes too low. This is reactive hypoglycemia. This done enough times wears out your pancreas (degeneration).
When your pancreas starts to weaken, it actually gets hyperactive in a last-ditch effort to keep on going. What this means is that your blood sugar will go too low more often. This is hypoglycemia. (It is why some will get the shakes if they skip meals). Hypoglycemia tends to be a warning sign of eventual diabetes, but correcting your diet can allow the pancreas to heal (stop touching the hot stove).
So, what is the thing about pancreatic health that you probably haven’t heard about? Enzymes! All natural foods contain enzymes. Enzymes help break down food. (A tell-tale sign of low enzymatic activity in food is that it won’t rot if left for extended periods). Foods that are processed and cooked (especially if overly cooked or microwaved) have enzymes largely destroyed. Enzymes are vital. If we don’t get them in our food, guess what organ gets worked and taxed even harder? You got it, the pancreas! It really doesn’t need more stress, does it?!
