Functional Trainer: Holistic Health Series 4; Diabetes and Dysglycemia

Feb 27 2010 by Jack Walton

Until fairly recently, Diabetic issues and dysglycemia (disrupted blood sugar) were of relatively rare occurrence.  In recent times they represent a major problem of epidemic levels and can have a devastating impact on quality of life. 

There has been a lot of research into how best to handle blood sugar problems and how to improve quality of life when living with diabetes, but it is first worth considering what has caused such a rise in sufferers and how a holistic approach will always be the most successful.

Rise in Diabetes
Whilst the death rate is declining in the UK, alarmingly the incidence of diabetes is increasing.  Since 1991, the number of women diagnosed with diabetes has increased by about 80% and it has doubled in men.  This rise is associated with increasing obesity levels and heart disease instances.

Although there are other factors, these related diseases correlate closely with the types of food we have been eating.  Given that experts and media at large would tell us that too much fat (in particular saturated fat) in the diet is the major cause of these three diseases, we might expect to see the amount of fat in the UK diet rise accordingly.  Unfortunately we actually see the opposite.  The figures from ‘The National Diet and Nutrition Survey’ cannot be ignored as they illustrate an increase in carbohydrate consumption and decrease in fat consumption.

You are what your ancestors ate! 
There are loads of great books out there on this topic, but put simply it is no wonder that our society is developing so many new illnesses and diseases, when our diet and lifestyle has changed so dramatically in such a short space of time.  For over 500 generations the human race survived on (i.e. were successful on) mainly wild animal meats and vegetation.  Refined sugars and grains did not really feature until a mere 6,000 years ago (drop in the ocean in evolutionary terms) during the agricultural revolution.  The question must be asked as to whether we have since been able to develop the mechanisms to do well on this dietary shift.  The health and disease figures seem to suggest not.