For many years indigestion has been considered the number one disturbance of American businessmen. Irvin Cobb told the story of the dyspeptic who hears the noon whistle: “Twelve o’clock,” he says. “I’m going home. If lunch isn’t ready, I’m going to raise Cain. If it is ready, I won’t eat a bite.” Heartburn, the belching of sour material, nausea, vomiting, a feeling of fullness or pressure, are the symptoms that trouble most.
While the symptoms listed may be relatively insignificant as far as any serious disease is concerned, the difficulty for both doctor and patient lies in the fact that the same symptoms in varying degree may be associated with exceedingly serious disorders. The severity of pain varies from one person to another, and the agony of the pain is not really a measure of the condition that is wrong. Most people digest their food and move the residue along towards elimination without much attention to what is going on. If the symptoms that have been mentioned come on one or two hours after eating, they may be due to uncomplicated ulcer of the stomach or duodenum and the doctor will have to make extra studies, including use of the X-ray to be sure of the diagnosis. Similar symptoms may occur in conditions related to the appendix or the gall bladder, or to blocking of the passage of the food, or to a weakness in the diaphragm, the large muscle of breathing which separates the abdomen from the chest.
Indigestion may, moreover, be associated with psychological problems, excessive use or abuse of tobacco, coffee, or alcohol, rapid eating with insufficient chewing, constipation with the cathartic habit, and many other errors of digestive hygiene.
When there is sensitivity or allergy to certain food substances, eating of such foods may arouse gastrointestinal distress.
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Diabetes is a disease in which people cannot metabolize carbohydrates because the pancreas will not secrete insulin, the hormone which regulates the metabolism of blood sugar. It is thought that the disease is hereditary. Haifa per cent of children suffer from diabetes mellitus and the onset is usually sudden and severe. The child or adolescent loses weight, gets hungry and thirsty constantly, urinates frequently and has a dry and itchy skin. Treatment is essential as the final outcome could be diabetic coma.
The 2 types of diabetes mellitus are insulin independent and insulin dependent. It is the latter which tends to occur in adolescents and it is sometimes called juvenile onset diabetes. Sufferers depend on insulin injections and must be under the care of a medical practitioner.
Research has shown that vitamin and mineral supplementation can help sufferers. Chromium is a component of the glucose tolerance factor (GTF) and it increases tolerance in animals, boosting the effectiveness of insulin. It is found in brewer’s yeast. A high fibre, high complex carbohydrate diet including foods such as cereal grains, especially rolled oats, root vegetables and legumes is important. Avoid any refined sugars. Complex carbohydrates should be 75 per cent of the diet, protein 15 to 20 per cent, and fat 5 to 10 per cent. Clinical studies have found that zinc is excreted in the urine by diabetics. A zinc supplement may be useful.
Clinical studies have also shown that vitamin С improved glucose tolerance in patients given 500mg daily. Supplementation may be useful but if your child is supplementing with vitamin С it may alter the results of urine tests. Talk this over with your medical practitioner who must also be supervising the disease.
Supplements
Brewer’s yeast for children over 12 years 500mg twice daily
Vitamin С l,000mg daily
Zinc 25mg daily
Vitamin E l00 IU daily
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Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to fully metabolize sugars and starches, either because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin for processing, or the insulin produced is less than effective.
In mild cases, diet alone can control the condition. In severe cases, replacement insulin is necessary. In all cases, the care of a physician is essential – but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your get-up-and-go!
Energize Your Eating
• Keep your diet low in fats and high in complex carbohydrates, especially those that are rich in fibre, such as whole grains and dried beans.
• Avoid all foods containing refined sugars.
• Have 4-6 small meals daily instead of 2-3 large ones.
• Eat more fish. It’s high in protein and low in fat.
• Increase raw fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Add brewer’s yeast to meals when you can – especially if you’re a senior citizen. (Impaired glucose tolerance is a definite factor in maturity-onset diabetes, and brewer’s yeast is a prime source of GTF, the glucose tolerance factor which can potentiate insulin.)
• Make sure your meals contain plenty of vitamin E- and C-rich foods. These will help counteract the poor circulation and impeded blood vessels that diabetics are prone to.
• Drink a cup of freshly made raspberry tea 2-3 times daily (steep leaves in hot water for half an hour). It’s one of the best herbal remedies for lowering blood sugar.
Suggested Supplements
• GTF chromium, 50 mcg., 3 times daily
• Potassium, 99 mg., 3 times daily
• Chelated zinc, 50 mg., 1-3 times daily
• Water, 6-8 glasses daily
And don’t forget exercise!
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