The Oasis

Diabetes: The Perfect Storm

For decades, we have ignored the evidence. Now, in 2025, less than 20 years away, the perfect storm is poised to hit worldwide. A massive hurricaine? A monster tsunami? An off the scale earthquake?

As serious as our environmental problems are, I'm not talking about global warming.

Fast forward to 2025. The number of people suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed to a staggering 350 million worldwide. Among the huge numbers of people with the disease, death is common. Amputations are routine. Strokes, heart attacks and life-threatening infections are everyday events. Entire countries are caught off guard, having made no provisions in their health care plans for such a pandemic. There is a public outcry. How could this have happened? Why didn't you warn us...why didn't you help us to do something to prevent this castastrophe?

The evidence for such a scenario is overwhelming. Let's look at what has happened to the number of cases of diabetes over the last two decades. In just 20 years, the number of people with adult onset diabetes has risen from 30 million to 230 million. And there is no reason, unless we wake up, to expect a decrease in this exponential growth pattern. And when I say "we" I mean we the peoples of planet Earth. China and India now have the most diabetics in the world. Globally, there are 6 million new diabetes sufferers each year. Someone dies every 10 seconds from the effects of this disease...3 million deaths a year. The International Diabetes Foundation is seeking a U.N. resolution to bring recognition to the seriousness of the problem...the first resolution of its kind for a non-communicable disease. Half of the world's diabetics don't even know they have the disease...causing a potentially lethal lag in treatment.

What is causing this diabetes explosion?

Genetics plays a part, but the biggest culprits are lifestyle and diet. Globally, people have better access to cheap food and consume all the wrong nutrients. The hectic pace of our everyday lives has most of us living on adrenalin and getting less than adequate sleep, both known risk factors for putting on pounds and wreaking havoc with our blood sugars. Plus, in our lives today, daily physical activity has become something that has to be consciously incorporated into one's routine, rather than as a normal consequence of daily living. The bottom line...

Bad diet + too little exercise + high stress levels = weight gain, which leads to a greatly increased risk of developing diabetes.

Keeping one's body weight in a healthy range greatly decreases a person's risk of developing the disease, even when genetic factors are present. Good control of blood sugar significantly decreases a person's risk of developing serious complications. It's no great stretch to figure out that prevention and early detection of diabetes could save massive amounts of money, not to mention the savings in human suffering.

What can you, a single individual, do in the face of this storm? Plenty!

Look first to your own health. A healthy body weight, sound diet and plenty of exercise is great, not only for you, but as an example for your children, your friends and community. Here in the U.S., get involved with your local school system as they begin to implement mandated wellness policies. Ask your local restuarants to carry healthier choices on their menus and then follow through by actually purchasing them. If you have a family history of the disease, ask your health care provider about getting tested.

I would love to see your ideas about what else can be done to stem this deadly tide. Feel free to post your thoughts here as comments to this post.

Puppy Power

Everyone (well, nearly everyone) loves a warm puppy. Now there is evidence that contact with a dog (or cat) does much more for us than just give us a good feeling.

Pet owners are more likely to survive a heart attack than people who don't have pets. The presence of dogs and cats can lower blood pressure and boost our bodies' abiliy to fight disease. Pets have also been shown to reduce the incidence of antisocial behavior in teens and children who are troubled.

Read more about this fascinating subject at U.S. News and World Report. You can also learn more about the animal-human connection at the Delta Society.

Yoga and Breast Cancer Treatment: Good Companions!

Researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reported some encouraging results on the effects of yoga on women who are undergoing radiation treatments for breast cancer. This preliminary study looked at just 61 patients who particpated in a specially designed yoga program around the same time as they were going for radiation treatments.

The women reported a significant increase in physical function, as well as improved general health, after only one week!

A larger follow-up study is now being done, funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Fast Track to a Heart Attack? Fast-Five Guidelines to Eating Out

Take a look around you the next time you are out...at the mall, waiting in line at the post office or in any other public place.

Notice anything different lately about the people you see?

Chances are that over half the people you came in contact with were overweight or obese. Perhaps you fall into one of these categories yourself.

The statistics are alarming. Nearly 64% of Americans are now classified as overweight or obese, putting many of us at risk for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Here's another number for you. According to FDA Commissioner, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Americans consume one-third of our calories outside our  homes...in restaurants, cafeterias and other establishments.

We already know we tend to eat more, in terms of both fat and total calories, when we go out to eat. Plus, nutritional information about the foods we consume in restaurants is not easily available.

And portion sizes! In the average restaurant, there is usually enough food (and calories) on one plate to feed two people, and sometimes three.

But with the demands of work, children and family, the days of three home cooked meals are over for most of us. Many of us will continue to eat most, if not all of our meals outside our homes. What can we do to make sure that by eating out we are not on the fast track to a heart attack?

America has been called the "Fast Food Nation" and for good reason. This country was one of the first places where you could get a day's worth of calories for a couple of bucks and then consume them in five minutes, all without ever leaving your car!

Here are the "Fast Five" food guidelines:

1) No Super-sizing: keep portion control in mind. Because many fast foods are calorie dense (meaning a lot of calories in a relatively small amount of food), you can be easily fooled by the amount of calories you are actually consuming. 

2) Easy on the sauce: Avoid high fat and high calorie sauces  and salad dressings, either by  eliminating them completely or ordering them on the side and then using them sparingly.

3) Your attention please: Many fast food places are adding lower calorie and fat choices so pay attention to changes in the menu. Choose from one of these newer, healthier offerings instead of the regular fare.

4) Have it your way: Even if there are no lower fat and calorie choices, you can make the food you do order healthier. Order a grilled chicken sandwich without sauce or mayo. (You can ask for mustard instead.) Always get salad dressing on the side. Order a single hamburger (regular or children's size).

5) Make the switch: Beverages can really pile on a lot of empty calories. A large cola drink has 310 calories! Switch to water or low fat milk. If you just have to have that soda, at least get a diet soda and one that is caffeine free.

So next time you find yourself on the fast food track, remember the Fast Five. Your waistline (and your heart) will thank you for it!

( Here are some links to nutritional information for MacDonald's, Chick-Fil-A and Wendy's )