Nov 14 in India is remembered as "Children's day" remembering Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India on his birthday. Nov 14 world wide is also marked for a rather notorious reason, it is the World Diabetes day.
The statistics world over are startling with rising number of cases with ever growing percentage of population being effected by this health condition. Estimated by 2030 1 in 5 in the US would be diabetic. India is not way to far, it has the highest diabetic population in the world. Whats alarming these numbers are set to increase and grow in unmanageable proportions with the current generations failing to realise the simple cause for this an epidermic problem. Our children, the younger generations are more obese than the other age groups.
Obesity is one of the primary causes to diabetes in addition to genetic makeup. People fail to realise that diabetes as condition is a safety mechanism by which the human body is genetically evolved over centuries to survive hardships of mother nature. This bodily condition maintains and controls the blood glucose level to what is required, sustainable and needs to be stored for future needs.
In Indian or African races where the population is geographically and historically exposed to repeated famine and malnutrition the human races here have evolved to adopt the life of famine. The way the body achieves this is by responding to small indication or triggers for starvation. Human body or brain to be precise receives an indication of anxiety, stress and reads it as stress and anxiety driven from fear of lack of food; lack of food was foremost primeval fear of mankind; fear of immediate loss of life drives adrenaline, and energy boost to take evasive action. The anxiety and tensed state of mind drives automatically triggers in the body for the preservation mechanism to kick in and convert as much of energy as possible into fat reserves and slow down the metabolism. There is a human hormone called "Cortisol" which is released into the blood stream during those anxious and stressed out moments. Any amount of "Cortisol" means the self preservation and fat storage mechnism of the body starts. Once the days of anxiety and fear have passed, the human body slowly returns back to higher metabolic rate and lower fat storage. This has been a successful mechanism to sustain life during the difficult days of famines and lack of nutrition which the human race has sustained and conquered during the evolutionary periods and this embedded in the genetic make-up.
What is happening today ?
What does the body which is already in preservation mode do ?? With all the tension it continues to pile more and more fat for future needs. This is a cycle triggered by the stress around us and uncontrollable appetite of unhealthy foods which follows us. Lack of activity, slower metabolism !!! Recipe for disaster
So how can we reverse this ?
1. Cut down stress levels. Reassess what is that one will finally achieve by going 100 miles an hour. One needs to apply brakes voluntarily or else we will run into huge road bumps.
2. Think positive and be happy. Stop worrying so much of everything and anything. What is the worse that can happen is someone will die. But everything in this world has expiration date isn't it. We either do what we are supposed to do or worry about what can't be done. We have a choice
3. Be active - Both mentally and physically. As long as one is really engaged and occupied with determination and goals, the focus of the body and brain are all on achieving one singular purpose and as long as on is unabated they will tend to have control on what the brain activity is like. Physical activity on the other hand will keep challenging the body physically to improve, keep all of its systems running. If any part of body are not used, the body responds by shutting it down slowly. Ex. Lesser we walk, lesser the challenge on leg muscles, lesser the challenge on sustaining those muscle groups, hence under nourished over a period of time leading to weak lower body.
4. Be conscious of what we eat - This may be the last. Why ? if one is successfully in 1 & 2, the impact is there are no self preservation triggers from the brain. Hence the body is not getting into starvation and self preservation mode. If one is successful on 3, the body metabolism is still relatively high. This combined the body takes in only those which are essential and ejects which are not. This is in the same way the proteins or vitamins are minerals which are excess and not required are rejected by the body. The body has capacity to reject fats and excess calories one consumes if one trains oneself to those levels. This is achieved by a disciplined mind over matter and intelligent eating which prevents any trigger of starvation by the body.
It's my strong view point that one who has control over there brain and followed by positive self talk can achieve and sustain and relatively healthy physical state over a sustained period of time. Any negative thoughts, any stress any anxiety levels has such a negative effect that the impact of the same are beyond our comprehension. Let conquer or minds, tune them, calm them. Meditate slow down the pace and make space for happiness and well being.
Diabetes, obesity and related issues will not bother for a healthier part of life.
The statistics world over are startling with rising number of cases with ever growing percentage of population being effected by this health condition. Estimated by 2030 1 in 5 in the US would be diabetic. India is not way to far, it has the highest diabetic population in the world. Whats alarming these numbers are set to increase and grow in unmanageable proportions with the current generations failing to realise the simple cause for this an epidermic problem. Our children, the younger generations are more obese than the other age groups.
Obesity is one of the primary causes to diabetes in addition to genetic makeup. People fail to realise that diabetes as condition is a safety mechanism by which the human body is genetically evolved over centuries to survive hardships of mother nature. This bodily condition maintains and controls the blood glucose level to what is required, sustainable and needs to be stored for future needs.
In Indian or African races where the population is geographically and historically exposed to repeated famine and malnutrition the human races here have evolved to adopt the life of famine. The way the body achieves this is by responding to small indication or triggers for starvation. Human body or brain to be precise receives an indication of anxiety, stress and reads it as stress and anxiety driven from fear of lack of food; lack of food was foremost primeval fear of mankind; fear of immediate loss of life drives adrenaline, and energy boost to take evasive action. The anxiety and tensed state of mind drives automatically triggers in the body for the preservation mechanism to kick in and convert as much of energy as possible into fat reserves and slow down the metabolism. There is a human hormone called "Cortisol" which is released into the blood stream during those anxious and stressed out moments. Any amount of "Cortisol" means the self preservation and fat storage mechnism of the body starts. Once the days of anxiety and fear have passed, the human body slowly returns back to higher metabolic rate and lower fat storage. This has been a successful mechanism to sustain life during the difficult days of famines and lack of nutrition which the human race has sustained and conquered during the evolutionary periods and this embedded in the genetic make-up.
What is happening today ?
- Stress levels are high; why ? Today's world all over has become so competitive that everyone is forced to run fast with time and each and every one is playing an endless catchup with each and everyone. Result is people are stressed out trying to reach the targets set by family, by their schools, by their organization to top it all personal goals and targets if any only make the things worse. Stress, stress and more stress piles up. Anxiety and tension of future goals triggers a brain triggered chemical reaction sensing the need of self preservation against non-existence. Only that non-existence in the present is not driven by hunger. Hence the effect of body stacking up fats and slowing down metabolism. While this continues we are not only high on calories we are loosing control on our calorie intake.
- Then there is a thinking in the recent generations that you got to enjoy what ever you can today as you have no tomorrow. Result is people are over indulging in Sweet beverages, fried foods , bakery foods and sweet savoury. Add to this the idiot box, the movies, the game boxes, the smart phones implying an addiction and a complete lack of control on physical activity. With people drooling all over these devices and snacking in with all those sodium and fat rich foods exponentially implodes the problem.
- There is no physical or mental activity. True we are so much used to luxury and things happening on push of a button, that we hardly get to do anything which sustains a healthy living lifestyle. Evolutionarily be it hunter-gatherer or forger, the amount of physical activity which the human body endured during the lifetime today is not equal to what out ancestors might have endured in an year or lesser. We live a complete sedentary life, full of materialistic indulgences, cravings and ever growing desire for more more and more.
What does the body which is already in preservation mode do ?? With all the tension it continues to pile more and more fat for future needs. This is a cycle triggered by the stress around us and uncontrollable appetite of unhealthy foods which follows us. Lack of activity, slower metabolism !!! Recipe for disaster
So how can we reverse this ?
1. Cut down stress levels. Reassess what is that one will finally achieve by going 100 miles an hour. One needs to apply brakes voluntarily or else we will run into huge road bumps.
2. Think positive and be happy. Stop worrying so much of everything and anything. What is the worse that can happen is someone will die. But everything in this world has expiration date isn't it. We either do what we are supposed to do or worry about what can't be done. We have a choice
3. Be active - Both mentally and physically. As long as one is really engaged and occupied with determination and goals, the focus of the body and brain are all on achieving one singular purpose and as long as on is unabated they will tend to have control on what the brain activity is like. Physical activity on the other hand will keep challenging the body physically to improve, keep all of its systems running. If any part of body are not used, the body responds by shutting it down slowly. Ex. Lesser we walk, lesser the challenge on leg muscles, lesser the challenge on sustaining those muscle groups, hence under nourished over a period of time leading to weak lower body.
4. Be conscious of what we eat - This may be the last. Why ? if one is successfully in 1 & 2, the impact is there are no self preservation triggers from the brain. Hence the body is not getting into starvation and self preservation mode. If one is successful on 3, the body metabolism is still relatively high. This combined the body takes in only those which are essential and ejects which are not. This is in the same way the proteins or vitamins are minerals which are excess and not required are rejected by the body. The body has capacity to reject fats and excess calories one consumes if one trains oneself to those levels. This is achieved by a disciplined mind over matter and intelligent eating which prevents any trigger of starvation by the body.
It's my strong view point that one who has control over there brain and followed by positive self talk can achieve and sustain and relatively healthy physical state over a sustained period of time. Any negative thoughts, any stress any anxiety levels has such a negative effect that the impact of the same are beyond our comprehension. Let conquer or minds, tune them, calm them. Meditate slow down the pace and make space for happiness and well being.
Diabetes, obesity and related issues will not bother for a healthier part of life.
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