Diabetes in NDN Country

[DaCotau]

I also believe that Native people metabolize carbs differently than europeans and that when we eat a diet high in carbohydrates, sugars and fat this has a much more devestating impact on our health than it does on people whose traditional diets consisted of these types of foods over many generations. I am an MSW working in NYC and I see an immense number of Latino people suffering from Type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. The fact that most Latinos are of native descent is a significant factor I believe in raising their vulnerability to these health problems. To eat the foods that most closely resemble what your ancestors ate for thousands of years is what your body will best recognize and understand how to process.

[ndnMSW]

YES, I had a toddler sized baby. The doctor said that she must have been carrying the extra pounds in her cheeks...lol. I obviously had a C-section with her, as with my first (who was 10 pounds). She was just too big and I didn't progress and never kicked into labor. When she was 4 weeks old everyone said she looked like a 3-month old. She's already rolling over, started that early at 11 weeks, and trying to sit up.

Anyway, depression is common in people with diabetes who are suffering complications, especially if they have to dialize more than twice per week. I lost my adopted dad to complications from diabetes (the late Dave White from Prairie Island, MN and lead singer for Ironwood Singers), and he had suffered from complications for a long time. It's scary and it's sad to see your loved ones suffer like that. So even people who are newly diagnosed can prevent complications if they do appropriate self-care and stick to their medical regimen. Just understanding what that is, and finding a way to make it a part of their lifestyle is the key, along with getting alot of family and socail support.

[Blackbear]

Just got diagnosed two weeks ago with diabetes. I've been borderline for probably 15 years and had gestational diabetes so it's no big surprise to me. I just barely crossed over that borderline now. On medication, but not injections.

[Singing Otter]

ndnMSW.... girl you just made me cross my legs GOT DANG! lmao you had a full grown toddler ennit? hehehe j/k

Seriously my mom's diabetic. It runs on both sides of the fam. I worry about her alot. It's affected her eyes, her legs, her kidneys, her heart, etc. I'm afraid that I'm going to lose her at times. It seems to go up and down... and I feel so helpless because she gets really depressed. I started reading up on it and decided to fix recipes that she can have ( http://www.recipezaar.com/r/q=diabetic/155 is a decent site, so is http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/low_carb/ .) Maybe by starting early, I can prevent myself from getting it.

[ndnMSW]

Don't feel like a thread killer.......we've just been busy...lol.

You know, I believe in what you are saying. Although it hasn't been researched with an empirical study that I know of, I believe that our bodies are not programmed to handle simple carbs and other starches that were not a part of our traditional diet. I think most Indians are carb sensitive, meaning if when they eat simple carbs it will set them off and make them hungry. I always feel like that when I eat an apple or a banana, I HAVE to have some kind of protein to keep from feeling hungry real quick after eating. Even though an apple and banana have some fiber and are considered a complex carb, it still has alot of natural sugar (think sugar = carbs) which always sets me off.

I believe too that our bodies are programmed for feast and famine. Again, it hasn't been proven in any clinical research, but I really feel that our bodies haven't evolved enough to be able to process carbohydrates, especially the simple carbs. Add in the fact that most doctors believe that as people get older they lose the ability to process carbs effectively, and the wealth of simple carbs available, no wonder so many people have type 2 diabetes.

BTW, I just had a baby which is why I haven't been posting. She was 11 pounds!!!!! Now some people think I had gestational diabetes, but I didn't. I got screened twice and had very healthy ranges both times..........big girls just run in our family.....lol. Now she's almost 11 weeks old and I'm back at work (different job, still working with diabetes prevention), and trying to lose the baby weight. I'm getting ready to get some labwork done in a couple of months and I asked my doctor to do a fasting blood glucose test and a lipid profile so I can see where I'm at healthwise. It's sad that with some doctors you have to request that, that it's not a routine part of preventive care.

[Little Man's Ma]

Come on gang... I'm starting to feel like a thread killer!!!

[Little Man's Ma]

This is a very interesting thread...

I had gestational diabetes for two of my pregnancies, and didn't develop T2DM till my last baby was almost 2 yrs old. I've had it now for 9 yrs. My father's family has had a long history of diabetes, almost all the women died of complications before they reached their mid fifties, as a result of the lifestyles they led, inactivity, poor diet and alcohol. The stress they inflicted on their bodies from lifestyle and diabetes resulted in heart conditions, high blood pressure and ultimately death.

When I was first diagnosed, I had no symptoms... but my sugar levels were 37 - (I don't know what that is in the states, I think 390!), and was hospitalized feeling great. It took a couple weeks to bring it down, but I have a great family physician who monitors me like a hawk. Tonnes of consultation with the Dietitian at the hospital so my i have learned too to be a label reader. I have increased my activity level and decreased my food intake.

My own personal opinion on why diabetes has become such an epidemic in ndn country is that food is too accessible. Way back when, our people were in situations where it was feast or famine. Our bodies were genetically coded for this type of lifestyle. We feasted as a community during times when there was food available and our bodies learned to store the excess because there would be other times, when food was scarce. our bodies learned to conserve. So now, in this day in age, when food is easily/readily available, and we store it all, because we no longer have to wait a lengthy time between meals, and are not expending the energy to chase down our next meal. This results in "us" not being able to adequately process the carbs, affecting insulin levels, and presto.. we got diabetes.

I ain't no expert, just my opinion, so be nice.. lmao

[Maji]

http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf

Right on the package insert for the MMR, it says that one of the adverse reactions is diabetes mellitus, also known as diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
The following adverse reactions are listed in decreasing order of severity, without regard to causality,
within each body system category and have been reported during clinical trials, with use of the marketed
vaccine, or with use of monovalent or bivalent vaccine containing measles, mumps, or rubella:
M-M-R® II (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live) 9265208
7
Body as a Whole
Panniculitis; atypical measles; fever; syncope; headache; dizziness; malaise; irritability.
Cardiovascular System
Vasculitis.
Digestive System
Pancreatitis; diarrhea; vomiting; parotitis; nausea.
Endocrine System
Diabetes mellitus.
Hemic and Lymphatic System
Thrombocytopenia (see WARNINGS, Thrombocytopenia); purpura; regional lymphadenopathy;
leukocytosis.
Immune System
Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions have been reported as well as related phenomena such as
angioneurotic edema (including peripheral or facial edema) and bronchial spasm in individuals with or
without an allergic history.
Musculoskeletal System
Arthritis; arthralgia; myalgia.
Arthralgia and/or arthritis (usually transient and rarely chronic), and polyneuritis are features of natural
rubella and vary in frequency and severity with age and sex, being greatest in adult females and least in
prepubertal children. This type of involvement as well as myalgia and paresthesia, have also been
reported following administration of MERUVAX II.

[Maji]

One of the alternative medicines I hear very little about - are our own.

Don't forget BearRoot. It is only found in one place. I still have some that was handed down to me from my grandfather.
It is still good!
I feel sad that we have lost so much of our medicinal knowledge. Even the fact that we knew how to naturally preserve medications. There are theories that show there has always been a trade route for drugs.
I know, as a parent, that I would be willing to walk 1000 miles to get medicine for my family.

[Maji]

I thought I would post a link for you to read.
Link Between Diabetes and Immunizations
I found it to be very interesting and good read. Defiitely has answers to give the nurse or doctor if they try to pressure you into vaccinating without getting all the information.

As Native Peoples we have done just fine before the White Man came with his shots, okay, that was only like 65 years ago, but, still, we did great. We had almost zero infant mortality rate. Just check with Archeologists on the number of infant skeletons found compared to adult skeletons.
The Earth really does hold the memories of our ancestors.

[onca-pintada]

diabeties is definetly a problem now a days people are being diagnosed younger and younger now i have diabeties and im 21, now my 3 yr old was just diagnosed with juvenial diabeties

Wow...that is something...however, the two types of diabetes are unrelated.

You likely have Type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can be ameliorated with lifestyle changes (though not cured ) such as diet and exercise; your son/daughter has Type 1 diabetes, which is an absolutely insulin-dependent scenario, and could not have been prevented with lifestyle changes (as can Type 2 DM).


Best of luck to you.

[Maji]

My wife is researching the link between immunizations and Diabetes.
How many of you or your family that have Diabetes were immunized?

FWIW, i was immunized and have Diabetes type 2. My 3 older children were immunized and all three have problems ranging from pre-diabetic, seizures, ADD, and ADHD,etc.
My younger 2 I never got vaccinated and they are thriving.

My wife visited a Diabetes convention in St. Paul and of the 200+ people there with Diabetes, ALL had been immunized/vaccinated.

Something to think about, anyways.

[clm]

diabeties is definetly a problem now a days people are being diagnosed younger and younger now i have diabeties and im 21, now my 3 yr old was just diagnosed with juvenial diabeties

[ndnMSW]

My mom has diabetes and she is one of the few people I know that adhere to her medical regimen (meaning she monitors her blood sugar daily, knows what to eat, how to eat, understands the diabetic "exchanges", what her "free" foods are, and tries to exercise regularly). I asked her why she could follow her regimen so well when so many people with diabetes struggle with it. She told me that she had to go to 3 different nutrition classes before she finally understood what they were talking about when it came to counting carbs and understanding why. But she really had to shop around for a class, had to do alot the research on her own, the dietician she was first referred to did not give her the information she needed in a way that she could understand it.

I think that's a big reason why many people have a hard time following their regimen, even when they start suffering complications. Education is a big key, plus understanding that you have to find something that clicks and that will work for the individual because everyone is different.

Anyway, I haven't been able to post the information about the Diabetes PRevention Program because I haven't been able to type up something that I can post to deliver the info. But here are the main points.

The DPP is for Indians, 18 years and older, who have been diagnosed with "pre-diabetes". If you ask your doctor, they will say you either have Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) or Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT). Both conditions mean you have an elevated blood sugar level which is not healthy, but not high enough for you to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (which clinicians will abbreviate as DM 2 - Diabetes Mellitus 2). BUT this also means you are at a stage where you can PREVENT getting Type 2 Diabetes.

To be eligible for the program you have to be 18 years or older and diagnosed with IFG or IGT. If you're not sure if you should be tested, then take the ADA Risk Test, and if you're score is high enough, your doctor should test you. The Risk Test asks questions such as did you give birth to a baby that was 9 lbs or more, did you have gestational diabetes, does your parents or siblings have diabetes, are you overweight, are you over 65 years of age, are you 35 or over AND sedentary, etc.

The DPP program will provide a 16 week class, meeting once a week, that provides education on healthy eating, learning how to be more active, and behavior change. It also provided individual coaching to help you reach the program goals, which are:
1 - Lose 7% of your total body weight and maintain that weight loss
2 - exercise 150 minutes per week.

Ask your local IHS or tribal health center if they know about the DPP and if they have that grant in their area. I'll try and post later some of the areas that have the grant. I know right now off the top of my head some of the areas that have the grant: Cheyenne River, Rapid City, Pine Ridge, Rocky Boy, Menominee WI, Winnebago NE, Gnome Alaska, Tuba City, Zuni, Gila River, Salt River (I think), Lawton OK, Lawrence KS, Tama IA, Turtle Mountain, several places in CA. I'll check my books again to see what other places have it.

[LoneWolfBunn]

NDN cure for cancer will likely work for diabetes too

To anyone who may already have read this I apologize but this is likely important information for people dealing with diabetes as well as cancer. I will also post this in a new thread so as to not distract from the original topic here.

One of the alternative medicines I hear very little about - are our own. One NDN cancer medicine is more widely spoken of and believed effective by whitemen across the ocean - than by our own people. It was made famous by a Canadian nurse named Renee Caisse. Though this medicine cured many terminally ill patients she spent most of her career under constant threat of having her license revoked and being charged for malpractice.

The medicine I am speaking of was one that was known by many medicine men. They debated whether they should share this medine with the caucasians. Some worried that the whiteman would try to keep it from us and only give it to rich white people. (Some may say it has happened.)

One of these medicine men followed a dream instructing him to share the ingredients with this one white person. Ironically knowledge of the medicine may have disappeared like so many others if he didn't follow his dream.

She struggled all her life to have the government acknowledge the positive results in treating cancer. If it were not for an outpouring of public support many say she would have been imprisoned for continuing to administer the medicine without the consent of the government.
You see the government did not and still does not want a cure that cannot be patented. As it stands the most effective patented drugs they have so far are so expensive only the elite can afford it.

Now one of the most effective natural cures grows everywhere and is free. But for some reason NDNs seem to have lost trust in our own medicines.

Maybe if white scientists do studies to prove our medicines are effective then NDNs will start to use them again. If that is the case I will write a few of the things white scientists have discovered about the plants contained in the medicine. (Like some plants, these contain no harmful properties.)

Burdock root (encylopedia dubs this as one of the worst weeds in North America)
- strengthens vital organs
- eliminates free radicals
- balances blood sugar

inner Slippery Elm bark
- eliminates acids
- removes toxins from liver and kidneys
- soothes asthma

Sheep Sorrel
- strengthens glands
- good for nerves and intestines
- cleans blood

Indian Rhubarb root
- detoxifies liver
- oxygenates the blood
- anti-tumour properties

Now I could include a bunch of links to companies that sell the medicine but I am not trying to promote them because they sell at pretty high prices.
These plants grow everywhere in fact the main ingredient cannot be stopped from growing. It's toxin nuetralizing power is so much that the government plants it in soil contaminated with radiation. It is considered a delicacy in Asian countries.
If there actually was a food shortage in the world it could be one of the crops grown to feed the world. The roots grow up to six pounds and can be grown in poor soil.

Do not underestimate the power of nature or prayers. One of the cures people have prayed for has been here all this time (being sprayed with Round-Up).

Inner-city children drinking lead tainted water