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Dr. Weil (WAS: Digest Number 1262)

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> About Dr. Weil:

> Ya, I know Dr. Weil doesn't have much in the way

> of diabetic info, but I appreciate the fact that

> he readily admits that he doesn't know. On his site,

> pertaining to diabetes he says, " It is beyond the

> scope of this database to go into detail about way

> to manage diabetes without relying exclusively on

> pharmaceutical drugs. ... He also says, " perhaps

> lifestyle and environment can be manipulated in

> ways that encourage the disease to recede. ...

> I have no alternative program to suggest, except

> to encourage diabetic patients to experiment

> actively with diet, and the frequency and size of

> meals, and with all aspects of lifestyle to see if

> they can lower the amount of insulin they require

To be fair to Dr. Weil, B.J., I would like to quote the text that

precedes that statement because it puts the matter in a slightly

different light:

-------------------------------

" There is a surprising amount of diabetes in the world, surprising

for a genetically controlled disorder that can make people so ill and

shorten life considerably. One way to account for the persistence of

the responsible genes is to consider how they might have been

advantageous in the past. In fact, in populations living near

starvation or living through cycles of feast and famine, which would

probably include many of our ancestors, diabetics might be better off

than nondiabetics. They have a different sort of metabolism, one that

becomes a disadvantage only when food is present in abundance all of

the time.

If this view is correct, as I believe it to be, then diabetes is not

a disease or curse in itself but rather an alternative genetic

constitution that becomes a disease only in relationship to lifestyle

and environment. One suggestion that follows from this line of

thinking is that perhaps lifestyle and environment can be manipulated

in ways that encourage the disease to recede. .... "

-------------------------------

To me it is quite clear here that he is talking only about Type 2.

I find it impossible to think of any circumstances in which

Type 1 " diabetics might be better off than nondiabetics " .

And when he talks about " manipulating lifestyle and environment " he

must surely be referring to the theme that runs all through his

stuff - namely that the mind and soul play an important part, too.

And that it is up to the patient to experiment with breathing,

relaxation, stress reduction, massage, meditation, biofeedback and

hypnotherapy, etc.

When he says that he has " no alternative program to suggest " I

believe he means that there is never going to be a " wonder pill " - we

just have to accept that the way we have been living up to now has

not been the healthiest and that we ought to question, and consider

changing, every single aspect of our behaviour pattern if we are

looking for long-term lasting improvement.

I am sure he doesn't mean that we diabetics Type 2 would be better

off as part of " populations living near starvation or living through

cycles of feast and famine " . Those kind of populations usually don't

get to live long enough to have diabetes Type 2 as one of their big

problems.

I believe he means that we have to live with the metabolism that, for

whatever reason, we already have and the only real chance left to us

is to try to live as close as possible to the kind of lifestyle that

matches that metabolism. And that must surely include making energy

expenditure (physical work, exercise) the centerpoint of our lives

instead of energy intake (food, drink and candy).

Dr. Weil has enough suggestions on his site to keep Type 2 diabetics

busy for a while - it is a pity that he doesn't have much for Type

1's.

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