By Dr. Hyun K. Lee
Contributing Writer
Blood tests are never enjoyable. In fact, they are something that most of us dread, even though we know they’re beneficial. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to return from a doctor’s visit with the knowledge that your blood is less than perfect. But never fear! You are capable of improving your subsequent test results yourself, and in many cases without making any further trips to the pharmacy.
If your find that your blood sugar levels are too high, you may have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is caused when there is too much sugar in the blood. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas which acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in your body to be used as energy.
If you have type 2 diabetes, cells don’t respond normally to the insulin your pancreas is producing, which is called insulin resistance. They think they have enough, but in truth they’ve closed down. So, since your cells are not utilizing any of the insulin that your pancreas is producing your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get the cells to respond. Eventually your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
When your liver isn’t clean it produces “tainted blood” as I have discussed in previous articles. When your liver is tainted, it has a hard time cleansing the blood and removing the excess sugar from your body. High blood sugar levels are damaging to the body and can cause other serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, hypertension, and cholesterol issues. The best way to cleanse your body is through fasting and herbs. By using a formulation of my Oriental herbs and a low-calorie food intake regimen, you can begin to see your blood sugar levels decrease. That’s the first step.
After cleansing your liver and subsequently your blood, which takes approximately 120 days in total, the next step is to learn to eat foods that are healthy and in line with your particular constitution, which is easily determined.
The foods available in our modern times are extremely different from what our ancestors ate. It is no secret that the changes in food we have seen just within the past generation or two have wreaked havoc on our bodies. So much of the common diet is processed and loaded with chemicals and preservatives that should never be introduced into our blood stream. Food has become very far from natural and we can no longer trust that conventionally grown fruits, vegetables and grains are grown in the way nature intended. So much produce is sprayed, laden with pesticides and genetically modified.
It is important to turn back the clock with your eating habits and choose the same foods your ancestors would have — fresh, organic, unprocessed foods. Not only will they improve your health tremendously, but they will taste better, too. Cooking your own foods is not only healthier, but also cost-saving. In addition to this, starting a backyard garden is a simple, economic and enjoyable way to introduce organic foods into your lifestyle. Maintaining the garden is also a beneficial form of exercise.
The third step is exercise. It is very important to your general well-being. Too much exercise can tax your body unnecessarily, increase cellular oxidation and lead to injury and other problems. Walking in an upright, anatomically balanced position for at least 30 minutes each day is recommended. That’s about 10,000 steps per day which is optimal.
The fourth step to healthy blood begins in your mind. Having a positive, peaceful mind goes a long way to health and happiness. It encourages healthful energy to flow throughout the body and eliminates emotionally based problems, stress and diseases. Not only will your health be improved and your stress levels decreased, but everything around you will become more beautiful with a positive outlook.
Keeping your blood healthy, well nourished, free of unnecessary medications (opt for holistic treatments whenever possible), and properly circulating is key to turning diabetes around and thus creating lasting health and well-being. It is truly worth all the effort!
Dr. Lee’s office is located in the Viborg Medical Center, 2030 Viborg Road, Solvang. The clinic is held every Friday only (it was changed from Wednesdays). Dr. Lee also has offices in Los Angeles, and Atascadero. To make an appointment in the Solvang office, call 805-693-5162.
