Anyone believe in the power of natural remedies/foods to treat disease? I'm curious and confused.

[Mylittlepuds]

Just what the title says really.

I'm T1 diabetic and becoming quite interested in natural health. I realise I can't cure my condition but a change in diet has really helped - as has things such as green tea and cinnamon purported to help control blood sugar. However when mentioned to my doctor that they help I get a very patronising 'that's nice but I really don't think so' head tilt.

I'm just so confused. On one hand the Government issue five a day advice and then on the other and anything 'natural' to help with disease is scoffed at by the medical profession.

What are people's views on this? Anyone else been really helped by diet etc for a chronic condition?

[cq]

I've just been on a week's bootcamp which also included 3 sessions with the most amazing nutritionist & homeopath, Naomi Devlin. She talks so much sense about how your body deals with food, and why processed foods are just not what the body needs.

I am a convert to healthier eating - if you get a chance, look her up, she has a blog I believe, and is probably on Twitter, though I haven't looked.

She also runs gluten-free baking courses for the River Cottage cookery school so has good credentials.

During her talk she mentioned several chronic conditions such as Crones, IBS and diabetes, that can all be significantly helped by eliminating processed foods and stabilising blood sugar levels.

You might want to check her out - she talks a lot of sense. HTH

[nightcat]

Yes, my ds has supposedly incurable progressive neurological condition that we have halted and improved by strict gluten free and as healthy as poss diet.
I found Jan De Vries books extremely useful plus some others, like Dangerous Grains.
I know a lady who helped her mum reverse T2 diabetes with diet alone.
There are various chronic conditions that can be helped by nutrition, but none of the drs we went to suggested anything, in fact there were no meds suggested either so I had free rein to do anything I felt might help - thankfully it did and our consultant is quite incredulous that it did.

Turmeric is also useful, plus lots of various supplements as long as you establish what deficiencies you have.

[sashh]

It's common sense isn't it, a healthier diet is going to make you feel, well, healthier.

[laptopwieldingharpy]

i do. But agree its mainly due to the virtuous circle of generally being more health conscious and consistent.
And I think its not only what you ingest but how you visualize, meditate, exercise etc?

from experience.

• a wholesome diet helps keep DS's mood in check
  
• Apple cider vinegar and concentrated cherry extract alleviate DH's gout in very measurable effect (leaving the red wine alone helps too!)
  
• avoiding gluten overload works for my bowel
  
• chinese accupressure is the ONLY things that works on my debilitating tension headaches and sinus pain
  
• consistent sleep patterns and optimal nutrition help DF with keeping multi. sclerosis from progressing dramatically and certainly makes recovery from attacks quicker.
  

the list could go on forever.

I think its common sense. Don't burden your metabolism with the extra job of breaking down toxins and it will work more efficiently.

Am really bad at this though. I regularly binge on carbs, wine and stress. But as I get older my body gets very good at reminding me not to!

[sleeplessinsuburbia]

Yes, my DM is diabetic and is very interested in diet obviously. She had some advice from a Hare Krishna chef about a tea or drink which she said really helped.

A friend with cancer is using traditional medicine and looking at diet and some of his 'findings' are common amongst my dh's culture.

[Mylittlepuds]

Wow! Interesting replies!

You read about 'superfoods' every other day in the papers and scientists injecting molecules isolated from brocolli etc into rats with huge success in combatting cancer cells. But to my reasoning that just says that they are never going to find a cure by isolating bits of nature - it's the whole picture. It just seems such common sense.