Hippocrates’ Wisdom

An Alternative View On Healing

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, founded modern medicine and his principles still guide medical ethics today. Exploring his teachings on nature, illness origins, and patient involvement sparks deep introspection into the author’s healing journey. While some ideas challenge, like self-contribution to illness, they offer holistic insights crucial for balanced health and wellbeing.

Who Was Hippocrates?

Hippocrates was a Greek physician who lived in Ancient Greece (c. 460 – c. 370 BC). He is thought of as the founding father of modern medicine, having established it as a distinct practice from the more spiritual practices of the time. Indeed, Hippocrates’ medical assumptions and beliefs still form the foundation of the Hippocratic Oath that new medical practitioners swear to upon completion of their training.

Why Is Hippocrates Relevant To My Healing Journey?

I think there is great benefit looking back at the old masters, when the field of medicine didn’t exist and spirituality and science were mixed in equal measure. Healing is a force that has always been present in human culture and I wonder whether its nuances may have been easier to see in ancient times, when life and medicine were much less complicated and the body and mind were not considered distinct entities.

I have been having a wander through some of Hippocrates’ writings and have fallen into deep inspiration… I’m having an inspiration bath today! I’m grabbing my rubber duck, my favourite soap and a good book for this one because I think I may be here a while!!

So, without further ado, I’m diving into Hippocrates’ observations and teachings to light my way on my journey…

Hippocrates On The Healing Force:

As I have read more and more on cases of spontaneous remissions (which, to be honest, are never spontaneous… They take months or years of hard work by the person involved… It’s just in the doctors’ eyes that the person was ill one day and well the next!), I have come to realise that our intuition is always available to us and is continuously trying to steer us towards better health. We just need to lean in closely and learn how to listen to it.

So I make it a priority to keep asking myself the question… ‘What are my mind, body and soul really asking for today?’.

Hippocrates On Nature:

I think, when Hippocrates talks about nature here, he is referring to it in ways that, today, we would understand as two distinct components. Firstly, there is the nature around us in the world. Trees, plants, forests, lakes, rivers, the sea, deserts, mountains. Being in nature restores me in a way that the modern world of cities and urban landscapes just doesn’t. I am therefore taking the reminder from Hippocrates to access it more. I need to find ways to make it a more consistent part of my life, even in the hot, arid climate I now live in.

Secondly, I think Hippocrates could also be referring to nature as the internal body system we have, made up of cells and organs and tissues. My own body can heal me better than any medicine, if I just let it. And, each time I am living in excess in any part of my life – diet, exercise, laziness, stress, work, too much sleep – I am contravening this natural force. A striving for moderation is key (without, well, striving because that would to excess too!). Balance is healing.

Hippocrates On The Origins Of Illness:

Now this quote really peeked my interest. When my daughter was a year and a half old, her blood sugars started oscillating quite violently. A diabetologist confirmed my worst fears – she was in the latter stages of developing Type 1 Diabetes. He suggested, as a last resort, that we could try giving her a range of vitamins and probiotics to support her gut health since research was starting to suggest that Type 1 Diabetes may in fact be a gut disorder. Roll forward six years, my daughter still takes her supplements each day and is still a non-diabetic.

Hippocrates’ observation that illness results from ‘small daily sins against Nature’ resonates with how I have come to understand my T1D (see my post on allostatic load for a deeper explanation). It’s great to have my thoughts supported by someone in a different country, in a different time. I feel like we’re both somehow tapping into the universal healing that has always existed across time.

Hippocrates On The Patient’s Contribution To Their Illness:

Okay, so now I’m heading into choppier waters. This section is looking at how the patient may have contributed to their illness. I want to make clear at this point that I am in no way blaming myself, or any other Type 1 Diabetic, for creating their own illness. I don’t think any one of us, having any choice in this disease, would have chosen to have this. This is not about objective choice. But I am starting to come around to the idea that maybe, somehow, my body developed the diabetes in me as a way to process the ‘small daily sins against Nature’ that Hippocrates refers to. And I do believe that these ‘daily sins’ are not necessarily just physical in nature, not just what we eat and drink or how much we exercise or rest or sleep. I think they also fall into the mental, emotional and spiritual fields – the ‘thoughts’ that Hippocrates refers to in the second quotation here. So, again, Hippocrates is supporting those small whispers of intuition I have that say that who I am, how I turn up in the world, and how I respond emotionally and mentally and spiritually, are also important in this healing journey. Healing involves all aspects on myself, not just a selected few.

The two latter quotes of this section don’t sit so easily for me. I guess I need to ask myself the question… How much exactly do I have to give up?? I suspect that there may be a lot of unlearning to do before true healing is obtained. Through my years of healing so far, though, I have learned that you are never presented with more than you can contend with at each stage of healing. You are asked to stretch but not to the point of breaking. It isn’t easy, it isn’t pretty but eventually you get there. Like, right now, I feel that I am being asked to give up sugar. Like, totally. It feels like an impossible stretch. But three years ago, the idea of meditating every day was too much of a stretch. One year ago, forgiving anyone for anything was just too hard. Slowly but surely, the process unfolds and I find that I unfold with it.

Hippocrates On Tools For Healing:

I think that Hippocrates seems to offer a fair number of insights for me to pursue on my journey from here. Of course, as I have just mentioned above, I feel that food is important on a healing journey and the next step of mine is asking me to be sugar-free. I am not ready for that yet but I suspect that my future will possibly contain that truth. I am reminded about how it is often cited that our bodies are made up of the food we eat so do we want our bodies to be made of french fries or healthy proteins, fat and carbohydrates? Of course, when put like that, it’s a no-brainer. But maybe this is where the second quote here comes in… I need to apply the warmth, sympathy and understanding to myself with this current struggle of mine. Removing the judgement around my current struggles with what I eat are more likely to lead to a better outcome than continually beating myself up for what I put in my mouth. Perhaps it is that hostility towards my perceived flawed nutrition that requires the healing, rather than the nutrition itself. I suspect better nutrition would naturally result if it wasn’t dragged through such hostility on a daily basis!

Okay, so maybe there is new ground for me to cover here… The spine and astrology! I know that Dr Joe Dispenza, as well as being a respected healer, is a trained chiropractor. Whilst I don’t necessarily want to do all that training, I wonder if an adventure into the world of chiropractics might yield insights for me. Similarly, I know very little about astrology and I’m not quite sure how it may be useful to me but, until I investigate, I won’t know more!

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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July 19, 2021

Read more about the article Hippocrates’ Wisdom

Exercise / Increasing Positive Emotions / Physical Wellbeing

The Curative Effects of Swimming

And The Added Benefits Of Sea Swimming

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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So now, at this point in my healing journey, I am turning my attention towards exercise.

I think we all know the general benefits of exercising… Lower weight, better blood pressure, improved mental health, lower risk of heart problems, and so on… Basically, exercise gives you a longer and better quality of life. So I’m not going to try to sell you on the general idea of exercise. I’m going to assume you’ve already received that telegram!

Exercise As A Tool For Healing

I’m more specifically interested in what exercise might do for healing Type 1 Diabetes. Dr Kelly Turner highlights in her book ‘Radical Hope’ that exercise is also a crucial component of a healing journey. I also know that the two ex-Type 1 Diabetics Daniel Darkes and Johan Kotze both place great importance on exercise in their daily lives. Daniel Darkes is an ultra-marathon runner. Johan Kotze enjoys CrossFit and circuit classes.

So it would be pretty obvious that, at this point, I can just conclude this post by saying ‘Right, I’m going to run a long way regularly and do circuit classes. See ya!’. The thing is… I HATE running! And I’m not sure my body can do it any more either. I used to run. I even trained for a marathon in my twenties but, in the process of doing that, my leg broke and I got a blood clot. A kindly physiotherapist at the time told me that some bodies are just not designed for running and maybe I was one of those…!! I might have been adamantly against that sentiment at the time but I’ve grown to agree with her now, although for a very different reason. My reason is… I just don’t like it. And Dr Kelly Turner highlighted in her first book ‘Radical Remission‘ that it is important to increase positive emotions and remove negative/repressed emotions. So running flies in the face of that. I started to look for an alternative.

Finding My Form Of Exercise

I knew that I needed to find something that I could enjoy as well as challenge my cardio fitness. I also knew that I wanted it to be an activity based in nature. I believe that nature is deeply healing and gets our bodies to reset back to the way they’re actually supposed to work. I have always found that to be true for my mental health. When I’m all wound-up and stressed out, taking a walk in nature brings me right back to myself again. I suspect the power of nature works the same way for the physical body.

My first thought was to walk. It has a tonne of really great benefits without putting any part of the human anatomy (knees, lungs, heart) under unnecessary stress. But I suspected that in itself might be a problem. If it’s not stressing the cardio system, I won’t be exercising similarly to Daniel and Johan. On top of that, I live in a city so there’s not a lot of readily available nature around me. I would have to travel quite a distance to get somewhere nature-based and that would probably involve me walking in the desert. Anyone up for insane amounts of dehydration?! Yeah, me neither!

My next thought was the gym. I love lifting heavy weights, it makes me feel like superman. I have been to the gym off and on for years. A few months ago, I was attending regularly and, in a pretty short period of time, made some impressive improvements in the amount I could lift and felt like this was it for me! I also did back-to-back exercises so that kept my heart rate up too. But, after a while, I realised that I was coming away from each workout feeling extremely pumped up and a bit, well, edgy and aggressive. I was ready to fight. Weightlifting seemed to put me into a fight-or-flight mode, with the emphasis on fight. That just didn’t sit well with me. I wanted something that would reduce the inflammation, the fight-and-flight in my system, not increase it! So I stopped doing that. I needed to find something else.

Interestingly, I just found a passage in Dr Kelly Turner’s book ‘Radical Hope’ that adds weight to my intuitive stance that weightlifting is not good for my healing. In the book, there is a case study of a woman called Mary, who used to be a competitive weightlifter. She subsequently got diagnosed with cancer and then proceeded to heal herself from it. When deciding on what exercise to do as part of her healing work, she chose to avoid the weightlifting and instead chose yoga and gentle rebounding on a trampoline. She said she felt that going back to the gym was not right for her healing. My intuition seems to be agreeing with hers!

My Choice Of Exercise: Swimming

Both Daniel Darkes and Johan Kotze chose exercise formats that kept them moving and on-the-go. They effectively put themselves into flight mode (in the fight-or-flight response) during their training. So I had to pick something that enabled movement. I also wanted to choose something that I could do year-round. I live very close to a swimming pool so thought that might be a good option. It is a form of movement, it challenges my cardio system, it can be nature-based (when swimming outside) and is less likely to put unnecessary strain on my body, in the way that running did for me.

The thing is… I’m not very good at swimming! As a kid, my parents quite rightly insisted that I learnt to swim. So I went along every Wednesday afternoon when school finished to learn to swim. I hated it!! I kept asking my parents again and again if I could stop. And again and again they said no. In the end, my parents said that I had to keep going until I could swim 50 metres. They felt that would make me an adequate enough swimmer to keep me safe around water. The day I hit that target, I left my lessons and didn’t go back. The result was an adult who felt comfortable enough in water but swam slowly. I was the ‘doing-breaststroke-without-getting-my-face-or-hair-wet’ kind of swimmer!! I was functional in the water but it could not, in any vein, be considered aerobic exercise.

Four months ago, I changed that. I decided, at the ripe old age of 41, to take swimming lessons! I hoped to get more confident in my ability to swim, improve my stroke and get myself fast enough to actually challenge my lungs! It worked. I am now swimming 30 lengths of front crawl twice a week at my local pool. I feel proud of myself and I’m looking forward to improving more still.

Swimming In The Sea

Now that I feel I have a certain amount of prowess in the water(!), I have decided to take on my next personal challenge… Sea swimming. I wanted to escape from the chlorine and other chemicals in the pool environment and instead take myself to a more natural, and therefore more healing, environment.

I live pretty close to the sea so I felt that sea swimming would be a great option. This week, with my newly-gained swimming ability, I went and swam in the sea. I was terrified! I thought I might be dragged out to sea my some unseen current or be eaten by that Great White Shark that no one knew was in the water!! But it was actually fabulous. Being in such a wonderfully healing and natural environment just resonated with some part of me that had been thirsting for something unspoken. My self-confidence and self-esteem have also increased by taking on this challenge and facing this irrational fear of mine.

I hope to swim in the sea at least once a week now. It feels restorative. It feels good!

Health Benefits Of Sea Swimming

It turns out that my intuitive pull towards swimming in the sea actually comes with great merit. It turns out that the sea environment can reduce stress, promote deep sleep and relax the body. Furthermore, Wallace J. Nichols highlights in his book ‘Blue Mind‘ that swimming actually stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system – the system that is engaged when the body is not in fight-or-flight and is responsible for resting and repairing the body. This is the mode in which healing takes place.

The sea is also rich in a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium. Magnesium is an important nutrient for Type 1 Diabetes. I will talk about this in a later post but, for now, I will simply state that people with diabetes are likely to have lower magnesium levels due to insulin resistance and/or excessive loss due to fluctuating insulin sensitivities. Moreover, increased magnesium intake is associated with better blood sugar control. So, if it’s available to you, go and paddle in the sea!

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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July 12, 2021

Read more about the article The Curative Effects of Swimming

Exercise / Hydration / Increasing Positive Emotions / Nutrition / Spirituality / Taking Control of My Health / Yoga

Bedtime Routine

A Better End To The Day For Better Healing

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Previously resisting structure, the author has finally embraced a bedtime routine for healing. Yoga stretches, skincare, dental care, hydration, gratitudes, and prayer now anchor her evenings. Planning the next day ensures productivity without stress. Fiction reading and experimenting with sound frequencies add relaxation. Candlelight aids skincare, all in pursuit of restful sleep and holistic healing.

The Bedtime Routine. I don’t know why I have resisted this concept for such a long, long time. It could be that it’s because I’m a night owl. I love those deeply quiet and restful hours of the early morning when the world is asleep and peaceful. Or it could be because, as a parent, those few hours after the little ones are asleep seem so short and so full of possibility.

Whatever the reason, I resisted and resisted giving my evening hours to something as structured as a ‘routine’. It felt onerous and long-winded and, well, just hard work at the end of a long day. But I knew that it was a brilliant time to be working on healing, rather than my total number of accumulated telly hours, so I took the plunge. And, as is my way, I went at it with full force…!

Designing My Bedtime Routine

I considered many options for my bedtime routine. Audiobooks, reading, baths (with or without essential oils, epsom salts and all other kinds of healing products), hydration, reflections on my day, gratitudes, affirmations, yoga, stretching, journalling, diffusing essential oils, facial cleansing routines, drinking herbal teas and so on…!

I started to realise that, if I didn’t narrow down my to-do list, I would actually still be awake in the early hours of the morning but, this time, it would be because I was still slogging through my bedtime routine! I decided to trust my intuition on this and go with what I felt drawn towards. Some things jumped out at me immediately…

Yoga Stretches (10 Minutes)

I felt some yoga stretches before bed sounded great. I love yoga and always feel restored and relaxed after spending some time on the mat. However, it’s something I only seem to do sporadically these days so the idea of incorporating that into a daily routine ticked both boxes. So yoga was in.

Cleanse, Tone And Moisturise (5 Minutes)

My appearance, and more importantly how I feel about my appearance, has become more important to me over the preceding months. I have never really invested in my skin and have always found beauty regimes to be too much effort for too little output. But a simple cleansing and moisturising routine felt doable. So that made the list.

Brush And Floss Teeth (5 Minutes)

Of course, dental hygiene goes without saying! I would like to have teeth when I get to old age and diabetics are at increased risk for a whole host of dental problems, including being more prone to gum disease. As part of my intention to reduce toxins in my life, I considered using herbal toothpaste. I actually started this and bought a well-known brand. However, within three months of using this, I was found to have my first ever filling. Perhaps coincidence, perhaps not. But I didn’t want to risk any more problems so I’ve scrubbed that idea and gone back to standard toothpaste. So… Teeth brushing (with a standard toothpaste!), check. Flossing, check.

A Glass Of Water (1 Minute)

Hydration. So, as you know, I now live in an extremely hot desert climate so hydration is on my mind at all hours! I never used to drinking water at night because it often disrupted my sleep due to much needed loo break. However, out here, I am now waking up each morning feeling very thirsty and that doesn’t create a good bodily environment for healing. A glass of water is now part of my night-time ritual.

Gratitudes (5 Minutes)

I tried to make a gratitude practice part of my morning routine but I struggled to name lots of things I was grateful for when I’d just staggered out of bed! I always seemed able to remember to be grateful for my sleep but that was about it!! I hope that, by making this part of my evening routine, I will be able to reflect on my day and all the wonderful moments in it. I hope it will therefore strengthen and deepen my gratitude practice. For now, I will start with three gratitudes every night.

Prayer (1 Minute)

How much did I resist prayer in my life?? Wow, it has hardcore! For years, I didn’t want to pray to a god that I felt had cursed me with diabetes. I didn’t feel He/She deserved as much as a hello from me! I think that the addition of prayer into my night-time routine shows just how far I have come on my healing journey already. I don’t have any set format for praying. I just treat it as a time for me and God to talk, for me to say whatever’s on my mind and, when I can, offer gratitude for all that He/She has done for me and given me.

Plan For The Next Day (18 Minutes)

i have been getting more into self-development lately and I have heard again and again the phrase ‘those who fail to plan, plan to fail’. I don’t know how much that is true but I do know that, on the days that I have made a plan for my time, I get a whole lot more done than on the days when I don’t plan. So planning is in there. But please note that this is not an all-out plan-every-minute kind of thing. It’s more ‘these are the things I want to get done and what is the best order I can do it in’. If I plotted every minute of my day, I dissolve into a stress heap when I got five minutes behind schedule. That isn’t good for creating a stress-free environment for my healing to take place!

Reading Fiction (15 Minutes)

Ah, reading! I love reading!! I have found that, as my healing journey continues, I seem to be devoting more and more of my time to reading factual books about healing. Consequently, less and less of my time is devoted to reading fiction. I feel the balance between work and play is important in life so time needs to be made for enjoyment and relaxation. Reading fiction answers this call for me. Moreover, a gentle story sets me up well to drift off into the land of nod so I have added 15 minutes of reading fiction to my plan.

Finishing Touches

Once I’d worked out what I wanted to include in my bedtime routine, I then had to figure out how long to allocated to each item (see above). I didn’t want to spend more than an hour on my routine so I allocated that hour according to how long I felt each activity would realistically take. I might have to adjust as time goes on.

Then, the last thing to do was decide the order of the activities. I decided I would start in my bathroom as this was the furthest from my bed. That meant doing my ‘cleanse, tone and moisturise face’ and ‘brush and floss teeth’ first. I followed those with my yoga stretches in my bedroom, since these needed to be completed before I could get into bed. Then, from the comfort of my bed, I chose to plan my day first. I knew that this activity would wake my brain up a bit and I needed to save some more calming, less engaging activities for after that. I therefore follow my planning with my glass of water, gratitudes and prayer. I complete the routine with reading my fiction book for fifteen minutes and then turn the light off. Job done! Night night, sleep well.

A Couple Of Extra Things

You might have noticed that I have added candlelight to my skincare routine and sound frequencies to my yoga stretches. The reason for the candlelight is due to something I read in the book ‘Sleep by Nick Littlehales’. He discusses the importance of avoiding bright light on the run-up to bedtime. I really recommend that book if you need to improve the quantity and/or quality of your sleep!

The reason for the sound frequencies is a little less delineated in my mind. I have been hearing great things about the healing qualities of sound frequencies and so I have started to experiment with solfeggio frequencies. Because of the link diabetes has to past trauma and the solar plexus chakra, I am focussing on the frequency of 417 Hz. At the moment, the only time I play solfeggio frequencies is during these ten minutes that I’m doing my bedtime yoga poses. But it’s a start!

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Recent Comments:

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June 14, 2021

Read more about the article Bedtime Routine

Blood Sugar Control / Emotional Wellbeing / Favourites / Physical Wellbeing / Releasing Suppressed Emotions

Get Yourself a Hug!

Hugging Others And Hugging Yourself Leads To Healing

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Hugging triggers oxytocin release, promoting social bonding and reducing cortisol. Early-life touch shapes vagus nerve development crucial for health. The author’s Type 1 Diabetes led to touch aversion due to medical interventions. This aversion resembles sensory defensiveness. The Hoffman Process helped the author embrace hugs, easing stress responses. During COVID, when human touch can be risky, self-hugging offers similar benefits, promoting relaxation and healing.

When I was growing up, I had a teddy bear called ‘Fete Day’. My great aunt won him for me at our village fete when I was one year old. That day, I received Fete Day… And also my diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. Fete Day was by my side during my stay in hospital and was with me throughout the whole of my childhood. I loved him until his leg fell off and had to be ‘operated on’ (sewn back into place!) by my mum. To me, that bear was, and still is, ‘real’. (If you’re not sure what I mean by ‘real’… Please, please, please read the Velveteen Rabbit. It’s an absolutely beautiful book!)

I never used to like being hugged. Fete Day was the exception. He was a safe option. Thankfully, I came from a family where hugs were generally not high on the priority list and certainly didn’t feature in my daily life. I felt safer when I wasn’t hugged. This is unlikely to be without consequences, though.

The Psychobiology Of Hugging

The act of hugging produces a series of psychobiological effects in the body. Primarily, it releases the peptide oxytocin, which is responsible for facilitating social interaction and wellbeing, as well as reducing the stress hormone cortisol.

Regular hugging and touch is also essential in early childhood to facilitate the proper development of the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a nerve that runs from the head to the gut. It is the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which contributes to a wide range of bodily functions, including digestion and regulating heart rate.

So, without hugging in early childhood, and then into adulthood, the body will be rife with raised cortisol levels, poorer digestive function and inhibited social functioning.

Type 1 Diabetes And The Fear Of Touch

As I have worked on my healing and investigated my internal world, something has become clear to me about my aversion to hugging. I believe that my unwillingness to engage in this social norm is easily explained when you look at my experiences through childhood. In my life, human touch was often followed by sharp pain as the needle of the next syringe went into my bodily tissue or the next finger-prick was required for blood testing. The vast majority of interactions of touch followed this pattern. Therefore, the association of touch with pain was strengthened everyday in my mind. The next touch would most likely cause the next serving of pain. Touch became physically, and emotionally, painful to me.

‘Social Defensiveness’ And Type 1 Diabetes

The medical community have come up with some names for this response. Firstly, there is ‘sensory defensiveness’, where a person (adult or child) reacts with a strong ‘fight-or-flight’ (or ‘freeze’) response to a stimulus or sensation that most people wouldn’t consider threatening. Touch is one of these sensations.

Secondly, there is ‘haphephobia’. This is when the aversion to touch has become so marked that it develops into a full phobia. People with haphephobia will have strong fear or anxiety when thinking about being touched. This will demonstrate itself physiologically with an increased heart rate, sweating, hot flushes, tingling and other fight-or-flight symptoms. Social situations became near impossible for these people and life can become extremely difficult.

I don’t for one second think I have haphephobia but sensory defensiveness feels appropriate. For years, when someone came towards me for a hug, I would brace my body and hunch my shoulders. My breathing rate would slow or stop. I would turn side-on so that the person ended up hugging my side, rather than my vulnerable chest area. My whole body had effectively gone into a paused mode, a freeze response.

Medical News Today states that haphephobia can be caused by experiencing a traumatic event that involved being touched. I believe the continuous onslaught of invasive medical treatments, at an age when I could not understand, would have created such a ‘little t’ trauma that resulted in a strong aversion to touch.

Healing A Hugging Aversion

The turning point for me in hugging career(!) came when I attended the Hoffman Process. This process was life-changing for me. Whilst I will not be going into the details of what the process involves (I wouldn’t want to ruin the fun if you haven’t done it yet!!), I will say that it completely transformed my ability to hug. I learnt to feel safe in a hug.

I still cannot face being hugged, or touched in any way, when I am angry or extremely upset. When my fight-or-flight response is activated, hugging is off the agenda. But, normally, I now happily welcome hugs from friends and family. When I hug now, I feel this initial moment when my body is tense and my breathing subsides. But, if I wait maybe just five or ten seconds, I feel my whole system relax as this wave washes over me. It’s like my whole body is giving a long, slow exhale or sigh.

My self-observation of this effect is actually supported by scientific research. This study shows how many forms of physical touch, including hugging, is associated with lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, and higher oxytocin levels.

Hugging In COVID Times

Have you seen ‘The Minimalists: Less is Now’ on Netflix? The Minimalists are two guys, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, who promote the idea of living a good life with less stuff. I love that!

In their documentary, there is a scene where they explain that they are ‘huggers’. They like to hug, rather than shake hands when they meet people. (I assume this was filmed in pre-COVID days!). This scene got me thinking about how they have so successfully implemented a robust hugging schedule(!) in their lives without having to either add it to their to-do list or count their hugs to ensure they have hit a hugging minimum for the day. It just simply is… ‘See a person, hug them’!

I’d love to employ the same strategy, knowing that it is contributing to my health, healing and happiness so effectively. But, in these current COVID times, I’m not sure it’s the wisest idea for a diabetic. It certainly comes with additional risks!

Hug Yourself!

I believe that there are two workarounds for the ‘no hugging during COVID times’ conundrum.

Firstly, I intend to hug, and hug often, everyone I live with (as long as they don’t test positively for COVID or start exhibiting symptoms!), including my dogs! I’m sure they will benefit from this as much as I will.

Secondly, I can hug myself. This study has found that, like hugging others, self-hugging releases the love hormone oxytocin and also produces anti-stress effects, such as reduced blood pressure and cortisol levels. It also improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, it takes the body from a state of ‘fight-or-flight’ to one of relaxation… And relaxation is where the healing takes place.

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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June 7, 2021

Read more about the article Get Yourself a Hug!

Fight-or-Flight Response / Taking Control of My Health

NEWSFLASH!

The Fight-Flight Response Is Connected To Beta Cell Creation And Destruction

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Recent research confirms a link between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and pancreatic beta cell function in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), validating the impact of stress and distress on beta cell destruction and regeneration. Addressing chronic stress and promoting relaxation may potentially aid beta cell regeneration in T1D management.

The Relationship Between The Autonomic Nervous System And The Pancreas

Wow, wow, wow! I have just come across a research article that has blown my mind and I just had to share it with you!

I found an article in the scientific literature that has confirmed a hunch I have about the development (and maintenance) of Type 1 Diabetes. The article is entitled ‘Relationships between the Autonomic Nervous System and the Pancreas including Regulation of Regeneration and Apoptosis: Recent Developments’. It can be found in the journal ‘Pancreas’ (find the article here) . Fun title, eh?! Haha!

First, just a quick glossary for those that need it (like I did about ten minutes ago!!):

Regeneration = creation of new cells

Apoptosis = cell death

What is so amazing for me about this article is that it has confirmed to me for the first time in the scientific literature that there is a link between the fight-or-flight response of the autonomic nervous system and the creation and destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. MY INTUITION WAS RIGHT!! As I suspected…

Therefore, I am right to believe that sufficient trauma can result in destruction of insulin-producing cells, which would result in the development of T1D. Then, if the body gets stuck in a fight-or-flight response – either it doesn’t process that the trauma has passed OR the trauma is ongoing or chronic – the status of T1D is maintained in the body.

In other words, the body continually tells the pancreatic cells to stayed destroyed and not be regenerated because the autonomic nervous system is saying that there is something dangerous out there that the body needs to be ready for. So now the question becomes… If I find a way to tell the body (and mind and soul) that the threat is over and I am now safe, will the pancreas then regenerate beta cells and thus start producing insulin again?

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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May 27, 2021

Diet / Emotional Wellbeing / Physical Wellbeing / Taking Control of My Health

Dairy Causes Mental Health Issues

Food Choices Can Impact All Levels Of Health

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Discovering a dairy intolerance at the age of 41 reshaped my understanding of its effects beyond digestion. After moving to the Middle East, reducing my dairy intake lowered my mood swings and energy dips, thus revealing a surprising link between dairy and emotional stability. Exploring casein’s role, I ponder its broader implications, including its possible influence on Type 1 Diabetes. Camel’s milk emerges as an alternative with unique benefits but watch for initial blood sugar spikes and potential weight gain.

I LOVE chocolate. And a nice french brie. And milk on my cereal. And… Well, dairy!!

However, the last couple of months have been a great learning curve for me. At 41 years of age, I have FINALLY discovered that I’m dairy intolerant! It would have been nice to discover I’m a secret millionaire but I guess I’ll have to settle for this insight instead!!

Unlike the majority of people who have issues with dairy, I have little to no digestive problems. I have no bloating, no diarrhoea, no nausea, no stomach cramps or pains. In fact, my digestive tract always appears to be sincerely contented. What was not contented, though, was my mood…

Dairy Impacts Mood Stability

Dairy affects my mood?! I never knew this!! When I moved to the Middle East six months ago, the amount of dairy in my diet dropped considerably. I just didn’t find it so readily available out here. I didn’t really notice how little of it I was eating until I moved into our new home and started reverting to my old way of eating. And, boy, did I get angry… And moody… And crabby… And exhausted… And tearful… And snarky… And, frankly, depressed.

But was this really a thing?? Having family members with debilitating IBS, which was always worse with dairy consumption, I thought I knew all there was to know about reactions to dairy. But it turns out that I didn’t know! So I did what all people lacking knowledge do… I hit Google!! And here is what I discovered…

Dairy’s Impacts On The Brain

The first thing I tripped across in my Google search was an article in the New York Post entitled “Your cheese addiction could be making you an emotional wreck“. It referenced a nutritional therapist Kay Ali, who stated that the protein ‘casein’, which is found in dairy, is associated with increased inflammation in the brain. This inflammation can then lead to depression.

I found this insight really interesting. The article did not reference any academic literature so I took to the academic journals to find out more. Unfortunately, I could not find anything to support this conclusion. Instead, I found an article suggesting that milk casein can improve stress in a mouse model of human behaviour. So the jury’s out on the association between dairy, inflammation and depression at the moment.

Whilst unsupported, this article did give me food for thought (pun intended!). My experience of mood swings as a result of eating dairy foodstuffs is not isolated. Anecdotal evidence of this link abounds with bloggers like ‘Danny + Mara‘ and Heather McGlees from ‘One Green Planet’ also highlighting the same issue.

I thought I had been suffering from unexplainable anxiety and depression for years. I would be feeling that I was making progress, feeling better and more optimistic about myself and life, then my mood would inexplicably crash down around my ankles again. It was hard, hard work. I attended therapy for years and worked on myself, both inside and outside the therapy room, for a long time. But this unpredictable oscillation in mood never abated and I ended up concluding that it must just be some randomness in me that I just needed to learn to live with. That is not the case for me anymore. I have done my therapeutic work and I have untied the knots in my psyche. Now that I have this final piece of the puzzle, I no longer consider myself to have mental health issues. I can now say (and truly believe myself when I say it!!) that I am ‘mentally healthy’ (even though I hate labels!!).

A1 Beta-Casein And Type 1 Diabetes

The nutritional therapist Kay Ali (referenced above) specifically mentioned that it is the protein ‘casein’ that is associated with increased inflammation, and therefore depression, in the brain. This is worth repeating for emphasis because I think it holds something highly valuable for me on my healing journey.

I first learnt about casein when I became pregnant with my daughter in 2013. At that time, I researched factors that may affect the potential development of Type 1 Diabetes in children. Type 1 Diabetes has a strong genetic inheritance in the female side of my family so I wanted to do what I could to prevent and/or delay any onset in my daughter. I found a series of articles that highlighted how the protein A1 beta-casein, found in cow’s milk, can be a triggering factor for T1D in individuals with genetic susceptibilities [see this article and this article as examples]. Therefore, for the first six months of my daughter’s life, I gave her no dairy, neither through my breast milk nor through top-up feeds of formula milk (I found a dairy-free version to give her instead).

Encountering casein in a different yet still T1D-relevant context now leaves me wondering about a potential, more general link between dairy intolerance (A1 beta-casein intolerance…?) and T1D. Is my body telling me to lay off the dairy because of a body-wide intolerance to it…? As of now, I just don’t know the answer to this. But I do know that dairy does not suit me, so the avoidance of it in my diet makes sense to me anyway.

BONUS: Camel Milk!

So what if you are thinking of giving up cow’s milk but you really, really like a cup of tea or coffee with milk? Or if you can’t do without that bowl of cereal and milk in the morning? I have an answer for you… Camel’s milk!

Camel milk lacks the beta-casein that cow’s milk contains. So this is a great substitute for avoiding the whole beta-casein issue. But, the superpowers of camel’s milk seem to also go beyond this…

Agrawal and colleagues have undertaken extensive research on the impact of camel’s milk on glycaemic control for patients with Type 1 Diabetes. They have found that camel’s milk is safe and can be used to improve long-term glycaemic control, as evidenced by improved HbA1c’s and reduced doses of insulin (see here, here, and here!). It appears that this may be attributable to the fact that camel’s milk contains protein that have a structure similar to insulin molecules and this similarity may be responsible for the significant impacts on blood sugar levels. Furthermore, for new Type 1 Diabetics, consumption of camel’s milk seemed to aid the maintenance of residual beta-cell function.

What I found particularly interesting was, in this study, it was found that C-peptide levels (used by doctors as an indication of type 1 diabetes – a low level indicates a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis) were markedly higher in subjects who regularly consumed camel’s milk. In fact, those T1Ds that consumed camel milk had, by the end of 16 weeks, C-peptide levels that were equivalent to non-diabetics!!

And all this was achieved purely by drinking 500 ml of camel’s milk per day. Not bad, eh?!

Words Of Warning…

With such beneficial effects appearing achievable with camel’s milk, I thought I would give it a go. I have to say that, for the first few days, my blood sugars SOARED with the addition of camel’s milk in my diet. Whilst it may have good long-term consequences for diabetes management, in the short-term, it has been playing havoc with my blood sugar control. This has meant I have had to increase my insulin doses. I hope, as time goes on, I will start to witness the build-up of beneficial effects but these early days have no been without consequences! The studies appeared to be undertaken over periods of three months or longer so I wonder if this may be more of a long-term effect.

Furthermore, I noticed that a large number of these studies on camel’s milk showed a statistically significant increase in the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the study participants. Therefore, the extra calories consumed with the camel’s milk appear to cause weight gain. This has left me with two thoughts. Firstly, this is obviously not ideal when I want to decrease my insulin requirements since excess weight increases insulin resistance and therefore is unlikely to regress complete healing.

Secondly, these studies, whilst demonstrating weight gain in the participants, still showed a marked decrease in total insulin intake. Therefore, even with additional weight gain, camel’s milk (assuming all other variables, such as the Hawthorne Effect, were adequately controlled for) drastically improves insulin sensitivity. That suggests to me that it has a very robust and extremely powerful effect on blood sugars. Therefore, I am starting with smaller quantities of camel’s milk and will be working up to consuming the full 500 ml per day.

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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April 26, 2021

Read more about the article Dairy Causes Mental Health Issues

Diet / Favourites / Hydration / Nutrition / Physical Wellbeing

Water: How to Hydrate Properly

The Importance of Hydration In Healing

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Living in the Middle East has heightened my appreciation for water’s essential role in health. For Type 1 diabetes, maintaining hydration is critical during both daily life and illness to manage blood sugar levels. Monitoring urine colour and using apps like ‘My Water Balance’ help ensure adequate intake, supporting overall well-being and hydration goals.

Since arriving in the Middle East, I have become so much more mindful of the importance of water in my daily life. It is a precious commodity out here, one that you do not want to be without. The few days of rain that happen are greeted with a sense of wonder and even the occasional moment of celebration or joy.

Hydration For Type 1 Diabetes During Illness

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I guess I’ve always known that there is a connection between T1D and hydration. After all, I can still recall those feelings as a kid of severe thirst that accompanied a way-too-high blood sugar – whether due to illness or any other one of an unending list of factors that randomly caused my blood sugars to spike! I recall that feeling of believing that, no matter how many cups of water I drank, it would never be enough. It felt like my thirst would never again be quenched.

I also recall the time, as a teenager, I had horrible tonsillitis and couldn’t swallow anything food- or liquid-based for days. That resulted in a trip to hospital and a drip attached to each arm. Hydration during illness for a type 1 diabetic is CRUCIAL. Indeed, the excellent diabetologist Dr Richard K Bernstein states emphatically how, during illness, the most likely risk to life for Type 1 Diabetics is not the illness itself but the dehydration that ensues from it. In his book, ‘The Diabetes Solution‘, Dr Bernstein includes dehydration salts as one of the key supplies that all diabetics should always have to-hand.

Hydration In Daily Life

Okay, so we pretty much all understand that hydration during illness is a biggie for us diabetic types. But what about the other (hopefully) 99% of our lives, when we’re just tootling about in our days in normal (perfect?!) health…? Is it important then?

Adequate hydration is important for every person. H. H. Mitchell and colleagues demonstrated that our bodies are made up of almost 70% water and, importantly for us, the pancreas itself consists of 73% water (so a healthy, working pancreas needs water!). In fact, water is involved in all processes in the body, including the normal metabolic processes of urination, sweating, breathing, thinking and digestion. Thus, replenishing this water in adequate amounts each day is vital to sustained health and functionality.

For type 1 diabetes, hydration is even more important. In fact, dehydration has been found to favour the development of hyperglycaemia (high blood sugars) in diabetes. I searched around for more information on why that might be the case. Whilst I couldn’t find anything directly related to type 1 diabetes, I did come across an interesting study that investigated the relationship between water intake and blood glucose regulation in type 2 diabetics.

This study found that reduced water intake for just three days led to an increase in the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol. This increase in cortisol impaired blood glucose response for an oral glucose tolerance test i.e. blood glucose levels were higher than optimal. So this study suggests, but doesn’t necessarily prove, that being insufficiently hydrated puts the body at risk of higher blood sugar levels due to the increase of cortisol in the blood. So, if you’re stressed, if you’re ill, if you’re not sufficiently hydrated and want better blood-sugar control… DRINK UP!

How Much Water Is Enough Water?

I am grateful to my parents for raising me to fall in love with drinking the pure stuff… My preferred choice of beverage always was, and still is, water. But how much of it should I be drinking?

I think most people have heard the old adage about drinking 8 cups of water a day to stay hydrated. But that turns out to be a bit of a fable… It is based on a study conducted in 1945 by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board, who found that drinking 2.5 litres of water per day was sufficient to hydrate the human body. HOWEVER, this study stated that this fluid comes from both drinks and food. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to accurately calculate the amount of fluid in any meal that I’ve eaten!!

Taking that 8 cups of water as a baseline, there are still certain factors that cause this quantity to be revised for any given individual. These factors include:

Table 1: A Selection of Research Findings to Illustrate How Optimum Water Consumption Varies with a Range of Individual Factors

Variable	Exemplar Research Findings
Gender	The average woman requires 2.7 litres of water per day, whilst the average man requires 3.7 litres. [1]
Age	Elderly people who drink 8 glasses of fluid per day may actually be overhydrated. [2]
Socioeconomic Status	Water intake is lower in lower-income adults and those with lower education. [3]
Environment	Hot climates, such as those found in desert environments, cause increased fluid loss due to sweating. [4]
Exercise	Strenuous exercise can cause sweat rates up to 2-3 litres per hour. [5]
Medical Conditions	Excess hydration should be avoided for people with cardiovascular disorders, pronounced chronic renal failure and endocrinopathies, amongst other medical disorders. [6]

So I think that this shows how most, if not all, people are likely to not need the ‘standard’ amount of recommended water intake! So how can I, or anyone else, work out how much their particular body, with its own particular nuances, needs to stay healthy? Thankfully, our bodies have their own built-in alert system…

The Human Body’s ‘Hydration Alert System’… Thirst And Urination!

Our bodies have all the expertise they already need, just packed away inside them. All we have to do is listen and pay attention!

So, hydration… The first and obvious sign of lacking sufficient water is that you will become thirsty. This is your cue to drink. So do so! Unfortunately, in today’s world, the thirst system in the human body can go offline. If you have ignored your body’s cries for water a few too many (thousand!) times, then your body is likely to save its cries for the most extreme times, when hydration is a must. Therefore, if this might be the case for you, check your urine… What colour is it?

If your urine is anything darker than a light summer lemonade, then you are dehydrated (or, if very dark, you could have another medical issue going on and you should go to your doctor pronto!). Each time you urinate, check the colour. In an ideal world, you would check your colour by taking a sample in a suitable collecting container that only has the urine sample in it. However, as most of us probably go to the toilet in the, yep, toilet(!) with the water already in the toilet bowl, we’ll just have to use that as a best guess effort. But, bear in mind, if the urine in the toilet bowl is darker than it should be, then you are definitely dehydrated and need to take action soonest.

Generally, if you have a pale straw-like colour of urine, drink frequently and rarely feel thirsty, then you’re on the right track. I, on the other hand, know that I have some work to do on this! Now where did I leave my water bottle…??

Improving Water Intake

In trying to improve water intake, there are a couple of things that have worked for me. First of all, I have found an app called ‘My Water Balance-Intake Drink’ by Viktor Sharov. It has a nice reminder feature that gently nags (reminds?!) me through the day to take another sip. I like that it shows me what percentage of my water has been drunk whenever I input a drink so that I feel that I’m making progress each day.

I also have a gentle reminder about water consumption every time I visit the ladies’ room! If my urine isn’t clear in the toilet bowl, it automatically reminds me to go and get another drink.

The other thing that has really helped me is creating habits around fluid intake. First thing in the morning, I go downstairs to get a litre bottle of water. That comes with me into my meditation space and I sip on it during that first hour of my day that I devote to my spiritual practices. Having already had 1 litre by the time I finish that hour, I already feel confident about completely my water intake for the day. I also have the habit to sit down with a glass of water with every meal. I understand that drinking water half an hour before a meal helps with digestion and not overeating but that habit’s never stuck with me so I go for the ‘glass with a meal’ approach instead – it’s better than not having any!

How do you track your fluids? What do you do to encourage yourself to hydrate more? I’d love to hear and learn from your ideas too!

References:

1. Food and Nutrition Board. (2004) Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

2. Picetti, D., et al. (2017). Hydration health literacy in the elderly. Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 4(3), 227-237. [Link]

3. Rosinger, A. Y., et al. (2018). Disparities in plain, tap and bottled water consumption among US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014. Public Health Nutrition, 21(8), 1455-1464. [Link]

4. Sawka, M. N., et al. (1998). Hydration Effects on Temperature Regulation. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 19, S108 – S110. [Link]

5. Shirreffs, S. M. (2009). Hydration in sport and exercise: water, sports drinks and other drinks. Nutrition Bulletin, 34(4), 374-379. [Link]

6. Manz, F. (2007). Hydration and Disease. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 26(5), 535S-541S. [Link]

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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March 29, 2021

Read more about the article Water: How to Hydrate Properly

Emotional Wellbeing / Intuition / Nutrition / Physical Wellbeing / Taking Control of My Health

Healing Attention Deficit Disorder

Green Tea, Classical Music and Walks In Nature

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: The author explores how dopamine fluctuations, resulting from swinging blood sugars, impacts her ADHD-like symptoms. She links insulin levels to dopamine regulation, noting sugar’s role in affecting mood and motivation. To heal her ADHD symptoms naturally, the author adopts green tea for dopamine, classical music for focus, and nature walks for exercise and emotional balance.

I’m having one of those diabetes days… As I’m sitting here trying to write this, my blood sugars keep dropping. Oh, but wait… They’re up, they’re in range! Oh nope, they’re not. Down again. Yep, yep, got them up… Oh no, I haven’t! Ah, made it! At last, I’m back on point…!! So, anyways… Back to Healing ADD!

As I discussed in my last blog post, I believe that I’ve got Inattentive ADD (although I’ve not been officially diagnosed with it). Dr. Amen discusses in his book ‘Healing ADD’ how ‘dopamine is generally considered the neurotransmitter involved in Inattentive ADD’ (Amen, 2013 p. 104).

What Is Dopamine?

The classic introduction to Dopamine usually includes a spiel about how it is a neurotransmitter, how it works in the brain to enable a person to focus and how it gives a person motivation, desire and drive to achieve a task. Even this preliminary information is still useful to me. Taking Dr Amen’s view that dopamine is involved in ADD, it is easy for me to understand why my motivation is erratic at best and completely absent at worst.

The Other Side Of Dopamine

Knowing that dopamine is impacting my motivation towards healing is all well and good but, for me, that isn’t the full picture. As I already discussed in my post on Candace Pert’s neuroscientific work, there is no clear distinction between the ‘neurotransmitters’ of the brain (which Dopamine is classed as) and the ‘hormones’ of the body. Instead, our body consists of peptides that link communication and action between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Indeed, researchers now seem to be garnering support for Candace Pert’s theory…

The Link Between Insulin And Dopamine

I was interested to find a preliminary study conducted in 2007 by a group of researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center that identified insulin as having an important role in the dopamine pathways in the brain

This study showed that, when insulin levels are low in the brain (which occurs when a diabetic has high blood sugar levels), the dopamine pathways in the brain is unable to produce normal levels of dopamine. I would therefore anticipate that, when a diabetic has higher than non-diabetic blood sugar levels (which occurs for most diabetics after every carbohydrate-based meal), dopamine is suppressed and ADD symptoms are likely to be present.

So, as a diabetic with unnaturally oscillating blood sugars, it’s a double whammy. If my blood sugars are out of whack, my dopamine levels are too and my motivation goes down the plughole. So then trying to get motivated to get my sugars back in range is all that bit harder! So how do I square this circle??

Sugar And ADD

I believe that, the majority of time, my dopamine must be depleted. I spend more of my time lacking in enthusiasm and energy, rather than hyperactive and overzealous (although that does occasionally happen too!). Something I also contend with on a daily basis is my cravings for sugar. I crave sugar all the time! And now I understand how these two facts are related…

Sugar provides an exogenous method for increasing dopamine levels in my system. When I eat something sugary, my brain lights up with increased dopamine levels and I get back in my groove. So every time I reach for a piece of chocolate, a slice of cake or some other sugar-rich food, I am finding a way to increase my depleted dopamine levels. But each additional sugar feeding also leads to weight gain. Indeed, it has been found that obese people have a five to ten times increased rate of ADHD than the general population.

As if that isn’t bad enough, each time I eat sugar, I am increasing dopamine levels in my system artificially, by outside means. Therefore, my brain is learning that it needs to make less dopamine endogenously because the sugar will be along soon to increase dopamine again. And so the vicious cycle begins… Dopamine levels are low in my brain, my system waits for the sugar, I eat the sugar, my brain learns it doesn’t need to manufacture its own and therefore makes even less!

How Can I Heal My ADD Naturally?

If I can find a way to naturally increase my dopamine levels, then my ADD is (or at least its symptoms are) likely to reduce or disappear. Having just discussed the benefits of removing sugar (something I did successfully during my Whole30 challenge), eliminating sugar in my diet seems like an obvious first step. But my intuition is saying no to this.

I have eaten a low-carbohydrate diet for periods of my life with success but the longest I have ever achieved was seven months. Then, Christmas came along and the deprivation I felt at not being able to eat the foods I loved was too great. Every time I have tried to eat low-carb since then, the same thing always happens.

In order to achieve great healing, both physically and emotionally, I personally need to do something that does not feel so punitive or restrictive to me. Please don’t misunderstand me… I know of several diabetics that are hugely successful long-term with low-carbohydrate eating and it brings great quality to their lives. I have great respect for their way of life. But I also believe that healing is a very individual journey and you have to respond to what feels right for you as an individual. I know that I need an alternative to low-carbing.

Initial Steps To Healing My ADD

I have a tonne of ideas about where to start with healing my ADD. But, if I’ve picked anything at all up from my reading in this area, I really think, for now (and ever after!), I need to start small. My usual plan is to go in with everything at the same time and then give up or stop with exhaustion within a month.

And most importantly…

What can I commit to now that I will be able to continue to do in the future?

To work out what to do to heal my ADD, I want to tap into my intuition, my inner wisdom. I am sure that my path to healing is already known within me, I just have to listen to it. For now, I am going to focus on only three simple things. These are my first three steps on a road of a thousand miles…

1. Green Tea

My gut instinct is still telling me that Kelly Turner’s research (see my post here) has tapped into the inherent mechanism by which the body heals from any health issue, not just cancer. So I wish to try to use her strategies where possible. Therefore, a first easy step for me is to take follow her protocol to take some herbs and/or supplements. But which ones?

I want to start small yet consistent and I feel that a cup of green tea each morning, before I have breakfast, fulfils those requirements. Green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine not only has a direct effect on your mental alertness, enabling your to relax, but L-theanine is also a building block for dopamine in the brain. All from a good old cup of tea!

2. Listen To Classical Music

I found a piece of neuroscientific research that found that classical music increases dopamine production in the brain.

I am not an expert on classical music, let alone its effects on my brain(!), so I was unsure which pieces of classical music should be on my playlist. Thankfully, the experts over at the ADDitude blog have already put together a list of suitable music!

I have uploaded it onto Spotify as a playlist and called it ‘Classical Music for ADHD’. I am going to hit the play button for 30 minutes every weekday morning as I get ready for my day and hopefully my dopamine levels will rise beautifully!

3. Get Out In Nature

I love nature and really don’t need any excuse to get out in it! Life is always busy and I guess I don’t prioritise doing this as much as I would like to. This one is on my list of action items for multiple reasons.

Firstly, I feel good in nature. Kelly Turner emphasises the need to increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions as part of your healing journey. Nature does this for me.

Secondly, multiple studies highlight the direct link between exercise and increased dopamine levels. So walking in nature also ticks this box.

Thirdly, this one feels so intuitively right (although, at the moment, it’s a sweltering 30-degrees plus out my window and a part of me just wants to run and hide in a deep freezer rather than go out and walk!!). Therefore, I am going to commit to walking for at least 15 minutes in nature five days each week. Ideally, I would like to do 30 minutes but I want to make sure it is achievable rather than setting myself up to fail.

A Helping Hand…

I discussed above about the vicious cycle that is set up in ADHD where a depletion of dopamine causes you to lack the motivation necessary to make the changes that will lead to you increasing your dopamine. For example, lacking motivation means that you won’t go for that great twenty-minute run that will naturally increase your dopamine. I really struggle with this lack of motivation and therefore I am desperate to find a way to solve this Gordian Knot. And I think I may have found the answer…

Accountability Buddies!

Until I have been doing my dopamine-focussed tasks and activities long enough to have built up a more-naturally-occurring dopamine supply in my system, my motivation is likely to be sporadic or non-existent. So I am going to have to rely on the dopamine, and resulting motivation, of others!! My husband is going to be my main buddy in this but I will also be recruiting my friends into this (unbeknownst to them!). This will particularly be required for getting out in nature.

Drinking my green tea should be fairly straightforward. I have linked it to my first meal of the day. I have put my teacup on top of the plate I usually have for breakfast so hopefully that will work!

Listening to classical music for thirty minutes should be the easiest. I have asked my Amazon Alexa to play my ‘Classical Music for ADHD’ playlist at 8am each morning. So there are no excuses for that one!

Let’s see how this goes!

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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August 3, 2020

Read more about the article Healing Attention Deficit Disorder

Physical Wellbeing / Taking Control of My Health

Coronavirus and Type 1 Diabetes

Heightened Risks And The Added Need For Stable Control

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the author reflects on the heightened risks faced by Type 1 Diabetics, who are more likely to die from the virus than those without diabetes. Maintaining stable blood sugar levels becomes crucial for bolstering immunity. Adjusting routines and embracing self-forgiveness are vital amidst the challenges of managing diabetes during this global crisis.

Yeah, so this happened…!! The world has been ransacked and people have been left quaking in their boots by the virus that is not-so-affectionately known as COVID-19.

It seems like a long time ago now but there was a time when Coronavirus didn’t exist (like, less than a year ago…!!). In those days, Type 1 Diabetics were ‘just’ battling through their days as best they could with the general level of challenge that this medical condition presents.

But, for me now, it feels like a whole new level of challenge has entered my life. I now have my daughter at home permanently (at least for now!) so time has evaporated and my usual life activities are all on hold. As such, I anticipate that my blogging will be erratic for a while but please know that I haven’t given up. I will be dropping in here as often as I can to think, write and respond as best I can.

If I have learnt anything during this time, it is about being gentle. Gentle with my family and friends in this time of stress and uncertainty. Gentle with myself by lowering my expectations for both myself and others. At the moment, it is okay to just aim to be what I am. Anything else can come later.

I did, however, want to try to use this moment to put a few thoughts down about the particular challenges of having Type 1 Diabetes in these Coronavirus times.

Increased Risk Of Death For People With Type 1 Diabetes

So this is not a heading I ever wanted to write in my blog. But I think that, at a time like this, honesty and openness about the dangers are important. If for no other reason, truth can diminish the erratic thoughts that result from out-of-control fear. They can also offer hope.

Early on in the pandemic, at least where I am in the UK, the newspapers circulated information about the risks of death from COVID-19 for various medical conditions. For diabetics, the statistics were stark reading…

What Are The Most Common Health Conditions Among People Who Die Of COVID-19?

HEALTH CONDITION
Cardiovascular Disease	10.5%
Diabetes	7.3%
Chronic Respiratory Disease	6.3%
Hypertension	6%
Cancer	5.6%
No Health Condition	0.9%

So, according to this, once diabetics have contracted COVID-19, their risk of dying from the disease is greater than people suffering from chronic respiratory disease, hypertension and even cancer!

It was assumed that people with Type 2 Diabetes were generally more at-risk because they are generally older and also often have co-morbid health conditions, making their overall health poorer than those with Type 1 Diabetes.

However, a study by the National Health Service in the UK has now published a study that says otherwise…

Type 1 Diabetics Three Times As Likely To Die From COVID-19

As shown in this article by the Guardian newspaper, the NHS has found that those with Type 1 Diabetes are three-and-a-half times more likely to die from Coronavirus than non-diabetics. Type 2 diabetics are ‘only’ twice as likely (note: that’s still a huge increase!). Of course, the number of actual deaths of Type 1 diabetics will be substantially lower than Type 2s, since Type 2s are so much more numerous in the population.

What Is The Takeaway Message?

COVID-19 is a dangerous virus for those with Type 1 Diabetes. Once contracted, death is more likely than for other tranches of the population.

HOWEVER…

As I discussed in this blog post, the immune system of Type 1 Diabetics may actually not be compromised. Only the sub-optimal blood sugar control impacts the immune system. Therefore, stable blood sugars are our best fight against this disease. This will enable us to keep our immune system strong and therefore reduce our likelihood of catching COVID-19. Of course, combining tight blood sugar control with social distancing measures reduces our risks further.

Easier Said Than Done…?

Perfect blood sugar control when the world has gone to hell in a hand basket seems like a tall ask! When your whole routine – the thing our diabetic bodies thrive on – has gone out the window, how is that possible?

I have started by establishing a new routine. My usual exercise routine is gone and has been replaced by a good hour of walking early in the afternoon each day with my husband and daughter. I have worked out new meal timings that work not only for me but for my family as a whole. I am accepting that I have gained some weight, which has increased my total daily units. I accept that I am unlikely to drop this weight whilst under the stress of this pandemic. And I am learning to forgive myself for the deviations that I inevitably make in my attempts to keep myself as well as I can.

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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March 30, 2020

Read more about the article Coronavirus and Type 1 Diabetes

Physical Wellbeing / Taking Control of My Health

How Does The Quantity and Quality of Sleep Impact Type 1 Diabetes?

More Better Quality Sleep = Better Diabetes Control

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

Summary: The post discusses the profound impact of sleep on managing Type 1 Diabetes. It highlights how inadequate sleep reduces insulin sensitivity, exacerbates blood sugar swings, and increases inflammation. Circadian rhythms and sleep quality are crucial, with suggestions to optimise sleep routines and environment. Strategies include managing blue light exposure and even sleeping naked for better quality sleep and health outcomes.

Ah, the elixir of sleep! Like the majority of people I know, I want more of it and better quality too! I think sleep has become particularly prominent in my mind recently because I have just had the fun of crossing timezones to go on holiday. Whilst I had a lovely time away, I am now left juggling the resulting jet lag. I just wish I could be asleep right now!!

Lack of Sleep Decrease Insulin Sensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes

I’ve seen this happen SO many times… I’ve had a good night out with friends and stayed up pretty late. I’ve given my night-time injection as usual and, in the morning, WHAM! High blood sugars. I followed all the rules but it just didn’t work. It sucks. So I’m fighting high blood sugars for several hours as well as feeling more-than-just-a-bit tired from my night out. What gives?!

It turns out that reduced insulin sensitivity after a poor night’s sleep is an expected physiological phenomenon. For example, having just one night of four hours of sleep (between 1am and 5am) results in a decrease in insulin sensitivity of between 14-21% the next day! [1] So, after a night out, my average total daily dose of 18.2 units would need to increase to 20.7-22.0 units!

Similarly, one single night of no sleep (hello new parents!!) results in MORE insulin resistance than eating a high-fat diet for SIX MONTHS!! [2] These effects also seem to be cumulative, with insulin resistance also found to be significantly increased over longer periods of time with reduced sleep. [3]

This increased insulin requirement is, of course, not uniform. I cannot sit down the morning-after-the-night-before and know for sure that if I increase all of my insulin levels by, say, 14% my blood sugars will be spot-on. What is more likely to happen is that my blood sugars will swing about for most of the day as I try to guess my insulin ratios. This will then set off a cycle of under- and over-correcting that is likely to further increase my overall insulin dose, beyond the initial 14%, for that day.

In short, my blood glucose levels are likely to be doing this (minus the fun!)…!!

Sleep And Inflammation

Multiple experimental studies have highlighted the link between sleep loss and mediators of inflammation. These mediators, known as cytokines, are secreted by cells of the immune system and are responsible for regulating levels of inflammation in the human body.

Levels of cytokines rise in the bloodstream following sleep deprivation, as demonstrated in both sleep deprivation studies (no sleep) and also in reduced sleep studies (for example, sleeping between 25-50% of the normal sleep requirement) [4]. Whilst these studies indicate that the changes in the levels of basal inflammatory cytokines are subclinical (i.e. not dramatically huge), I believe that these shifts are still likely to contribute to the overall level of chronic inflammation in my diabetic body (see my post on allostatic load for an explanation on how I understand the mechanism by which inflammation builds up in my system).

Circadian Rhythms Impact The Immune System

Human bodies function on a circadian rhythm. ‘Circadian rhythm’ is the term used to describe your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. During any 24-hour period, you are likely to experience times when your body requires sleep more than others. Over time, with a regular sleeping schedule, your body’s circadian rhythm will match the sleep/wake cycle that you have and you will feel more alert and awake during your days. Here, then, regularity in the cycle is key.

The link between circadian rhythms and the immune system is discussed in detail in this post by the Sleep Doctor. To summarise, he highlights how, when sleep is irregular or less than the body requires, it disrupts circadian rhythms, which as a knock-on effect on the immune system. [5]

Not All Sleep Is Created Equal…?

But what time should this cycle take place? I know I’ve certainly heard of the night owl and the morning lark (and also the joke about the alternative option of the permanently exhausted pigeon!!). I’ve always thought of myself as a night owl. In my ideal world, I’d like to be up late and have a good ol’ lie-in every morning, at least beyond all those horrible single-digit hours!! But is that actually good for me?

Sleep quality changes as the night progresses. In the first part of the night, usually from 8pm to midnight, sleep is likely to consist mostly of the deep, restorative sleep known as ‘non-REM sleep’ [6].

In the latter part of the night, REM sleep then dominates. It appears that the switch from mostly non-REM sleep to mostly REM sleep happens at a set time of night, in the early hours of the morning, independent of the time you went to bed. So, for a night owl like me, I am likely to have more REM-heavy sleep, which is not as deep as non-REM sleep. The following morning, I will not feel as refreshed as I could be. So getting to sleep earlier is crucial.

How Can I Improve My Sleep?

Sleep by Nick Littlehales is a powerhouse of information on how to improve your sleep. It is written by Nick Littlehales, a sleep expert who coaches a variety of top-class athletes and footballers, including Olympians and members of the Premier League, on how to sleep effectively.

It appears that preparation is the key to effective sleep! Nick Littlehales goes into great detail (in a short and easy-to-read 177 pages!) on all aspects of sleep and how to optimise it. He includes details on:

The importance of pre- and post-sleep routines: how to prepare well for it and ‘recover’ from it for optimal functioning in your day.
The importance of a regular sleep schedule.
How to prepare your sleep environment (what he terms ‘the Recovery Room’!) for better quality sleep
How to work out the amount of sleep your body actually needs to be effective

I have just started implementing Nick Littlehales’ recommendations into my life and I am already seeing a dramatic increase in my readiness to sleep at night and the increased level to which I feel restored in the morning.

The Effects Of Blue Light On Sleep

The Effects Of Blue Light From Technology May Be Disruptive To Sleep

Blue light is bad for sleep. We shouldn’t be using our phones or laptops or Apple watches or iPads or anything else that emits ‘blue light’ anywhere near when we want to fall asleep. This fact has almost become myth in today’s society and is cited widely (see here, here and here for just a few examples).

Is it true? Well, the jury seems to be out on this one. Manchester University has recently demonstrated that blue light may not actually be as bad for us as today’s myth suggests [8]. In fact, the researchers from this study suggest that blue light may in fact be more beneficial for our sleep than the bright, warmer-coloured lights that are normally used in households.

However, in this study, the light was controlled for brightness, such that the colour of the lighting was changed from yellow to blue without affecting its brightness. I wonder if, for electronics that tend to have bright lights with a blue tone, it is in fact the brightness, rather than the colour, that has the impact.

Whilst the jury may be out in the research world, I know for certain that on the evenings when I have not used any electronics – perhaps just read a book – my mind is not buzzing and I fall asleep much more quickly. So, for me, gadgetry has to go in the last few hours of my day.

Bonus Tip: Sleep Naked!

As I wandered through the literature on sleep and Type 1 Diabetes, I was surprised to find several references to the benefits of sleeping naked!

1. Sleeping Naked Promotes Sleep Quality

When you sleep naked, your body temperature lowers. This lowered body temperature signals to your circadian rhythm that it is time for sleep and also induces deeper (non-REM) sleep. This deep-sleep state in turn promotes longer lasting sleep since it is less likely you will be disturbed from this deep-sleep state. [9]

Better quality sleep also helps restore normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body. So, with better quality sleep, you will feel less stressed in the morning no matter how stressful your life may be in waking hours. Sleeping naked, as discussed in the previous paragraph, promotes better quality sleep and therefore helps reset your stress counter.

Reduced cortisol also reduces both inflammation and insulin resistance [10], which will decrease my overall need for insulin further.

2. Sleeping Naked Helps You Lose Weight

In a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health [11], it was found that decreased room temperature when sleeping (which can also be achieved by removing clothing!) led to an increase in brown fat and a decrease in white fat in the study participants. Brown fat keeps your body warm by boosting the metabolism. This increase in your metabolism lasts all day and therefore helps burn more calories!

So it looks like I’m going to be experimenting with sleeping in the buff from now on!!

References

Donga, E., van Dijk, M., van Dijk, J. G., et al. (2010). Partial Sleep Restriction Decreases Insulin Sensitivity in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, 33(7), 1573-1577. [Article]
Obesity Society (2015). One Night of Poor Sleep Could Equal Six Months on a High-Fat Diet, Study Shows. Retrieved 21st February 2020 from the World Wide Web: https://www.newswise.com/articles/one-night-of-poor-sleep-could-equal-six-months-on-a-high-fat-diet-study-shows.
Buxton, O. M., Pavlova, M., Reid, E. W., et al. (2010). Sleep Restriction for 1 Week Reduces Insulin Sensitivity in Healthy Men. Diabetes, 59(9), 2126-2133. [Article]
Mullington, J. M., Simpson, N. S., Meier-Ewert, H. K., and Haack, M. (2010). Sleep Loss and Inflammation. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab, 24(5), 775-784. [Article]
Comas, M., Gordon, C. J., Oliver, B. G., et al. (2017). A circadian based inflammatory response – implications for respiratory disease and treatment. Sleep Science and Practice, 1(18). [Article]
Heid, M. (2017). What’s the Best Time to Sleep? You Asked. Retrieved 22nd February 2020 from the World Wide Web: https://time.com/3183183/best-time-to-sleep/
Littlehales, N. (2016). Sleep. London: Penguin Random House UK. [Link]
Mouland, J. W., Martial, F., Watson, A., et al. (2019). Cones Support Alignment to an Inconsistent World by Suppressing Mouse Circadian Responses to the Blue Colors Associated with Twilight. Current Biology, 29(24), 4260-4267. [Article]
Bradberry, T. (2016). 4 Reasons Sleeping Naked Makes You Healthier And Wealthier. Retrieved 21st February 2020 from the World Wide Web: https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/ 2016/09/13/4-reasons-sleeping-naked-makes-you-healthier-and-wealthier/#4c9f2fb969b4
Holmang, A., and Bjorntorp, P. (1992). The effects of cortisol on insulin sensitivity in muscle. Acta Physiol Scand, 144(4), 425-431. [Article]
Lee, P., Smith, S., Linderman, J., et al. (2014). Temperature-acclimated brown adipose tissue modulates insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes, 63(11), 3686-3698. [Article]

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Natalie Leader

Natalie is a blogger with Type 1 Diabetes. Natalie's special gifts are questioning the status quo and being a rebel. She is using these gifts to question medical 'knowledge' and find a true cure for Type 1 Diabetes.

The content of the HealingT1D website is for educational and information purposes only. It does not contain medical advice. The contents of this website are not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please always consult with your doctor, physician, or other qualified healthcare professional before making any adjustments to your routine or healthcare regime. HealingT1D and all associated with it will not be held liable for any risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information on this site.

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March 2, 2020