"Based on the research and information I have on May 06 the following makes sense to me," Harlan Jacobsen Copyright © 2006

Some Recent studies have shown depressed people are double the chance of the general population of developing diabetes 2.

The most recent study shows a 37% greater risk.

An English physician wrote in 1674 that "diabetes is caused by "melancholy."

Related research shows that though unexplained Pancreatic Cancer is often preceded by bouts of serious depression.

When depression (melancholy) comes on, often the onset of a disease such as a heart attack or diabetes, means the problem seems to be compounded and the cardiovascular disease of these patients are much more likely to die than the others.

Chronically depressed people become inactive sedentary, and just basically move little and get little exercise.

They constantly snack with goodies, to compensate for their downer feelings. 

 

Weight is likely to be a problem in getting it under control.

 

If you are depressed, you are less likely to quit smoking.

The depressed are less likely to eat right or be concerned with supplements, medications, long range view and concerns are superseded by "Instant gratification". 

 

• Life is not treating me right, and I deserve this treat now.

This turns on the "Fight or Flight" responses which are a series of bodily actions to gear up for "running away" or "fighting". 

This is an inherited body response that is automatic with a perceived danger (correct or not). Only those that had this automated response lived to have children and you come from a long line that have it.

This automated genes system forms and controls hormones that "UP" your blood sugar, to be ready to run out of here. It turns on hormones that causes rise in cholesterol and platelets to patch up holes in case you are wounded.

Such a response that is prolonged and continues over time, means this augmented clotting ability also gives us an increasing risk of heart attacks and strokes.

A recent study showed that these mental "alerted" stress and depression period caused a decrease in blood flow to the heart muscle and they estimate that 30% of heart attacks are explained by these falls into the illness caused by this depression affect.

They estimate 65% of heart patients fall into depression and  a third continue over time to experience debilitating depression and this falls into the category "depression caused by the illness" as opposed to the illness caused by depression.

It has become apparent to me that diabetes is a very complicated disease and to be rid of it requires a combination of getting your head on straight, so to speak and depression is just the first part of what is multi faceted.

It is not entirely brought on by depression induced inactivity and lack of exercise.

Your genes do not have the ability to decide if your perception of your world is correct or a fantasy.

The information arrives and it decides that your survival is in danger, it reacts automatically.

If you are depressed because your big romance split six month ago, your body may have been getting all this time the fight or flight "extreme danger" (stress) hormones raising your Insulin level for an extended period of time.

Extremely high blood sugar being ready for running or fighting, rising from this extreme "'imagined" danger. (Stress)

You have had your body exposed to high insulin, high blood sugar and other fight or flight hormones affecting cardio vascular matters for six months, and you never used it.

High Insulin and high blood sugar with little physical activity results in production of a large number of new fat cells since this high blood sugar has to go somewhere (you got fat).

You also upped your "insulin resistance" by running high Insulin for months.

The Key point here was becoming depressed because of the death of a relationship.

 
1. Death of relationship.
    
2. Depression because of #1.
    
3. Depression turns on "survival genes" in danger (STRESS) get ready to fight or flight.
    
4. You get hormones released that cause high insulin high blood sugar etc., You do not run or fight to use it up.
    
5. You get NO exercise or extreme physical activity to burn this off, when depressed you become even more inactive.
    
6. Result you add a large number of fat cells.
    
7. Insulin resistance, increasing month by month.

•  Huge amount of fat cells added (weight gain) these fat cells produce large amount of fatty acids.
  
•  These fat cell manufactured fatty acids makes Insulin resistance even higher.
  
•  High Insulin and Insulin resistance mean you are constantly under cell starvation and yet feel hungry.
  
• This increased appetite makes your feel so hungry, you eat constantly.
  
•  You gain weight even faster as you become more sedentary and the process speeds up.

Answer : All of them and none of them.

Each were part of the accumulating problem and if you had maintained great activity or exercise, the other factors may have been negated. and your diabetes likely would not have advanced.

However, you were likely already "near diabetes" if you are over age 40.

This is why they call it "Adult onset" diabetes. You accumulate rising insulin resistance over several years and your build up or accumulating of insulin resistance was likely was getting close to the point your pancreas could no longer make even more extra insulin necessary to override the rising insulin resistance.

Let's say you had extra high blood sugar off and on for 40 years from excess sugar in take etc., and each year your insulin resistance has risen an average of 4% as a result of the extra insulin your body has been making to overcome rising year by year insulin resistance.

This 4% a year rise accumulates to a 200% rise in 50 years.

To Make Matters Worse:

Now as you get older, you physically slow down almost automatically, burning less calories but from habit, continue to eat like you did during the former Zoom around age.

1. 
   When your body is being shorted on fat or on calcium or any vital element, your body goes into "starvation" mode. It is being starved of something it determines it needs for long term survival.

   
   If you are getting half as much of something that your body deems necessary for survival, then it will make you hungry to eat twice as much to get what you need.

    

   
   It needs "more food" to make up the deficiency and therefore makes you hungry to get you to eat the necessary food.

   Your body for example, has to have fat, it is the key to survival and is the first thing to become scarce in a famine.

   Therefore, when not getting enough fat intake (such as when you starve it of fat as " a low fat diet. As a result of a deliberate low fat diet your body determines there must be a famine underway, since the first thing to disappear in a famine is fat..
   

2.  Starts to make its own fat from carbohydrates and store it on your body to get you thru this famine.

   Solution: Eat plenty of fat, the body will decide the famine is over, no need to make or manufacture fats.

   However now if you are short of calcium, (our other example) you will "be hungry" trying to eat enough food to make up for your calcium shortage. In eating all the extra food to quench your shortage of calcium, you will have to do something with all those empty calories. They will likely wind up as fat on your body as a result of your body trying to get enough calcium.
   

3.  So if you are hungry extra ordinarily it is likely you are short changing often artificially such as your bodys food intake.

   If your body is getting everything it needs, such as with a good ……… diet, it turns out YOU ARE SELDOM HUNGRY.

   Do you see why? Part of this caveman success formula is to eat often, whenever hungry and eat just enough to take you out of the hungry.

   Do not sit down to eat a big meal just because the clock says you traditionally need to and have always done so.

   The point here, the reason you may be extra ordinarily hungry and eat extra ordinary amounts of food is because you are not getting enough of something your body knows you need.
   

4.  If your body is only getting half of some element it needs to survive, then it will cause you to eat twice as much in order to get the amount needed. Therefore eating a diet that furnishes everything your body needs will mean your are not hungry, you can eat small amounts and be satisfied.

   When you are not choosing your food wisely, you will be getting relatively empty calories and you will be constantly hungry.

   When you are over weight, and constantly hungry, you need to look into eating the right food to supply your body's needs,

   It is giving you a message, until you do, you are fighting a loosing battle with your bodily operational inherited "survival' software..
   

5. Definition :
   What actually is STRESS?
   
   Anything your body perceives as dangerous to your survival can be considered "Stress". When our body determines our welfare is "threatened" our body gets ready to fight off and survive attacks or to make a run from danger as fast as possible. 

   Even extra blood chemicals are modified to slow bleeding in case we are wounded.  These automatically triggered chemical and physiologic bodily reactions are called the "fight or flight" responses.  Adrenaline and caristol are produced which raise the body's blood sugar level (to run) our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, our respiration rate increases. Blood flow to our brain is lessened and immune functions and some digestion functions are shut down.
   

6.  Extended periods of stress (over 15 minutes) can cause headache, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, digestion problems, irritability, mood disorders, muscle reactions including backache.
   
   

   Long term stress caused immune suppression can result in contracting major illnesses.

   Your chances of coming down with cancer in the two years after a major loss experience stressor (loss of loved one for example) are twice as great as normal.

   Remember. Fears and anxiety are stressors.
   

   Depression can be a stressor and happy positive or unusual events can be a stressor such as a new experience with no prior experience on file. 

   Winning the lottery would be a great stressor

   ...... or some huge success or sudden popularity.  A wedding, death of a relationship, loss of a family member, being cut off on the highway, fear of a  new job, loss of job, damage to career etc.
   
   Important to Diabetes

   
   When things in your life go astray, take extra measurements of your blood glucose levels to learn effects of the current stressor situation on your blood sugar levels..
   

   
   You will learn, your mental state has as much affect on your blood sugar levels as your diet.
   

    

   
   Now you know why your blood sugar often goes up and down, in a berserk unexplained manner, not necessarily corresponding to your current diet.
   

    

   
   End of Part One of the Body Mind Connection and your Diabetes. We are just starting to get into and understanding the third leg of your four leg overcoming diabetes stool.
   
   

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