Deng Xiaoping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of
China
Deng
Xiaoping (August 22, 1904 – February 19,
1997) was a prominent Chinese politician and reformer, and the late leader of
the Communist
Party of China (CPC) .
Deng
never held office as the head of state or the head of government, but served as
the de facto leader of the People's
Republic of China from 1978 to
the early 1990s.
He
developed "Socialism with Chinese characteristics" and Chinese
economic reform, also known as the "socialist market economy",
and opened China to the global market.
Quotations
It doesn't matter if a cat is
black or white, so long as it catches mice.
Keep a cool head and maintain a
low profile. Never take the lead - but aim to do something big.
Let some people get rich first.
Poverty is not socialism. To be
rich is glorious.
Reform is China's second
revolution.
Seek truth from facts.
The
minority yields to the majority!
The United States brags about
its political system, but the President says one thing during the
election, something else when he takes office, something else at midterm
and something else when he leaves.
To
get rich is glorious.
When our thousands of Chinese
students abroad return home, you will see how China will transform itself.
Young
leading cadres have risen up by helicopter. They should really rise step
by step.
Insulin is a hormone made by an organ
located behind the stomach called the pancreas. Here, insulin is released into
the bloodstream by specialised cells called beta-cells found in areas of the
pancreas called islets of Langerhans (the term insulin comes from the
Latin insula
meaning island). Insulin can also be given as a medicine for patients with diabetes because they do not make enough of
their own. It is usually given in the form of an injection. Insulin is released from the pancreas
into the bloodstream. It is a hormone essential for us to live and has
many effects on the whole body, mainly in controlling how the body uses
carbohydrate and fat found in food. Insulin allows cells in the muscles, liver
and fat (adipose tissue) to take up sugar (glucose) that has
been absorbed into the bloodstream from food. This provides energy to the
cells. This glucose can also be converted into fat to provide energy when
glucose levels are too low. In addition, insulin has several other metabolic
effects (such as stopping the breakdown of protein and fat).
How is insulin controlled?
When we eat food, glucose is absorbed
from our gut into the bloodstream. This rise in blood glucose causes
insulin to be released from the pancreas. Proteins in food and other hormones
produced by the gut in response to food also stimulate insulin release. However, once the blood glucose levels
return to normal, insulin release slows down. In addition, hormones released in times
of acute stress, such as adrenaline, stop the release of insulin leading
to higher blood glucose levels. The release of insulin is tightly
regulated in healthy people in order to balance food intake and the metabolic
needs of the body. Insulin works in tandem with glucagon, another hormone produced by the
pancreas. While insulin’s role is to lower blood sugar levels if needed,
glucagon’s role is to raise blood sugar levels if they fall too low.
Using this system, the body ensures that the blood glucose levels remain within
set limits, which allows the body to function properly.
What happens if I have too much insulin?
Diabetic patients are given drugs
including insulin treatment to lower their high glucose levels. However, if a person accidentally
injects too much insulin, cells will take in too much glucose from the
blood. This leads to abnormally low blood
glucose levels (hypoglycaemia). The body reacts to hypoglycaemia by
releasing stored glucose from the liver in an attempt to bring the levels back
to normal. However, persistently low glucose levels in the blood can make
a person feel ill. Unlike other cells in the body, nerve
cells depend almost entirely on glucose as a source of energy. When the
glucose level is too low, the majority of the symptoms result from these nerves
not functioning properly. The brain is particularly affected by low
glucose levels. Symptoms
include dizziness, confusion and even coma in severe cases. In
addition, the body mounts a 'fight-back' response through a specialised set of
nerves called the sympathetic nervous system. This causes
palpitations, sweating, hunger, anxiety, tremor and a pale complexion.
What happens if I have too little insulin?
In
some people, the pancreas is unable to make enough insulin, for example, in a
condition called type 1 diabetes. This condition is caused when
the beta cells that produce insulin have been destroyed. With too little
insulin, the body can no longer move glucose from the blood into the cells,
causing high blood glucose levels. If the glucose level is high enough,
excess glucose spills into the urine. This drags extra water into the
urine causing more frequent urination and thirst. This leads to dehydration which can cause confusion. In
addition, with too little insulin, the cells cannot take in glucose for energy.
Other sources of energy (such as fat and muscle) are needed to provide this
energy. This makes the body tired and can cause weight loss. If this
continues, patients can become very ill. This is because the body
attempts to make new energy from fat and causes acids to be produced as waste
products. Ultimately, this can lead to coma and death if medical
attention is not sought. Type 2 diabetes can be caused by two factors. Firstly, the
patient’s beta cells may have an impaired ability to manufacture insulin.
This means that while some insulin is produced, it is not enough for the body’s
needs. Secondly, the
insulin receptors, which allow insulin to exert its effects on individual
cells, become insensitive and stop responding to the insulin in the
bloodstream. A combination of these factors leads to
similar symptoms as seen in type 1 diabetes.
Before we discuss how to identify the
presence of insulin resistance symptoms in your life you must first understand
the role of insulin in your body. When we eat sugar or any food that
breaks down into sugar in the body, this elevates the body's glucose levels. Glucose is the technical term for blood sugar. When blood sugar rises, then the
pancreas has the job of bringing it back down again, and it does so by
releasing insulin. When the pancreas releases insulin, this alerts the glucose
receptors to open and one of three things occur. It is taken into the cell
immediately and used for energy, then any excess glucose either gets stored in
the liver as glycogen which can be used at a later date as needed, or it's
stored as fat in the cell. There is always more sugar than the body
needs when one eats sugar and carbohydrates, so a great deal of it is getting
stored as fat. Glucose is essential for the mind and body to function adequately, however you don't want too much or
too little. Too much leads to things like insulin resistance
and type 2 diabetes, while Too little leads to things like hypoglycemia and
lack of energy. Unfortunately many people don't notice
the arrival of insulin resistance symptoms before its too late, because they
have not been educated about what to look for and the diet they have been led
to believe is healthy is really at the root. Every time you eat sugar or a food that
gets broken down into sugar, including starches, beans and whole grains, then
your body goes through the process described above. If you are continually ingesting foods
that force the body to go through this process, then over time there is too
much sugar for the pancreas to handle. Each time it detects sugar in the blood stream,
and then it releases insulin. The liver can only store a certain
amount of glycogen in the liver so ultimately the sugar keeps getting stored in
the cell as fat. Eventually the glucose receptors say "hey we have way too much fat here, we can't store anymore
and they "resist" the pressure of the pancreas to store anymore. However, the pancreas says, "but we're swimming in sugar in here, this person keeps
pumping us with sugar and we have to get it out of the blood stream." So the pancreas releases even more
insulin and forces the glucose receptors to store more of it as fat. Then the
glucose receptors get even more resistant and refuse again to store anymore as
fat and so the pancreas releases more insulin. The more sugar in the
blood stream, the more the pancreas releases insulin and the more resistant the
receptors become. This
results in high levels of insulin being released on a continual basis, called
hyperinsulinism. High levels of insulin in the body result in disruption to the
cells, inflammation and a landslide of destruction to the various systems in
the body resulting in conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, high
triglycerides, high blood pressure and many more. At
this point, even though glucose levels remain high, none of it is available to
be used by the cells for energy, which often results in cravings for
carbohydrates, excessive fatigue and weight gain. Eventually the body stops responding to
insulin at all, the pancreas either gets too wore out to continue its job or it
gets damaged by the high levels of insulin and can no longer release insulin,
this is when blood sugar levels remain high and type 2 diabetes occurs. Insulin resistance usually occurs in
tandem with leptinresistance. Leptin is a hormone in our fat cells
that tells us when we're full. When leptin resistance develops, then
hunger doesn't turn off and leads to overeating and cravings for sugar and
carbs.
Early Signs and Symptoms of Insulin Resistance
Many
of the early symptoms of insulin resistance go unnoticed because they are
typically labeled something else. These are some of the symptoms that are
possible.
·hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
·mood swings - which are triggered by
erratic changes in blood sugar
·chronic fatigue or low
energy
·cravings for sugar and/or carbs
·exhaustion
·brain fog, difficulty focusing or
paying attention
·acidosis
·mental fatigue
·weight gain
·afternoon blahs
·anxiety and/or anxiety disorders
·depression
·adrenal fatigue
·compulsive overeating/food addiction
·candida yeast overgrowth
·hormone imbalance
·sleepiness after a meal
·sugar and/or carb addiction
·irritable bowel and other bowel
disorders
·gas, bloating, indigestion
·poor memory and impaired learning
abilities
·frequent urination
·excessive thirst
·extra weight in belly
However it's important to note that the
existence of the symptoms above does not always equal insulin resistance, but
they do often go hand in hand. However, these symptoms are also shared
with a variety of other conditions, so it's important to work with a
knowledgeable health care provider for diagnoses.
Late Stage Insulin Resistance Symptoms
When
insulin resistance symptoms progress, serious conditions develop. If you have
any of the following, you likely have insulin resistance.
·high triglycerides
·high cholesterol
·high blood pressure
·obesity (however, it's important to
note that insulin resistance occurs in thin people as well)
·fatty liver and/or liver disease
·alcoholism
·breast, prostate or colon cancer
·auto-immune disorders
·pos - polycystic ovary syndrome
The
list of symptoms that may be associated with insulin resistance is vast and may
also include autism, weakened immune system, anorexia, bulimia, nutritional
deficiencies, osteoporosis, kidney disease, blood clots, food allergy and
sensitivity, constipation and many more.
Causes of Insulin Resistance
The higher your blood sugar levels the
more insulin you release, the more insulin you release, the more resistant the
receptors become. Therefore the causes of insulin
resistance lie in the substances that cause our blood sugar to rise, which
include the following: Sugar, White Flour & Refined Foods The primary
cause of insulin resistance is the consumption of sugar, white flour and
other refined carbohydrates. They cause an excessively high level of blood
sugar. Whole Grains and Other Carbohydrates The second major
cause is the consumption of carbohydrates in general. This includes
foods like potatoes, peas, beans, sweet potatoes and whole grains like corn,
brown rice, oats, wheat, barley, rye etc. All carbohydrates break down into sugar
in the body. These high starch foods cause a rise in blood sugar levels and the
release of insulin as described in the first section of this discussion. Their
impact on the endocrine system is the same as sugar. Whole foods like low-starch vegetables
and low-sugar fruits have a minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin. Stress Stress is the third
primary cause of insulin resistance. When you're under stress your
adrenal glands release adrenaline, which tells the liver to dump its glycogen
into the blood stream to deal with the stress at hand. Of course as we learned
earlier, when the pancreas sees all this sugar in the blood stream, it responds
by releasing insulin. If you are under stress continuously,
then your liver will be releasing sugar into the blood stream constantly and
the pancreas will constantly be releasing insulin. Eventually the glucose receptors start
resisting because it's too much sugar to deal with. If you are already progressing towards
insulin resistance because of the wrong diet, then excess stress will push you
down the road faster. However even if you don't have
resistance yet, the mere existence of excessive stress alone can result in
insulin resistance because it triggers the whole cycle as if you've eaten
sugar. Menopause, Andropause and Aging As we age our tolerance for
carbohydrates often decreases because we've been eating them for decades and
the prevalence of insulin resistance increases. As we get older, the body eventually
wears out from the yo-yo blood sugar response, which makes us more vulnerable
to insulin resistance. So foods you got away with eating in your younger years
may now cause you problems. Additionally
changes in hormone levels, adrenal function, thyroid function and metabolism in
both men and women during menopause and andropause and the years preceding them
can also leave one vulnerable. Insulin resistance symptoms may appear out of
nowhere with no warning. This is especially true for perimenopausal women. Nutritional Deficiencies There are a variety of vital nutrients
that are essential for the body to regulate how well you convert sugar into
energy. It these nutrients are absent in the body, then blood sugar maintenance
will be impaired, which can contribute to insulin resistance. Since most people
are eating a poor diet low in vitamins and minerals this is a common
contributor. Nicotine and Caffeine When you smoke or drink caffeine, they
both release adrenalin, which triggers the liver to pump the blood stream with
glucose. Naturally, the pancreas responds with insulin and so forth and so
forth, as described above. Alcohol Alcohol is a sugar. It is the most
refined sugar you consume. It doesn't even have to be digested. It is absorbed
into the blood stream instantly through the gastrointestinal wall and causes
high levels of blood sugar. Environmental Toxins Common everyday chemicals in your
environment put excessive stress on the endocrine system, which results in the
adrenal glands alerting the liver to pump sugar into the blood stream in the
same manner as nicotine and caffeine.
