Have you ever grabbed a package of potato chips or cookies and plopped down in front of the television only to find that a few minutes later, the package is empty, and you don’t even remember eating most of it or, even worse, that you still feel unsatisfied?  This is caused by a severe deficiency in what I term the “other” vitamin A — not the kind
found in carrots, but the one called attention.  Although it’s not commonly seen as a necessary nutrient, it should be!  Without paying attention during meals, our health suffers.  

When people are asked what they enjoy in life, eating will always be somewhere near the top of the list. Talk to the right person, and even a fast-food cheeseburger is a little slice of heaven!  The question then is, if we love our food so much, why do we give it so little attention?  If we were on a date with someone we loved deeply, we would never ignore
them for the television or read a book in their presence, completely avoiding eye contact. Why do we hurry through meals doing anything but looking at and loving the food in front of us?

The short answer to that question is “no."  Here’s the long answer.  In
the 1950s, researchers found that a major ingredient of the plaque in arteries was cholesterol and assumed it was settling there because it was part of our diet. Now it seems that cholesterol only builds up inside blood vessels if they are damaged.  Believe it or not, your body is using cholesterol as a bandage to repair broken areas in the cardiovascular
system!

So what damages our vessels? High blood pressure plays a large part.
Imagine the plumbing inside your home. What if water pressure was extremely high in the system?  Pipes would begin to burst, especially at junction points.  That’s exactly what happens in our bodies.  When pressure is high, our arteries become strained, particularly in high-stress areas such as right around the heart and in places where vessels bend.

Last week, it was reported that The New England Journal of Medicine has completed a study showing bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) to be an effective "cure" for Type II Diabetes.  In fact, those who have the surgery are often relieved of their diabetic medications within days of the procedure.

However, much went unreported by the media.  1 in 1,000 patients die as a result of this surgery!  Those who survive may find that immediately afterward, blood clots, pneumonia, or infections at the incision site are common.  Long term issues include ulceration or narrowing of the stomach-intestine connection (http://www.mayoclinic.org/bariatric-surgery/complications.html).  It is very important to note that since those who undergo surgery can only eat approximately 1/2 cup per meal, lifelong nutrient deficiencies are rampant.  Vitamin and mineral supplements are a necessity, and, even with these, the skin and hair may become very dry due to a lack of appropriate nutrition.  Dehydration is also common because of the stomach's limited capacity.

Finally, the surgery can actually create a problem with LOW blood sugar, called non-insulinoma pancreatogenous hypoglycemia syndrome (NIPHS).  Although rare, this condition can be life-threatening (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16195867) and may require surgery reversal.

If those who recommend these surgeries have their way, what will be our future?  Will all Type II diabetics go under the knife regardless of weight?  Will we be sending our teenagers into the operating room as a preventive measure?

I certainly hope not.  The truth is, Type II Diabetes can be prevented by a combination of sensible nutrition and daily activity.  Once the condition is in place, as little as a 10 minute walk can make a huge difference.  When it comes to health, although pills and surgery seem to be the "easy" way out, sometimes taking the long way home -- investing the time to learn what our bodies actually need -- can be much more rewarding.