Speculations
Diabetes has been known since antiquity. The fact that it was documented, and that various dubious procedures were invented to treat it, should suggest an important clue: it was a disease of the wealthy, people who did not experience hunger. Today, it is increasingly a disease affecting everyone, particularly in societies that have recently overcome hunger.
Although diabetes is often described as being influenced by genetic factors, identical twins have a correlation of less than 50% in its incidence. This suggests that there could be other similarities between parents and children, beyond genetics. Typically, well-fed parents had well-fed children. Autoimmune reactions often result from a prolonged lack of balance in the body. While it is difficult to reverse advanced diabetes, we should perhaps pay closer attention to the onset of the disease in children. One sad but interesting fact is that, until recently (around a hundred years ago), children were exposed to hunger much more often than adults. While diseases of hungry people have generally been underreported compared to those of the well-fed, there is some evidence that the incidence of diabetes is lower among rural populations in Africa, but higher in older, dense cultures of the Middle East, India, and Pakistan, where there has been an abundance of sweets and only two generations of well-fed children. Often, poor people mimic the behavior of the rich, including their diets.
While I am not suggesting that starving children is a good remedy, perhaps studies on nutrition, the benefits of fasting, and reducing sugar intake could be helpful. The large quantities of sugar available today, a relatively new phenomenon, are particularly suspect.
Speculative Remedy: Drumming Circles, Especially for Youth Ages 6-12
Why Drumming?
- It is an active mental exercise that consumes a lot of sugar.
- It is accessible to most children.
- It reduces cravings.
- It can be done both before and after meals.
- It is less harmful and less demanding (in terms of time and money) than most sports.
How: Ideally, it should be done every day for 20 to 45 minutes in the early afternoon (a time when children tend to have a lot of energy). Doing it once or twice a week may not make a noticeable difference in terms of sugar regulation.
In groups of no more than twenty-four kids, where everyone can see each other. Ideally, the sessions should not involve chairs, with the kids either standing or sitting on stools or the floor. This setup encourages interaction and engagement, allowing for better concentration and movement. The absence of chairs also promotes better posture and physical activity, which may further aid in reducing sedentary behavior and sugar-related issues. Additionally, the group dynamic creates a sense of community and shared purpose, which can boost motivation and participation among the children.
There should be a master/conductor that will ensure that after few first minutes of warm up with simple rhythmic pattern, the pattern will get more complicated. The effort to follow the pattern is where most of the calories will be burnt on. In addition each of the participants of should take a lead or solo for at least twenty seconds.