A POSITIVE OUTLOOK IS AS IMPORTANT TO YOUR HEALTH AS DIET AND EXERCISE

Having a positive outlook and making new friends could be as important to your health as diet and exercise, scientists have revealed.

People with a positive outlook have more upbeat emotions, which leads them to make more social connections, which in turn leads to an 'upward spiral' to better physical health. This is hardly surprising for those of us who have been advocating holistic therapies and spiritualism for years.

The benefit of positive thinking has been proven through much research.

Affirmations and positive thinking are very powerful tools that can bring about healing and change. However negative thoughts are just as powerful and can be very self-destructive. Although we have no control over all what goes on in the world and certain aspects of our lives, we do have control over the way we interpret and how we deal to it.

"The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences"

You experience your interpretation as an internal dialogue. Thoughts, judgements and feelings are ceaselessly swirling through your mind. Thoughts like: I like this; I don't like that; I am afraid of this; I am unsure about him/her. This internal dialogue is not random, it is generated from a deep level by your beliefs and assumptions which have been formed and accumulated from the time you were born. It is worth remembering that a lot of these assumptions and beliefs were formulated as a child and have never been re-examined and therefore may be highly inappropriate to you as an adult or just simply wrong. When someone's interpretation changes, a change subsequently takes place in their reality. Thus we can make big changes in our lives by changing our thinking.

Never underestimate the power of positive thinking, but to explain I need to tell you about your Auric field. We are spIrit in a human body whilst we are incarnated on Earth and around us is an electromagnetic field our Aura, this has several layers or subtle bodies, the closest layer around our body is known as the Etheric body and it is a complete blueprint of our physical body but perfect eg. supposing we were unfortunate to have lost a limb, well it would still be present in the Etheric body. If you wish to start and try viewing the aura, the Etheric body is the first one you will see as you start to develop this ability.

Exercise for seeing the Human Energy Field commonly known as the Aura.

You will need a partner and a plain wall, not patterned and for beginners a fairly light coloured one.

Get your partner to stand a few feet away from you against the wall

Now let your eyes go out of focus as you would in day dreaming and stare at your partner until your eyes begin to get very uncomfortable and when you reach this stage when you need to blink you will have a clear view of the Etheric body. (Now I know what colour it is and I'm not going to try and influence you here, please leave a comment on your findings if you do this experiment.)
The other layers *SEE BELOW HERE FOR DETAILS  are comprised of different colours and are constantly moving and changing according to our emotions and mental state and what lies before us. Psychics are able to tap into their client's Aura to give readings for all your past, present and future is contained therein.

OK so that is the background, so what has this to do with positive thinking? well when we think positively our Auras expand, they are directly connected to our Chakras, these are spinning vortices of energy and what gives us our vital life force. If our Chakras are able to work correctly without being impinged in anyway, we will be happier mentally and emotionally and physically a lot healthier.

On the other hand if we think negatively our Aura's shrink in on themselves and this affects how the chakra's work, it restricts the flow of vital energy of the life force and starts to cause us problems both mentally and physically. Take for example the throat Chakra, it governs the thyroid and parathyroid endocrine glands and all the structures surrounding our throat and necks and vocal chords. It also governs communication between ourselves and others. So if we are thinking negatively it can lead to stiff neck muscles, causing tension headaches, make us more prone to sore throats, coughs and colds and can lead us to have communication problems relating to others perhaps causing arguments and an inability to understand others. This of course is just one Chakra.

Exercise for sensing and feeling the Human Energy Field commonly known as the Aura

Again you will need a partner and a chair.

Get your partner to sit on a chair facing away from you with their eyes closed and stand some distance away, several feet if possible.

Rub your hands vigorously together until your palms get warm and with palms facing one another you should feel a sensation like tingling, pulling them apart and bring them together, it should feel like you are bouncing an invisible ball between them, rub them a little more together then pull them apart and bring them together until you feel this.

Now with your palms facing outwards towards your partner ask he/she to think of something positive and happy, something which made them feel really happy.

As they are concentrating on this walk slowly towards them palms outstretched until you feel a sensation like you felt before, you should be able to bounce it like before even pull it a little, this is your partners Aura. Note where you are standing in relation to them.

Now repeat the exercise again, but asking your partner to think of something that made them very sad and miserable and to focus on this as you repeat what you did before. Walk forward again sensing where you detect their aura. Note where you are standing, what do you notice? (Again leave me a comment here of your findings it should be different to your first detection experiment)

Universal Laws The Law of Attraction

One of the Universe's laws is the law of attraction where 'like attracts like' have you noticed how the same type of people tend to group together? So positive energy is attracted to positive energy and like wise with negative energy. Now every time we think we create 'Thoughtforms' these are comprised of an energy so therefore if we think positively we will attract more positive energy and likewise negative thoughts will create more negative energy your way. So no matter what it pays to think positively. For one you will feel better physically and mentally and best of all you will attract more positive and good luck your way. It has to be consistent however you do have to keep it up to make this work, for any negative thinking will undo all the good you have done.

You may still have challenges in your life I can't guarantee life will be plain sailing but I can guarantee you will cope with those challenges a whole lot better than you would have done had you stayed thinking negatively.

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ARTICLE FROM THE DAILY MAIL BELOW

Don't bother with the gym today: Positive outlook on life and making friends could be as good for you as diet and exercise

• Study showed a positive attitude caused 'upward spiral' into better health
• People can 'self generate' positive emotions and become healthier

Having a positive outlook and making new friends could be as important to your health as diet and exercise, scientists have revealed.
People with a positive outlook have more upbeat emotions, which leads them to make more social connections, which in turn leads to an 'upward spiral' to better physical health, a study showed.
The research also found it is possible for a person to 'self-generate' positive emotions which can cause them to become physically healthier.
The study was lead by Professor Barbara Fredrickson, of the University of North Carolina, and Doctor Bethany Kok, of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany.

Social connections: Making friends and being positive can be as important for your health as diet and exercise, say researchers

Prof Fredrickson said: 'People tend to liken their emotions to the weather, viewing them as uncontrollable.
'This research shows not only that our emotions are controllable, but also that we can take the reins of our daily emotions and steer ourselves toward better physical health.'

Researchers: The study was led by Professor Barbara Fredrickson, of the University of North Carolina, and Doctor Bethany Kok, of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany

To study the bodily effects of up-regulating positive emotions, the researchers studied 'vagal tone' - the body's control over the vagal nerve which is linked to organs and helps regulate heart rate.
People who have higher vagal tone tend to be better at regulating their emotions, so the researchers studied whether this might lead people to experience more positive emotions.
Scientists also considered whether having more social connections would increase vagal tone, and therefore improving physical health.
To see whether people might be able to harness this upward spiral to steer themselves toward better health, the researchers conducted a field experiment.
Half of the study participants were randomly assigned to attend a six-week loving-kindness meditation (LKM) course where they learned how to cultivate positive feelings of love, compassion, and goodwill toward themselves and others.

Positive outlook: Being happy means people are more likely to make friends and feel healthier

The other half of the participants remained on a waiting list for the course.
Participants in both groups had their vagal tone assessed at the beginning and at the end of the study.
The results provided clear evidence to support the hypothesised upward spiral, with perceived social connections serving as the link between positive emotions and health.
Participants in the LKM group who entered the study with higher vagal tone showed steeper increases in positive emotions over the course of the study.
As participants' positive emotions increased, so did their reported social connections. And, as social connections increased, so did vagal tone. 
In contrast, participants in the waiting-list group showed virtually no change in vagal tone over the course of the study.
Prof Fredrickson said: 'The findings add another piece to the physical health puzzle, suggesting that positive emotions may be an essential psychological nutrient that builds health, just like getting enough exercise and eating fruit and veg.'
The findings were published in the journal Psychological Science.

BANANA 'THE' SUPERFOOD!

I've always loved Bananas and they are in the news today as to how they are good at preventing strokes and lowering blood pressure, below are a few more facts about bananas. As you can see the humble banana is a fantastic superfood. OK compared to other fruits it contains more calories, but it is filling and makes an ideal snack to replenish energy and stave off hunger.

Health benefits of bananas 

Bananas contain a prebiotic called fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Prebiotics are natural substances found in many fruits and vegetables that nourish the good bacteria in the colon. FOS serves an important role because the good bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus, help to strengthen the immune system, inhibit the growth of bad bacteria, increase the absorption of minerals such as calcium, and are being studied for a potential role in preventing some types of cancer.

• Banana fruit is one of the high calorie tropical fruits. 100 g of fruit provides 90 calories. Besides, it contains good amounts of health benefiting anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
  
• Banana pulp is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
  
• The fruit contains a good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems.
  
• It contains health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin, ß and α-carotenes in small amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
  
• It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), provides about 28% of daily-recommended allowance. Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role for the treatment of neuritis, and anemia. Further, it helps decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors in coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels within the body.
  
• The fruit is an also moderate source of vitamin-C (about 8.7 mg per 100g). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
  
• Fresh bananas provide adequate levels of minerals like copper, magnesium, and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well.  Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
  
• Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 358 mg potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.
  

ARTICLE BELOW IS FROM THE DAILY MAIL

More bananas and fewer crisps can help ward off strokes, say scientists

• Potassium-rich fruit helps drive down blood pressure
• People with high potassium intake had 24 per cent less risk of a stroke

Eating more bananas – and cutting down on crisps – could prevent thousands of stroke deaths, say researchers.
The potassium-rich fruit helps drive down blood pressure levels, as does lowering your salt consumption in snacks like crisps.
A study found people with a high potassium intake had 24 per cent less risk of stroke.

Best of the bunch: Eating more bananas can prevent thousands of stroke deaths 

Previous data suggested older people could be harmed by potassium as their kidneys may be less able to remove it from their blood. 
But the research, on journal website bmj.com, said these fears can be dismissed. It found potassium did not negatively affect kidney function.
The authors said there was ‘high quality  evidence’ that people with high blood  pressure improved when they increased their potassium intake.
They analysed 128,000 people over 33 trials and said consuming more of the mineral, for example by eating bananas, is ‘potentially beneficial to most people’.
Bananas are one of the most common foods to be rich in potassium. Each one contains around 420mg, well on the way to the daily adult allowance of 3,500mg. 
There are around 53,000 deaths in the UK each year from stroke, with a further 100,000 survivors, some left with severe disability.
Another study on the website found slightly reducing salt intake for four weeks or more led to a significant fall in blood pressure – and so reduced risk of stroke and heart attack. 
Dr Clare Walton of the Stroke Association said a healthy diet was a key part of managing stroke risk.
She said: ‘High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke. Making changes to your diet can go a long way to keeping blood pressure under control.
‘This research suggests that reducing your salt intake and eating more potassium-rich foods such as bananas, dates and spinach could keep your risk down.’
The Department of Health advises older people should not take potassium supplements unless advised by a doctor.

WALNUT~SUPERNUT!

I've always believed nuts to be a healthy source of nutrition providing of course they form part of a balanced diet. Some people of course believe if something is good for you then more must be better, this however is not the case. All nuts are a rich source of protein however they do contain a high percentage of fat however the difference with walnuts as opposed to other nuts, walnuts are composed largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids, so this type of fat is healthier. Of all nuts the humble walnut is the most nutritious. There has been some interesting research that eating walnuts twice a week could slash the risk of type 2 diabetes by a quarter and are also thought to reduce inflammation and protect against cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

Nutritional value of Walnuts

Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia
Nutritional value per serving
Serving size	100 grams
Energy	2,738 kJ (654 kcal)
Carbohydrates	13.71
- Starch	0.06
- Sugars	2.61
- Lactose	0
- Dietary fiber	6.7
Fat	65.21
- saturated	6.126
- monounsaturated	8.933
- polyunsaturated	47.174
Protein	15.23
Water	4.07
Alcohol	0
Caffeine	0
Vitamin A equiv.	1 μg (0%)
Vitamin A	20 IU
- beta-carotene	12 μg (0%)
- lutein and zeaxanthin	9 μg
Thiamine (vit. B1)	0.341 mg (30%)
Riboflavin (vit. B2)	0.15 mg (13%)
Niacin (vit. B3)	1.125 mg (8%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.570 mg (11%)
Vitamin B6	0.537 mg (41%)
Folate (vit. B9)	98 μg (25%)
Vitamin B12	0 μg (0%)
Vitamin C	1.3 mg (2%)
Vitamin D	0 μg (0%)
Vitamin D	0 IU (0%)
Vitamin E	0.7 mg (5%)
Vitamin K	2.7 μg (3%)
Calcium	98 mg (10%)
Iron	2.91 mg (22%)
Magnesium	158 mg (45%)
Manganese	3.414 mg (163%)
Phosphorus	346 mg (49%)
Potassium	441 mg (9%)
Sodium	2 mg (0%)
Zinc	3.09 mg (33%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Walnuts are a nutrient-dense food: 100 grams of walnuts contain 15.2 grams of protein, 65.2 grams of fat, and 6.7 grams of dietary fiber. The protein in walnuts provides many essential amino acids.

While English walnut is the predominant commercially distributed nut because of the ease of its processing, its nutrient density and profile is significantly different from black walnut. 

The table below compares some of the major nutrients between English and Black walnuts.

Comparison of nutrient profile of English and Black walnuts

Nutrient (per 100 gram)	English walnut seed	Black walnut seed
Carbohydrates (g)	13.7	9.9
Protein (g)	15.2	24.1
Unsaturated fatty acids (g)	56.1	50.1
Poly to mono unsaturated fatty acids ratio	47:9	35:15
Fiber (g)	6.7	6.8
Calcium (mg)	98	61
Iron (mg)	2.9	3.1
Zinc (mg)	3.1	3.4
Vitamin B-6 (mg)	0.54	0.58

Unlike most nuts that are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, walnuts are composed largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (47.2 grams), particularly alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n - 3; 9.1 gram) and linoleic acid(18:2n - 6; 38.1 gram). The beneficial effects of this unique fatty acid profile have been a subject of many studies and discussions.

Benefits and claims

Raw walnuts contain glycerol triacylates of the n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is not as effective in humans as long-chain n-3 fatty acids,and (mostly insoluble)antioxidants. Roasting reduces antioxidant quality.In 2010, a report published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition said that walnuts and walnut oil improve reaction to stress. 

A study has suggested that consumption of walnuts increases fat oxidation and reduces carbohydrate oxidation without affecting total consumption, suggesting that walnut consumption may improve the use of body fat in overweight adults. Walnuts have been shown to decrease the associated with a high-fat meal. Aged rats fed diets containing 2% to 6% walnuts showed reversal of age-associated motor and cognitive function, but a 9% walnut diet impaired performance, 

A 2012 study showed that eating walnuts improved sperm quality in healthy young men. 

Scientists are not yet certain whether walnuts act as a cancer chemopreventive agent, an effect which may be a result of the fruit's high phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and potent in vitro antiproliferative activity. 

Compared to certain other nuts, such as almonds, peanuts and hazelnuts, walnuts (especially in their raw form) contain the highest total level of antioxidants, including both free antioxidants and antioxidants bound to fiber. 

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ARTICLE BELOW FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Eating walnuts twice a week could slash the risk of type 2 diabetes by a quarter 

• Women who eat a 28g bag of walnuts twice a week are 24 per cent less likely to develop the condition 
• The nuts  are also thought to reduce inflammation and protect against cancer, heart disease and arthritis

Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter, according to new research.

A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U.S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic.

Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them.

Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter

The latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits.

However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to find regularly snacking on them can help prevent the condition.

Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.

 

According to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030.

Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. 

Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U.S., tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes.

Eating walnuts once a week cut diabetes risk by 13 per cent - and 24 per cent if eaten twice a week

Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts.

After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month curbed the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.

In a report on the findings the researchers said: 'These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women.'

Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.

The research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people’s risk of obesity.

The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds, cashews and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers.

They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome

THE RISKS OF MISMANAGED DIABETES

I've posted this article from the Daily Mail below as a warning to the risks diabetics take if they don't take care to manage their diabetes. It's often a problem with diabetics in their teens who feel isolated and want to be part of the crowd and be able to eat when they like, they just want to be the same as any other teenager. However diabetics aren't like normal teens as much as they would like to be and they think, "It won't happen to me that happens to other diabetics!" Diabetes is a serious condition so hopefully this article will raise awareness to the risks of not taking care.

Diabetic, 30, who skipped insulin jabs to lose weight fears she has been left infertile after having to terminate her pregnancy or risk death

• Jeorgia Wood, from Hampshire, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes aged 11 
  
• Needed several insulin injections a day to control her blood sugar levels
• But they caused her to gain 4stone in weight and she began skipping them
• Is now suffering a series of health problems as a result - including infertility
• Also faces going blind, losing a limb and undergoing a pancreas transplant
• Said she wishes she could turn back the clock as being thin 'wasn't worth it'

A diet-obsessed diabetic who stopped taking her insulin to lose weight has suffered tragic consequences after having to terminate her pregnancy - or risk death.

Jeorgia Wood, 30, spent her teenage years and twenties dieting while battling diabetes because of her obsession to be thin. 

Like a growing number of young women with diabetes, she skipped vital insulin injections because they caused her to gain weight - a condition called diabulemia. 

But she is now suffering a number of serious health problems as a result.  As well as potentially destroying her chances of being a mother, she now faces going blind, losing a limb and undergoing a pancreas transplant.

Diabetic Jeorgia Wood, 30, withheld her insulin injections for years to avoid weight gain. She is now battling several serious health problems as a result

Dangerous: As well as potentially destroying her chances of being a mother, she now faces going blind, losing a limb and undergoing a pancreas transplant. Pictured here having laser surgery to try and preserve her sight

Jeorgia, a reiki practitioner from Odiham, Hampshire, said: 'I would much rather be fat and have a baby than be skinny, blind and childless. If I could go back to being 16, I'd tell myself that being thin isn't important.

'I've realised the hard way that being thin is just not worth it.'

Jeorgia and her fiance Ross Fowler, 28, were told the devastating news that she would have to terminate her pregnancy at 10 weeks last November.

 

Her battered body had reacted so negatively to being pregnant, she developed a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, or unrelenting morning sickness. 

Causing her to be sick every 10 to 30 minutes, doctors said she wouldn't survive the pregnancy, nor would her baby. They added that her diabulimia was to blame. 

The condition describes the process of insulin-dependent diabetics skipping injections to make themselves thinner. 

It is usually linked to type 1 diabetes, where the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, rather than type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage, so avoiding taking it, or manipulating doses, can lead to weight loss.

Jeorgia, pictured on her 12th birthday, shortly after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  As she began using insulin, she gained four stone in weight and began to worry about her diet 

Worried: By the time she was 17, she was a size 18 and 5ft 6in. She started skipping insulin injections to lose weight

The condition means Jeorgia may never be able to have a baby, but the couple have not completely ruled it out.

She said: 'It was incredibly distressing for us both. It's a risk and my doctors don't know for sure if I can carry a baby.'

Jeorgia, who was always a plump child, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile onset diabetes, when she was 11 after she started losing weight, developed a raging thirst and suffered constant fatigue.

She was told she would have to monitor everything she ate and regularly check her blood sugar levels and needed to inject insulin four to five times a day to mop up excess sugar from her bloodstream. 

WHAT IS DIABULEMIA? 

Diabulemia is not yet officially recognised as a medical condition but it is predicted that it affects as many as one third of young female diabetics. 

It occurs when insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics skip insulin injections as a way of losing weight.

Insulin is a hormone that promotes fat storage, so avoiding taking it, or manipulating doses, can lead to weight loss.

It can cause blood sugar levels to surge causing fatigue, dehydration and the wearing of muscle tissue.

In the longer term, the symptoms are the same as for poorly managed diabetes and include kidney disease and sight problems.

Her diet was controlled as a child by her parents Charlotte, 63, and Peter, 68.

But when her weight ballooned and she gained four stone on insulin, she started to skip her injections and began to obsess over every morsel of food. She also wouldn't eat in front of anyone.

She said: 'From the age of about 13, I felt very unattractive. I hated the way I looked. I hated being different. If I dropped out of PE my classmates would say I was using it as an excuse, but I'd have done anything to be normal.

'By the time I was 17, I was a size 18 and 5ft 6in. If someone walked past me while I was eating a sandwich I would throw it in the nearest bin and pretend I was done with it. I thought people would judge me for my size.

'I started skipping my injections, losing weight very quickly, sometimes half a stone in a few days.'

Jeorgia shrunk to a size 10-12 and started to enjoy her new slimmer frame and relished on the compliments people would give her.

But cutting her insulin injections down to one a day left her constantly teetering on the brink of collapse. 

She had to drink copious amounts of water to combat her unquenchable thirst while trying to hide her problems from her family and friends.

Then, when she was 18, she collapsed on a night out with friends and was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with ketoacidosis, a condition where the body's insulin levels are too low to convert blood glucose into energy. Left untreated, it can cause a coma and even death.

Stark implications: Even aged 25 (left), Jeorgia was still restricting her insulin injections. The damage she has caused herself meant she had to have part of her foot amputated last year (right)

 

But even then, she did not stop obsessing and instead was even more careful to hide her diabulimia from doctors.

'No one noticed what I was doing for ages,' she said. 'I was missing three or four injections a day and just doing one before bed to tide me over.

'I felt like I had flu every day of the week. But the more compliments I got the more paranoid I became about putting the weight back on.'

By the time she was 20, having noticed her monthly blood sugar tests were extremely high, Jeorgia's doctor warned her she would be blind and in a wheelchair by the time she was 30. But she still didn't start using insulin properly.

'I know it sounds crazy, but being thin mattered more. I told myself I'd only do it for a few more months but I just carried on and on and on,' she continued.

The turning point eventually came when she was 27 when, suffering from a stabbing pain in her hands and feet, she finally decided to seek help.

Warning: Jeorgia, who now weighs 13st and is a size 14, hopes her poor health will be a warning to other diabetics

'I went into rehab and it was there that it hit home how much I was hurting my family,' said Jeorgia. 'I was so wrapped up in my diabulimia that I'd failed to see anything outside myself. I knew I needed help.'

But the damage had been done and Jeorgia needed morphine to manage the pain and has since had to have an operation to remove dead flesh from her heel after catching an infection.

She's also been diagnosed with gastroparesis, paralysis of the stomach, and has had to have two vitrectomies to remove fluid from the inside of her eyeballs. Jeorgia also underwent a round of laser treatment to try to preserve her sight.

Furthermore, she has had to endure injections in her eyes for macular edema caused by protein which has been deposited on the eye and doctors are still not sure they will be able to save what is left of her sight.

The dangerous dieting has left her with permanent problems and Jeorgia now doesn't drive and needs Ross for even the simplest of tasks. 

A condition called autonomic neuropathy causes her heart to race at random and affects her blood pressure.

Now, aged 29 and weighing 13st and a size 14, Jeorgia is finally working to put her life right.

Together with Ross, a businessman, she has decided to delay a pancreas transplant to give her more time to try and start a family and find out what her options would be for an IVF surrogate to help them.

The transplant won't cure Jeorgia's diabetes, but will give her body a rest from the condition for eight to 10 years.

She added: 'After the transplant, my body will have been through a massive trauma and the chances of carrying a baby would be incredibly slim, as well as dangerous. So we want to see what our options are before we go down that road.

'I want to have a baby. I only hope I can hang on to the eyesight I have left in order to do that.

'There have been times where I've tried to push Ross away because I don't think I deserve his love.

'But he's asked me to marry him and all we can do is hope that one day we will have a child of our own.

Looking back, Jeorgia said that her need to feel loved and accepted was a major driving force behind her diabulimia.

'I felt worthless because I was overweight but I wasn't enormous, I should have seen that. Even when I tried to stop, the temptation to do it to lose a few pounds for the weekend was too strong.'

She hopes her experience is a warning to other young diabetes sufferers not to go down the same path she did.

Although not yet an officially recognised medical condition in the UK, diabulimia is a serious emerging problem that experts predict around a third of young female diabetics could be suffering from.

Deepa Khatri, a clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said: 'People need to know that abusing insulin out of a fear of weight gain is very dangerous.

'Skipping insulin can lead to high blood glucose levels and devastating health complications like blindness, amputations and in some cases strokes.'

RESEARCH FINDS CHOCOLATE CUTS THE RISK OF STROKE

Being a lover of chocolate myself this is further welcome news to endulge in something I enjoy. I've posted articles before on chocolate and the active ingredient again is flavonoids. So it's Easter Egg time of year again so go for it, it's good for you! Just remember not to go overboard though it's still high in fat and sugar. 

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ARTICLE BELOW FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Sweet! Just in time for Easter, scientists find chocolate cuts risk of stroke

New research shows that eating just a single chocolate bar has a direct effect on the brain and may cut the risk of stroke.

Previous research has shown eating dark chocolate in moderation could be good for you. But the latest study, in the journal Neurology, shows for the first time how chocolate affects blood vessels.




Research from Glasgow University shows that eating just a single chocolate bar has a direct effect on the brain and may cut the risk of stroke


Researchers at Glasgow University measured the speed of blood flowing through the biggest artery in the brain while subjects ate chocolate lying down.

They found that the chocolate had an effect on carbon dioxide levels which affected blood vessels, improved blood flow and, in turn, impacted on brain cells.


Professor Matthew Walters, who led the study, told The Mail on Sunday: 'Consumption of a normal chocolate bar was associated with a change in stiffness of the blood vessels.

'Our data is consistent with a direct effect of chocolate on the brain blood vessels.

'It raises the possibility that there is a direct effect of some component of the chocolate on blood vessels. This is plausible because of the flavonoid molecules contained in chocolate.



The study found that the chocolate had an effect on carbon dioxide levels which affected blood vessels, improved blood flow and, in turn, impacted on brain cells



'We think a reduction in stroke risk may be caused by chocolate changing how brain blood vessels behave.'

The beneficial flavonoids, found in the cacao plant and others, are antioxidants that contribute to the prevention of heart disease.

However, chocolate also has a high sugar and fat content which can cause obesity – a definite risk factor for strokes.

Tom Solomon, professor of neurology at Liverpool University, said: 'We have to take the findings with caution.'