Representatives of the Tibb Institute, based in Surrey Estate and Langa, spoke about Tibb – the traditional healing system, with deep roots in ancient Greek, Egyptian, Arabic, Indian and Western medicine – at their monthly meeting on Thursday March 8.
The system is holistic in nature, recognising the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical dimensions of health maintenance and disease management.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin, or use it effectively.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose from food to enter the body’s cells, where it is converted into energy which is needed by muscles and tissues to function.
A person with diabetes does not absorb glucose properly, resulting in the glucose continuing to circulate in the blood, reaching high concentrations (hyperglycaemia). This eventually damages tissues and organs over time, even leading to life-threatening health complications.
Group co-ordinator, Bernie Gelant, said she invited the Tibb doctors to speak about their services and to encourage diabetics to lead a healthy lifestyle.
“Often tablets can have negative side-effects, which can cause organ failure or we know what the problem is but we don’t treat the root cause of the problem,” she said.
Ms Gelant said diabetes could be controlled with diet, exercise and medication.
“By getting these doctors in, we get information and we can be creative in living with diabetes,” she said.
Participants learned how their bodies had the ability to self-heal; about the equilibrium of their body fluids; and how their health is affected by their lifestyles – including what they eat and drink, the air they breathe, exercise, sleep, state of their emotions – and the elimination of wastes and toxins.
During breathing exercises with Dr Rhoda Deers from Tibb, participants learned how to relax and how they could speed up their heart rate.
She also advised diabetics to spruce up their water with a little bit of cinnamon, which helps the body use insulin more effectively.
“The best way to monitor and increase your water intake is to fill your two-litre bottle of water and you can sip on it all day,” she said.
Dr Deers said this was important to help flush the body of toxins and waste.
Dr Yumna Abrahams, senior research manager for the institute, demonstrated cupping – the application of bell-shaped glass cups, to the skin, creating suction.
Cupping promotes stimulation of both the pancreas and the liver.
Dr Abrahams said Tibb could be combined with conventional drugs in cases of diabetes, where treatment alone was not completely satisfactory. She encouraged participants to visit the institute at the Saartjie Baartman Centre, corner of Klipfontein and Aries Roads in Surrey Estate. Their consultation fees could be subsidised, she said.
For more information, call 081 459 1989.
