[emelec]

Hello everyon,

I am new to the Glucose Buddy site and I am liking it so far.

I've been a type 2 diabetic for over 6 years. I also have high cholestorol and high blood preasure. However I really have not been following the rules and not taken my meds as I should.

I decided to dust of the OneTouch machine to check on my blood levels and i was shocked and scared to see my reading to nearing the 300's. I thought to myself, "My God...im a walking heart attack" I began to think of my kids growing up without a father.

I began to work out and saw my levels go down and get them under 200, average so far has been in the 140's or so. Good but not good enough.

My brother got me this book from Joel Fuhrman, MD "The END of DIABETES"
I find some of the stories of other folks to be off meds and living diabetes free, but by following the Dr's nutrient diet.

My question to all of you, is there a way to be diabetes and meds free?

Regards,
EMELEC

[type1rachelle]

Hi there - welcome! Glucose Buddy is a really great user friendly tool for tracking your blood sugars, meds and carbs and seeing trends. I have had T1 diabetes for 14 years and consider myself very healthy - 5'2", 113lbs, eat a mostly plant based diet and love endurance sports.

With the T2 diabetes and comorbidities you have (hypertension and hyperlipidemia), I would guess that these diagnoses are all related to a higher BMI and overall lifestyle choices? Sounds like you're off to a GREAT start with the exercise and dietary changes. Please be patient - changes may be slow, but they are guaranteed with diet and exercise.

To answer your question, it is absolutely possible to "reverse" T2 diabetes in many (not all) cases, especially when it has to do with lifestyle changes. There are some people who have T2 and are of normal/healthy weight as well, but even these people can benefit tremendously from lower glycemic index and overall balanced diets.

You might be interested in reading about plant based diets in controlling diabetes - I find it very helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Bu6MJZbW0

[emelec]

Hello Rachelle, thanks for the response and trust me I am doing my best to get back into some form of shape..taking time but with better diet im sure ill be running my 4th Marine Corp Marathon in October at my ideal weight of 175...crossing my fingers...ha ha ha.
I have to tell you, I never eat veggies..lettuce type veggies i eat...tomatoes, onions, and peppers are good to..the rest...i avoid..cant stand the taste of it..and my mind believes im eating the ground..strange but true. Howeve I must start eating them soon.
Thank you so much for the youtube plant based diet. I will look into it after work.
God bless,
Emelec

[type1rachelle]

Emelec, good luck with the marathon training/racing - that's fantastic!

it's funny, I was just reading an article this morning about why people don't just eat better (knowing what we know about health - it's a simple equation, really, yet 98% of diets fail) - it's a good read:

http://nutritionwonderland.com/2010/...st-eat-better/

I fully realize how lucky I am that I happen to LOVE vegetables, and am not a big meat fan. I do love wheat and dairy, though, and I eat very little of those for health reasons so that's a little challenging for me. My biggest weakness is candy - sweet chewy stuff like gummy bears and licorice, arrrgghhh! We all have our weaknesses though, I guess. I tend to follow the 90/10 rule - I don't keep the stuff in my home, and only "treat" myself to it here and there - moderation is key.

With the plant based diet, it's more about what you're cutting out than just loading up on vegetables. Even if you found just a handful of vegetables you can stomach, and experimented with different ways of cooking them, you'd have some good staples. For example, you might find that eating steamed kale reminds you of eating dirt, but saute it in a pan with a little oil and soy sauce, and add some sesame seeds, and you might have a new appreciation for it. Same with vegetables - maybe raw isn't your thing, and that's fine. Have you ever tried roasting them in the oven (carrots, yams, onions, garlic, parsnips, turnips, butternut squash, etc.) with a little oil and salt? MUCH different taste. Also, what about vegetable based casseroles and/or soups as a staple? Find what works for you. Also, by cutting out meat and dairy and eating things as close to their natural state as possible, you eliminate TONS of fat and processed foods.