Forums: March 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Diabetes and Veganism
Created on: 03/01/10 01:00 PM Views: 982 Replies: 3
acgnyc Joined: 02/27/10 Posts: 8	Diabetes and Veganism Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 at 1:00 PM I am a Type II diabetic for 8 years (now age forty-eight) but have been vegan for one year now thanks to watching Dr. Barnards videos. I have lost 27 lbs without dieting throughout the past year (yeah!!). I still take Glucophage (850 mg x2) and Hyzaar (50/12.5 x 1) but my goal is to be MEDS FREE one day. I can't stand having to take so much medication and have refused gastric-bypass and the lap band as a way to solve my weight problem. I am intent on getting healthy the natural way. Are there documented cases that someone like me, with metabolic syndrome, has actually beat diabetes and high blood pressure through a vegan diet? How long will it take to be able to get off my medications? Could you suggest any resources that could help me find answers to these questions?
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DrDons Joined: 01/11/10 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17	RE: Diabetes and Veganism Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 at 1:17 PM Congratulations on your success to date. I had several diabetic patients reverse their disease and get off medications so it is possible. The key is to eliminate virtually all fats from the diet. The fats interfere with insulin and the mitochondria in cells that burn glucose. Neal Barnard's Book on Reversing Diabetes is the best single reference. Another good resource is a dvd by Jeff Novick on Calorie Density. It can be ordered off his website at JeffNovick.com. I would recommend staying away from processed foods as much as possible as the food industry has gotten very creative in adding refined foods including fats and with their labeling. To help track your progress I would keep track of your morning fasting sugars on a "run chart" with the y axis being the sugar value(range 50 to 200) and the x axis being days. My patients found this much more useful then just recording in a book. You can also mark when you change the dosages of your medication. I had my patients bring in these charts an found not only was it helpful for them but myself as their treating physician. I might add you can do the same thing with blood pressure and weight. I hope these comments help. Good luck with your journey and achieving your goal. Don www
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essie Joined: 02/26/10 Posts: 163	RE: Diabetes and Veganism Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 at 1:17 PM Great going with the weight loss. Congrats! You might be interested in Dr. Barnard's diabetes book. Also look at the Diabetes pages under Resources on this site for LOTS more info. (There's another thread here today too, where Susan Levin answered this question for someone else.) Here's the link to the Diabetes Resources for you to bookmark: http://www.pcrm.org/health/diabetes/ Good luck!
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acgnyc Joined: 02/27/10 Posts: 8	RE: Diabetes and Veganism Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 at 3:41 PM Thank you Dr. Don and Essie for taking the time to share your wonderful suggestions and guidance. It means a lot to me. My mom died at age 51 and my father (a diabetic on insulin) at age 62, just one year apart from my mother. They both died of heart attacks. My father was a professional chef and there were never any boundaries on what we could eat at home or outside as children. We mostly ate beef, lamb and buttery, fatty foods. I never liked meat and sufficed with junk food like lots of NYC kids with working parents back in the 70's. I DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT HISTORY AND DIE AT A YOUNG AGE. I love life and I am reclaiming my health. I have a long way to go, but I abused my body a lifetime so I will be patient and do this the right way. In a group of 20 patients waiting for bypass or lap band surgery, I was the only one who didn't have the surgery not because I am afraid of surgery (I am tough cookie), but because I believed there had to be another way. about 3 yrs ago I was 292 lbs at my highest, 5'6 1/2" tall. I lost some weight and stayed at 278 lbs a long time before turning vegan on January 1st, 2009. Now, one year later, I am 252 lbs on my 48th birthday this February and not a single day of dieting, just eating healthy. Becoming vegan made it easy for me to say "no" to bad foods. Like an alcoholic who can't have one drink because it leads to more, on a "no animal diet", the misery of having to choose to eat something fattening or not is over. I feel relieved and guilt free. I will be careful with my fat intake as you suggested Dr. Don and your response has made me hopeful that one day, my inner energy and enthusiasm will match my physical health. I will be fit and won't repeat the same history that took my beloved parents at such a young age. TO ALL WHO ARE TRYING THIS THE FIRST TIME- if it works for this chubby vegan (soon to be slim and trim, healthy, vibrant woman), it can work for you! There's lots of yummy recipes out there that are animal free and healthy too! GOOD LUCK TO US ALL in this lovely journey to RECLAIM OUR HEALTH and FULFILL OUR POTENTIAL ON THIS PLANET. To new beginnings and a beautiful life, Ally
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