Welcome to my blog!
I'm a guy--a guy's guy. A BIG guy's guy. I'm 6'6" and 271 pounds down from 286 Jan 1, 2013. I could have easily played pro football, but instead joined the Marines for eight years back in 1984-1991. I've always been big. In fact, I was 40 pounds when I was only a year old because I was fed baby formula instead of natures gold. I've heard I'm "just big boned" my entire childhood. But that's not necessarily true.
The fact is, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2004. My recent Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) was 10.8, meaning out-of-control blood sugar (people without diabetes is between 4 and 5.6). So the Docs give me meds, and more meds, and adjust my meds, but nothing is changing. And I've been eating really healthy: lean meats, vegetables, an occasional dessert, etc. I'm in the Navy, so I exercise regularly. I've been shooting Lantus (insulin) twice a day, and Novalog (mealtime insulin) three times a day. The medications make me gain weight, which makes me need more medications, which makes me gain more weight--and Medical Boards in the Navy loom over my head, you can see the cycle: more diabetic.
After watching the Joe Cross documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead," and reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books "The End of Diabetes" and "Eat to Live", I decided to take the radical plunge and begin a 60 day vegetable juice fast, as Joe did in his documentary. Every day, for 60 days, vegetables in a Vitamix or in my Omega juicer. Some may call me crazy, but I figure I don't have anything to lose--except the extra pounds (or "energy" as Joe Cross call it) around my gut. How about reversing diabetes I thought to myself.
So why 54/7?
54: In honor of my dad when he died at age 54 with diabetes. After he died, we counted the bottles of different medications--about 30. I'm up to 10. I've got a beautiful family with four kids, and I want to be around for their weddings and my future grandchildren.
7: On the seventh day, God rested--our Sabbath. I am giving my body a rest on this reboot, a Sabbath of sorts from meat, dairy, soda, caffeine, and all processed food. Only fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and beans. A food rest to never return to the American way of eating again.
I begin my journey on February 1, 2013, and will break it on my birthday on March 31. After this 60 day juice fast, I'll be going to a plant-based ("Nutritarian") diet, as in Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live book. My goal is to get down to 225 pounds. No more medications, no more needles. Diabetes gone. Oh by the way I am telling my Doc's with their care what I am doing. Every 10 days I am giving blood to monitor my progress and leave my meds behind. I will be giving blood to my Doc's every 10 days posting my lab results and picture of my waist so we can show the world reversing diabetes is in fact an option.
Thanks for taking the journey with me!
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