Monday, June 21, 2010

Before Day 1

Today my blood pressure is 168/99
My blood glucose is 115 after a handful of nuts, but no breakfast
Weight: 352
Age:  60 years
Time 11:40 am
 

I am about to begin the program I found online called "The 30 Day Diabetes Cure" by Dr. Stefan Ripich ND, CNP, and Jim Healthy. It took quite a while for me to actually get the book, and when it came the envelope it was in was damaged because it was too flimsy for the weight of the book. The Post Office took responsibility and sealed it in a plastic sleeve with the imprinted message that it was their fault and they apologized. The book is not really damaged, it has only a few slight but permanent "bends" and I'm glad they put it in that plastic sleeve which protected it from further damage. Thanks USPS.

The long wait for the book (3 or 4 weeks) was helpful in a way, because it kept being on my mind and I have had time to pray and ask for the Lord's help. I've been evaluating where I am and where I'd like to be as I've been waiting. I have now read the front part of the book and found it to be both interesting and fact filled and written in a manner that is intelligent, informative and easy to read. It has some facts and view points that I had not considered or heard before. The research looks very good and encouraging -- that lifestyle changes are the only way to actually reverse diabetes which is a plague we cause ourselves. It is not contagious or even inherited. We affect our blood sugar by our own hands and mouths and we cause the chronic pain by eating sugar. And it can go away with the proper guidance and self action. As I went along reading, I began to highlight information that was relevant to me and my personal situation. I am feeling very motivated to begin and hope I do well and this program works.

(There are a few typos in the book -- they need a proof reader -- but it is still very readable. Hope there are not many in my blog.)

It appears to be well researched and Dr. Ripich seems to have very good intentions and appears to have helped many in his practice to reverse pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, too -- and has had good changes come even from type 1 patients. That is impressive. I also like that he sees no need to check blood sugar if you are not a type 1 and are actually following the program. (I'm going to check my blood sugar from time to time to see if I'm progressing. I like the scientific type of evidence or proof that I can do myself. I just filled in the statistics at the top. It will be a good record for me.)

Also for the record, I am obese, fluctuating up or down as much as five to ten pounds and have been so since I was about 10 years old.  What I consider to be my standard weight is 352 and I've been trying to eat a low carb diet for quite a long time now (many years, actually), but I go on it and off it. My new doctor did a lot of tests the last time I went (about a month ago) and my A1c at that time was still slightly below 6, in the pre-diabetes range, which surprised me, because I've been "off" since Thanksgiving time. I'm hoping I never go over that number and in fact am expecting to reduce it to normal with this program. (Thank you Dear Lord Jesus for guiding me and helping me.)

At Thanksgiving  of 2009 I had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday by making and bringing my favorite sausage dressing with cranberries and nuts to more than one occasion. And I made it for Christmas, too. I love that stuffing and after eating three Thanksgiving dinners in one week with all the trimmings and dessert, I went a little wacky, buying and eating candy on a few occasions and bread on a couple of occasions. In between I was still basically eating low carb, but the eating machine got turned on. What I mean by the eating machine is that I began craving and craving and eating and eating and never feeling like I was full. I was feeling frustrated that no matter what I ate, good or bad, nothing satisfied me and I just had to keep eating like I was a machine and out of control.

I have noticed in the past that the eating machine can be turned off if I just eat very low carb for three days in a row, which is a good thing. But it seems to be taking a little longer now to turn off, and it gets turned on much more easily, too.

My hope for the new program, is that the lifestyle changes in food selections and activity level will actually make a difference. It is not a weight loss program, but Dr. Ripich says in the book that it will correct the blood sugar levels and a side effect will be weight loss.

I am kind of glad because even thinking about another diet makes me anxious and sick. I've done quite a few. Some of them, in the distant past, were actually effective at weight loss,(Weight Watchers, and the McDougal vegan program [which caused my ankles to swell]), but I always put anything that was lost back on, plus a few and in the end I was worse off than when I started. I just did not want to go there one more time, no matter how many testimonials I saw, and I could not make me do it.

I had purchased the Six-week Body Makeover program, a few years ago, read the book, followed the instructions, made the eating changes and lost about 8 pounds the first week. The second week, still following the instructions, I put it all back on and the third week I gained a couple more. That was so discouraging that I quit and left it behind. Every once in a while I get it out and read it, but I cannot bring myself to follow the diet plan. And I'm not the type to call a support line for help -- because, you know, what can some one else do for me? But maybe I need to be more open minded -- I am about this program or I would not be at this point, which is "about to begin."

I've done low carb, as I said, for a long time but my version of low carb needs adjustment and updating, I think, and I'm hoping The 30 Day Diabetes Cure program will be the perfect adjustment for me. I have the idea it will be lots of unprocessed fresh veggies, some whole grains, some protein, and exercise for 30 minutes a day. Maybe some supplements, which I may already be taking.  I am afraid of the "whole grains" but am willing to try them and see.

I do B vitamins every day. After my doctor's tests which said I was bordering on not having enough, I also increased my D3 to 5000 units every day. I take L-Theanine (three 1000 a day) and fish oil (six 1000 units per day) which both help with relaxing and lowering anxiety. I also take magnesium, calcium and zinc. I take Cozaar and a potassium sparing diuretic for high blood pressure. Had to stop Amlodipine due to swelling and bronchitis for four months -- I still have a cloggy throat but no deep deep coughing any more. It was not making my BP normal anyway, although it was lowering it some. I have had many bad reactions to BP medication so am leery of taking them. The 30-day program promises that blood pressure will be normalized by doing the program too, so I am really looking forward to that, too.

I'd like to describe my version of low carb, too, since that will give a more complete picture of where I am and where I'd like to go. I have been trying to include more vegetables (per my personal doctor's suggestions) so what I've been doing since April is already slightly different than what I was doing before -- although I've actually gained weight since then and am back up to 352 on my scale -- which I know will be 10 pounds higher at the doctor's office -- I am not looking forward to that.

Here is what I was doing before April when I found my new personal doctor: I would purchase lots of  chicken nuggets, breaded fish fillets and canned tuna as my protein. Every once in while I would make some chicken soup in my pressure cooker. Very tasty. Nothing but chicken, flavorful herbs, and water. For the first day I would eat chicken and broth until the broth was gone and then make chicken salad with the left overs for the next two or three days. But I only did the soup thing a few times a year, so basically I lived on chicken nuggets, breaded fish and canned tuna in water.

For vegetables I bought a bag or two of fresh broccoli tops and cauliflower, some small whole zucchini, and also pre-cut coleslaw in a bag. I ate these either fresh or steamed as I felt like it. The cole slaw and tuna were thrown together with mayo and spices and sometimes peanuts for crunch and flavor. I purchased a majority of frozen broccoli, some cauliflower and spinach, and some green beans so I did not have to go to the store so often. (I am on unemployment and need to conserve.) So most of the protein I was getting had a breaded covering and a lot of the vegetables I was eating had to be cooked, so only minimal fresh and raw.

Occasionally I would start thinking about and craving some major starchy carbs so I would buy a box of macaroni and cheese and eat the whole thing in one sitting. Every once in a while I would buy some dark chocolate bridge mix from Walgreens and eat the whole bag -- I always bought two of the smallest bags I could find, until I noticed that the big bags cost about the same and had lots more in them. When I was binging on these, I could not finish the bag in one sitting, would begin to feel guilty, and throw away about 1/4 of the bag at the point that I got completely disgusted with myself.

After April when I saw my new doctor, I began to include more fresh salad greens and began eating salads. She (my doctor) really did not like my eating chicken nuggets, so I stopped eating them. She also wanted me to switch to fish that was not breaded, but I have not been able to make that change. I did try. I bought some bags of frozen fish fillets and put the fish in my Nu-Wave Oven but I am just not good at cooking fish and they tasted terrible and were like shoe leather. I tried coating them with extra virgin olive oil, which I've been using for years, with some garlic pepper and termeric, but it was just bad. I tried this eight or nine times changing the spices and shortening the cooking times but it was never any good. It was either not cooked enough and my teeth could not cut through the under cooked parts or over cooked like shoe leather. I ended up being reluctant to try again, giving away the rest of the fish to some friends who said they loved it. I am still eating the breaded fish and canned tuna, but not the chicken nuggets.

I have also had a physical reaction to the organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar that I was using to make my salad dressing. When I first started getting the red spots on my feet and ankles I thought I had bug bites. I started keeping my eyes open to see if I could see what was biting me and wondering why they were not anywhere else on my body, only my feet and ankles. To make a long story short, the spots were getting more and redder, but they never swelled and did not itch, and I began to suspect the vinegar. So, as a test, I stopped using the vinegar.

On the first day off the vinegar I did not get any new spots. Over the next few days they began to be a little less red, almost imperceptible but I thought they were improving. By today, (about six days) I can really tell they are going away and can only see shadows of them, so now, I am convinced it was the vinegar. I am considering if maybe I should just filter it, because the vinegar I had been using did not cause a reaction like that vinegar did and the "unfiltered" and "organic" are the only differences. I don't want to waste the two bottles I have in the pantry, but I might end up giving those away, too, and going back to the red wine vinegar I had been using.

I wanted to blog about this for a couple of reasons.

One is that I wanted a way to track my personal progress, and use it to help keep me on track and motivated. I tend to not be a super disciplined person, but if I have a class that I am taking or teaching, or a goal or something that I am actively participating in, I do better. I guess it is the structure that I need. If I think someone else may be depending on me, then I will be more likely to get the job done and stay on track.

Another is that there might be other people out there who are interested in trying the program and if they begin to read this, it may inspire them, or encourage them, but that will only happen if I go on it, stay on it, and report on it. Perhaps their comments may also encourage me. I don't recall how I found the program, it may have been an e-mail or a link that I followed, but I am encouraged to believe that this program might work for me. You can find it at: http://30daydiabetescure.com/

So here I am about to begin reading "Day 1." I am a little scared, but optimistic. I want to make the changes without modification if I can. (I often modify things, but first want to try this without doing that unless the author recommends it -- partly to see if I can.)  I'll let you know how it goes.

Also: I don't think it would be morally right for me to reveal the actual program or its steps, because, if they work, I believe a person should buy the book and support the man, or men, who came up with this. But I do want to share in a full and open way about my experience. If you are interested in what I am doing, join me by making a comment. If you've been on this program, I would like your encouragement if you have any to offer. I suppose I should give equal time to negative experience, but I would prefer to hear experiences rather than opinions, if you know what I mean. If you have not tried the program it serves no purpose to simply bad mouth it, and I'm not really interested in reading it, unless there are some facts and experience to back it up. So. Nuff said. Here goes. I'll be back soon with new details.

-- Marcia


25 comments:

  1. Hi! I really like reading your blog. I am interested in this program also. I had a brother that died from type 1 diabetes complications. My husband is pre-diabetic with high blood pressure. I have friends that are diabetic and do the finger testing for the blood sugar. I don't want to do that. I also don't want to take high blood pressure meds. So I will be following your blog to see how you are doing. (I too am obese!)(My husband has lost 120 pounds jut by writing down everything he eats. His nutritionist has him counting calories, fat, and sodium.) Good Luck and God Bless~ Becky - from MI

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  2. Hi, Marcia

    I read with interest your blog because I, too, at 67, am overweight and prediabetic. I have a terrible time sticking to diets; mainly, I think, because I believe that if I follow my intuition, I will know what is best for me and the diets that I have tried don't do it for me.

    The latest healing aids that I have come upon is a set of tools that include pendants, laser pens and Oil Vera lotions infused with vibrations from the human energy field that clear negative energy from the user's body. I was very sceptical about these until I started reading about them. I became increasingly interested and I signed up as a consultant so that I could purchase some tools at the wholesale price. The fee to sign up is only $49. I haven't received my shipment, yet, I ordered them last Sunday, but I think that you might want to start with one or both of the Oil Vera Solutions to restore your pH balance if this idea resonates with you.

    To learn more, see my website at: www.blloyd.zeropointglobal.com

    Good luck to you,
    Barbara

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  3. Hi Bec,

    So glad to hear from you. I had kind of left off blogging because I did not want to share that I'm having trouble keeping on track. In the last blogs that I posted, it should seem apparent that that is the problem. I am still eating the right kinds of foods and doing minimal exercise, but just do not seem to be losing weight. I shall make your comment and my response my latest blog entry. Good to hear from you and God bless you -- Marcia

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  4. Dear Marcia,
    I read your blog and I have been a diabetic for Twenty two years. I can relate to your stuggles. I have been up and down the ladder many times. I have lost 150# and by some very serious attitude changes and determination along with education about this problem, I can proudly say I have been insulin free for ten weeks now. I am also going to put up a blog very soon. I haven't felt this good in years. Keep up the good work and stick to it. Ask for the good Lords help, you will get it! Mark

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  5. Dear Mark,

    Thank you so much for your comment and kindness and encouragement. I am so very glad to hear that the program works and that you have been insulin free for 10 weeks after 22 years of "treating" diabetes. I am not sure which program you are referring to, but am hoping it is the raw food program -- although either one would be a blessing. When you start your blog, please place a comment here so others can link to it (including me) I'd like to see what you have to say. Praise the Lord! -- Marcia

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  6. Dear Marcia, I appreciate all the information in your blog. I am new at this blog thing. I happened onto the 30 day diet for diabetes and it sound good. I analyze everything for some reason and am not as trusting as some. I have had diabetes for a couple of years and my doctor told me to lose some weight and I would be ok.
    Well, needless to say I have not lost weight but have actually gained. I had triple by-pass surgery the last of May which has been almost 5 months ago. I am on hypertension medication as well as diabetic meds and cholesterol medication. I know there must be a better way. I am a carbohydrate addict in the worse way and know if I donot change my ways it could be fatal. Knowing that and after heart surgery which by the way is not an easy recovery, I am still doing the wrong things. I would be interested in how you are doing on this program of Dr. Ripich. I am desperate to find something that works for me before it is too late. The good Lord Jesus is not through with me yet. I want to be a good testimony to HIS goodness and realize I have to do my part. Thank you for your encouragement and look forward to hearing from you.
    God bles you,
    Linda

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  7. PART ONE

    Hi Linda and God bless you!

    You have really been going through it, Friend, but God has good things in store for you. I found that the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" program helped to wean me off of sugar and processed foods one step at a time. This program lowered my blood pressure and also lowered my A1C -- but the addition of grains and fruit, which is part of the program, did not work for me at all. I began to bobble at the moment I tried out the grains, so I highly do not recommend that part of the program for carbohydrate addicts.

    I, too, am a carbohydrate addict and struggle hard with the bread and carb issues. I am now trying out the "Raw Food" program and am finding that when I stay on it, it works to help me lose weight.

    If you read my most recent blog post, you will see that I am just starting over again, myself. Today I am reading "The No-Grain Diet" by Dr. Joseph Mercola which helped me to toss out my loaf and a half of low glycemic bread. So I am on day 1 of "no bread" all over again. (The addicted brain is willing to use magical thinking to do what it wants, rather than what actually works.)

    From this you can see, that I know what it is like to be a carbohydrate addict. One thing that I am looking forward to with Dr Mercola is the EFT tapping that he teaches for handling carb cravings. I have seen it in other places but he shows you how to use it specifically for dealing with carb cravings. I shall be blogging about it soon after I try it to see if it works for me.

    I sympathize with your analyzing things, too. I believe a person has to look things over and analyze them before jumping on board -- but I also know that over analyzing is sometimes just another way I procrastinate due to fear. My fear was always, "can I really do this? can I give up my favorite foods?" -- and I found out by trying it out, that I can. You can do it, too. You are a child of God, and He will help you do the good things He wants you to do. Lean on Him for support and take that first step on your new journey. You are stronger than you think.

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  8. PART TWO OF COMMENT FOR LINDA

    The changes that are recommended in the programs I am listing below for you are also good for the heart. You are right, there is a better way than to simply stay on powerful meds which do not cure but only maintain -- and what they maintain is the poor condition you are in. Of course you need to make sure you include your doctor in any decisions you make and don't just quit meds without getting his help to wean you off of them as you make positive changes which show up on his tests. If he sees you improving because of diet and exercise, I am sure he will likely help you to reduce and perhaps eliminate many of your meds. And it really is possible to do. Others have done it.

    Please let me encourage you to start on one of the following programs, depending on how committed you are to changing:

    If you need hand holding then try the "30 Day Diabetes Cure" that I started this blog with. It will make your transition easier. But do not go along with the addition of grain and fruit. That is where my carbohydrate addiction struggle began to mess things up for me.

    But in all other ways the program worked for me, except for the weight loss (which was due to the grain thing). I needed more help to lose weight so went on to the Raw Food Program which, I believe, is the next logical step. I am still learning about it now and am having good results. My A1c went down one more tenth of a point and my blood pressure is staying within a moderately high range and is no longer super high. I expect this to get better as I do the program more cleanly.

    If you feel you are ready for quick results and are really ready for big changes then I recommend this book instead: "There is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program" which you can find at http://www.amazon.com/There-Cure-Diabetes-21-Day-Program/dp/1556436912/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

    In the mean time, for immediate gratification, check these out:

    http://www.purejeevan.com/diabetes/
    http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/starting-a-raw-food-diet.html

    It does not matter what you have done in the past, Linda. Today is the day of salvation! You can begin again today -- and every day -- because God's mercies are new every morning.

    You don't have to change who you are -- you just have to change what you eat. Don't worry about what you will be letting go of -- you will be adding in lots of good new things and won't miss the old ones that cause the problems. Focus on the new good tasting additions. You and I are in this together with the Lord and I know He will not let either one of us down. Go for it my Friend!

    Please keep me informed about what you are doing (good or bad) and together we can help others, too.

    God bless you! Praying for your healing.
    Love you

    -- Marcia

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  9. Hi Barbara,

    So sorry for taking so long to find your comment -- something must have gone wrong with the e-mail that is supposed to be sent to me when someone leaves a comment because I just found and published your comment which showed up in date order above.

    I do appreciate your input and your desire to help me and others. Thank you for your sharing spirit.

    My beliefs are deeply rooted in Jesus Christ. He is my rock and my spirit finds refuge in Him. But that does not preclude me from being obedient to the physical laws that God has built into Creation. What I mean by that, is that I must eat the right kinds of foods for my body to run on, or it will soon run down.

    Diabetes is a hand and mouth disease -- what you pick up with your hand and place in your mouth is what your body "becomes." What you eat becomes your body. If I continually feed my body things that raise my blood sugar, then I shall continue on the path of diabetes. But if I begin to put in my mouth, those things that will bring healing to my body, then Diabetes can be reversed, one meal at a time.

    Through my continued seeking, I believe I am finding the right kinds of foods to trust for my physical body. Those are raw vegetables and good quality proteins which I have discovered actually fill and satisfy me completely. I am fully finding that the wrong things for my body are sweets, and sweet substitutes, processed foods, especially things made with grain, pesticides, herbicides and chemical preservatives and colors.

    The solution to diabetes is correct eating habits.

    Now, that said, I too, have trouble with "diets", as you well know from my blog, and find it hard to stick to them. I am not usually willing, nor am I able, to follow menus that other people have made up for themselves. Partly because of tastes, partly because of expense, and partly because of time. And that is the point. If I am not committed, if I am not doing what I know works for me, personally, I am not likely to follow it even if I try out someone elses plan. But, if I am given the right principles, then I can apply them to my life in a way that works for me. I can make the principles fit my tastes, my time, and my pocket book. I have to turn it into "my idea."

    It was not easy for me to transition but I believe I am now, finally, on the correct path for me which is to leave grain alone altogether, skip the fruits until I am fully healed of diabetes, and focus on raw vegetables and clean protein as my only source of personal nourishment. I am finally seeing better blood sugar numbers and better blood pressure numbers as a result.

    I believe in you Barbara and trust that if you, too, are willing to address the fact that you have a carbohydrate addiction, you will then, beat diabetes. I recommend the book: "The No-Grain Diet" by Dr. Joseph Mercola in which he gives you the choice of what eating plan you can handle, and also shows you how to deal with cravings. It is a one-two punch that will help anyone who struggles with doing the right things for their health. I've been there, and am glad I found his book.

    If you will seek out the kind of helps that will make a real and healthy difference in your eating habits, I know you will see improvements and a reversal in the "hand and mouth" disease that is called "diabetes."

    You are bright and intelligent, that is apparent from your comment. You can make right eating choices if you are willing to try. It is always one mouthful at a time. One meal at a time. One snack at a time. You have all the equipment God gave you to think this through, rationally, and come to the right conclusions for your own health. I'm rooting for you, Barbara!! Let me know how it goes for you and what you have decided to do about your addiction.

    God bless you, -- Marcia

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  10. YO!
    What cure have you for Diabetic Neuropathy? You can talk all about High Blood Pressure & Weight. I have got rid of 3 stone & brought my blood Pressure to 118/17, but it has not helped my Neuropathy in my feet. What is your answer to Diabetic Neuropathy?

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  11. Hello Leonardo de la Paor! Nice to hear from you and congratulations on your weight loss and the normalization of your blood pressure. That is wonderful!

    The remedies that I have read about for neuropathy I got from the book by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, M.D. called "Diabetes Solution." He says that the neuropathy is the hardest thing about diabetes to cure or to control but also says it can be helped with three supplements that he recommends which are: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Evening Primrose Oil, and Biotin taken always at the same time. He recommends:

    600 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid every 8 hours
    1300 mg Evening Primrose Oil
    5 mg Biotin
    All taken together 3 times a day after meals

    -- see page 229 of his book for further details

    Note: do not confused "Alpha Lipoic Acid" with "Alpha Linoleic Acid" which can both be referred to as "ALA" by various authors.

    He says these supplements must be taken together because they interact with one another. He also says that if a person is injecting insulin and they start taking this combination they may have to reduce their dosage because it mimics insulin so you should probably consult with your doctor before beginning the supplementation. You may want to get Dr B's book which is available online at: http://www.diabetes-book.com/

    From my own experience I am seeing a slight reduction in the area that is numb in my feet from eating lots of fresh raw vegetables, raw nuts, raw seeds, a little protein and not eating grain or fruit of any kind.

    The reversal of neuropathy is a long slow process, from what I have read, and some do not believe it is possible.

    I find that I have trouble taking the ALA because it makes my stomach burn something awful and the three ingredients are rather expensive, too. If you can afford it, this may be the thing to try. It may take a long time before you see any results, but Dr. Bernstein says it should help reduce neuropathy but does not promise it will disappear.

    I am continuing on the path of the raw food and hoping for good results. I believe my neuropathy has reduced but only slightly and sometimes I wonder if I am just being optimistic. I continue to pay attention and will report if anything significant happens in that area.

    God bless you Leonardo and I hope this helps.

    Marcia

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  12. Hi my name is Amelia and I'm from Australia I been diagnose with tip 2 diabetes a month ago,I like to purchase the 30day diabetes cure but I don't have a c/card so for this reason I can't buy on the internet any sugestions haw can I do thise or have any one a phone number I can call to get this book,highly appreciate
    God bless you

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  13. Hi Amelia,

    The idea that has occurred to me in response to your predicament is to purchase a Visa gift card which you may be able to use to make an online purchase.

    Or perhaps you could get a pre-paid Visa card. Either one of them could be gotten for either $50 or $75 dollars and you can use the left over cash on the card at any local store that takes Visa. (I assume Mastercard has similar programs.)

    In the mean time, you may want to read a little farther into this blog to make sure it is the program you want. I believe it to be a good one because of the step by step approach but I know of another program that can also be successful:

    If you feel you are ready for quick results and are really ready for big changes then I recommend this book: "There is a Cure for Diabetes: The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program" which you can find at http://www.amazon.com/There-Cure-Diabetes-21-Day-Program/dp/1556436912/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

    There is a video that you can purchase which is a documentary of six people who tried The Tree of Life 21-Day+ Program which can be found at:
    http://www.rawfor30days.com/index4.html

    God bless you Amelia,
    Marcia

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  14. Hi Marcia

    That's a briliant idea I'm already have one of those card so thank you very mucha for your help and your advice.

    Bless you Marcia,
    Amelia

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  15. Thank you Amelia,

    Come back and let me know what you have decided to do and how it is going for you.

    Looking forward to hearing of your success!

    Your friend,
    Marcia

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  16. Marcia,
    I have read most of your blog, in particular the day by day of the 30 day diabetes diet.
    Just a few thoughts that struck me while reading it.
    1) try Tai Chi in place of yoga. It's hard to believe it is actually exercise, but you will be sore the next day. Millions of chinese can't be wrong and they have been using it for thousands of years.
    2) you need to increase your fat intake. I once went to a WW meeting where one of the members complained that she couldn't lose weight anymore although she was doing everything right. The leader asked if she was eating the required fat and she wasn't, she thought it was too many calories. In the following weeks, she increased her fat intake and subsequently started losing again. I believe you cut back on EVOO at some point, add it back in.
    3) You should go back to what worked on the 30 day and stop counting calories. It is clearly is messing up your weight loss. I believe 2 things, first, it focuses too much of your attention on food and second, I find with myself that whenever I am told to do something (a throwback to when I was an obstinate child) I tend to do the opposite, therefore when I tell myself to "diet" my mind sees it as being told what to do, therefore, I again do the opposite of what I am supposed to be doing and sabotage my diet even though it is me telling myself.

    I hope things work out for you, you deserve it.

    Good luck.

    Carole

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  17. Thank you Carole! You have a very kind heart.

    I had not thought of Tai Chi which I tried when I was young. Perhaps it would work for me.

    You are surely right about the counting of calories. I know it works for some people but I have that same mechanism you spoke of -- if I say the word "diet" in my presence, I have to eat something. Just joking of course, but not too far off from reality.

    As for the EVOO, my cutting back experiment with that did not last very long. I have since continued eating my salad with a mixture of EVOO, red wine vinegar and spicy brown mustard for salad dressing. I'm eating eggs, too which I fry in a little coconut oil if I have it, or EVOO and butter if I don't.

    I really appreciate that you have actually read as much of this as you have. I've had to reign myself in recently because I got a blood clot in my right leg and am on warfarin. Going to start physical therapy this week.

    I had begun to slip over the edge (pizza a couple of times a month, sandwiches from time to time) but am back on the raw veggies, nuts and seeds with a few eggs and tuna and chicken from time to time. I am up and down with it, still.

    I do have a sweet potato sometimes before I go to bed to up the seratonin levels and sleep better. (From reading "Potatoes Not Prozac" -- but my doctor is not a fan of this procedure.)

    God bless you and I hope you are successful in your endeavors, too. I appreciate your kindness and hope you enjoyed your read.

    Marcia

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  18. Thank you so much for this site. All of the info is so helpful....Lorrie

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  19. Hi Lorrie,

    Glad to be of service and thank you!! If you have any questions please feel free to ask them. God bless you!

    Marcia

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  20. Google searches for Dr. Stefan Ripich ND, CNP turn up a lot of advertising and not much medical literature or review.

    If Dr. Ripich's methods work or have any sort of medical validity they'd be cross-referenced and peer-reviewed by the medical community.

    The online ad reads and is pitched like the standard "info-mercial" for the "latest new discovery." If there were any sort of legitimacy in this pitch, we'd be able to find the book online through Amazon. It'd be listed in the Library of Congress.

    And so we sit through a tedious info-mercial or read through a sales-pitch and are promised much but told not anything at all. Yes, diet and exercise can control Type II Diabetes. That's no secret. It's not a sales pitch; it's a medical fact.

    I'm skeptical.

    Dr. Stefan Ripich ND, CNP -- strikes me as a snake oil pitchman.

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  21. Hi Allison,

    Thanks for your comment. You appear to be a real skeptic on this one. I understand your stance as I don't really like the "pitch" as they put it forth, either. I think it resembles the pushy infomercial format, too, but buried deep in the mass of words they mention some promises that they really keep in the book.

    Please note that the book is co-authored by Dr Ripich, whom I believe to be sincere, and Jim Healthy whom I think is the "pitch-man" -- whom I believe to also be sincere. I don't know them personally, but I respect their work.

    I have purchased the book and tried it out myself. It is not snake oil, it really is a step-by-step approach to making the kind of lifestyle changes that really will make a difference in the life of a diabetic.

    You can read my blog if you have the time and the interest to see what I did with the information they provided.

    Not all of it worked for me, but they really got me headed in a better direction, and for that I appreciate them. Being on the road is better than just looking at it on a map. A map is good, but you won't get anywhere if you don't actually start down the road yourself.

    They are educated men and I believe their book is great for those who need day by day hand holding, along with in depth explanations about why and how to really incorporate productive changes into your life.

    It is not simply a recipe that must be figured out by the purchaser as so many other books are. If a person is really willing to follow the daily directions then they will get results.

    I commend you for not being willing to swallow anything "whole" without some verification that you trust. But let me also point out, that sometimes our skepticism serves to protect us from doing good and productive things for ourselves.

    Skepticism might just be keeping you in the spot you are in without allowing you to take a risk -- to step out and try it. After all, how much would you really be losing if you purchased the book? $50? I'm sure you've wasted that much on food that you should not be eating. I know I have.

    If you were interested enough to read their site and to find my blog, you must have a deep desire to do something about your diabetes. This is not the only way... but I'm here to say that Dr Stefan Ripich's book has changed my life for the better.

    I hope you find the help you are looking for Allison. God bless you for sharing your skepticism -- I pray you do not let it be a hindrance to improving your health.

    Take care,
    Marcia

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  22. Hi everyone,i like to comment on dibetes i have it for 2 yrs now,but i learn alot from watching this one show on t.v.Doug Kaufman,know the cause and try his phase1 and Phase2 eating well and a little excercize every day and a little reading will do you good.i loss weight,got healthy,and dont crave junk food.try it my friends .youll be surprice.what do yous have to loss.joseph!

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  23. Hi Joseph,

    Congratulations on your progress! I think it is amazing that you did what you needed to do: you lost weight, you got healthy, and you don't crave junk food. What more could you ask from a diet?

    I checked out Doug Kaufman and his knowthecause.com website as you recommended and discovered that his focus is on fungus but, from what I can tell, the diet approach he uses fits like a hand in a glove for the diabetic, too. It appears to me to mimic the program that I currently follow -- no grains, low carbs, etc.

    To see the program I am now following go to: http://cureprediabetes.blogspot.com/2012/01/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

    Thanks for being a beacon of light, Joseph!!

    Take care,
    Marcia

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  24. thank you for going forward and sharing yuo are leaving a inprint on hope . we can not live in fear and faith at the same time . we must make a chose. like you i have spent money on stuff that was not good for me ,so buying a bookon a supuest close to my heart is a better chose.i am a diabete who is looking for a better way .god is using you . again ty for staying the course.

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  25. Thank you Anonymous,

    I really appreciate your encouragement -- thank you. You really can minimize your A1C and reduce inflammation by eating healthy -- meaning lots of fresh raw vegetables and good animal protein. Processed foods are simply not good for us to put in our bodies. God bless you and help you to stay the course.

    Hugs,
    Marcia

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Hi -- and welcome! Please feel free to make a comment. I'd love to hear from you!