My Battle With Type 2 Diabetes
I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 1997. Since that time, I have battled this insidious and ugly condition to the best of my abilities and knowledge. When first diagnosed, my A1c was somewhere over 7, fasting blood sugar was 273, cholesterol was 353, triglycerides were 2868, and my blood pressure was borderline high at 145/90.
Since that diagnosis, I have pretty well controlled my blood sugar levels. At first, I accomplished this mainly by taking prescription medicines, which is something I generally try to avoid. The drugs worked okay, and as I added regular exercise and a change in diet, I was moderately successful for a few years, enough so that I was able to give up the prescription medicines.
However, over time, it has become harder to get the same results. It got to the point where I exercised even more, watched what I ate even closer, and yet some of my numbers started to rise again. According to “doctors,” it is normal that your diabetes is harder to control as you age. I flat out didn’t believe that. As it turns out, I was right!
In September 2005, we moved to Nevada from California. That’s when my numbers really started to be more of a problem to control. I saw a new doctor and went on diabetes medicine again for a few months. For me, the side effects from the drugs were worse than having the higher blood sugar levels, and I quit taking the medication. When I saw my doctor again in October 2006, he wanted to put me on both diabetes medicine and cholesterol medicine. “No way!” I said, and I fired him.
My blood pressure was acceptable, but my other numbers had gone up some: A1c was 7.7, fasting blood sugar was 190-210, triglycerides were 315, and cholesterol was 242. Obviously, what I was doing was not working that well, although these numbers were an improvement over what they had been years earlier. But I was trying so hard—or so I thought. There seemed to be something that kept me from getting past the point of mediocre control.
Over the summer, my numbers improved because I exercise more in the summer. I was walking 4-8 miles almost every day. But even with all the exercise, my fasting blood sugar was rarely below 170. When fall came, those numbers started to inch up again. Working so hard for such a little return was getting depressing. I was at a loss as to what to do.
Then, in September 2007, I got an Asyra health scan, which analyzes the impedance and reactive capacitance of the body’s energetic fields. With this analysis, I could see a true picture of how my body was actually functioning.
(Side note: The Asyra health scan involves holding two brass probes that are connected to a computer. The body is scanned using electrical impulses, which are then evaluated by the computer software. While it does seem a bit off-the-wall, the test provided some very interesting and accurate information. For example, the test identified that I had a problem with tooth #15 and I was missing tooth #14. Some believe that the teeth are the fuses of the body, and that teeth #14 and #15 can be predictive of problems in the pancreas. I find this an interesting topic for further research).
The Asyra test identified that I had a pH imbalance. My body was acidic. I began researching pH (which means “power of hydrogen”). I read six books on this subject and learned about the importance of having a neutral to slightly alkaline body. Was this the secret key that I had been searching for? Maybe, but I needed to make some changes and do some testing.
The initial changes that I made were simple: eliminating caffeine, meaning no more coffee; alkalizing my water; reducing my consumption of red meat; and eating even more vegetables (See My Favorite Diabetic Breakfast). These simple changes made a HUGE difference for me. Just a few weeks after making these changes to my diet, the results were totally amazing.
My fasting blood sugars dropped consistently to between 140 and 155 and several times as low as the 120s! That was in January and February 2008. By November 2008 the numbers were even better. My average fasting blood sugar for the month of October was just over 130. It was under 130 for most of the month but edged up enough the last few days so that I didn’t get in under 130, which was my goal. My bedtime blood sugar level is also just over 130 and typically my blood sugar does NOT go up over the night like it used to.
I believe that my pH imbalance prevented me from successfully winning my fight with Type 2 Diabetes. In addition, it may be a large contributor as to why I have Type 2 Diabetes. But clearly not the only contributor.
Let me be clear on this. While it is likely true that the body’s acidity is causing many health problems, the acidity itself is caused by poor diet and nutrition.
I know now that I can be rid of Type 2 Diabetes. My goal was the end of 2009 but I am not going to reach that. However, I am very confident that sometime in 2010 I will be able to say "I have STOMPED type 2 diabetes out of my life."
My plan to beat type 2 diabetes is very detailed but it is still a work in progress. There is still more to learn and more to test before I am completely free of diabetes (and before I release my plan to the public). Learning about pH was a big step but not the magic cure; just one of the key pieces.
The hormone Leptin is my next big topic to research and test. I just recently learned about Leptin, a protein hormone that is instrumental in regulating energy intake and expenditure including metabolism and appetite control. This could be another major key to this riddle. So stay tuned on that subject!
It is my greatest hope and desire that others can eventually use my plan to beat type 2 diabetes. As I said, I haven’t reached my goal yet of no diabetes; I am still in the process of refining my plan and PROVING that what I am doing really works. But, I truly believe that I have found most of the answers and so far the results I am getting are a huge step forward in this battle.
In my next article, I am going to list 15 changes for you to make in your life to get you started on STOMPING type 2 diabetes RIGHT NOW!
