I was diagnosed as pre diabetic in the fall of 2006, after a routine physical showed my  blood sugar level at 14 (normal is between 4 and 6). This came as a complete surprise to me. I was at a healthy weight, my cholesterol and blood pressure were good and there wasn’t a family history of diabetes.

Well…I wasn’t about to go on medication (or so I thought), so I started making changes in my diet. I would feel okay for a while then I would have to make more changes. Eventually I just wasn’t feeling good at all; I was always tired, and my brain was foggy.

After further investigation and additional blood work I was diagnosed as a type one diabetic, and had to start insulin in April 2010. I now take four needles a day in my stomach. Did I mention I was afraid of needles?!  Although I must say, I feel better and my brain doesn’t feel foggy.

During those years I did a lot of research on diabetes and healthy diets. I attended seminars and lectures, and took nutrition courses. Included in that was a raw food weekend workshop, where I made raw foods and consumed only raw foods. It was fascinating! I found that, besides being delicious, raw food was great for my blood sugar numbers. Approximately an hour and a half after my meal my numbers were between 5.5 and 7, which is incredible (normal would be between 6 and 10). Needless to say, I started to look at this seriously.

Raw foods are nutritious, feeding my body the most enzymes, which in turn is easier on my digestive system. I feel that my pancreas, liver and kidneys are very happy as they don’t have to work so hard, which in turn means I do not have to take so much insulin. Yeah!

I have now decided to try Dr. Gabriel Cousens’ Phase 1 food plan from his book Reversing Diabetes. The idea is to go on a raw, vegan diet for a period of 3 months. That should be long enough to clean out the mycotoxins in my body. He also recommends taking out caffeine, alcohol, and high glycemic foods including fruit and vegetables like carrots and winter squash. Dr. Cousens’ also has a book called the Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine where he has recipes for a Phase 1 diet.

I must say I am pretty excited about starting my new eating plan. I feel a bit like Julie in Julie and Julia, because I have decided that I am going to blog my experience. I feel that when people undergo a health challenge there is a shift in their lives that changes them. With that shift comes new learning opportunities, and from there I plan on becoming healthier and stronger. I feel that diet and exercise play a key role in our wellbeing. If you feel like following along on my adventure you can do so at www.lotusliving.net.