First of all, good luck to anyone embarking on this. I'd like to share my story. I developed diabetes a year after being diagnosed with Sarcoidosis and being placed on a long term steroid program to control it. I started off on insulin after being hospitalised following a being tested at 33 mmol, but after a few months my sugars were well controlled and I was feeding the insulin so I came off insulin and onto Metformin. This was fine until about 18 months later when my steroid dose was ramped up and my sugars climbed out of control again. I have been on insulin again for the last year or so.
Or had been. In February I heard Joe Cross and his story on Radio 2. His plight with an autoimmune condition, steriod treatment, weight gain, onset of diabetes and growing dependency on a multitude of prescription drugs hit home like a sledgehammer - this was me. Inspired, on March 1 I started on a 30 day juice fast - which is slightly more extreme than a Paleo diet, but shares many principles. The initial detox period was challenging, but I stuck with it, got past the headaches and nausea, and after a few days had lost several pounds and suddenly felt much healthier, and my blood sugars were testing in the 4-6 range. I stopped injecting insulin, there was no need. Over the next month I also reduced all my other medication to zero; I was already weaning off the steroids under my consultants direction, but I was taking a different immune suppressant medication instead, which I also now tapered off.
My blood sugar readings graph is amazing; up to 1 March the readings covered a range from under 3 to over 20 and all points between. From 1 March the range was suddenly 4-6, no exceptions. Flat, steady, and in the healthy normal non-diabetic range. It looks like a seismology graph of an earthquake followed by normality, very striking.
I did the 30 days juice only, then introduced a more Paleo-like diet. I do eat grains and pulses, but avoid wheat and gluten, all processed foods, diary, and red meat, alcohol, coffee, tea. I have fish and chicken occasionally, but mostly my diet is now fruit and veg (including at least one juice a day). By avoid I mean I don't eat them regularly, but I don't point blank refuse to eat them, I just try to have healthier alternatives where possible. I will have yoghurt in a smoothie for example, and milk in porridge because I'm not Scottish - no offence! - but I don't have either of these on a daily basis.
I have lost two and a half stones in as many months, and people do a double take if they haven't seen me for a while. Someone said I look 20 years younger - I certainly feel it!
