Charlie S

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in late August 2001 (aged 59). For the first week I was in denial, and completely devastated. Finally, I realized that I may as well accept the truth and do something about it. Fortunately, my doctor practices complementary medicine similar to that of Dr. Andrew Weil and he started me on a 3-month plan that included diet and exercise to see how well I controlled myself. This gave me the confidence to take charge of my life.

Supplements

I had always thought that I was very healthy, I take the following supplements:

• Glucosamine, 500mg (joint and cartilage maintenance)
• Saw Palmetto, 900mg (prostrate health)
• Siberian Ginseng, 900mg (energy)
• Soy Isoflavones, 40mg (antioxidant)
• Ultrazyme (digestive enzyme)
• Hawthorn Berries, 1.05grams (heart and circulation)
• Garlic, 600mg + 20mg cayenne (garlic entire body and immune booster; cayenne stomach)
• Grape Seed antioxidants, 60mg (fights free radicals)
• Gingko Biloba, 40mg extract + 400mg leaf (circulation and brain)
• Full Spectrum Minerals (daily multiple mineral)
• Male vitamin supplement (daily multivitamin)
• Flax Seed oil, 1000mg (Omega-3 essential fatty acid)
• Melatonin, 3mg

My Dr. added (they help with glucose metabolism):

• Alpha-Lipoic Acid, 100mg tablets
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid, 1000mg tablets

Living with diabetes

Like everyone else, I began learning about diabetes. My first realization was that in my case my diabetes was caused in part by heredity (grandmother and aunt) but mostly because of gluttony. I did some calculations and I was eating about 4000 to 5000 calories per day before my diagnosis. I had a bad Coke-a-Cola habit (4 or 5 per day) and a sweet tooth. My diet was heavy in starches and sugar. Now I average between 1200 to 1500 calories per day and very few starches. Most of my carbohydrates come from fruit and vegetables. I still struggle with the sweet tooth although I quit Coke cold turkey.

My biggest help has come from:

• Two books written by Connecticut Naturopathic physician Dr. Peter D'Adamo Eat Right 4 Your Type and Live Right 4 Your Type
• Two web sites http://www.mendosa.com/ and http://diabetestype2.ca/. Both sites provide a wealth of information and resources for anyone searching for information to help control their diabetes.

Now 2-1/2 months (as of November 4, 2001) into my new life-style I weigh 167-lbs down from 185-lbs (I was 200 a year ago). My average blood glucose reading is 97.5 mg/dl (5.4mmol/L). I tested three times/day during my first month and now I test once/day: on Monday, Wednesday and Friday I test in the morning; on the other days I test in the evenings. My readings have a standard deviation of 10.5mg/dl (0.6mmol/L) which isn’t all that bad. However, I did loose it one day when I went on a binge which included eating two large doughnuts and that evening my glucose was 143mg/dl (7.9mmol/L). I try walking (very briskly) for 45 minutes at least four times per/week.

I attribute what success that I have had to:

• Dr. D’Adamo’s books and diet advice. Eliminate foods harmful to your blood type
• Exercise. I definitely notice the difference on days I walk
• Reduced caloric intake
• Meditation

Cutting back on the feed bag, and eliminating foods that I dearly craved was my hardest task to date. Keeping on track will be my biggest challenge in the future. Web sites like Rick's & Malcolm's have been a very big help.