Madeline's Story

In May 2014 my blood test showed I was pre-diabetic. My A1C was 6.1.  My lipid numbers were not very good either: cholesterol 226, LDL 132, HDL 39 and triglycerides 275. At the time I was on 2.5mg of Lisinopril for high blood pressure. I'm 67 years old.

Being pre-diabetic was frightening so I immediately stopped eating honey and candy.  A friend told me about Dr. Fuhrman's books and I started reading The End of Dieting.  I eliminated white foods and processed foods and used my newly acquired Vitamix to make green smoothies (baby kale, baby spinach, baby arugula, watercress, basil, parsley, baby bok choy, blueberries, walnuts, Ceylon cinnamon) for lunch. I also got my husband to have it (despite lots of jokes about kale). In addition, I started having fruit smoothies for breakfast and had meat/fish only every couple of weeks or less.

Almost immediately, I had startling results. Even with little exercise (thanks to a broken toe), I lost 10 pounds in about two weeks (weight I had been trying to lose for months). My blood pressure also dropped. By July, my doctor took me off Lisinopril. An unofficial test of my A1C showed it was 5.4. This was confirmed in August with an official test.  My lipid results also improved: cholesterol 195, LDL 114, HDL 35 and triglycerides 228. I look forward to these continuing to improve.

My weight has continued to drop. To date I've lost 30 pounds (started at 213 now at 183). I'm looking forward to losing more. Not really sure what I should weigh. I'm 5ft. 9in.and I trust eventually to get to my ideal weight as my body dictates. Other benefits: I have more energy and endurance, I have more cheerful thoughts.  Before following the Nutritarian eating plan, I used to constantly hear an inner voice saying "I can't do this, I'm too overwhelmed" when faced with stressful daily tasks. Now the message is "I can handle this. I can do it." And I do!

In 2008, I had colon cancer and went through six months of chemo. Because of the surgical removal of the valve between the small and large intestines, I have been plagued with diarrhea and much intestinal distress.  Taking fiber powders never helped.  Since following the Nutritarian plan, the distress is gone.  Instead of having attacks at least once a day, I’ve only had one or two in four months, both after eating something that wasn't on the Nutritarian diet style.

Another improvement is my blood calcium has been high for several years and so was the PTH number.  My doctor wanted me to have a scan for primary parathyroidism.  Days before the scan, a blood test showed my calcium was normal and the PTH was too, so the radiation scan was deferred. An ultrasound of the thyroid area showed several nodules and one was biopsied and found to be benign. I'm convinced that it will also shrink now that I'm eating lots of beans and mushrooms to fight against adenomas in the colon and elsewhere.

The benefits extend to my family as well.  My husband had been taking 20mg of Lisinopril daily for years. He's now completely off of it, with his doctor's blessing. He's lost about 18 pounds.  Our adult son made some Nutritarian changes and has increased energy and a loss in weight.  He's very supportive and enjoys adapting his favorite recipes to be Nutritarian. I shared The End of Dieting with my sister who then bought her own copy and has been benefiting from the changes she's made. I finally read The End of Dieting from start to finish and also read Eat To Live, The End of Diabetes, and Super Immunity. Thank you, Dr. Fuhrman! You've restored my hope for a healthy future.

 

Results may vary.