A new man...

[shoover53]

Hello...
I am totally new to the world of vegan, but I am loving it. Just a little background...

I was diagnoised at XMas with advanced diabetes. I had not been feeling well for a very long time, which I attributed to just overwork and age. I went in for a routine blood workup and recieved a call at work advising me to goto the nearest urgent care center. I had alread suffered kidney damage and was put on high dosage insulin shots twice a day. BTW.. my father died from diabetes, and I am 54.

I am not the type of person to just accept it and lay down.. and started to research all I could to find out how this all happened and how I could beat it. Then I found the vegan lifestyle. I started with what information I had and have never looked back or felt lacking in anything. I only want to learn more and keep getting better. I have never felt so good in many many years and now feel I have a chance to live longer.

My insulin shots are now a fraction of what they have been, my eyesight has returned to normal, and I feel so much more energy. It has saved my life.

I want to learn all I can and meet others and learn from them.

Sam and Debra Hoover

[StarFire]

Aloha and Welcome to RFT!! I'm so glad that you have found this path... and this forum! What an amazing testimony you have already! Its awesome how well you are doing!

I look forward to following your journey to health!

rawk on and enjoy the ride!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/welcome.gif

[MrMike]

yea, this is a great place for support. Props for being assertive about your situation!

[spicyfull]

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW.......Welcome to MY World.

[lily]

What a great story! A very warm welcome to you.

[jacsam]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!!! I hope you really enjoy this site like the rest of us do. I also hope you take the chance to get Alissa's book, there are success stories from others and I remember there being others who have suffered from diabetes. Besides that, it's just a great book and tells you all the in's and out's of being a raw vegan. Enjoy!!!!:)

[Vivid Lily]

Thank you so much about your lifestyle change as far as diabetes goes. The doctors help is to only give us more insulin , and the SAD diet that contributes to that, and keeps us there needing more & more insulin. So thanks for information about becoming health minded and knowing the only way to do that is thru a healthy clean diet. Vegan lifestyle. Ya hoo!!! I myself am just starting, so when I hear you're having to use less insulin that is encouraging to me. Let us know how you're making out. Thanks Suzy:)

[LivingRawGirl]

What an awesome testimony!! I wish you well on this amazing journey, I'm sure you have found each day to be like the beginning of a new life now that you feel better.

[Time2bloom4me]

Welcome. Gabrial Cousins has a new book out on healing diabetes with the raw food diet. He also has a video, I believe it is called raw for life. It has many healing testamonies on it.

[shoover53]

Just an update... I continue to improve...actually went several days without any need for insulin. And finding a whole new world of wonderful meals. My diabetes was a blessing.. sounds crazy.. doesn't it? But I feel sorry for everyone that has never had the "motivation" I have had to adopt a lifestyle change. The longer I am eating healthy.. I more I see how "un-natural" my previous life style has been.. and how much it has hurt me. And I am not becoming "fanantical" with my choices.. only become aware of what is good for me.. and making healthy choices. Will I continue for the rest of my life? I honestly do not know.. but this I do know.. for today... I will make good choices because I value my health and my life. I attended the Diabetes Convention in Portland this weekend, and I was horrified my what I saw. Insulin Pumps.. foot doctors.. people in wheelchairs... medical insurance suppliemental insurance.. and to think that is the result of poor lifestyle and "managing" diabetes. But the good side.. I was able to talk to alot of people.. both professionals and people with diabetes.. and hopefully I have given some an another option.

Still alive and kicking.. and loving it.
Sam

[blix]

what a wonderful story. Congratulations and welcome, very much.:)

[Radiantly Raw]

Hi Sam! Welcome to the group! Thanks for sharing your story. My father was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago & I wish he would make half the improvements you've made! He's 63 now I think, and hard headed.

Have you seen this website? http://www.rawfor30days.com/Site/Raw_For_30_Days.html

Definitely check that out if you haven't seen it yet!

[shoover53]

I can't wait for the documentary to come out on TV, I know the DVD is available but I can't afford it at the moment. Just for everyone that is monitoring this thread... any change to the good you make in your diet has a dramatic effect on your diabetes. And I did not want to continue on with shooting myself with a full syringe of insulin twice a day until eventually I have a heart attack, lose my leg, or have an insulin pump implanted in my belly. I did not go full raw when I started.. I did not even know what "Raw" was.. but I knew that my blood sugar responded very quickly to everything I ate. So I read online.. and all I need to see was the words "cure", "diabetes", and "vegetarian".. together in one sentence and I knew that was what I need to do to regain my life. Before that I had tried to count carbs, calories, starve myself, and all it did was make me hungry, miserable and hate myself for being so weak and sick. And then I found the vegetarian lifestyle.. (Notice I did not say "diet").. and the results were immediate.. and I loved the food and dishes. Everyone.. diabetic or not.. needs to understand how much what I just said means.. this is not a "diet".. it is a lifestyle that changes your life. It did mine...

Love ya,
Sam

[Radiantly Raw]

I can't wait to see it either!

Great post Sam, I'm gonna share what you said with my father. What was your diet like when you made the lifestyle change? Meaning, what specifically did you stop eating & start eating? I would love to give him some specifics, but I'm very biased toward raw, and he's not wanting to go there, although he admits we're doing the right thing.

I think the changes you have experienced are just incredible Sam. WOW!:D

[shoover53]

I actually thought I was eating healthy.. I did not eat junk food, only had an occasional hamburger, and believed that if I ate a "balanced" meal of meat, bread, and vegetables... I was doing good. What I did not realize until my body begain to shut down, was it could no longer keep up with all the fats, sugars, and toxins. It began to ignore it own tools it relied upon to cleanse itself everyday. Diabetes simply put is your body giving up the fight. But the good news is.. it can repair itself. But only if you give it a chance. And the results are incredible. Even if all you do is cut out meat, poultry, and diary products, and learn to enjoy more vegetables, fruit, and nuts.. you will immediately feel and see a difference. I started to explore vegetarian dishes, tofu recipes, and not be afraid to try new things. I have never been disappointed or gone hungry. And I no longer have that "bloated" feeling when you know your body is fighting to digest something that it knows is not good for you. I am on the right track and intend to grow stronger and healthier each day. And with the wonderful people here, there is great support and encouragement. Give you body a chance. it is the only one you got.

Sam

[Morn]

welcome to RFT. I am so glad to hear your story and how you are Successfully succeeding in improving your overall health and changing your life for the better.

[Aleesha Sattva]

congrats on finding a catalyst to increase your health! i know when i was diagnosed with diabetes last summer... finding raw foods was a huge gift! i don't even worry about my sugars.

i KNOW i'll be eating this way for the rest of my life... as i see no reason to go back to unhealth... what's the point?

congrats on your new life style choice!

[pamparred]

Welcome to RFT and congratulations on changing your life and not allowing yourself to just give up and swallow what the medical profession was handing out. I was diagnosed with diabetes type II about 8 years ago. The medication was an absolute nightmare. Luckily, it was oral, but they couldn't find the right one to give me and I would have reactions from all of them. The diet they put me on was no help either. After years of fighting the disease and the medical community, I quit. I don't recommend what I did, which was take myself off all the meds they had me on and started my journey on raw. I found that I could eat fruit and it didn't affect my blood sugar. Yes, I still keep an eye on that. Eating raw for 4 days dropped my blood sugars greatly and while its not ideal, (because I don't stick with it like I should, hence the 30 day challenge), its much better than it was on meds and their diet. You are an inspiration to all of us. Thank you for your story and journey.

[Vivid Lily]

Thanks Sam - great post. I too have gone to a Diabetic Seminar. All around were posters showing the SAD dIET. AND foot creams and all different types of needles. Nothing that showed healthy way to eat. Evrything to help keep us with diabetes. and all the problems that go along with it. I left there more depressed than when I went. I'm so happy that I too have found this website. and this healthy clean lifestyle. I find it difficult when going out for dinner. I'm at the point now that I don't enjoy going out anymore. I enjoy my own salads and evrything raw at home. My husband is coming along (But slowly) . Thanks again. Suzy:D

[maui_butterfly]

congratulations sam on taking radical self-responsibility for your health and well being! what a rock star you are! there are two women that i work with who are diabetic, and so young, and you're right -- the body just gets overloaded and systems start failing. they think they are doing all they can to control/manage their diabetes when they don't drink soda or eat candy... gosh that's just the tip of the iceberg, isn't it?

[shoover53]

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just got back my A1C results. Two months ago my reading was 12.6%, as of today.. it is 7.2%!!! I am doing a happy dance....lol.

Life is so Good!!!

[Radiantly Raw]

:D :D

WOOHOO!!!!!!!

Way to go Sam!!!! WOW!!!

:D :D

[shoover53]

Hey.. just a quick update..
I am now off the insulin shots and on oral medication.. no more needles!!! And my triglycerides which were 1576, are now at 185.. and everything else is falling back to lower levels. And I am slowly losing weight. My next goal is to keep my weight decreasing and eating right so that my body can make and use its own insulin without the need for medication. I hope everyone who reads this thread and has health problems gets encouragement. Even my teenage son remarked the other day that with the little bit he as eaten of what I fix has made him feel better... and coming from an teenager who normally eats nothing but taco bell.. that is a great response.

Sam

[shashibala]

I am so happy to hear that you are healing your body! You are providing powerful information to so many people by sharing your story! Thank You !

[Radiantly Raw]

That is just amazing Sam! Thank you for sharing this information, it will be inspiring to so many people!! Wow, I can't get over those changes. Wow.

[Ms_Catherine]

Sam, thank you for sharing your story with us. You helped me stay on the right track today!

[Frugal Raw]

Welcome Sam!! What a wonderful testimony you have!! And in so little time! Best of Rawesome health to you and yours!

[shoover53]

It is really you all that I need to thank.... I cannot tell you how much it means to me to hear from others that what I have shared here has helped someone else. If I could find a way.. I would spend my life helping others travel the path I have taken. Even my need for oral medications have declined to the point where I only have to take a occasional "booster" pill if I see my blood sugar start to rise a little. But I am finding out that it only happens when I allow myself to eat something with fat content.. so I know the culprit is the excess fat in my diet that is clogging up my cells so they cannot absorb the glucose that my insulin is trying to let in. Our bodies are so wonderfully designed and work so well when we take care of them and not abuse them. I have so far to go yet.. but I feel I have come so far also.. this is not radical extreme lifestyle changes, but just getting back to how we were meant to live. I would love to hear from anyone who has any questions or would just like to share. God Bless

[Essensual]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! What a wonderful testimony! Keep the updates coming, please. I am loving this!:D

[Vivid Lily]

Hi Sam - Suzy here - I'm insulin dependent and I'm doing much better. But I need to improve. Could you please give me an idea of what a day for you is. From breakfast - to what you eat at each meal, snacks to bedtime. Thanks for taking the time. Did you have struggles? I have a hard time going out with husband. One minute he's helpful and the next he's eating a banana split in bed beside me. When I go into a restaurant, I say to myself ok just have a salad. Well it's hard because most places make terrible salads. they use iceberg lettuce and charge too much. I make terrific salads but he likes to go out sometimes. He already thinks I'm a health nut. My biggest problem is I'm really not losing weight. I need to loose about 20 lbs. I do good for a few days and then I will eat maybe a piece of bread or have a decaf and then I'm so mad at myself. How do you stay motivated? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again Suzy:D

[Vivid Lily]

Hi Sam - Suzy here - I'm insulin dependent and I'm doing much better. But I need to improve. Could you please give me an idea of what a day for you is. From breakfast - to what you eat at each meal, snacks to bedtime. Thanks for taking the time. Did you have struggles? I have a hard time going out with husband. One minute he's helpful and the next he's eating a banana split in bed beside me. When I go into a restaurant, I say to myself ok just have a salad. Well it's hard because most places make terrible salads. they use iceberg lettuce and charge too much. I make terrific salads but he likes to go out sometimes. He already thinks I'm a health nut. My biggest problem is I'm really not losing weight. I need to loose about 20 lbs. I do good for a few days and then I will eat maybe a piece of bread or have a decaf and then I'm so mad at myself. How do you stay motivated? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again Suzy:D

[shoover53]

Hi Suzy... I am so glad to hear from you and help if I can. Diabetes can be scary, but only if you ignore it. Much of what I have done is by trial and error, and alot of research. At first I assumed that carbs and sugars were my enemy, which I guess alot of diabetics assume at first. But as I read more and started to understand my disease... I found that the problem was much deeper. Our bodies are wonderfully designed as any doctor will tell you. But the simple explaination of how our bodies utilize the glucose in our system, regardless of where it comes from is simple. As glucose builds up, insulin is released that unlocks "ports" in our cells to let the glucose in so it feeds our cells. Unfortunately.. if our diet is high in fat, the fat builds up in our cells and "gums" up the ports so the glucose cannot be asborbed, glucose keeps building, the body keeps pumping out more and more insulin, until the body starts to ignore all the excess insulin, and the excess glucose slowly "pickles" our system. And in addition.. animal protein is broken down by enzymes that also attack the kidneys and insulin producing cells. Now.. with all that said... the key is to protect your kidneys and insulin producing cells, clean the fat out of your cells, and allow your body to readjust to normal levels of insulin and glucose. Part of going vegan has been to totally eliminate as much as possible the fat and animal protein out of my diet. No meat, chicken, fish (high in fat), diary, and egg products. And also to steer away from the high GI foods such as processed cereals, white potatoes, and such that would spike my glucose. So... my daily routine is....

Oatmeal is my friend...lol. Not quick cooking, but steel cut. It has a low GI index, and taste better. I cook up a nice size batch on sunday and keep it in the fridge to have quick and easy for breakfest for the next week with fruit and soy milk. My snacks are fruit such as apples and banannas.. and since I am not a big lunch eater.. I usually have miso soup with a handful of frozen vegatables and a few pieces of baked tofu. Tofu is wonderful.. several times the protein of meat with all good flavor of whatever you cook with it. For dinner.. I try to vary my meals.. I try different tofu recipes, stir fry, salads, vegatable dishes.. nothing fancy.. just have fun with it. But the key is... once you limit your fat intake.. you body will switch into survival mode and attempt to grab any fat it can.. so do not assume a little fat won't hurt.. it will set you back. And regarding bread... stick with dark rye and pumperknickle.. much better for you, taste better, low gi. Find vegan resturants in your area and get idea on things to fix for yourself and your husband.. It will take time, but if you make your meals an adventure and not an atonement.. he will start to enjoy it also. I have consistently lost about a pound a week.. which is perfect.. as I know that when you lose slowly and consistently.. it stays off. And plan ahead.. plan treats for yourself.. your favorite fruits.. a special dish you like.. reward yourself. Remember.. you cannot live a lifestyle if it is unliveable.. learn to enjoy it and make it fun.. like a marriage...lol. Hope this helps...

Sam

[shashibala]

Sam, It sounds like being vegan has brought a miracle into your life! I am so happy for you. When you are ready, move your diet toward mostly raw foods.
You will feel better and better!

[onlyraw4me16]

Hello Sam and welcome to this life style, good luck on your journey you sound like your doing great already.

All the very best.

blessings

[shoover53]

Hello everyone.. I hope everyone is enjoying the wonderful change of seasons. It is so great to see the fresh new life sprouting out of the trees and ground after the long winter. It kinda relates to to our bodies. Our bodies are such a wonderful living organism that has a natural desire to grow and nurture. Unfortunately, sometimes we deprive it of the nutrients it needs to grow. And like any other growing living thing, it become stunted and can even die. But like the trees and flowers, when it is given a chance, it can explode in new life and energy. Why am I saying all this...? I have had a wonderful journey as anyone who has read thru my postings.. and not fallen asleep..lol. I have gone from an obese, worn out, depressed and hurting person, with a fear of life and what will develop; to a healthy, energetic, happy person who now feels he has his life back. Just a quick update, as of now.. I am no longer dependent on any diabetes medication, my weight is steadily declining toward a healthy normal goal.. and I have more energy and love of life then I have had for many many years. And this was not accomplished thru any mystic or exotic treatments or routines, but just thru listening to my body and giving it what it needs to grow and be healthy. How sad we as a nation and people have lost sight of that simple concept. You are what you eat.... I have even started a web page that will focus on our daily journey thru life and how to enjoy the trip. I want to personally thank everyone here that has given me so much encouragement and support. God Bless You All. I will try to keep in touch with everyone here and give back as much of the love and support as has been given me.

Sam

[Veganforlife]

AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME!
Does my heart good! Keep up the good work!

[Radiantly Raw]

It's wonderful to hear more good news from you Sam!!:D Please share the website address with us. I know you are such an encouragement to so many people! Congratulations, I am so happy for you!!!:)

[shoover53]

I just wanted everyone to know that a fantastic online publication.. Timeless Spirit.. has published an article detailing my personal battle with diabetes. This has been an answer to prayer for me as I know in my heart that there are so many people who are going thru their own battles with this frightning disease. Please read this article and tell others, and especially.. read and support this publication as they have a heart to reach out to those who are searching for hope and strength.

The url to the article is... http://www.timelessspirit.com/JULY08/sam.shtml

God Bless,
Sam

[jacsam]

I'm excited for you ....welcome!!!

[shashibala]

Thanks Sam and congratulations!!
Rawk on Aleesha and Timeless Spirit!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

I was just coming to share the link to his article... but I see he beat me to it!

:D Great article Sam!!!