I learned something interesting from the Diabetic Living magazine that I subscribe to. Not that I subscribe to all their theories regarding diabetes... but the Winter 2007 issue had an article about neuropathy - which most people understand has to do with diabetics eventually loosing their feet because of nerve damage, slow-healing skin, circulation problems... those are some of the commonly understood "neruopathy" things.

But there is more to neuropathy than just that. According to the article usually before the neuropathy in your extremeties even begins, neuropathy takes place in your organs!! This leads to symptoms like impotence, bladder control problems, weakness (especially when it comes to cardio exercise or strength training), food intolerance issues (because your digestion is compromised by the nerve damage), and lack of balance (aka - I am a klutz!). I have all those problems (well except impotece...lol) although sometimes I struggle with lack of desire.

That was revolutionary for me, because if you ask most folks, most of that stuff is "in my head." And I get called a big whine-o for mentioning it. To be more specific - I am in the bathroom going pee 20+ times a day, and when I was pregnant it was every 20 minutes all day and every hour all night. I don't tolerate whole grains, have gas all the time, don't tolerate dairy or most food combinations.

The raw diet was hard for me to follow in the past because there are so many whole foods I do not digest... and I wonder how many other diabetics fail at controlling it with diet because the whole foods you are supposed to eat cannot be digested by the diabetic person due to the nerve damage! [light bulb blinks on!]

Enter: The Green Smoothie!!

It is day 8 of my son and my green smoothie drinking.

The Vita Mix I bought myself for Christmas helps me get all the greens into my diet I need - WOW what a difference. Even with drinking 64-128 oz. of liquid a day, my bathroom trips have been reduced to 5-10, and I have been sleeping through the night and only getting up once (as opposed to four times) to go pee. That in itself is life changing because my husband doesn't have to stop the car twice in a one hour car trip to let me out! It's not that I never had to go all that much volume-wise, but I assume it's nerve damage that would only allow me to hold 1/4 cup or so at a time before getting REALLY uncomfortable and maybe leaking which was really really embarassing!

The other great thing is I Feel Refreshed!! I don't feel bogged down or nasty/yucky. I haven't had any coffee or sugar-free energy drinks, even though I still eat 1-2 cooked meals.

And best of all.... I DON'T HAVE ANY CRAVING FOR SWEETS! This is AMAZING! Normally I NEED sugar for the boost of energy. I don't get an energy slump around 2-4pm each day like I used to.

Never has such a small change in diet made such a dramatic difference. Here is what I have been drinking and my success/lack of success with each thing.

Note - for the last 2-3 months I've been drinking tall glasses alfalfa/red raspberry leaf/hibiscuis tea 3x a day - one of those deep intuitive cravings, eating large leafy green salads, and strawberries/blueberries plus some cooked food. Have lost the craving for the tea since Christmas.

1/3/08 thru 1/5/08...

5-7 leaves kale
2 yellow apples
1 orange
1 avocado
2c water

Delicious! I've also been mixing this in with my 9 month old's formula - we both love it, but it gives me horrible diarreah for three days, even after I stopped drinking it for one day. I think apples are out - they always give me BAD gas and the runs. (Sorry if that's too much information!! lol)

1/6/08

5-7 leaves kale
apple juice (pasteurized - trying to use up the "baby food" he refuses to eat/drink) - two six-oz bottles
1 peeled cucumber
1/2 lemon
2c water

MMMMM!!!!! I had this before church and I had NO blood sugar crashes, irritating hunger or cravings... just good healthy hunger for real food about noon. Talk about unusual for me!

1/7/08

6-7 kale leaves
2c strawberries
2 bananas
YUM!!!

My son LOVED this! He actually refused a bottle in favor of eating this by spoon. He killed an entire coffee mug of the stuff and I couldn't shovel it in fast enough!

6-7 kale leaves
1 peeled cucumber
2 c mangoes

No gas or indigestion - seems to really agree with me! YUM! My son didn't care for this one. And again, that was the only thing I had until noon. No cravings or nothin'! I drove all over town and didn't have to stop and pee.

Seems an outright sin that doctors don't recommend this, and that insurance companies don't cover Vita Mixes like they do blood glucose measuring supplies and insulin and needles.

Money spent so far (still have about a week's left of ingredients) $55. Not organic (can't make it on a food budget of $200/mo.)

Angie


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!

This sounds really interesting!

I have had type 1 since August and am now trying to go raw.

Are you on insulin?

Was just wondering how you are dealing with the fruit juice in some of those smoothies...have not been brave enough yet to have fruit juice!

Any more tips would be appreciated...and congratulations for improving your life so much!

Claire

The raw food cure for Diabetes->
[www.21daycure.com]

My Dad was diebetic for 6 years before he started raw. He was eating pretty much only fruits and green smoothies, and had no problem digesting them. But since he avoided all fats, I don't know whether he can digest nuts and nuts well. He recovered from diebetes completely until he started cooked food and non-vegan food again.

Claire,

Nope - never was on insulin or medications for diabetes- probably should have been. Looking back on the last ten years I have had some pretty severe signs of diabetes, but no health insurance or money to do anything about it... so it was kind of a moot point. I just tried to get through it. I got some really good care and a glucometer with a lot of testing supplies while I was pregnant and on insurance, so that was good. By that time I was starting to eat a lot better so I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and then after the insurance ended and I knew a bit more about what qualifies as "diabetes" and "pre-diabetes" I have been right on the boarder of having full blown type 2 since I started testing a year and a half ago.

I am still monitoring my blood sugars and they are getting down in the 70's and 80's 2 hr.s after meals JUST WITH drinking green smoothies. They would be 106-145 WITHOUT the smoothies. I've been eating a raw breakfast and then either one raw lunch or 2 "healthier" versions of the SAD diet (lean meat, lots of veggies, no sugar/processed foods, limited pasta and bread. Can't tolerate the whole grains so those are out). I seem to do real well blood-sugar wise with fruit.

I don't know how it would be with type 1 diabetes. I have been reading a lot about reversing diabetes with different diets and many of them say you can only completely reverse type 2 but greatly reduce insulin need for type 1. Have you read "The pH Miracle for Diabetes?" That's the only one I know of that talks about exactly how an alkaline diet can completely get rid of type 1 diabetes. But I returned that book to the library - darn it - now I want to read more about type 1!!

What does your day typically consist of, food wise? How have you been feeling? What's been the hardest part for you on the raw diet?

Angie


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!