My story About 10 years ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (150/90) and diabetes. I switched to low glycemic diet and took medicines as prescribed by the doctor. Every year my doctor increased medication or increased the dosage. In spite of taking half a dozen tablets for diabetes and high blood pressure my blood sugar readings were high [fasting 115-120, two hours after food 170-180, A1C 7.5] Four months ago I came across a freelance counselor, Colonel Pramod Pathak from India who, based on his own experience, recommended a holistic vegan diet that cured my diabetes and high blood pressure problem. Accordingly my breakfast consists of 1lb. a mix of four fruits, and lunch/dinner begins with 1 lb. a mix of raw vegetables salad for lunch and dinner. The breakfast fruits bowl contained 60% citrus fruits and meal time vegetable or salad bowl contained 25% leafy vegetables. Typical fruit bowl has orange, grapes, apple, banana, papaya, pineapple, berries and seasonal fruits Typical vegetable salad bowl contains cabbage, spinach, kale, cilantro, cucumber, mushrooms, carrot, bell pepper, ginger etc. This is like medicine, you got to eat. You can eat anything else too. But avoid all milk and milk products, packaged food and refined oil. However olive oil and coconut oil or all coconut products are considered healthy one (blessings for Konkani people). After eating salad for the meals I could eat only a bowl of rice and sambar or dhal and roti and sprouted grains preferred. Snack time (between meals) I had two spoons of dry fruits or a small apple. After meals I walk around, preferably in the sunlight for about half an hour. Within a week of following above diet my blood sugar readings were normal or healthy pre-diabetic levels (fasting 80-90, two hours after food 120-130). I ate only when I felt hungry (did not go by the clock and calendar). Following holistic vegan diet I feel more energetic than before. I monitored the blood sugar daily and when the fasting sugar came below 75, I decreased my medication in steps to zero over 3 months. After 3 months, when I checked A1C it was 6.1, hurray I am no more diabetic and sure to hit the healthy A1C target 5.7 within next 3 months. Along with this my blood pressure also measured normal (115/75). I am curious to know what this miraculous diet do. Filling the plate with fiber-rich foods helps keep me full! One of fiber’s greatest attributes is its ability to tackle the appetite and control absorption of sugar into the blood. Here’s how it works: in the stomach, fiber holds water, moves in the digestion system at a comfortable pace so it’s heavy enough to trick your stomach into thinking you have eaten quite a lot before you’ve eaten too many calories. High-fiber foods satisfy your appetite with fewer calories. Fiber is in beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. You won’t find any fiber at all in meats, dairy products, or eggs. The raw or live food has inherent ability to carry out repairs of our body. Cooking (boil/bake/roast etc.) kills that ability in the food, thus cooked food may satiate hunger but cannot repair our body. More the live food in our diet the better & faster repair is done in our body. Transition to the holistic diet was not at all difficult, in fact I enjoyed the transition. I used a mixer to prepare a smoothie of fruits for the breakfast since I got tired of chewing. Added a pinch of healthy spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, or tea masala to the fruit smoothie. Similarly added ginger, pepper, turmeric to the vegetable smoothie for lunch/dinner. Many of these herbal additives either enhance digestion or make the blood thinner and better. That alone is a tremendous achievement. I shared the details about my steps towards getting healthier with my friends. Saw this transition not as a burden, but as an adventure. It’s a life-changing experience. These improvements occurred more quickly than I believed possible. Connected the dots between what you eat and how you feel. Eat predominantly fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. These foods are rich in good carbs, good fats, good proteins, and other protective substances such as anti-cancer, anti-heart-disease and anti-aging properties. Beginning the holistic diet my addiction to coffee/tea vanished within a week.
Here are some tips:
• Commit to freeing your body from the grip of unhealthy foods.
• Check in with your body; listen to its signals. • Be proud of the choices you’re making.
• If you fall off the wagon, just get back on—no drama, no guilt.
• Get inner peace by practicing forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.
• On festive occasions I carry the salad with me, eat the salad before going in and this would decrease the quantity I eat at the event.
• Forget the yesterday, never indulge in tomorrow’s fantasy, LIVE IN TODAY.
* Eat less sweets, exercise more, more deep breathe, sleep well, and enjoy the festivals.