I hate that word "diet". It implies that what I'm doing is restricting my calories in order to drop some weight and fit into the size jeans I want. The truth is, what I have done is change the way I look at the food I eat. 

The first thing I did was to really look at the food I eat. I got rid of aspartame by ditching the sugar free French vanilla creamer in my coffee, and the diet coke. I've always been told that the Mediterranean diet is best for diabetics, but what exactly is that? I started looking for more information on what people living in the Mediterranean actually ate, not necessarily what Americans consider to be the Mediterranean diet.  The first book I found was "Eat Like a Greek" by Karen Guttridge. She is an American that lived in Greece for several years, and she describes their diet in detail. Lots of olive oil, lemons, avocados - sounds easy enough. 

The second book I found was "The Longevity Paradox" by Dr. Steven Gundry. I downloaded it from Kindle and listened to Dr. Gundry read it to me while I drove, cleaned house, cooked, etc. This book blew my mind and changed my life. Dr. Gundry explains how certain proteins in the food we eat are bad for our gut, and everything else is connected to our gut health. I had heard of leaky gut before but never really paid any attention. This book made so much sense that I ordered a hard copy of it because I knew I was going to want to refer back to it over and over. I was right. 

I started loosely following Dr. Gundry's plan in February of 2020 and immediately felt better. The first thing I noticed was the sinus headaches were gone. I used to wake up with sinus pain and pressure EVERY DAY. Some days it would go away after I got up, some days it would linger a while, and some days it would turn into a full blown migraine with vomiting and severe pain. Since I started following Dr. Gundry's plan - I have had ONE sinus headache in eighteen months. One. I could go on and on about how good I feel and the wonderful changes in my health, but I'll save that for another time. 

The weight is coming off slowly and safely (sixty-four pounds in eighteen months) and I'm not spending tons of time exercising. I don't have a gym membership or a treadmill at home. I walk outside when I feel like it (weather permitting), I ride my bike, I dance, or I just stay up on my feet and keep busy. I keep myself focused on eating only healing foods, limiting or skipping the unhealthy stuff, and trying not to overdo it. 

Most recently I have started Dr. Gundry's Plant Paradox Intensive Care Program, for help with my insulin sensitivity and blood sugar. It is low carb, low sugar, low protein, and high fat. THE HEALTHY FATS! I'm seeing good results with my blood sugar and I plan to stay on this program for quite a while. I also practice time restricted feeding which means going at least twelve hours between the last time I eat at night and breakfast. 

​

If you would like to know more about the nutrition plan I am following, you can find Dr. Gundry's website by clicking this link: Dr. Gundry’s Books and Podcast | Steven Gundry, MD Website, or find his books at most book stores.