Success! How One Busy Grandma Stopped Diabetes in 7 Steps

“If you don’t change your ways, you’re going to be diabetic.”

That’s the warning Candy got from her doctor about a year ago.

It didn’t surprise her. And it didn’t motivate her to change.

She had other priorities - her children, grandchildren, and her dad, who was very sick.

Candy’s Turning Point

A year later, Candy was officially inducted into the diabetes club.

She had been warned this day was coming, but it didn’t make her hate it any less.

She despised her new label and what it stood for, how meals were less about how great food tasted and more about how they would affect her blood sugar.

She felt trapped. She felt out of control.

For the first time, she also felt a strong resolve “to do something” that would put her in charge of her illness.

An Internet search led her to Full Plate Living, where she signed up for the weekly email. Not long after, she discovered that her neighbor worked there. He told her about the Full Plate Living course and she signed up. (You can too!)

How Candy’s Life Improved

In the 8-week course Candy learned a lot about how the food she puts in her body affects her blood sugars. She discovered the foods that would help her gain the best control. By putting those concepts into practice Candy lowered her blood sugars from the diabetic range of over 126 to a much healthier 90 to 110.

While on a recent grocery run, Candy had a revelation when she picked up a turkey. “This is how much extra weight I used to carry. No wonder I feel so much better. I’m not carrying around a 20-pound turkey anymore!”

Candy lost her “turkey weight” in 4 months. But more importantly, she now has energy to play with her grandkids. Her knees don’t hurt like they used to, and she can go up and down the stairs without any pain.

She no longer feels controlled by a diagnosis. She’s back in the driver’s seat.

Candy Shares How She Reversed Her Diabetes

1. Start the day with a good, high fiber breakfast. One of my favorite meals is an apple with natural peanut butter, a handful of nuts, a slice of turkey and a piece of fruit - like strawberries or plums.

2. Pile on the salad at lunch. I’ll take a can of cannellini beans and rinse them really well. Then I’ll add them to my salad, along with quinoa, celery, and tomatoes. It’s a hearty salad that keeps me full. For my dressing I use balsamic vinegar, because it doesn’t have any fat. I’ve learned that most salads aren’t weight loss friendly because of the amount of unhealthy fat found in the dressing.

3. Fill the plate up with veggies in the evening. I eat lots of veggies for supper and add a little meat, like salmon, turkey or chicken.

4. Walk after every meal. I had always been told to rest before exercising, so never considered walking after a meal. But I no longer consider this walk my exercise. It’s a leisurely stroll. And its purpose is to lower my blood sugars. It works!

5. Eat beans every day. I’ve struggled with weight all my life, and was told to stay away from carbs. So I never considered beans. But now they’re a staple in my diet.

6. Plan your indulgences. I still indulge myself every night. But not with a big bowl of ice cream I used to have. Instead I take Blueberry Yoplait and pour ¾ cup of frozen blueberries on it and stir it in. Then I let it chill for 5 minutes. It has the same mouthfeel as ice cream and about 200 less calories.

7. Weigh on a regular basis. I weigh myself once a week, just to see where I am.

Candy is comfortable in her own skin

Unlike others, Candy’s goal isn’t number based.

“I feel better, and that motivates me to keep going. I don’t have a desire to look a certain way or to get to a certain weight or to wear a certain size. My plans are to keep doing what I’m doing and my weight will be what it is.”

Candy’s new way of eating is liberating because it doesn’t require as much time and effort. Which means she can focus her attention where she wants it most - her children and grandchildren.

Full Plate Living is a small-step approach with big health outcomes. It's provided as a free service of Ardmore Institute of Health.

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