Reversing Diabetes, NAFLD, Peripheral Neuropathy and Degenerative Arthritis

This blog is about my health journey, and, hopefully, inspiration for your own path to well-being. I am reversing Type 2 Diabetes, NAFLD, degenerative arthritis and Peripheral Neuropathy with a change in what I eat, how I move, how I think and respond to stress.  

In 54 days, my A1C has come down from 6.6 to 5.3, from diabetic to normal. I am off Metformin today by order of my primary care physician. I am also off Gabapentin for Peripheral Neuropathy. I am walking a bit each day, drinking 48 ounces of water and taking four supplements which, some researchers believe stimulate the body's production of Glutathione which may help reverse NAFLD.

I take natural supplements SOD, NAC, Chanca Piedra concentrate and Mimi's Miracle Glutathione Spray (all available on Amazon).  I am not a medical doctor so please don't take any of my ideas as medical advice. Consult your physician. Read what I have read. Decide what you want and need to do, if anything.

How did I get here? 

Our first grandchild, Sophia Keshet, is due June 29, 2020.  I want to see her grow up. 

Over the past year, new diagnoses of diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) lowered the odds of watching Sophia graduate from high school and increased the odds of out of control health care expenses, pain and suffering over time and a burden of care for my family that could be potentially avoided.

I want to be here for my children, Joshua and Hannah, and my beloved partner, Sue.  And, I still have a lot of work to do on the planet, places I want to see and friends who count on me. These are not new goals but they became much more defined after an invitation from our son opened my eyes to my health situation.

Last January, Joshua, asked us to go with him to a local church where a mobile health screening was taking place for our community at South Padre Island.   We thought it was a good idea, not very expensive, so we went. 

At the end of my screening, I was told that I should check in with my physician and that I would receive a letter with my results.  It said I had a suspicious nodule on my thyroid and a fatty liver.  I wasn't particularly alarmed (ignorance is bliss :)).  I sent the letter to my primary care physician and she ordered some tests.  The results came back and she said there were some more tests that we needed to do. 

I went in to see her and she told me I had diabetes, a benign thyroid nodule and NAFLD. She put me on Metformin. Another doctor put me on Metformin a few years earlier and I did not do well so I had been taken off.  I did not want to take it but it was clear that my doctor was serious about the recommendation.  She ordered Metformin ER because it is tolerated better by some people.  She recommended a diet that was balanced but lower carb. 

I was already scheduled for reconstruction of my ankle in May and wanted to ensure that I could do whatever I needed to do to make that schedule.  My surgeon is very busy and located in Virginia so the logistics were challenging due to my work. 

My primary physician later delivered some sobering news that she could not approve me for surgery until my numbers improved.  My lipid profile was not good, blood pressure elevated, inflammation markers high.  After consultation with my surgeon, they agreed I could go ahead with the understanding that the stress of surgery and recovery can make it harder to address the health issues I was experiencing.  The anesthesiologist was informed of my situation and appropriate precautions were taken. The surgery was successful. 

Over time, my A1C went down a bit on the lower carb diet, but it swung back up during the holidays and our fall trip to Scotland and Ireland.  I had lost 11 pounds and gained 5 back.  Frustrating. I started to read everything I could find on NAFLD and diabetes including hundreds of medical journal articles from outside the United States and within.

In reviewing the conventional medical journals from the US, European Union, Japan and China and a host of “alternative” holistic resources, I concluded that the majority of people diagnosed with any of the conditions I have headlined will grow progressively more ill and impaired while being increasingly medicated.

Most of us do not adhere to the general advice of our physicians to lose weight, exercise, get more sleep or better sleep.  We ignore the recommendations of alternative medical practitioners to eliminate white flour, sugar and processed food, particularly meats like sausage, bacon, bologna, etc. from our diets. 

The evidence is on the shelves of every major grocery store in America except those dedicated to micronutrient tracking (Whole Foods and Natural Grocers as examples). It is hard to find organics and whole food products in the glut of sugared cereals, mounds of meat, milk, cookies, chips, cheese and pre-packaged meals with hundreds of grams of sodium.  Look at the sodium content on Lunchables.  Eek!  Stores sell what people buy most.

Most of the doctors don’t follow the holistic path themselves. Too hard, too busy. Processed food is easy, quickly accessible, on every corner of most streets in America. And, every bite is a contributor to our declining health as individuals and as a nation. (Until recently, I was oblivious to the negative environmental impact of the beef cattle, hog, chicken, fishing and dairy industries—greater than automobiles and fossil fuel energy combined.)

If you read much of the medical research, you will hear a steady refrain of the unfortunate outcomes of conventional treatment for these four conditions I have named. The chorus sounds like “Get sick. Get sicker. Die.”  Or, “Take Metformin, advance to insulin, then more insulin, meds for high cholesterol, meds for high blood pressure, meds for kidney function.”   

I repeat. "Get sick. Get sicker. Die.”  I won't focus here on all the side effects of all the meds or the connections between these drugs and cancer, lung problems, but you can Google and it is clear that the meds we take to save us are the same meds that will eventually kill us.  We have so many friends who have advanced from Metformin to Insulin that it feels almost “normal.” Scary.

A few medical doctors pop up in the naturopathic medicine literature and even on the best sellers list who suggest that this death march does not have to happen. We will all die but we don’t have to get there via the complications of Type 2 diabetes and its companions, peripheral neuropathy, NAFLD, inflammatory arthritis or the medications prescribed to treat these conditions.

Part of my frustration with my health status is that I had done a lot to naturally address my arthritis and inflammatory disease over the years, avoiding steroids and the more invasive drugs like Humira. That story is another blog.  And, I had a good working knowledge of holistic approaches to cancer prevention and holistic treatment, but I wasn't applying it in my life. 

I started researching well-being years ago when my mother died of breast cancer at 63. She lived 5 years longer than predicted after an initial round of chemo and radiation and a macrobiotic diet for one year after her initial diagnosis. She meditated, did white light therapy, saw a therapist and practiced positivity. I think four of her survival years were pretty good. Then, my brother was diagnosed with AIDS and our family had this big secret that they felt they could not share in our conservative religious community. The saying “we are as sick as our secrets” proved true. My mom declined rapidly and died.  

When I think about her pre-cancer health, I remember that she had severe arthritis, gallstones and ulcers, and chronic migraine headaches. As a child she suffered from rickets. For more than 20 years, she had low potassium. She took lots of non-narcotic pain meds all of which made her ulcers worse. Deadlier, she was prescribed Seconal for 30 years because she had chronic insomnia. She had an intense, high-profile job in the era when women didn’t do such things in the South. I believe she was in a steady state of anxiety covered by an equally steady state of good humor and grace.

Soon after my mom’s death, my physician took me off Premarin cold turkey. He said that new studies suggested a connection between this type of drug and the onset of certain types of breast cancer. I had instant, hellish menopause.  

My dad was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes when he was 55. He had multiple heart surgeries and strokes, lost his peripheral vision and eventually died of cancer at 84. His quality of life after 1990 was poor. My maternal grandmother was a vegetarian and lived to the age of 94. She walked several miles each day until she was 90. My maternal grandfather died of a brain aneurysm at age 53. My paternal grandmother died of a heart attack at 84 years of age. My paternal grandfather died of a stroke at 73.

I’ll share a bit more of my own medical history although no one can actually connect all the dots to say why I have the physical issues I do. 

My joints started failing when I was five years old. My eyes deteriorated at three years of age. I was diagnosed with “childhood rheumatism.”  I was treated with warm baths, B12 shots and osteopathic massage. Steel shank braces were made for my orthopedic shoes. I got a stronger glasses prescription every six months, contacts when I was ten years old. Later I had multiple eye surgeries. My grandmother, her sister and my mother all had severe spinal arthritis. My aunt was legally blind from childhood. I grew up, basically did ok, no sports star, but reasonably active. My symptoms improved after puberty. 

I had pneumonia in 1969, was hospitalized and given Chloromycetin (chloramphenicol) The most serious adverse effect of chloramphenicol is bone marrow depression. Serious and fatal blood dyscrasias (aplastic anemia, hypoplastic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and granulocytopenia) are known to occur after the administration of chloromycetin.  I was unable to attend school for most of the year due to recurring bronchial infections.

I had pneumonia again in 1983, 2008, 2013 and 2015 without any clear reason why. 

I was a road warrior for my work for 35+ years.  Hotels, convention centers, airports, airplanes, missed meals and meals that one should not eat were my colleagues in the crime I did to my body, but the good news is that I get to choose differently now. And, more and more of these commercial providers are getting on board and offering plant based alternatives that are tasty. 

I had two children, one in 1974 and one in 1977. I had a miscarriage in between after an accident.  In the early 90’s I was exposed to CCA-40 in a freak accident where improperly cured wolmanized wood was burned and I inhaled some of the fumes. On December 31, 2003, the U.S. wood treatment industry stopped treating residential timber with arsenic and chromium (chromated copper arsenate or CCA).I had a mild case of arsenic poisoning from which I appeared to recover.

In the early 2000’s, I was bitten by a tick, broke out in a bull’s eye, red rash. Two weeks later I was tested for Lyme Disease. The test came back positive and I was given Cipro over multiple 12-week periods. The FDA now warns that Cipro long-term may increase the risk of experiencing severe side effects. These long-term side effects can include tendon damage, liver damage and nerve problems.  Today I have all three.

After the birth of my second child, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have not followed conventional treatment, just natural supplementation off and on for years. My first ankle was reconstructed in 2015 and I developed Peripheral Neuropathy.  This condition progressed to my other ankle which was rebuilt in 2019. I was prescribed Gabapentin. From 1995 to present, I have struggled to lose weight.  In April 2019, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), told that my lipid profile was not good.

On January 1, 2020, I started following Dr. Joel Fuhrman's recommended plant-based eating plan.  Here is a summary:

Unlimited (relatively)

Raw vegetables

Eat in unlimited quantities

Goal: 1 pound daily

Includes, but not limited to:

Dark green lettuce, kale, collard greens, snow peas, bell peppers, raw peas, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes

(Cindi: If you don't have time to buy bulk greens, wash or prep, buy 6 10oz pre-washed organic kale and spinach blend in plastic tubs.  These will supply your green smoothie needs and salads for 3.5 days.

Unlimited

Steamed or cooked vegetables (without butter)

Emphasize green vegetables, as well as non-starchy vegetables

           Goal: 1 pound daily

Includes, but not limited to:

String beans, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, kale, collards, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy, okra, swiss chard, turnip greens, escarole, beet greens, spinach, dandelion greens, broccoli raab, cauliflower, eggplant peppers, onions, mushrooms

Especially include onions and mushrooms for their disease preventing and anti-cancer properties (the onion also adds a lot of flavor, and cooked mushrooms have a great texture)

            Unlimited

            Beans or legumes

      Goal: 1 cup daily

      Eat some beans with every lunch (slows digestion so feel fuller longer)

Includes, but not limited to:

Chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, green peas, lima beans, pinto beans, lentils, red kidney beans, soybeans, cannelloni beans, pigeon beans, white beans, navy beans

(Cindi: We buy organic beans of every type in cans as back up and cook a batch every three days. Use Bragg's Amino acids instead of salt. Add some cumin and oregano, black pepper and if you like spicy, a touch of chili powder).

Limited

Fresh fruit

Goal: at least 4 daily

No fruit juice (except for salad dressings and cooking)

Frozen organic, unsweetened fruit is ok, but avoid canned fruit (get unsweetened if you must)  You can order larger packs of frozen organic fruit from FreshDirect but the least expensive way to stock up is to buy organic fruit at your grocer, prep and freeze.

Dried fruits off limits for 6 weeks (dried fruits aren't bad for you, they are just more concentrated calories that can often be overeaten).  If you eat them, buy only the kind that have no sugar added.

Try exotic fruits, and a variety of fruit daily

(Cindi: We love star fruit and watermelon radishes as salad toppings. Beautiful and delicious).

Includes, but not limited to:

Apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, clementines, dates, figs, grapefruits, grapes, kumquats, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, raspberries, starfruit, strawberries, tangerines, watermelon. 

Limited foods

Whole grains and cooked starchy vegetables

Goal: no more than 1 cup (1 serving) daily

includes, but not limited to

Butternut and spaghetti squash, acorn squash, corn, potatoes, rice, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cereals, quinoa, barley, oats, brown rice, yams, pumpkins

(Cindi: Sue makes Ina Garten’s stuffed spaghetti squash for me.  So good!!  Substitute vegan cheese for the parm and use organic marinara)

Raw nuts and seeds

Goal: no more than 1 oz daily

Eat only raw, organic, unroasted and unsalted nuts and seeds

includes, but not limited to:

Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, macadamias, pistachios, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds

Avocado. goal: no more than 2 oz daily

Ground flaxseed

           Goal: 1 Tbsp daily

Off limits

Dairy products

Including low- and non-fat diary

milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.

Animal products

Including lean meats and fish

Eggs, red meats, poultry, fish, shellfish

Between-meal snacks- between meal snacks don't allow your body to leave the food digestive stage and enter the catabolic when toxins are removed from your body and fat is used as an energy source

(Cindi: I am still eating a teaspoon of almond butter or an ounce of nuts with a piece of fruit mid-morning)

Processed/convenience vegan foods (fake meats, cheeses, desserts, etc.)

(Cindi: I am still using Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers for lettuce wraps and ground vegan "beef" for a meal once each week)

No fruit juice or dried fruit

Added oils

(Cindi: We use only Thrive oil (algae based)

           Other tips

Spices, herbs, and condiments

Use all spices and herbs, except salt, sugar, and sugar replacements

Pickled foods should be avoided because they are high in sodium

Try for condiments that are low in sodium (<1 mg sodium per calorie)

Eat only when you are truly hungry and not just feeling crappy from the catabolic detoxification stage. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry.

1.    Remember, the salad is the main dish.  Eat it first at lunch and dinner. One of the writers says “Eat a salad as big as your head every day.”J

2.    Eat at least four fresh fruits daily (Cindi: This counters all typical advice for diabetics, but is the plan I have followed to achieve lower A1C combined with Fuhrman’s other recommendations. Don’t do this unless you do all).

3.    Variety is the spice of life, particularly when it comes to greens. (Cindi: We have discovered that we love arugula in our green smoothies when combined with spinach and kale).

4.    Beware of the starchy vegetable, but choose starchy vegetables before grains.

5.    Eat beans or legumes every day.

6.    Eliminate all animal and dairy products.

7.    Have a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day.

8.    Consume nuts and seeds in limited amounts, no more than 1oz/day.

9.    Eat lots of mushrooms (as replacement for meat), and add onions to foods for fast flavor.

10. Keep it simple

·       Breakfast: fresh fruit, greens, almond, hemp, soy milk and pea protein in a smoothie (Cindi: Freeze organic fruit to use so you chill up the smoothie without ice)

·       Lunch: salad with beans, more fruit or make a quinoa/black bean burger or bean and veggie lettuce wrap)

·       Dinner: salad with two cooked vegetables, fruit for dessert

·       (Cindi: Frozen red grapes or cherries are my new fav.  And, I have learned to make vegan ice cream in a Cuisinart ice cream maker. Fabulous! 2 cups low fat coconut milk, 1/4 cup Pyure Organic Harmless Hunny ( honey replacement) 1/4 cup corn starch or arrowroot powder, fruit and nuts)

For a morning or evening pick me up, try Golden Milk (Cindi’s recommendation)

·       Heat 2 cups light, unsweetened coconut milk (or almond or soymilk)

·       Add 1/2 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh ginger

·       Add 1 tablespoon peeled, grated fresh turmeric

·       Add 3-4 black peppercorns

·       Heat all ingredients in a saucepan

·       Stir well

·       Bring to a simmer and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

·       Strain and sweeten to taste (if desired).

Over the next several months, I plan to share what I am doing, my test results and how I am feeling. Please feel free to join me on the journey.

I highly recommend that you read Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book Eat to Live.  Watch Game Changers, Forks Over Knives and Cowspiracy on Netflix.  Buy a Vitamix blender if you don't have one.  You will need it and it will pay for itself with the savings on your grocery bill. 

We've cut ours by 2/3's and always have enough to share.

More later. Until then, be well and trust yourself.