By Eve Wilson
I usually write spiritual articles, but this month I was drawn to write an article about diet. This surprised me because I feel that every body is different and people need to figure out what works for them. I’m a Virgo with almost all my major planets in that sign, so diet has always played a big role in my life. At 18, I was sure I wanted to become a breatharian! Toward that goal, I became mostly fruitarian while living in Marin County, California where fruit grew free and fully ignored on every city street! Gradually as I matured, I learned what my body needed and what it really couldn’t handle.
It’s kind of a fussy body and I take pretty good care of it. So, I was very surprised when my genetic makeup threw some bad test results at me a couple of years ago. My cholesterol was high – both good and bad. And my blood sugar was just creeping over the edge of high – I always tended to be low before! My Holistic MD told me, “You need to eat beans and rice,” and informed me that “Beano works” in response to my complaint that beans give me gas.
I’m going to back up to an earlier year when a person close to me became Type 2 Diabetic and read an article from a guy who got completely off his Diabetes meds by eating Vegan. He tried it, and his numbers stabilized in a good range. For 6 months, he was doing great, but then his Diabetes Doctor didn’t think it was a good diet for him. When he listened to her and went back to his old American diet, he developed heart disease as a byproduct of Diabetes and his genetic makeup combined. Now he has stints and takes blood sugar shots. I am so sad about that, but it is his choice.
So, I was familiar with the benefits of eating beans and decided to give it a go. Great news – I love beans! Who would have guessed they were so delicious and satisfying? To me, they are the perfect comfort food. I am a “foody” with food sensitivities, so I am used to hunting for recipes that use the ingredients I can use. My internet searches netted me some of the very best recipes I’ve ever tasted! And so inexpensive too. If you’re interested, check out LovingItVegan.com. Most of my faves come from there, and I’ve also invented some of my own which I love even more.
After a month on this diet, I discovered I was losing weight fast and have dropped nearly 20 lbs. I am back to my favorite size, and my blood tests have all come back within range for both blood sugar and cholesterol! An unexpected bonus is my thyroid which would swing to either extreme, is balanced too.
What’s not to like about this? I don’t see a thing.
I am not religious about this diet. I eat fish weekly and don’t worry about eggs or dairy in my very occasional baked goods or small amounts of poultry or cheese when I eat out. But I eat about 90% vegan. What I avoid are sweets. Though I have a pretty strong sweet tooth, I limit sweets to special occasions – or, at most, one moderate treat every other week and don’t keep them in the house. Recently I developed a revulsion for things that are too sweet, which is a relief. Nice to lose the old cravings. It took a couple of years for that part to kick in, but it finally has. While often overlooked, sugar can be a huge contributor to heart disease.
I don’t know if this diet works for everyone with these health issues, but it has worked for me with amazing success. It might be worth a try if you are someone who tends toward either high blood sugar or heart disease or has a family history of either. It’s also light on the planet, which makes me feel good.
I couldn’t be more grateful for my doctor’s suggestions and for the gift of Beano – which really does work!
