Tomorrow is the day folks!! The challenge begins! As I said in my last post – this is the Unnamed Challenge. It’s YOUR challenge. I want you to take the next step towards a healthier lifestyle and that step is different for everyone. The important thing is that you make a change for the better. Changing the way you eat to focus on healthy fats, proteins and vegetables rather than starch and sugar based foods really does have an impact on your health.
Here’s a very recent example of just how true it is that Food is thy Medicine. During the last challenge we ran, I began coaching a woman in her mid forties with Type 2 Diabetes through facebook and email. All focusing on nutrition with some fitness thrown in there. Her first attempts at change were good but she ‘fell off the wagon’ for a bit. Then had a health scare with complications from the diabetes. Since then and for the last 2 ½ months she has completely committed herself to making permanent changes in her diet and she is seeing big changes. Here is one of her updates in her own words.
So I have now been on this new lifestyle for two and a half months. So far my A1C has dropped almost 1 full point. I’m going for more blood work in the morning so I will give you another update. Very happy to say that my weight has dropped 11 pounds. Would be more but I am still having the “cheat” Thursdays. I do find that on the cheat day I feel like crap.
My sugar readings were as high as 19 and as low as 13. Now they are as high as 16 and as low as 6. I know there are areas that I can improve on and am working to that goal.
My energy level has increased, I am staying up later as I am not drop dead tired by the end of the day. My focus has also increased, although my comprehension for some things has not improved, lol.My appointment with the Endocrinologist is in Sept so hopefully he doesn’t find anything. Medical books are great for some things, but not for others! Take care and keep up the excellent work!
Since this update she has had sugar readings as low as 3.5 (normal ranges are 4-7). The A1C reading is another way to read blood sugar and is more of an average reading that indicates the trend of sugar in the blood over the lifespan of the red blood cell. To quote Mark Sisson’s post on the subject
A1c seeks to establish the average level of blood sugar circulating through your body over the red blood cell’s life cycle, rather than track blood sugar numbers that rapidly fluctuate through the day, week, and month. If we know how long a red blood cell lives, we have an accurate measurement of chronic blood sugar levels.
Normal A1c should be under 5%. Currently this lady is at 9.7% but it is moving downward. Her physician fully supports the diet change and I just know that things are only going to get better for her. I’m so proud of her for sticking with this even though the beginning was a bit tough. She is a shining example of how you can take control of your own health. That’s what I want for everyone. That’s why I do what I do and that’s why I embark on these crazy challenges…I want to light a fire under you guys and get you excited about this!
Today is my last day with a cold beer in the sunshine until March 19th and tomorrow I begin to eat for ketosis for 2 months along with a couple of my students. Basically the same way I eat only much more strict on the carbohydrate intake.
What are you changing for this challenge?
