How a Plant-Based Diet Improved My Type 2 Diabetes

I always thought I was a pretty healthy person. No major health issues going on other than asthma so I was just living life. After I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2019, I wish I could say I made major changes, but I didn’t. I ended up making things worse.

In May 2020, I had experienced 3-5 days of blurry vision, increased thirst, and frequent urination. I didn’t realize these were diabetic symptoms until I hit up Dr. Google. So I dusted off my meter and took my blood sugar reading. The meter told me it was more than 600.

While I was waiting to be released to go home, I promised myself that I would take things more seriously and make significant changes. And I did, for a little while. I was running every day (until it rained) and eating more vegetables along with taking my new, prescribed medication. By doing that my fasting blood sugar numbers started to normalize to below 130.

But then I started to slip. I got tired of cooking. I didn’t have good kitchen skills so I didn’t know what I was doing anyway. My days got busier and it was easier for me to skip workouts. I had all of the excuses. My blood sugar started to creep up again and, by the end of 2020, my A1C was 8.1 (the goal is below 7).

At that point, I knew I needed more structured help so I got no-cost help from the Wounded Warrior Project, but I also hired a plant-based health coach. After many previous attempts to go vegan, I thought having a dedicated coach, Kim Murphy of Simply Plant-Based Kitchen, would help. And it did!

Here’s what happened in January 2021:

I signed up for the Forks Over Knives cooking course through Rouxbe Online Cooking School. I desperately needed help in the kitchen and needed to start with the basics.

I met bi-weekly with Kim and she helped me understand the whole foods, plant-based diet and the basics of cooking with no oil. Let me tell you, she is an awesome coach, so definitely hire her if you’re in the market for a plant-based health coach!

At the end of January, my fasting blood sugar went from 125-135 (70-130 is my range) on average to 95-105. I was able to get off of my meds and my A1C, according to home testing, dropped to 7.1. Amazing!

Vegetarian meal of chickpea or garbanzo beans salad

What I Really Learned

I learned that my body really thrives on a whole-foods, plant-based diet. It’s easier than it sounds once you learn a couple of key cooking skills. I also learned that I wasn’t eating enough so I had the privilege of eating more food without gaining weight.

I also learned that eating animal-derived foods increases my fasting blood sugar and raises my A1C. That’s why, after falling off the wagon, I am back online with plant-based eating and ready to help others do the same.

In the end, that’s why I became a plant-based personal chef – I feel like I received such life-changing information that I couldn’t help but pass it on to you.