31/3/2015

I was overweight and my blood sugar levels were elevated but not that high that I had to take any medication for my diabetes. When I was diagnosed in March 2013 I was in shock as I had been pre-diabetic for a number of years but to actually be told ‘you now have diabetes’, I was in total disbelief.

This news shocked me into telling myself that I had to do something about this condition I now had.

I went to a dietitian for a few visits and found that this wasn’t the answer for my condition. Over the years I have struggled with gradual weight gain and I was always trying to eat the right foods and do what exercise I could. Obviously there was something missing which wasn’t allowing me to loose my extra kgs. My blood sugar levels weren’t through the roof but they were elevated and high enough to be a diabetic and doing damage to my body and organs.

On one of my visits to my local doctor he put me in touch with Casey, the registered nurse who works at the medical centre and when she handed me the DHC Lifestyle Program brochure. I just knew that I had to give Peter’s program a go so I could find out as much information I could in order to get me off the merry go round I was on and change my lifestyle from here-on-in for good and for the benefit of my health. My blood pressure has always been very good and likewise with my cholesterol but I did have a fatty liver and my LDL was a little on the high side so I knew I had to do something about my weight. My BMI was definitely greater than 30 and I was always feeling sick after a lot of food I ate and I was always tired. I had no energy.

My sugar addiction certainly made me eat more than I should have and feeling hungry every 4 hrs kept my sugar addiction going and the high that it creates. I would eat but I would never be totally satisfied how much and with what I had eaten. All the time I was thinking that the foods I was eating were good for me. Knowing what I know now, I know how these foods are laden with sugar and being highly processed were not the right foods for a diabetic to eat. Even the dietitian couldn’t get it right. I was reading labels looking for natural foods and foods that were supposed to be good for you with no preservatives and additives but no one mentioned all those processed goodies sitting out there on the supermarket shelves just waiting for someone to claim them.

I was motivated to join the program as I wanted to reduce my blood sugar levels back to normal levels as well as reduce my BMI along with the weight I was finding hard to lose. I guess my main motivation was weight loss. From the onset of being diagnosed with diabetes I was determined I had to do something in order to change what I was currently doing. What I was doing on my own and with numerous visits to a dietitian just wasn’t working for me.

On a visit to my local medical practice I was delighted when Casey handed me The Diabetic Health Clinic Lifestyle program letter outlining what Peter’s program was all about. I joined immediately and so looked forward each week to our weekly sessions firstly telling us what diabetes is and what happens to us when our sugar levels are spiked and how it affects our body and organs and what ongoing issues you are likely to suffer in the future. The only information I was given after being diagnosed was by searching the internet. Peter’s sessions were just wonderful, informative and I so looked forward to going each week to find out more about this dreaded disease and what I could do to reverse the chronic disease I had.

I can happily say that I have lost almost 13kgs which I thought I would never be able to do and I have normal blood sugar levels and I am feeling absolutely wonderful with lots of energy and I am sleeping so well. I am not feeling sick after I eat now and the weight I am at the moment is something I never thought possible. I thought it was a weight I had long left behind 20 years ago. I am almost back to my wedding date weight which is the lightest I have ever been.

The information Peter provided regarding the food industry and what they are adding to our food and making us believe it is all ok when it fact it isn’t I found to be extremely motivating to not touch this rubbish ever again and I am passing this info on as I speak to my two daughters as they have grandchildren ingesting this horrible food. I love my new whole food lifestyle change.

My journey through the 12 week program was exhilarating to say the least. I actually felt I was on a high every week with the information Peter shared with us. I, in turn, shared this information with my daughters as they were very interested in what I was attending. I found all of the sessions to be very informative and very helpful in my understanding of the chronic disease. I was looking forward to reversing this condition once we commenced our juice fasting and then our whole food lifestyle I decided the change was for good. As stated previously I was in total shock when I was first diagnosed with diabetes and really not sure how I was to go about controlling this disease. I was told to change my lifestyle by reducing my weight and exercising. This seemed easy enough but it wasn’t as I struggled with trying to lose the weight and the exercising didn’t seem to make much difference. During the sessions I was horrified with what the food industries are putting in and adding to our food. I knew that the no fat foods weren’t good for me as they were laden with sugar and this is something the dietitian still advocates. She was always telling me to eat no fat foods. Consequently, I felt the dietitian wasn’t going to help me achieve what I so desperately desired and this was ultimately losing weight which in turn would help normalise my blood sugar levels.

Getting on board with Peter and Joanne has been a wonderful experience for me and I haven’t looked back since I attended my first session with Peter back in May. Firstly, having lost almost 13 kgs and normalising my blood sugar levels is more than I could have wished form. I feel like a new person and I am loving my new found body and I am enjoying the whole food eating so much. During my 30 days of juicing it was wonderful and I felt great seeing the weight fall off and yet I never felt hungry and I didn’t have those awful cravings you would get with other diets and it was very pleasing to see my blood sugar levels drop as well and be within the normal range. I was prepared for a couple of rough days in the early stages of my juicing but I managed to come through with relative no major issues. The 2 weeks of preparation when you cut down on your sugar and take processed food out of your diet certainly helped me cope with my sugar addiction and I can honestly say I had no major withdrawal symptoms.

My lifestyle change was awesome and I am very excited to share it with others. I am totally in awe with having lost almost 13 kgs and I am presently maintaining this weight. Having normal blood sugar levels is also very important for me as I know that I am taking care and looking after my body and I don’t have to worry about all the nasty issues that comes with diabetes. I am trying to organise my exercise routine at the moment as I am a little hit and miss with it and I am fully aware it is an important part of my lifestyle change.

I am also very excited about sharing my experience with my two daughters about what food to eat and what to avoid and how to achieve a healthier lifestyle for themselves as well as their children. I feel wonderful, have lots of energy and I am sleeping so much better than I was before. My weight loss has been an important achievement for me as I never thought it would be possible for me to go back to a weight I haven’t seen in 20 years. Over the years my weight gradually crept up and this was when my pre-diabetes surfaced and I actually thought nothing more of this until last year. My blood sugar levels were monitored over this period of time and then March 2013 was my D day for Diabetes. Also learning about whole foods and how much better they are for you rather than eating the processed foods with all the extra sugar in them has been very important.

I would encourage you to go along and listen to what Peter and Joanne have to say about diabetics, blood sugar levels and weight loss and learn how this program can change your life forever if your are willing to undergo a complete lifestyle change. If I am able to make this lifestyle change I am sure anyone can. It doesn’t take much to turn your life around and know that you are back in the land of the living enjoying life to the fullest instead of being sick, fat and nearly dead! I would say give the program a go as you have more to gain than lose.

Finally, I would say to anyone who has diabetes that it’s such a fantastic program in which you have so much to gain and nothing to lose except, of course, weight, and also seeing your blood sugar levels drop. Taking in a new healthier lifestyle by eating only whole foods is a giant step in the right direction.

Thank you so much Joanne and Peter for all your guidance, support, encouragement and enthusiasm during the course of your program. You are an inspiration to everyone you have touched by your thoughtful and caring ways.

Margaret Brunskill.

To see if you will benefit from Diabetic Health Clinic Lifestyle Program click here now.