GETTING STARTED – WHAT I DID
My goal in trying this program was to reverse my diabetes by allowing my pancreas an environment to heal, to drop my blood pressure to normal levels, to raise my good cholesterol (HDL) and to start dropping some weight. If you’ve read through to this part of the book you should have a good idea of the background of why I choose the various foods and supplements that I used on my program.
My first goal was to create an alkaline environment in my body to allow all of my systems to function correctly. I knew it would probably not be overnight. In researching pH studies on diabetics I discovered that 100% of participants who completed a 90 day alkalizing program had positive results. All of the people with Type II diabetes reversed their diabetes and had no need for medication by the end of the study. All of the people with Type I diabetes reduced their need for insulin by 50% or more, some completely. After 30 days there was a measurable positive benefit to everyone. I figured I could control myself for 90 days. They say you create a new habit in 21 days. So, I was ready to start.
I searched around the internet to find sources for alkaline drops, green foods and pH testing papers/strips. In the section on Nutrients I discussed greens. They are an important part of helping the body reach an alkaline balance. Alkaline drops help alkalize and charge water. The test strips were so I could track my progress.
I compared prices online and even visited a few health food stores and drug stores, hoping that I could find what I needed conveniently at a good price. Drug stores didn’t carry the products, but would order them. A visit to Walmart turned up empty. Health Food Stores had high prices. Even online there were only so many choices. It was a challenge reviewing ingredients and trying to determine the best choice for me. I now order from http://HealthEssentialProducts.com They actually carry all three of the products I needed and have a selection of each, complete with links to ingredients. The cost is a few dollars more on the greens, but with $5 flat shipping they are the cheaper overall when adding the pH testing supplies and alkaline drops. Besides, I can order everything in one place.
As soon as the products arrived I started.
pH Program:
For the first 21 - 30 days I recommend a cleansing diet, which does not include any bread, pasta, meat, milk or milk products, sugar, table salt, vinegar or oils. Of course, coffee, caffeinated teas, sodas and alcohol in any form are a big no no.
Water is a big part of the program. You should be drinking at least ½ you body weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 pounds then be prepared to drink at least 75 ounces of water, more if you can.
•Upon waking I drank one ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops. (Most places I read about alkalizing said to use distilled water. I did not. We refill our plastic bottles at home with water filtered through our Brita filter. I used that.)
•For breakfast I drank a smoothie made from 1 banana, 5 strawberries, ½ handfuls of blueberries, just enough water to cover the fruit and a tablespoon of greens. Once in a while I switched up the fruit with fresh peaches, cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.
•A couple hours later I drank another ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops, followed by a snack of a small handful of nuts (protein & fat) and an orange, grapefruit, apple, banana or some other fruit, or raw baby carrots and some sort of protein like peanut butter, tofu or nuts.
•About ½ hour before lunch I drank another ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops
•For lunch I ate a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, red peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, kidney beans (from a can – I washed all the beans first), broccoli, cauliflower, beets (not pickled) and red onions. Or I ate a yam, or potato or vegetable stew, etc. I mixed up what I ate for variety. But I kept to mainly vegetables.
• A couple hours later mid afternoon I drank another ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops, followed by a snack of celery and peanut butter, an apple and peanut butter, carrots and a small handful of nuts, or tofu and a fruit.
•About ½ hour before dinner I drank another ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops
•For dinner I made a vegetable stew, a salad, pea soup, 12 bean soup, vegetables medley, baked potatoes loaded full of chopped vegetables or whatever I could serve to the family that was tasty but fit my diet. A vegetarian cookbook has lots of tasty ideas.
•Then I didn’t eat until about 15 minutes before bed, when I again drank another ½-liter bottle of water with 5 alkalizing drops, followed by a snack with a fruit or vegetable and a protein and fat.
Some notes about this diet:
•Besides the 6 ½-liter bottles of water I drank before meals I had 2 to 4 more each day.
•I used a teaspoon of no-sugar-added Thousand Island dressing or coconut oil mixed with herbs to flavor my salads.
•Yes, restroom visits were often during the first few days, but then my bladder adjusted.
•It took a few days to adjust portions so that I did not always feel full. I did not go hungry and did not feel unsatisfied or deprived. I never counted calories.
•I tested my blood sugar regularly to make sure it was in control.
•Snacks were sources of protein and fat with a fruit or vegetable. Nuts, avocadoes, tofu, beans and peanut butter are good sources of protein and healthy fats.
•I ate as much as I wanted without counting calories.
•I limited fruits to breakfast and snacks so I could replenish glycogen levels in my muscles and ate more complex carbohydrates, like potatoes, yams and carrots, for lunch and dinner.
•I ate proteins as snacks and in the evening; as snacks because the protein helped balance the snack and made me feel fuller. At dinner because I didn’t need as many carbohydrates at night as most of my activity was in the morning and during the day.
Exercise: Exercise helps your immune system by moving the lymph throughout the body and flushing waste, increasing blood flow, developing a strong heart, lungs and cardiovascular system, pumping oxygen to your cells in huge doses and promoting a sense of well-being. I exercised 15 minutes a day on a stationary cycle or walking at least 40 minutes daily. The benefits of exercise to the body are too many to count. I couldn’t imagine any program not including movement to get your blood flowing. You should choose the exercise that best suits you. Sometimes I just went to the park with 6 year old Christopher to chase a ball all over the fields.
Exercise is important to the effectiveness of this program and to everyday life. It aids the alkaline balance of the body by flushing the body of waste materials through the lymph system and the bloodstream. It is during aerobic (oxygen) exercise that the body delivers intense amounts of restoring oxygen to all the cells.
I also practiced deep breathing to help get my lymph system moving and flushing waste. If you remember, deep rhythmic breathing for a few minutes three times a day has many benefits. Not the least of these is increasing oxygen supply to the cells for an energy burst and developing a stronger respiratory system that provides more oxygen and thereby more energy throughout the day.
After the first 21 days I had to significantly reduce my medications to keep blood sugar from falling too low. By day 45 I no longer took any medication. My pH was a steady alkaline level, my blood pressure was 120/70 and my good cholesterol had risen to 50 (it was at 32 before I started – a reading lower than 40 is considered high risk for heart disease)
After the first 30 days I started to add small amounts of fish (salmon & tuna) meat (chicken breast, very lean hamburger), bread (one slice), pasta and dairy (for my smoothie occasionally, cheese, yogurt) into my diet, with plant-based foods being the main part of the diet.
It sounds so easy when I write it down, but I had to make conscious efforts to eat the right thing. It can be difficult when everyone around you is eating a food you are used to eating. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables takes more preparation than eating processed foods, which are so convenient and quick. I found if I made large salads to last a few days or cooked extra stew or soup, I didn’t have conflicts about eating the right thing when it was there sitting in the refrigerator ready to eat. It would have been so much easier if everyone in the household followed along. I could have rid the refrigerator and cabinet of foods I didn’t need or want to eat. A few times I was just too drawn to acid foods, but I just mixed some greens with my water to try to counteract my indiscretion. This seemed to work when I tested pH.
Maintaining proper pH balance requires plenty of water, eating more plant-based foods, limiting meats, dairy, processed flour, sugar, and other acidic foods. A good ratio is 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods. It is good to know I can eat what I want, without guilt or fear. I can make healthy choices and enjoy any meal at a get-together without worrying whether I can eat certain foods. I still use test strips occasionally to monitor my pH.
Supplement Program
I had been supplementing my diet since my stroke, especially with magnesium, calcium, potassium and multi-vitamins because my various medications depleted my body of minerals. My doctor recommended omega-3-6-9 oils. To increase my good cholesterol I had added turmeric, niacin, cinnamon and chromium. This whole supplementation had reduced my medicine intake to ½ of when I started taking medicine. So I know I was on the right course. My blood pressure was already on the way down but was stuck at 140/80 and the diabetes was having less effect on my body. Bad cholesterol was well within healthy ranges. The pH program combined with my supplements put me over the top for health.
I cannot say for sure how much more the supplements benefited me when I began the pH program, but I am sure they complimented the program and allowed my body to work to heal itself. After all, they had been working to help my body deal with the effects of diabetes and hypertension up to this point. Many foods from our farms have less and less of the vitamins and minerals we can expect because of over-farming without giving back to the soil the trace vitamins and minerals we need. By supplementation I know that my body is getting everything it needs. I still take these today because I know they have a very positive effect.
Below is a recap of the minerals and other supplements I have been using:
Calcium 600 mg with 100 IU of Vitamin D for absorption daily
Magnesium 100 mg daily
Potassium Two 99 mg tablets AM and two 99 mg tablets PM daily
Omega-3-6-9 One 1200 mg softgel AM and one 1200 mg softgel PM daily
Chromium 200 mcg daily
Turmeric 400 mg daily
Niacin 100 mg daily
Cinnamon Two 500 mg capsules AM and two 500 mg capsules PM
Multi Vitamins One daily
You can find these supplements at many food stores, drug stores and online sites. After my stroke I was hurting for cash, having to make every dollar count. I took my time finding the best prices while maintaining quality. One problem I encountered was finding one site that carried everything I needed. I decided upon Puritan’s Pride. They have been in business for over 40 years, provide quality supplements, have a flat reasonable shipping rate and often have great sales. I especially like their buy 1 get 1 free, or buy 2 get 3 free sales and their
70% off sales. Their prices have always been very reasonable.
After starting to write this book a few weeks ago I discovered I can get a 10% commission on any orders you place that I refer. You still get the same price, including sales pricing. If you use the link below, I would be very grateful. It will take you to the home page. Simply search for the products you want by name or item number. Once you get there please consider bookmarking the page in your favorites section for future reference.
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=KKdKd5qQ7R8&offerid=116038.10000107&type=3&subid=0
They have over a 1000 products, including other known brands. I have listed the product numbers I usually purchase, but by searching by name you will find a good selection of each product.
Of course, you may purchase any supplements anywhere. I have been very satisfied with Puritan’s Pride for a couple of years now and have recommended them often. Enough of the salesmanship.
I didn’t write this book for that. I truly hope this e-book helps you. I will be making any updates and additions as needed. If you want to contact me, please do so at the email below. I check it every morning and will do my best to respond to any comments or questions each morning. Jeff@ThingsYouWantToKnow.com
If I receive a number of similar requests I will list them on the web so anyone can check them. Visit http://ThingsYouWantToKnow.com/html/how.html to check out what others are asking and my response.
Please also consider visiting other pages of the site. I keep adding more info as I find it during my research, which is a lot, often. If you see an ad you like, please visit through the site. If you have any info you would like to submit, there are links on each topic page.
Greens Links
Vitamins Links