We are currently approaching 163 days, a little over 5 months, on this Raw Vegan journey, and I have to say, this is an experience of a lifetime. We are not the same people who started this journey. My entire view of life has shifted for the better. I am able to move faster, think faster, heal faster, stay up longer, multitask more efficiently, and I have more energy for our children, my husband, and myself like never before. When we started this journey, I honestly did not know the impact this lifestyle would have on me because we were primarily focused on my husband's health. This experience has changed me completely and I am connected to God on an entirely new level.
Enough about me, let's get into this healing journey for my husband, Ronald (Ron). At the end of 2022, Ron was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. He also had high blood pressure, for which he was taking two medications for the past 10 years. Ron also had elevated liver enzymes and high triglycerides. His LDL (the bad cholesterol) was elevated and his Hemoglobin A1C measurement put him in the category of Type II Diabetes. We had to make a change. This is not what 40 years old should look like.
I was already vegan for a little over a year and I saw so many health benefits from eating raw foods, so we decided to dive into the Raw Vegan lifestyle to reverse everything. The goals were to reverse Type II Diabetes, reverse High blood Pressure, improve kidney function, improve liver function, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increase energy, and loose a minimum of 50 pounds initially. Sounds like a miracle right? Do not underestimate the POWER of eating raw fruits and vegetables. God has placed these foods here for
us to heal. This is what our bodies need on a daily basis to perform optimally and function the way we were made to. We are not supposed to feel lethargic, depressed, energy depleted, and quite frankly, run down. We are supposed to feel energetic and full of life, from morning until the end of the day! Once we connect to God through the food He has given us from the beginning of time, we really begin to heal from the inside to the outside. We become a healing machine and we are able to live optimally and experience the vitality of life. I can tell you right now, as a pharmacist, with 13 years in the pharmaceutical industry, there is no pill or pharmaceutical regimen that will take care of all the goals I mentioned above. Especially, simultaneously without side effects. Our bodies were made to heal, and when loaded with oxygenated foods, antioxidants, and enzymes we are able to fight infection and disease at an optimal level.
You see, heart disease does not come from eating plants. Neither does, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or high liver enzymes. These are chronic health conditions that arise from our eating habits and our eating choices, primarily the eating of animal products.
We jumped into the journey head first and here are the incredible results:
Fasting Glucose: (Previous Reading) 97
Current Result: 75
The fasting blood glucose measures the amount of sugar in your bloodstream after an extended period of fasting. This value, usually taken in the mornings upon waking, is a common way to diagnose diabetes and to help monitor and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Healthy readings are in the range of 70 - 100 mg/dL. This value is important for those with or without diabetes. For those without diabetes, this is the target value and can help access the body's glucose response after a meal and also help to diagnose any health condition if the patient is experiencing any sy
mptoms. The target value 2 hours after eating a meal is under 140 mg/dL.
For those with diabetes, the target value shifts to 80 - 130mg/dL. This is to access the body's glucose response after a meal and also adjusts for medication response if the patient is taking medications. It is also a great way to access if any medication adjustments are needed. The goal would be to reach the same target values as those without diabetes. The target value 2 hours after eating a meal is under 180 mg/dL.
Ron's blood sugar was fluctuating when his initial lab work was taken in October of last year. His values would shift day to day from over 100 to under 100. It was amazing to see his blood glucose stabilize in the 70's and he was so excited to see his hard work paying off. There is much speculation on the sugar content of fruits and that they could cause an increase in blood sugar. These results show that the fructose content in fruits actually helps to lower and stabilize blood sugar levels to normal levels. Fruits are detoxifying and help to cleanse our organs and allow them to work optimally in our bodies. Eating fruits with high water content is especially good to help flush the kidneys and give the liver a reboot. This is very significant in helping with glucose absorption and glucose metabolism.
Creatinine: (Previous Reading) 1.07
Current Result: 0.94
The serum creatinine level gives information on how well the kidneys are working and filtering waste from your blood. Creatinine is a byproduct of the energy producing processes in the muscles. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine out of the blood and Creatinine exits our bodies as a waste product in the urine. The target level is between 0.76 - 1.27 mg/dL. Ron's level went down to 0.94 indicating improved kidney function as well as less creatinine in the bloodstream.
eGFR: (Previous Reading) 90
Current Result: 105
The estimated glomerular filtration rate is also a measure of how well your kidneys are working. This reading may provide a more accurate reading on kidney function since there is variability in serum creatinine. Target values are > 60 mL/min/BSA. As the number increases, it highlights improved kidney function. Ron's reading went from 90 to 105, indicating improved kidney function in just a few months.
AST: (Previous Reading) 42
Current Result: 21
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are liver enzymes that can indicate liver damage or disease at high concentrations in the bloodstream. Target levels for AST are 0 - 40 IU/L. Higher levels indicate inflammation and liver damage. Ron's level decreased from 42 to 21. This indicates improvement in liver function, liver health, and also decreased levels of inflammation.
ALT (Previous Reading ) 54
Current Result: 27
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are liver enzymes that can indicate liver damage or disease at high concentrations in the bloodstream. Target levels for ALT are 0 - 44 IU/L. Higher levels indicate inflammation and liver damage. Ron's level decreased from 54 to 27. This indicates improvement in liver function, liver health, and also decreased levels of inflammation. We were so excited to see his liver health improve as he was always informed that he had a fatty liver. Eating more fruits and vegetables has helped to improve his liver function and liver health and reverse his fatty liver.
Cholesterol, total: (Previous Reading) 189
Current Reading: 143
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood and in every cell of our bodies. We need cholesterol to keep our cells and organs healthy. Cholesterol maintains the integrity and fluidity of cell membranes. It is vital as it serves as a precursor for the synthesis of hormones, bile acids, and even Vitamin D. The liver makes all of the cholesterol our bodies need. We do not have to eat to supplement cholesterol. There is cholesterol in some of the foods we eat and when our bodies have an excess amount of cholesterol, that's when it can become harmful. The cholesterol target should be between 100 - 199 mg/dL. Ron had a good initial cholesterol reading and his cholesterol went down further eating raw fruits and vegetables over the course of a few months.
Triglycerides: (Previous Reading) 160
Current Reading: 113
Triglycerides are fats from the food we eat that are carried into the bloodstream. These triglycerides are from extra calories, alcohol, and even sugar and are stored in fat cells throughout the body. The body can make triglycerides as this helps cholesterol circulate throughout the body. Most of the triglycerides come from our food and too much can cause significant health risks such as heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. The target blood value is 0 - 149 mg/dL. Ron's triglyceride levels were elevated at 160 and came down several points to a reading of 113. This is huge and shows that this way of eating can reverse so many health conditions and allow the body to work optimally.
LDL Cholesterol: (Previous Reading) 116
Current reading at 76
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ,"bad cholesterol" , is made up of mostly cholesterol which is delivered to our
bodies cells. Too much LDL in the bloodstream increases your risk for heart attack, stroke , and other diseases as LDL can combine with other substances like cholesterol and build up on the walls of arteries forming plaques causing atherosclerosis. This plaque formation can grow and cause blockage in blood vessels. Contrary to LDL is High-Density lipoprotein (HDL), "good cholesterol", which helps remove extra cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it back to the liver. The target value for LDL is 0 - 99mg/dL. Ron had an elevated value of 116 and after a few months of eating raw fruits and vegetables, this value came down tremendously to his current reading of 76.
Hemoglobin A1C: (Previous Reading) 6.8
Current reading 5.6
This lab value is the most significant when there is a diagnosis of diabetes as this test reflects the blood sugar levels in the body over the course of 3 months. Glucose in your blood sticks to hemoglobin. As your blood sugar levels increase, more hemoglobin will be covered with glucose. This test measures the percentage of your red blood cells that have "sugar-coated" hemoglobin. Red blood cells live for about three months and the glucose sticks to them for as long as they are alive. This is why this test can measure the blood sugar levels for over the course of a three month period. The target lab value is 4.8 - 5.6 %.
Prediabetes : 5.7 - 6.4
Diabetes: >6.4
For those with Diabetes diagnosis: <7.0 for glycemic control
Ron was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes because of this lab value as his initial reading was 6.8% which put him in the Diabetes category. Determined to reverse this diagnosis, we set out on this raw vegan healing journey. And by God's Grace, Ron's new value is now 5.6, putting his blood sugar right back to normal after just a few months. We are so very excited as this is the lab value that made us want to take this journey!! The diagnosis for Type II Diabetes has been reversed and we can only imagine what the lab values will be like in the months to come! This is just the beginning of this healing journey! To God be the Glory!
This has been an incredible journey of faith, discipline, hope, love, joy, and healing. To see everything that has affected Ron now reversed in a matter of 5 months or less, my eyes have seen the Glory! Ron has lost a total of 58 pounds, he is off of high blood pressure medications, his high blood pressure reversed, his diabetes diagnosis reversed, his high cholesterol reversed, his high triglycerides reversed, his high LDL reversed, his high liver enzymes slashed in more than half, fatty liver reversed, kidney function improved, lighter on his feet, more energy, improved mental clarity, no more swelling, no more inflammation, and I could honestly keep writing how I have seen him heal over the course of these five months. We are more passionate for each other as our libidos have increased. There is more oxygen and blood flow so our intimacy level has gone through the roof. Ron is on fire for God and getting up earlier to spend more time in prayer. He is also more active with our children. It has been so incredible to see the healing on this journey. We cannot keep this healing to ourselves. God has compelled us to share this healing message with all of you. There is healing in God's food. There is healing in the leaves, healing in the fruit, healing in the vegetables, healing in the nuts, seeds, and roots. This is God's food. It is here for us to heal and to give us the life GOD wants us to have. God wants us to be free from the chains of this world, especially those that come in the form of chronic disease. It is here for you, right at your fingertips. When you connect to God's food, you also connect to God on an entirely new level. As you are cleansing yourself physically, you cleanse yourself spiritually. Whatever it is you may be suffering from, and it doesn't have to be only physically, you can be healed with the healing foods from God's Earth. All we have to do is take the first step and re-train our minds and bodies to eat this way. You don't have to be Raw Vegan. But incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will have a lasting impact on your overall health. The more oxygenated foods you put into your body, the more healing. Where there is more oxygen, there is more healing. We may not be Raw Vegan all of our lives, but we will definitely be eating more raw foods and incorporating them into our daily lives.
I want to encourage all of you, to eat at least one raw meal a day. The healing is in the eating. Your most important meal for the day is your raw meal. This is the meal that is going to go to work for your as soon as it enters your body and heal. Have you had your raw meal today? Experience the true healing POWER that comes from GOD'S food.
MD
References:
1) https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/cholesterol-levels/
2) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/12363-blood-glucose-test
5) https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean