For the past four months, I have been on a low carb diet. It is my attempt to beat diabetes without taking medication. I studied many of the popular diets such as Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, and DASH, but have pretty much developed my own. My diet is demanding, allowing no grains (wheat, oatmeal, rice, corn, or any breads), and of course, nothing that could be classified as a sweet.

I eat a lot of vegetables, eggs, nuts, small amounts of certain types of fruits, seeds, and meager amounts of dairy. I seldom eat beef or ham – and certainly no bacon – but I do eat lean meats like chicken, pork, and turkey, and seafood. However, I recognize that even if I am able to stabilize my sugar, I am still a diabetic, and will have to be careful for the rest of my life. The days of eating a liter of Rocky Road ice cream after my football team loses are over. Nevertheless, even if the day comes when I do need medication to control my sugar, I intend to remain on this diet. The reasons are many fold.

I did not anticipate the best part of this diet. For years, I complained that although I was middle-aged, my joints made me feel like an old man. While many men my age overuse cologne, I smelled more like pain relieving menthol. A “chick-magnet” it ain’t. That was before the low carb diet. I feel far less body pain than I have felt in years. The aches and pains that I accepted as part of aging are virtually gone. I pushed away the sugars and grains, and the chronic “body pain” went with them. I feel better, younger, and healthier, as if I went back in time fifteen to twenty years. Now, if I could only reverse my gray hair.

I was borderline high blood pressure, or prehypertension, when I began this diet. Since then, my blood pressure has dropped into the normal range – even when my team suffers another brutal loss on the football field.

And what happened to my acid reflux? For the past decade, I have been popping prescription and over the counter meds for the pain associated with this disease. However, it was not until this diet that I found relief. I purchased a new bottle of pills just before I started this diet, and four months later, it remains unopened.

I also assumed that when I gave up sweets, my cravings for them would just be unbearable. And it was – but only for a short time. I went “cold turkey” and gave away my chips, rice cakes, chocolates, and other sweets I had. But very quickly, I did not miss them. Alright, the exception is chocolate. I still hear those candy bars calling my name when I pass by – but not walk down – the snack aisle. Perhaps it is only a matter of time before I pay my delicious little friends a visit.

My allergies also appear to be improving, and my mind seems a bit sharper. However, it will take more time to determine their progress.

My diet today is more diverse than ever. I still do not know if I will ever have normal blood sugar. However, I did learn that my long-term health is more important than the immediate pleasure provided by a king-size chocolate bar. My low carb diet lowered my blood pressure, significantly improved my chronic joint pain and acid reflux, and gave me a body that feels a decade younger. Significantly, I achieved these health improvements without medication. Now if I could only find a diet that gets my football teams to start winning.

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