Earlier this week, Gerry C. from San Jose, CA wrote us a quick note about her Whole30 experience… and the entire Whole9 team promptly fell in love. For those of you who think, “It’s too late for that” or “I’m too old to make any changes” or “Will this really make a difference at this point?”, this article is for you. Rock on, Gerry!
In Gerry’s Own Words
I am an almost 71 year old granny who has been diabetic for more than 24 years, taking pills and insulin for more than five years. I’ve had aortic valve replacement and bypass surgery, have arthritis, high blood pressure, and third-stage chronic kidney disease. I’ve been fat most of my life, and have had migraines since I was six years old. I started the Whole30® program on November 5, 2012, twelve and a half weeks ago. At the time I had been having almost constant migraines for more than six weeks. Since that day, I have not had a full blown migraine. The few that have threatened me just don’t seem to develop. In December 2012, I began having problems with low blood sugar—so I started decreasing my insulin. In a few weeks, I was able to come off the insulin altogether. Recent blood test show that my A1c (a test of blood sugar levels over six to eight weeks, and a marker of inflammation) is lower than it has been in years. I have cut my blood pressure medicine in half. My arthritis pain is not as awful. I now feel like going walking. My husband got me a cat stroller for Christmas so I can walk comfortably without having to take my cane. Oh, and I have lost 22 pounds. And we are doing the Whole30 on Social Security. Not only can old people do this, you can do it with less than “perfect” food choices. I appreciated your Paleo Poor guidelines and we have become rather good at shopping for the best we can get under the circumstances. I keep referring back to It Starts With Food. My whole family is benefiting from this program, but I will let them tell you about it when they are ready. Thank you! Gerry C., San Jose, CA