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VEGAN FEAST SUBSCRIBERS' COOKING AND RECIPE FORUM>
My brother followed Dr. Neal Barnard's program
Debbie
1394 posts
Oct 19, 2007
8:12 AM
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Hi all and especially Bryanna,
My younger brother followed Dr. Barnard Diabetes plan (see the tab on the left) and reversed his diabetic problem.
He is one who laughed at my diet. Apparently, earlier this year he was diagnosed as a diabetic (he is only 43 yrs old). His A1c is 9.1 (it is supposed to be under 7). His triglyceride is 1095 and had high cholesterol. He followed Dr. Barnard's program for 5 weeks and reversed it.
He is not a vegetarian or vegan now but for 5 weeks he was a vegan. He is not laughing at my diet anymore.
I visited his house and he showed me Dr. Barnard's book that he read and followed. I mentioned that I know Bryanna who wrote the recipes in this book. :-) Unfortunately, he didn't try the recipes. Being an Indonesian, he opted ethnic dishes so he just made dishes with tofu/tempeh and lots of spices. But he stayed out of meat and dairy for 5 weeks.
Although he doesn't laugh at my diet anymore, he still makes fun of himself for not being able to give up meat. He said that he eats vegetarian from Mo-Fri and then eats meat on weekends. Still, not bad, I think. Below is what he posted on my blog http://spiceislandvegan.blogspot.com/2007/05/indonesian-coffee-flan-at.html
"Hi,
This is the blogger's goofy brother. Just want to say I followed Dr. Neal Barnard's vegan diet program and I was able to reduce my A1c (blood sugar) from 9.1 to 6. Cholesterol and triglyceride were down to ridiculously low levels. I lost like 11 lb in 3 weeks. However, after I found out the result I celebrated in a Brazilian BBQ place :-). I am not eating vegan yet, but trying to do so. Now, my sister promised me the Flan recipe with no sugar and no fat. So, let's wait for another recipe :-) She said she will use agave juice for sweetener. You make tequila with Agave . . . so I think I will be lean, mean, and a bit drunk?? ;-) "
His triglyceride went down to 140 after the diet. It's a culture thing in my country for not taking blood report seriously. My mom has high cholesterol and triglyceride and still eat anything she wants.
High triglyceride seems to run in my family. My triglyceride is not low either: 240. My cholesterol is low and normal. My blood pressure is also low. My doctor has not told me to be on drugs yet. My other siblings triglycerides are way above 240. I don't know what this brother's triglyceride now after he went off his vegan diet. He is afraid to go to the doctor to check (another cultural thing) after the horrible diagnose last time.
I am wondering now if I haven't been a vegan would I have the same problem as he had, being a diabetic. My dad was a diabetic and had high blood pressures.
I haven't read the book yet(he loaned it to me) but I will try the recipes (although I am familiar with some of them).
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Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
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Brenda W.
189 posts
Oct 20, 2007
5:51 AM
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Debbie,
That is SUCH a great report to hear!! And the thing is, this sort of thing could happen ALL THE TIME, if the medical community would just accept that DIET CHANGE WORKS!! But it's just easier (for both the MD and the patient) to "just take a pill".
Last week at the hospital, one of the patients I was taking care of was on 17 different medications that I was giving her over the course of the day!!! So sad .. she was not in good health at all. It wasn't like all those pills were helping to make her healthy.
Anyway, 3 cheers (no, more than that!!) for your brother. How great that he has a resource person for helping him with vegan diet choices!!
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