The Struggle is Real

Good morning everyone!  I titled the blog as "the struggle is real" today because it is!  Let's face it it's no fun to stick yourself every morning and before or after meals.  While I have put my type 2 diabetes in check it's still something I have to monitor closely as I found out last winter and even as recently as last week.  

One thing I've always stressed is DIET. Diet is king when it comes to either defeating or maintaining your blood sugars.  What I've seen this past few weeks with my own testing has really emphasized that fact.  

What happened is that I started experimenting on what I can and can't tolerate when it comes to my blood sugar.  What I found (at least for me) is that fresh fruits are vegetables are absolutely essential!  For example two nights ago I didn't eat a salad with my hamburger (without a bun and grass fed beef) because of a webinar I had to attend.  I didn't want to be on video with a piece of lettuce hanging from my chin lol.  All I ate was the hamburger and went back down to my home office to get online.  What I found the next day was startling.  

My blood sugar reading had gone up by 14 points overnight!  This has been consistent with my past readings depending upon whether or not I had eaten salad and fruit the day or evening before.  The more I read about the positive effects of the berry family (strawberries, raspberries blueberries etc) the more I realize how much I need them.  In fact here is a great article about the fruits to avoid and the fruits to eat if you're diabetic or pre-diabetic.   Fruits that raise or lower your blood sugar! 

So with a little experimenting I found the following to be true for me.  

1. I need to eat a fresh salad everyday without fail.
2. I need to eat a variety of berries everyday without fail.
3. I need to lay off the peanuts and other snacks at night.
4. I've found cucumbers to be very helpful as a veggie.

Did I forget to mention the peanuts?  Yes I did so I'll discuss it here.  I love peanuts as a low carb snack however you need to be careful with them as they're not the ideal snack for diabetics if you like nuts.  A better choice would be almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds (look at the labels!) and pumpkin seeds.  They don't taste as good to me so I was using peanuts however they caused me two issues.  First they made my sugar count go up as I ate too many of them late at night and they caused me to puff up from the salt content.  Once again that was because I was eating too many of them.  If I just have a couple of handfuls that's fine but any more than that it's a problem.   Lessons learned once again. 

So how do you keep fresh veggies and fruits in the house?  There are great selections at Costco (stay organic as much as possible) and of course your local farmers market should be up and running soon.  Or you can grow your own using heirloom seeds (non GMO) in a traditional garden if you have the room OR you can get your very own Tower Garden from Juice Plus like I did!  Yes that's a cheap plug because I sell them but I see the value in them!  In fact here is a picture of my very first strawberry! 

I have several more growing now (that was taken Monday 5-23-16) and the rest of the tower is taking off as well!  Here is a picture of my friend Nikki's tower at our local health food store.

As you can see that one is growing indoors with the available grow light kit.  This is after 5 weeks of growth time (seedlings were about 2-3 inches high to start) and it's been harvested several times already!   Getting excited yet?  You can get yours here:  Get your tower garden here!

That sums it up for today!  Keep these diabetes tips in mind when you go to the store or when you eat out.  Always read the labels on items you buy to make sure they're OK for you to eat.  And of course always remember to Live to Win NOW!!!

Johnny

How I "Fixed" Diabetes

People have asked me many times "John how did you fix your diabetes?"  Well I didn't really "fix" anything.  What I did was research it over and over and I found some really good advice online.  

But standing tall above the rest is this book pictured above.  Shane Ellison is a former chemist for big pharma.  In this book he tells you about what he learned while he was there and what they do when the "discover" a new drug.  

Drugs are nothing more than natural cures put into chemical/synthetic form.  The chemists find the compounds of certain plants/herbs and what they do and try to mimic this in the lab.  That way they can say they "found" a new drug and then they patent the formula.  It's a fraud as the plants they researched in the first place is better than the drug that they make.  

This book will teach you in three easy steps how to "fix" your diabetes.  Type one diabetics who take insulin will have to be careful (always consult with your doctor before discarding meds) as you don't want your sugars to get too low.  Type 2 diabetics are considered "insulin resistant" and this book will teach you how to lower your sugars back to normal.  Look at me for an example.  My meter readings a year ago were 300 as of now they're at the 120 range after a meal.  Fasting has been around 110. 

If I had stuck to my new diet each and every day I would be lower than I am now.  I admit I slacked off over the winter and ate things that are bad for me.  Here are some items to avoid like the plague.  

1. sugar of any kind organic or not
2. artificial sweeteners with the exception of REAL stevia, not the truvia which is synthetic.  
3. Bread and pasta of all kinds with the exception of Ezekiel bread which can be found in the frozen section of most stores.
4. All prepackaged dinners and fast food.  These are full of chemicals designed to make it taste better and they all raise sugar levels.  

Any foods or snacks that may contain MSG or other chemicals.  Be careful on nuts as well since some contain sugar.  "Dry roasted" peanuts have sugar as do some sunflower seeds.  Read the labels! If you're tired of reading labels or are concerned (you should be) about pesticides and GMO's get this!  Tower Garden from Johnny

Finally last but not least here is a testimonial from one of Shane's readers/clients.

There's an easy fix...

Stephanie wrote in this morning to say, “In January my doctor said I was
pre-diabetic. My fasting level was 112 (normal is 85-95) when I had my
annual blood test. I decided right then and there I wasn’t going down
that road.”

Anything over 125 mg/dL, and you’re considered a type 2 diabetic, or more
accurately, “insulin resistant.”

Unwilling to accept the fate of being “pre-diabetic,” Stephanie started
looking for natural cures.

“I ordered books on Amazon and was reading a lot,” she writes. “I saw
your book, ’Over-the-Counter Natural Cures’ pop up on Amazon.  It
caught my attention.”

My book Over-the-Counter Natural Cures: Expanded Edition has an entire
chapter on how to conquer diabetes with 3 simple steps — WITHOUT
medications.

But I’m going to give you the 3 steps here so you can get started
immediately!

“I wish I would have found your book YEARS AGO!” says Stephanie. “My
sugar dropped to normal and I’ve lost 22 pounds.”

“Once I read your book, I ordered several more copies for family &
friends to pass out. I’m taking Cinnergy. I gave a gal in my office your
book and she’s now buying some of your products to get her husband off
anti-depressants. I’m spreading the word to anyone and everyone who’ll
listen….what a blessing your organization is. I wish the American public
would wake up. Thanks so much for your insight!”

Well done, Stephanie!

There you go!  God bless good luck and live to win NOW!!!  Oh and don't forget to check out this program if you really want to get serious!  This is a best seller on Clickbank.com and has great reviews!

Reverse Diabetes Today!

Johnny

 

 

How I Defeated Type 2 Diabetes

 

I could write a book on this subject but I won't since there is already a great book on the subject (which we'll get to later) but this is my story.  Oh heck with it if you want the book link right away here it is.  How to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes 

 

First off I had to fix my diet.  Diet has been and always will be the number one issue when you want to defeat diabetes.  I had to switch to whole organic foods (not the grocery store) and eliminate all sugars and artificial sweeteners (PURE stevia is ok but make sure it's the real deal).  I also eliminated all chemical laden foods no matter what the sugar/carb count is.  Put that frozen dinner back in the cooler it's chock full of chemicals designed to make it taste good but they will wreck havoc on your blood sugar.  

 

Second I had to start exercising.  Besides being good for you exercise does a few other things.  First it increases your metabolism especially after you start replacing fat with muscle. Second it releases the "feel good" chemicals in your brain like drugs do but in a healthy way.  It's hard to be or stay depressed when you work out.  Science is showing us that it doesn't take 4 hours per day in the gym either.  Let's face it the only people who have time for that are pro athletes or actors.  They get paid to stay in the ultimate shape but for us working stiffs we don't have that luxury.  I would suggest starting with walking if you're out of shape.  A few classes with a personal trainer to get your started is a good idea as well.  No matter which way you start simply START and get moving!  

 

Last but not least are supplements.  High quality supplements aren't cheap but neither is being sick.  Insurance premiums keep going up up and up (look at the news) and aren't going down anytime soon.  While supplements help they're not a "take a pill and you're cured" solution.  Supplements are just that supplements meant to help with whatever your diet is lacking.  Some like "Cinnergy" are stacked with proven ingredients that lower sugar counts.  This is the one of the supplements that helped me the most that's for sure.  You can find it at The Peoples Chemist website.  

 

That's it in a nutshell.  Focus on diet first and you're over halfway home.  If you would like a steady supply of fresh produce for your family (even in an apartment) you should check this out.  It's what my wife and I use for our produce these days and after having one you'll wonder why you didn't know about it before now.  You can find it on my site here:  www.jsandstrom.towergarden.com 

 

Have a blessed weekend and LIVE TO WIN NOW!  

 

Johnny  

Defeating Diabetes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUNzdB11akY 

Thirteen months ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  Within 3 months I had reversed it and so far I've kept it down and defeated! 

Today I will show you a short video on my morning supplement and breakfast routine.However just watching this video and even taking the same supplements won't get you there. 

First of all diet is king!  If you don't have a whole foods diet with NO sugars or artificial sweeteners in particular you're not going to win.  I eat tuna, grass fed beef (no hormones or antibiotics) and other fresh water fish.  The QUALITY of your food is very important as well as the quality of your supplements.  

The second most important item is exercise.  Three days per week is the minimum you want to exercise with 4 or 5 days being right for me.  Routines vary and some folks can handle the real intense stuff while others like me cannot.  I use three base exercises and use a few others besides.  These can be found in Matt Furey's book called Combat Conditioning.  It's a book about body weight resistance training and it works cardio at the same time if done right.  My days of lifting heavy weights to get "swol" are over.  The risk of injury is too high for my taste and at my age (48) it's just too risky.  I wasn't able to exercise much for a couple of years due to surgeries and injuries so being that far out of shape I have to stay safe.  The bottom line with exercise is to do it but do it safely.  Otherwise you end up hurting yourself and setting yourself back.  Even walking with varying pace can do wonders.  Walk at your normal speed for a few minutes then speed up to your fastest walking speed for 30 seconds.  Cool down for a minute or two and do it again.  You stress the body out and force adrenaline to be deployed which causes fat loss.  Do what works for you but those are a couple different things I do. 

The key to all of this is consistency.  Once you get your sugars under control for an extended period (say 2 months) then you can add a cheat day in there once in awhile.  Don't overdo it however as getting your sugars back down is rough.  For example for some reason I can't ever eat ice cream again as it took me almsot a week to get rid of the sugar spike from one small dish.  

Last but not least these solutions have not been evaluated by the FDA and don't toss your meds out just yet.  Make sure you coordinate with your doctor and come up with a plan.  But if you make the changes your doctor might high five you in the office like mine did!  

www.jsandstrom.towergarden.com

I can't afford it!

That is the number one objection I get from people when I discuss the tower garden with them.  Let's take a closer look to see if that's true.  

Last week my wife went to Costco and bought us some fruit and a head of lettuce.  The bill for those items was $25.00 and we figured it will last us a week.  That's $100.00 per month we spend on fruit and veggies before counting cucumbers and other items we could be growing ourselves.  After recalculating we figure the bill is really about $35-40 per week.  So at $35 per week the monthly total is now up to $140 per month.  

The tower garden I purchased will grow up to 20 plants without the extensions.  I bought the tower with the wheeled cart, the tomato cage and the grow lights.  My total monthly expense using the interest free 12 month payment plan will be about $57.00 per month.  Figuring in some extra electricity we figured out cost will be no more than $67.00 per month.  

Using that math it's easy to see that in the end we will save money moving forward!  $140 minus $67 is $73.  Granted we will still have to buy a few apples, lemons and blueberries but overall our costs will go down about $50.00 per month.  Keep in mind this tower will be paid off in 11 months and after that the difference will be huge!  Plus with the ability to grow year around in a cold climate well that's priceless.  

I urge you to take a close look at what you're spending on fresh fruits and veggies at the store before deciding you can't afford a tower garden.  Not to mention the fact that by growing your own food you are doing a few more things besides just saving money.  First you know for SURE what kind of food you have, GMO or non GMO.  The evidence is pointing to GMO's not being safe (they're banned in 14 nations in Europe and Russia) and of course there are the pesticides to deal with.  Round up is definitely not safe so you have to ask yourself what is your families long term health worth?  With GMO's containing round up or other pesticides in the seeds themselves do you really want to keep playing Russian roulette at the store?  The GMO labeling laws vary and if Monsanto and the feds get their way nothing will be labeled.  

Second you're giving your family the foods they need and deserve.  It's not just about GMO's or pesticides it's about having a constant readily available supply of fresh REAL food for you and yours.  Food security is more important then ever in today's crazy world and it would only take a few days (or less) for your local grocery stores to have empty shelves.  Plus if you have a freeze dryer or access to one you can store some fruits and veggie snacks for a long time!  

Third is how easy they are to use.  This was very important to me as I have a brown thumb.  Traditional gardens are labor intensive with weeds and pests to deal with.  The tower gardens can't guarantee anything but not dealing with weeds and crappy soil (which we have) is a huge plus!  All you have to do is check the PH once a week and change out the entire water supply (20 gallons) every 6 weeks.  The pump is on a timer and the lights can be as well so once it's set you can forget!  That means you will have much more free time for you and your family instead of having to spend hours in the dirt each week.  

Do you still think you can't afford one?  Do a serious evaluation of your finances and see where your food dollars are going before you decide you can't get a tower garden.  Once I saw the REAL cost of what we're spending I realize more than ever that the tower garden is a sound investment!