I put up a couple of posts last year about my mom's improvement (here and here) on paleo. In short, in addition to weight loss, getting off other meds and other improvements, she got off insulin injections.
Now it's dad's turn. He's racked up a lot of weight loss and works out regularly. He's using the Chuck Norris Total Gym, a good option for him I think. I've tried it and you can get the resistance pretty high, and he already knows to keep it brief & intense.
Now he's taken to doing some sprinting and even getting creative like doing squats while holding two 50 pound buckets of cement.
Here's his report.
Been off Atenolol now for about a week. First couple days my BP was slightly elevated, 133/73. Yesterday it was at 110/62. I'm loving this. Dumping one med after another.
Then I asked for a full report.
First I went off Omeprozole with absolutely no heart burn or indigestion. Second I stopped taking Lovastatin, cholesterol went up to about 220, triglycerides went down from over 300 to about 140, HDL went from 45 to 75. Now off Atenolol (beta blocker) for hypertension, with some increase the first couple days, now about what it was before I discontinued taking them. Also I've been on these for over 30 years. And, with all the increased strength I am having a hell of a time with my golf swing, it's all screwed up.
Excuses, excuses.
He sent me his BP log over about the last month and he seems to be averaging 110-120 / 70-80 or even lower, so perfect. He says it's even better than when he was on the BP meds.
Isn't this great? And isn't it a shame at the same time? Over 30 years of care by physicians and on prescription meds and it took me -- and himself, of course -- with no medical training, to actually improve his health and longevity.
Dad turned 72 a few weeks ago. But you'd never know it if you met him.
Later: Being a bit behind in my reading I'd not seen these excellent Type II diabetes cures from Dr. Kurt Harris. Go have a look.
Real Results Video Interview – Paleo Parents – The Three Kids, Part 2
Real Results Video Interview: Timothy Zork – 80 Pounds Lost
Real Results: Primal in Philly
Great story!
The BP figures don’t seem right. 110-120 / 170-180 should be 110-120 / 70-80 ?
/70-80 are the right numbers. Also the weight
of the buckets are 47# each.
Thanks so much, really grateful to you and I love you for it, not that I wouldn’t anyway.
Truly inspirational, Rich.
If only I could get my father to get off the couch and put down the beer.
Sigh.
Aaron -
That may not be your best focus point.
I’m 71, still sedentary, enjoy my beer and pipe, and started eating paleo 9 months ago.
My health has improved hugely: All of my metabolic syndrome has gone away. My near-crippling arthritis is gone. Blood pressure 105/60 pulse 55, lost 20 pounds eating ad libidum.
My VA doctor whom I believe is an Ormish follower doesn’t know whether to cheer or cry. I may decide to play ball again this year. (my old manager says he needs a shortstop)
FIRST EAT PALEO! Everything else is tinkering.
My dad knows exactly what he needs to be doing . . . getting him to actually do it is another story, even though it’s worked for him before! He’s given up all grains for lent once or twice, and he always loses the beer gut immediately.
Great work Richard.
“New leases on life, available for free here at FreeTheAnimal!”
-bryce
Great stuff Richard! Its always nice to see those around you, who you care the most about see the improvements. I’ve had my dad following a paleo diet for less than three months now and he is down 21lbs. None of his clothes fit him and he hasn’t been this light in 10 years. His mood has drastically changes, never grumpy. Which definitely has as much to do with the hormonal workings as it does the joy and dropping 20+ pounds. Also, his mild arthritis is gone.
Gluten intolerance can definitely cause grumpiness…because your body isn’t getting the nutrition it needs from the food you’re eating. I am a walking case study of that. (Diagnosed Celiac 9/2009; years of grumpy-hell and foggy brain before that. Finally got diagnosed when I stopped being able to remember what time it was and got a team of practitioners involved.)
Gluten intolerance does tend to run in families.
-Erica
Erica,
I am one of the believers that EVERYBODY has an intolerance to gluten. I see no reason to eat the stuff or even get tested as if the results come back negative (which they do for alot of folks who have CD) it just gives them an excuse to eat the crap. I would definitely agree that mood is effected by gluten consumption, but I was looking more along the lines of the auto-immune conditions that are associated and far easier to show causation. The disappearance of his arthritis is one of those things.
Hi Ben,
The blood tests do report false negatives (mine did too) but the stool tests don’t…just make sure your doctor follows through with a stool test even if the blood test returns negative.
-Erica
i think it may be too late for my mom. i have her reading dr bernstein’s ‘the diabetes solution’, but she is stubborn, and i don’t think she trusts me completely. she is having all sorts of side effects from chemo therapy (breast cancer spread to her entire body- head to toes). just when she had good blood sugars, the day after chemo (with a new drug so caustic they had to put something called a ‘port’ into her chest so they could deliver it into a bigger blood vessel since it would collapse smaller ones) her blood sugar was 345. i’m cooking for her more, and there she is right with the meat and vegetables. but she still likes her microwave dinners, even when i say i will cook all her meals for her and put them in the fridge so she can reheat them when i’m at work (she lives with me). she asked her doctors about going low carb and they told her not to do it. so she is semi-listening to them and semi-listening to me.
really i think it comes down to her being a carb-addict and not even recognizing that there is such a thing. she says, ‘i’m 74 years old. i want to eat what i want to eat.’ i tell her, if you sacrifice some things, you will get more back. like being able to walk outside without heart pain, or not wheezing, or not being nauseous.’ it really is tiring to see her suffer. but let me tell you there is no greater motivator for me to stick with paleo than to see what is lying in store for me if i don’t. the thing is when you get as sick as my mom with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, growing dementia, often you don’t have the energy to make good decisions, even with family helping. we have to have a plan in place, knowing where to find good doctors, before we get that sick. for me the plan is paleo. i don’t know where the good doctors are yet. maybe that is the next project: a national database of doctors who get it. maybe if paleo people find them, they can post to the paleo facebook page or paleohacks.
That’s awesome news!!
I bought my mom, a diabetic, a copy of the Primal Blueprint. At nearly 65 she has been on insulin for far too long and her condition is worsening. Old habits are tough to break, but when death becomes more eminent, people have a tendency to stand up and take note.
Great to hear about your Dad’s success! I only hope someone would clue in President Clinton to help him.
That’s awesome.
After taking magnesium supplements (chelated magnesium) and eating mostly paleo my BP this afternoon was 119/73. Pretty soon I’ll be pressuring the doctor to take me off the metoprolol.
Eric, my method is slightly different. When all the numbers look good, I take myself off of meds as stated above, then I advise my Primary Care Physician. When it comes to my health, I am boss. If i’m wrong, I suffer the consequences, but your doc will never suffer the consequences when he is wrong.
Great story – never too late to turn things round and improve your lot in life.