Leslie T.

I was at a crossroads in my health situation. At 55 years old, I was still able to perform my daily tasks, including caregiving for a head injured foster son who is large. At night though, I could not sleep due to acid reflux, night sweats, anxiety, joint pain, and just general discomfort. I was cranky and angry because of my insulin resistance. My mood swings had my family in discord.

In 1989, I had a surgery on an artery in my leg. Doctors told me then that I had an autoimmune disease that affected my tissues. This disease would sometimes flare up and cause extreme bruising. I was foggy minded and my nose ran all the time. I knew that I had to do something about my weight and my health (I weighed between 210 and 220). Even though I was physically strong, I felt sick and weak a lot of the time.

In February of 2014, I was awake again late at night. I saw the show called “Brain Change” featuring Dr. David Perlmutter on PBS. Since I have a brain injured foster son, I was interested in any show about brains. As I watched the show, I realized that the subject matter was more relevant to me and to my situation. The longer I watched Dr. Perlmutter, the more excited I got. Finally, I understood the connection between the glycemic index and my inability to keep weight off. I could see that what my diet was missing was essential fats and healthy balance. According to Dr. Perlmutter, I could eat an abundant amount of the right foods, and still lose weight and regain my health.

I was so excited that I could not sleep. The next morning, I ran out and bought coconut oil, some organic canned sardines in olive oil, and some cacao dark chocolate. I printed up a glycemic index of foods, and went shopping for those that were under 30. I began to feast on the foods that would nourish me. I got all of the sugar—and most of the carbohydrates—out of my diet. My energy level shot up. Within a week, I lost 7 pounds.