Why I Am A Nutrition Coach

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might know a few things about me.

Like that I strongly dislike the word “diet”. Or that I can’t get enough of asparagus. Or that I smear my face with coconut oil every day.

Or that I have a few auto-immune conditions.

But did you know how I got into the work that I  do? Or how I got into the way that I’m eating?

It’s time for another confession post!

If we back up a little long time, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 2, which is 29 years ago now (you’re welcome to do the math). I also have the beginning stages of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Rosacea and some other auto-immune issues. My immune system can’t like me very much, judging by the fact that there’s a war going on between my IS and my body…!

Being a nutrition coach focusing on diabetes and other chronic diseases, has of course given me a huge insight as to how to eat better than the conventional suggestions by health care professionals. In addition to my education, I’ve done so much research and so many trials on myself, before recommending anything to you or other clients.

But for 26 years, I believed (very) strongly that, as a diabetic you HAVE TO HAVE carbohydrates and grains (preferably whole grains) with every meal.

Back then, I took an obscene amount of insulin to combat my fluctuating blood sugar levels. For a while I had a doctor who, in all seriousness, told me to “eat more grains and carbs, your blood sugars will stabilise then”. Well, this wasn’t the case. At all. My body was clearly under a lot of stress from this, my HbA1c (average blood sugar) was WAY too high, and my blood pressure was sky high, for which I got medication that had really weird adverse reactions.

My turning point only came when I re-educated myself as a nutrition coach in 2011.

My teacher was wonderful, and fully on the Paleo train. He made me realise how much I was punishing my body with what I ate. The “healthy and diabetes-friendly” food that I had been told to eat so many times for so many years.

I started cutting out carbs in the form of grains quite quickly during that time. Yes, even the “healthy” whole grains. Following that, I took away potatoes and most fruit, too. What I was left with is what you can see on my Instagram account, aka my food diary; meat, vegetables and healthy fats.

Today, I avoid gluten, because it makes me feel really, really bad. It’s quite easy if you don’t eat processed foods or grains! I also try to avoid cows milk in all shapes and forms, as I’ve noticed that I’m sensitive to casein (a milk protein). I also avoid caffeine, because it affects my blood sugar. And I get terribly jittery by it. Yet I love coffee.

So, what’s happened to my results then, you might wonder? 

Well, I’m doing so much better. It’s really a whole galaxy away from what I used to be. I’ve been able to reduce my insulin dosage by half, my blood pressure medication is as good as non-existent (my doctor says it’s a silly dosage to eat at all, so I guess I could take it away?!)

Of course it’s not always a dance on roses, my blood sugar levels still fluctuate quite regularly, but nothing at all like it used to. It’s unavoidable, no matter how little carbs and grains you eat – if you’ve got Type 1, your sugars will fluctuate. But, it’s much, much easier to correct now, which was close to impossible when I was still eating my body weight in sugar every day.

Everything’s improved since I cut the grains and carbs from my diet. So far, I’ve been able to control the Hashimoto’s solely with the help of supplements. The Rosacea is calmer, although it comes back every once in a while (which I treat with coconut oil – you can read about that here!)

I’m just so thankful that I’ve found a way to eat and live that helps me as much as this does! And I’m also so thankful that I have the opportunity to help you achieve similar success, too.

And, for the record, my current endocrinologist doesn’t really care how I eat, but thinks I “should eat more carbs”. But thanks to my improved levels, I only have a doctors appointment every 4-5 months instead of every 3 months. My CDE (diabetes educator) on the other hand is completely for my low carbing, and agrees with me that I would never have reached these levels without changing my way of eating.

Have you gone against medical advice? What happened?