Meet Kristin. For years, she knew her blood sugar was moving in the wrong direction.
She had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2000, but the warning signs had started even earlier. Her doctor would ask her to return for additional testing because her blood sugar was elevated, and Kristin admits she sometimes avoided going back because she knew what the results might mean.
Eventually, she could no longer ignore it.
Over the years, medications were gradually added as her blood sugar became increasingly difficult to manage. Her A1c would improve and then rise again, leaving Kristin unsure about what she was actually supposed to be doing differently.
In 2018, her doctor suggested adding nighttime insulin. More recently, as her A1c continued climbing despite her efforts, insulin became part of her daily routine.
By the time Kristin arrived at the Mastering Diabetes Retreat, she was taking 20 units of insulin and consistently waking up with fasting blood glucose above 200 mg/dL.
Just a few days later, she woke up to a fasting blood glucose of 106 mg/dL.
For Kristin, seeing that number was more than an exciting result. It showed her what could happen when nutrition, movement, sleep, education, and support finally came together.
Years of Trying Without Knowing What Was Missing
Kristin had received some diabetes education when she was first diagnosed and initially took a small amount of Metformin.
But as the years passed, her medications continued increasing.
Whenever her doctor suggested adding something new or increasing a dose, Kristin would try to hold off. She wanted to improve her health without continually adding more medication, but her blood sugar wasn't responding the way she hoped.
Part of the problem was that she didn't really understand what needed to change.
She knew she wasn't eating as well as she could. She knew she wasn't exercising enough. But knowing those things and understanding how to build an effective lifestyle around them were very different.
By the past year, her A1c had climbed high enough that she knew something needed to change.
When Kristin learned that the Mastering Diabetes Retreat was happening in her area, the opportunity felt like exactly what she had been waiting for.
Kristin's Retreat Results
The results would exceed her expectations.
Before | After |
|---|---|
Fasting glucose consistently above 200 mg/dL | As low as 106 mg/dL |
Taking 20 units of insulin | Went without nighttime insulin during the retreat |
Staying up and waking later | Going to bed earlier and waking at 5:45 a.m. |
Often tired | Waking up feeling refreshed |
Unsure what lifestyle changes mattered most | Clearer plan for long-term health |
Within approximately two and a half days, Kristin was seeing blood sugar readings she had not expected. Her fasting glucose, which had consistently been above 200 mg/dL before arriving, reached 106 mg/dL during the retreat.
The experience was especially meaningful because she was simultaneously changing several aspects of her lifestyle. She was eating differently, exercising, going to bed earlier, waking up earlier, and learning how all of those pieces worked together. Rather than focusing on a single intervention, Kristin began seeing how the complete lifestyle could influence her health.
A Night That Changed What She Thought Was Possible
One of the most memorable moments came when Kristin went to bed without taking the 20 units of nighttime insulin she had been using.
She was nervous.
She expected her glucose alarm to go off. Without the insulin she had become accustomed to taking, she imagined waking up to the same readings above 200 mg/dL that had frustrated her for so long, or perhaps something even higher.
Instead, the night went smoothly.
The next morning, she saw a result she hadn't expected. Her glucose had improved rather than skyrocketed.
That experience gave Kristin immediate feedback that something was changing. Under the guidance she received at the retreat, she could see how quickly her body was responding as she combined low-fat, whole-food, plant-based meals with movement, better sleep, and other healthy habits.
It was one thing to learn about insulin sensitivity. It was another to watch her own numbers change in real time.
Discovering That Fruit and Greens Could Be Part of the Solution
The retreat also challenged some of Kristin's assumptions about food.
Fruit had made her nervous.
Like many people living with diabetes, she had concerns about what eating carbohydrate-rich foods might do to her blood sugar.
Breakfast brought another surprise.
Eating greens in the morning was not something she had previously imagined becoming part of her routine.
But the food at the retreat changed her perspective. Kristin described it as healthy, delicious, and most importantly, doable.
She wasn't simply being handed a list of foods to eat when she returned home. She was experiencing complete meals herself, seeing how they affected her glucose, and learning how food fit alongside exercise, relaxation, sleep, and movement.
That combination made the approach feel practical rather than theoretical.
Waking Up Earlier Became Something to Look Forward To
Of all the things Kristin expected to learn at a diabetes retreat, becoming excited about waking up at 5:45 in the morning was not one of them.
Before attending, she had been staying up later and getting up later. The retreat changed that rhythm.
She began going to bed earlier, waking up early, exercising, and starting the day feeling refreshed rather than tired.
To her surprise, she loved it.
More importantly, she wanted to continue the routine when she returned home. The motivation came from seeing how she felt and watching her numbers respond.
Healthy habits no longer felt like abstract recommendations she knew she "should" follow. They were producing results she could see.
Coaching That Continued Beyond the Retreat
Kristin was equally impressed by the people guiding the experience.
She found the coaches knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely committed to helping every participant improve.
And because each coach brought a different perspective, she could learn something from everyone.
The community mattered too.
Kristin was surrounded by people at different stages of their diabetes journeys, including people using insulin and others who were not. Everyone arrived with different experiences, but they shared a common goal of improving their health.
That environment made the retreat feel encouraging rather than isolating.
In fact, Kristin was so convinced of the value of ongoing support that she decided she did not want to leave without continuing her Mastering Diabetes journey. She enrolled in the Mastering Diabetes Coaching Program and is excited to begin working with her coach.
The retreat gave her immediate momentum. Coaching would help her carry that momentum home.
A New Perspective on Her Health Span
Kristin's goals extend beyond lowering one fasting glucose reading.
She wants to live longer. But just as importantly, she wants those years to be healthy ones.
The retreat helped her think more deeply about her health span and what it would take to build a life that felt both long and fulfilling.
For years, diabetes management had often felt like reacting to numbers and medications.
Now she was thinking differently: Food. Movement. Exercise. Sleep. Relaxation. Education. Community.
Instead of treating those as separate pieces, Kristin began seeing how they could work together.
She believes the changes she started during the retreat can set the tone for the rest of her life.
What Kristin Wants Others to Know
Kristin arrived at the retreat hoping to improve her health. She left blown away by what she experienced.
In only a few days, her fasting blood sugar fell from consistently above 200 mg/dL to as low as 106 mg/dL. She experienced nights without her usual 20 units of insulin while receiving guidance at the retreat, woke up feeling refreshed, discovered a new way to think about food, and found herself genuinely excited about continuing the habits she had started.
She also found something that is difficult to recreate when trying to change your health alone.
People who understood. Coaches who cared. A community working toward similar goals.
For anyone considering attending, Kristin's advice is simple: If you can come, come.
Being immersed in an environment where the food, movement, education, coaching, and community are all working together helped her understand what was possible in a way she had never experienced before.
And after years of uncertainty, she finally feels excited about what comes next.
Ready to Experience the Mastering Diabetes Retreat?
If you've been watching your blood sugar climb despite your best efforts, or you understand that lifestyle matters but aren't sure how to put all the pieces together, the Mastering Diabetes Retreat gives you the opportunity to experience the method in a fully supportive environment.
Join us at the next Mastering Diabetes Retreat and experience hands-on coaching, world-class education, delicious whole-food, plant-based meals, daily movement, and a supportive community that will help you build momentum long after you return home.
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